UFC president Dana White says EA Sports responsible for current MMA video game war

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Shogun Locc

Shogun Locc

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Feb 7, 2006
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UFC president Dana White has a simple message for fighters dreaming of competing in the world-famous octagon: Don't do business with EA Sports.

In an edict that started as a rumor on internet message boards, White stated after Saturday's historic UFC 100 event that he was "at war" with the popular video-game developers and that those that side with EA Sports will find themselves out of the UFC's good graces.

But perhaps surprising to some, White insists it was EA Sports that fired the first salvo in the still-developing controversy.

"It's easy to sit on the other side of the table and judge me on how I react to stuff like this," White said. "But let me tell you what – I've been in the trenches for almost 10 years, and I've been dealing with all these businesses, and EA was one of them."

EA Sports holds the publishing rights for several of the market's most successful sports-related video games, including the Madden NFL, FIFA, NASCAR and Tiger Woods PGA series. White said the UFC had hoped to join the ranks of those titles, but the Canadian-based EA Sports declined to discuss the possibility.

"EA Sports told us, 'You're not a real sport,'" White said. "'We wouldn't touch this thing. We want nothing to do with this.'"

With EA Sports passing on the rights to the UFC's video game license, rival software company THQ elected to partner with mixed martial arts' biggest promotion. The company's first effort, "UFC Undisputed 2009," has shipped approximately 2 million units since its May release according to White, and the fiery exec is upset that EA Sports is now changing their tune with the recent announcement of a forthcoming "EA Sports MMA" title.

"We put our asses on the line, THQ and the UFC, to make a video-game deal in the worst economy in the world," White said. "We go out there and do this thing, and it's successful, and now [expletive] EA Sports wants to do a video game. Really? That's not what you told us a year-and-a-half ago.

"You told us you'd never be in business with us. They wouldn't even take a meeting because mixed martial arts disgusted them. This wasn't a real sport. Boy, they got over that real quick, didn't they?"

White views EA Sports' tactics with obvious disapproval, and he's made it clear that any fighter who signs over their likeness to the new project will be blacklisted from the UFC.

"I'm not tap-dancing around this thing or whatever," White said. "I'm telling you straight-up, I'm at war with them right now. That's how I look at it."

While former UFC champion and currently contracted UFC fighter Randy Couture is expected to appear in the EA Sports offering – a matter White says the company worked through with "The Natural" during a recent court appearance – the UFC president said not to expect that trend to continue.

"You won't be in the UFC," White said about additional fighters who sign with EA Sports.

Despite reports that Nick Diaz, Mohammed "King Mo" Lawal, Jason "Mayhem" Miller and Jake Shields – all potential targets to fight for the UFC in the future – have agreed to appear in the EA Sports title, White told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) he's not sure who the software company has secured for the upcoming MMA game.

But White remains firm in his decision, and he believes he's doing it for the right reasons.

"You know what the difference is?" White asked. "I'm in the mixed martial arts business. EA isn't.

"EA doesn't give a [expletive] about mixed martial arts. They made that very clear."
 
STICK

STICK

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Jun 24, 2005
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Props to Dana White. I hope EA's MMA game has no star power. EA has monopolized a lot of different aspects of the gaming world, most notably NFL, so I hope with Dana White standing up to them like this, it starts a domino effect and other companies follow suit.
 
Shogun Locc

Shogun Locc

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Feb 7, 2006
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Lorenzo Fertitta Comments on EA Ban

Steve Silver with the Las Vegas Sun was at the UFC Expo and transcribed Fertitta’s response to questions from fans, including a response to a question about UFC seeking to banish fighters no currently with Zuffa from future UFC employment if they sign with the EA MMA game: the

Q. If a fighter signs with EA Sports, will they be banned from the UFC?

Fertitta: “There is no such thing as banned, but this is something that does get under my skin and Dana’s skin because when we had the opportunity to go out and build a video game who do you think the first people we called was? EA Sports… We sat in the room with them and I would have cut a worse deal just to be with EA Sports. I wanted them so bad. They looked at them and they told us they didn’t think MMA was a sport. This was three years ago. They said the UFC was irrelevant and that we were wasting their time. So we went down the street and did a deal with THQ and they thought MMA was a sport. So we stick with the guys who stick with us. Now the UFC video game has been a massive success with three million copies sold. And guess what EA wants to do? They want to do an MMA game now… If you are young fighter coming up, it just makes sense to stay under the umbrella of UFC companies, sponsors and marketing to ensure yourself a cut of the action for the rest of your life.“

