EA Sports is bringing back college football, marking a return for the franchise which was abandoned with NCAA Football 14 on the PlayStation 3. That was released all the way back in 2013, before the PlayStation 4 even launched, with the series put on ice ever since. Now it’s announced EA Sports College Football, and while it doesn’t have a title planned for 2021, it’s partnered with collegiate licensing company CLC to ensure it has access to over 100 teams, including uniforms, playbooks, and more.
Unfortunately, the rosters will not be accurate – for now. That’s because current NCAA rules prohibit players from selling their likeness rights while still in college, although it’s expected that these restrictions will change within the coming year or so. Presumably, EA Sports will be banking on a favourable outcome here – but whatever happens will not affect the title’s release, according to bigwig Daryl Holt.
“We'll just keep tabs on everything as it develops and we'll be ready,” he told ESPN. “That won't be a problem for us. But it's really, that's not an answer for us right now to decide. We're as much passengers as anyone else. So we make sure we deliver what our college football game players would want in a game. And that starts with just a very immersive experience and there's lots of things we can do to bring the true college game play and game day to the virtual world.”
The title’s just starting development, with the PlayStation 5 being a target platform. As such, there’s no additional information to share at this point beyond the fact that it’s happening. We’re quietly optimistic for this project, to be honest: without the time constraints ordinarily associated with titles like Madden NFL 21, EA Sports may have the opportunity here to really go back to the drawing board and reinvent what a next-gen football game can be.
And that, ultimately, could benefit the Madden NFL franchise as well.
[source twitter.com, via espn.com]
Comments 15
Been waiting for this for years!! Though with how bad Madden 21 is it definitely dampens my excitement a bit. These were some of my favorite sports games as a kid, hope the can recreate the magic!
From the sounds of it and the way it's being developed, this sounds like a huge opportunity for them to start over, make a GREAT playing football game, which they can then use to help improve Madden in the future.
Not having the player licenses could, in a weird way, be a net positive as there's no strict schedule they have to follow to release this.
I thought EA couldn't do College ball because that would give them a monopoly on football games.
@Tasuki I think it was more to do with player likenesses, which they're not going to have here (at the moment, anyway).
The NCAA has to get over this. These kids make the colleges a ludicrous amount of cash - its time to let the kids take bite of the apple - why not let that bite come rom EA, and in turn, us gamers?
@get2sammyb
Do you know if the ea madden team will be making this, or a (hopefully) separate division?
If its anything like Madden. Pass.
Honestly looking forward to it. This could be where they try out actual game changing stuff as the sales and MTX aren’t as guaranteed as Madden.
@get2sammyb Gator Hater? We're gonna fight.
@get2sammyb Ok I thought I r ad somewhere that EA was forced to let it go because other companies complained that they had the NFL license and College so they elected to let the college go.
@eltomo I'd say it's similarity to Madden will be relative to how soon it's released. I'll reserve my harshest judgements until after I get my hands on the game to see if EA is truly invested in reviving this series or they're just mad that Maximum Football is making money in the space that EA used to.
@NYJetsfan123 Different team I believe, though I’m sure they will share lots of tech, assets, knowledge, etc
LET'S GOOOOOOOO FINALLY
I think this all hinges on whether or not they get a rules change and agreement/compensation in place for player likenesses for college players. Will there really be that many fans who want to play "John Smith" at QB for their favorite team, rather than the real player? If they're all randomly-generated generic players in college uniforms, I just don't see it doing well.
For anybody saying this will help Madden improve - I think you're dreaming. EA is going to use the Madden engine, I guarantee it. There's no reason to do anything else - this will be Madden College Edition, with a few tweaks here and there. Heck, they may go crazy and have you export your college player into the NFL, in an uber-career mode crossover. But developing a realistic game engine is hard, and I don't see them starting from scratch when they have a mature engine in-house. Maybe you'll get some new game modes.
Great. My team loses Mike Leach after 8 years, and NOW they decide to make another college football game?
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