Take-Two CEO responds to FIFA rumours, says license is “not that simple” as it does not bring along rights

As a seasoned gamer with decades of gaming experience under my belt, I must admit that the recent turn of events regarding FIFA and 2K Games has left me both intrigued and a tad disappointed. The rumors of a potential partnership between these two titans of sports gaming were like a sweet symphony to my ears, reminiscent of the harmonious blend of Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ and Pele’s sheer brilliance on the field.

FIFA and 2K Games were reportedly on the verge of finalizing a licensing agreement to introduce a new FIFA game title. However, statements from Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick have put these rumors to rest, suggesting that acquiring the FIFA license is not as simple as it appears.

Take-Two’s CEO emphasized that the company is pleased with its current portfolio of sports games

Take-Two, which already has a presence in soccer gaming through the widely-played mobile management game Top Eleven, admitted that creating a console simulation similar to NBA 2K would be quite challenging. Notably, Nordeus, the developer of the football management game, is now a subsidiary of Take-Two following their $378 million acquisition deal in 2021.

Negotiating with sports leagues like the NFL, NBA, or MLB is not straightforward because you often deal with both the league and a players’ union. Similarly, if you want to compete in a realistic soccer simulation (SIM) environment without any specific brand restrictions, you would need to address multiple licensing issues, not just one.

He pointed out that the FIFA license alone doesn’t include essential elements like players, teams, or leagues, making it far more complex than other sports simulations where negotiations are typically limited to leagues or player associations. Zelnick emphasized that the company is pleased with its current portfolio of sports games, including NBA 2K, PGA Tour 2K, and WWE 2K.

In 2022, Electronic Arts (EA) and FIFA ended their licensing agreement. Since then, 2K Games has been an obvious choice for obtaining the official license due to EA’s subsequent rebranding of their popular football game series from FIFA to EA Sports FC.

To clarify, CEO Zelnick did not dismiss the notion that future developments related to FIFA speculations could occur. Instead, he subtly suggested that there might be additional news, keeping fans guessing about potential upcoming announcements. For the time being, however, a FIFA 2K game remains speculative, as Take-Two is primarily concentrating on expanding and refining its collection of top-tier sports games.

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2024-08-10 19:11