NFL announces deal with 2K to produce non-simulation football video games

Posted by Josh Alper on March 10, 2020, 8:42 AM EDT
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The NFL has been Madden-only for the last 15 years, but the league announced a deal with a new video game partner on Tuesday.

The league has struck a deal with 2K Sports to make new NFL-themed video games beginning in 2021. Per the league’s release, those games will be “non-simulation football game experiences” so they will not be the same kind of games that 2K produced before EA, the makers of Madden, got exclusive rights to video games simulating an NFL season in 2005.

“Expanding the NFL’s presence in the world of gaming has become a focus for the League as we look to grow the next generation of our fanbase and reviving our partnership with 2K was a natural step in that effort,” NFL senior vice president of consumer products Joe Ruggiero said in a statement. “2K is a worldwide leader in sports video games, with a proven track record of creating best-in-class and award-winning games and we look forward to sharing more about the projects we are working on with them in the future.”

EA released a statement after the NFL’s announcement that said “our partnership with the NFL and NFLPA remains unchanged” and that plan “new and different experiences” in the years to come.

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22 responses to “NFL announces deal with 2K to produce non-simulation football video games”

  2. EA released a statement saying “we are still committed to providing the same old Madden game every year for the list price of $69.99.”

  3. The original 2K is still superior to anything EA has made over the last 20 years.

    “non-simulation football game experiences”

    Does that mean it’ll be more arcade based? Non realistic? Who wants that? 2K should launch NCAA2K21 Football and call it a challenge EA to step up or step off. It’d be hilarious to see 2K’s revolutionary NCAA series outselling EA’s same old same old Madden.

  4. If its not going to compete against madden the same way…then whats the point.. Madden needs competition, it has gotten very stale and bland since no more 2k. the last good madden was pre 2013

  5. So…the Marshawn Lynch Skittles experience?

    Feed Phillip Rivers’ 10 kids?

    The Mahomes Barbershop?

  7. Sorry if this is dumb question– what exactly does “non simulation” mean? Sorry… until I know more, I cannot be excited.

  9. So it’s an NFL-branded game, but not a simulation of football. So.. what is it? An ad for the NFL disguised as a game?

  10. Non simulation? So basically NFL Blitz? At this point I don’t see myself buying another NFL game again. 😑

  11. Wouldnt surprise me if its a Blitz like game or maybe they take their experiences with Myplayer from the NBA games and make an entire game Around a single character you do a career with at one position or whatever.

    That way its technically not a “simulation” game and could also be a way for them to build an entire new engine and football physics that give EA a run for their money.

  12. kennylc2015 says:
    March 10, 2020 at 9:03 am
    Sorry if this is dumb question– what exactly does “non simulation” mean? Sorry… until I know more, I cannot be excited.
    _____________________________________

    I’m guessing it means something more arcade-like. Think back to the old PS2 days of NFL Street or NFL Blitz.

  13. I also wonder if this is an attempt to take away resources from a potential XFL game.

    WWE already has a relationship with 2k, itd be a no brainer for them to make an XFL game.

    NFL content would def take priority in stock holders eyes over a competitor.

  14. I’ll never forgive EA, first for buying a monopoly on NFL gaming (letting it slack off, as it was at its best right before the monopoly) and robbing us of the excellent 2K series…and second for then motivating 2K to buy the monopoly for MLB, robbing us of the superlative MVP Baseball series. It’s crazy that the inferior lines lived on for each sport while the superior ones were relegated to the dust bin.

  15. I’m guessing it means something more arcade-like. Think back to the old PS2 days of NFL Street or NFL Blitz.

    —————————————-

    Arcade style still simulates the game. They cannot create anything that actually simulates football gameplay. Not arcade style, not just passing, not kicking. Just games that mention players or team names.

  16. maybe they take their experiences with Myplayer from the NBA games and make an entire game Around a single character you do a career with at one position or whatever.

    That way its technically not a “simulation” game and could also be a way for them to build an entire new engine and football physics that give EA a run for their money.
    _________

    This makes a lot of sense considering 2K isn’t licensed by the NFLPA to use any player names or likenesses.

  17. How about “You Be the GM,” about building a team and keeping it moving upward in the face of injuries, trades, etc., played against others during the pre-season and season, using Football Outsiders rankings and Monte Carlo calculations for game outcomes?

    Or “Head Coach,” where you go head to head against someone (or the computer) for an actual three-hour game, doing all the things a HC has to do, including calling the plays, figuring out what’s happening, etc., but you see only flashes of the plays from a sideline perspective? This could even be a team game, with OC and DC buddies playing together.

    I don’t know that either of these would actually work, but I’m just speculating as to what non-simulation games might include.

  18. dburr10085 says:
    March 10, 2020 at 11:31 am
    I’m guessing it means something more arcade-like. Think back to the old PS2 days of NFL Street or NFL Blitz.

    —————————————-

    Arcade style still simulates the game. They cannot create anything that actually simulates football gameplay. Not arcade style, not just passing, not kicking. Just games that mention players or team names
    _______________

    Wrong- NFL Street 3 came out while EA had exclusivity, and it was allowed.

  20. Coming soon: NFL Solitaire for your Switch, PS5, and XBOX X consoles! A steal at $49.99.

  21. This is going to be some mobile gaming garbage.

    I’d love to see another NFL blitz type game, especially one made by 2k, but I don’t see it happening.

    I think this is just going to be some lame mobile game where you buy packs to get players and then the computer automatically calculates an outcome based on what is in each players collection. Something like that is my guess. You never see a field or a football, but it’s a football game. Count me out, like the remastered version of Revolution. There will be no …. in.

  22. As others have said, Madden is so stale at this point. I haven’t bought it in years because it infuriates me that NFL football is being exclusively tied to such mediocrity. You can’t just rename your lame AI every year and pretend you’ve done more than just update rosters.

    Each new edition of Madden is the equivalent of a patch that some fans (too many) have been conditioned to re-buy every year. It’s OK to want and expect better than this.

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