Sports and technology are usually thought of as estranged dance partners just a half measure out of sync, but there’s an elegant waltz between the two that’s been going on for years behind the scenes. And maybe nowhere more so than in the lead-up to March Madness.
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A few months back, EA Sports announced that the 2014 installment of its wildly popular college football franchise wouldn’t carry the NCAA label after the governing body chose not to renew its licensing contract. Today, the gaming outfit has announced that there will not be a campus-packed release… at all. Admitting that the choice was “profoundly disappointing,” GM of American Football for EA Sports Cam Weber cited lawsuits with student-athletes over the use of their likeness without compensation as a cause for the decision. Of course, this is compounded by the NCAA and a number of conferences (Big Ten, SEC and Pac-12 included) no longer supporting the game. “The ongoing legal issues combined with increased questions surrounding schools and conferences have left us in a difficult position – one that challenges our ability to deliver an authentic sports experience,” Weber wrote in a blog post. EA also pledged a commitment to NCAA Football 14 that’s already in consoles of the faithful where, no matter what, Johnny Football is still celebrating the same way.
Update: Moments after EA posted the above news, the company announced that it and the CLC (Collegiate Licensing Company) had settled “all claims” with Sam Keller and Ed O’Bannon for using their names and more. This leaves the NCAA as the remaining defendant in the lawsuit over use of player likenesses. For more on the filing, consult the coverage links that follows.
Filed under: Gaming
Source: Electronic Arts
When March Madness kicks off tomorrow at noon Eastern time, thousands of sports fans across the country will be suddenly stricken with sore throats, coughs, or other excuses to ditch work and find a place to watch one or more of the 16 college basketball games that will tip off. More »
Like it or not, Facebook is a pretty good barometer if what people like. So it’s fun when it gathers up its considerable data troves and spits out maps of stuff we like. Today it broke down the fans of teams in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. More »
This year’s version of the NCAA March Madness Live app is live in the iOS App Store (an Android version is scheduled to arrive on Google Play this weekend) and unlike last year the apps are free. Unfortunately there’s still a catch, since while the games aired on CBS will be streamed registration free via the web and apps, games on cable (TNT, TBS and TruTV) will require users to login with the account they use for their pay-TV provider.
The action gets started with the seedings on Selection Sunday, with the First Four games kicking off on the 19th. The March Madness apps are ready for smartphones and tablets on Android and iOS and “redesigned for optimization across platforms” this time around. Whether or not you have the privilege of membership (or can borrow a login from a friend) the apps are available beyond the source link.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Software, HD, Mobile
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