Lorenzo Fertitta seems to hedge his bets publicly about what is going on with this EA ban. The UFC is having a Michael to Fredo moment with fighters that want to sign with MMA, but the public face they are putting on it is something they are blunting. Joe Silva has been dispatched to do bidding of the UFC and spread the word to agents and managers that signing with the EA game will make you persona non grata within the Zuffa universe. Fertitta’s words seek to glaze over this concept but that is what is taking place. The UFC’s beef with EA is leaving the fighters and their welfare as so much collateral damage, something that Zuffa brass seems infinitely comfortable with.

Blogger Ivan Trembow also takes aim at an example of Zuffa truthiness (Zuffiness?) with Lorenzo saying the UFC’s success with THQ was the impetus for the EA game by noting that the EA game was in the works before the UFC THQ game ever came to market:

That is some nice revisionist history ……. The launch (and sales success) of UFC 2009: Undisputed came in May 2009. EA Sports has been working on an MMA video game since 2008, and multiple media outlets wrote about it in 2008, including MMA Payout and the Wrestling Observer.

The UFC’s management was fully aware of the existence of EA’s MMA game in 2008, as that was one of the major reasons that the UFC threatened its roster of fighters into signing away their lifetime exclusive video game rights for free (ie, to ensure that they couldn’t appear in EA’s game).
 
R

rising_tied

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May 31, 2007
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I see where there coming from and Id be pissed too but saying that Up and comers shouldnt go over to the EA side too is kind of taking a power trip. People whose names arent as big may WANT to be in the game to get known, and the UFC saying that if they do they may be punished by not seeing time in the UFC I think is kinda bogus
 
E

ESFCE

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Dec 4, 2004
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most of these companies who sponsor UFC probably dont give a shit about MMA either.....business is business and when you see something doing good you involve yourself in it. I don't like EA's monopoly though, taking exclusive rights to certain leagues & rehashing the same games every year with minimal changes.

Anyone who's been playing video games for years now also know THQ made a few games for UFC on last gen consoles, its not like this is something new, just revamped now that UFC has blown up.

I could actually see UFC and EA working things out in the future, never say never.
 
DFresh77

DFresh77

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Dec 4, 2006
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THQ might lose though, they're taking too long with patching the game....lots of people have returned their games due to the game glitches..
 
Shogun Locc

Shogun Locc

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Feb 7, 2006
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ESFCE said:
Anyone who's been playing video games for years now also know THQ made a few games for UFC on last gen consoles, its not like this is something new, just revamped now that UFC has blown up.
Click to expand...
Actually THQ amde the first Pride fc game while crave entertainment, TDK Mediactive, Global Star Software were responsible for the previous ufc game installments.
 
STICK-N-MOVE

STICK-N-MOVE

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Feb 28, 2006
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i feel dana white on why he doesnt want anything to do with EA cause they straight rejected UFC them from the beginning and now has a change of heart since UFC is blowing up more than boxing. but if they dont come to a deal in the future, i see both sides losing. THQ cant compare to EA when it comes to sport games and a no-name MMA game could never sell as much w/o UFC labeled on it. so hopefully things works out btw the two and theyll end making a dope UFC video game. but if EA does come up on this, i would feel bad on dana whites part cause hes the one that revolutionized MMA in america and most big name fighters are UFC.
 
Shogun Locc

Shogun Locc

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Feb 7, 2006
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Peter Moore responds today in regards to the allegations made by Zuffa that EA doesn't care about MMA:

"I also saw the first playable of EA SPORTS MMA while at Tiburon last week. We have a team of incredibly hardcore fans of the sport working hard and making excellent progress, and we look forward to delivering a title in 2010 that we believe will provide further focus and attention to the sport.

I know there has been some recent discussion about EA SPORTS bringing a challenger to this sport. I love mixed martial arts, and we've been working on a game concept since I came to (sic) two years ago. I have great respect for the organizations and individuals that have invested in the sport's growth over the past decade – so this is one that is near and dear to me and I'm excited to see such good progress to date. I trace my MMA video game roots back to my support of Crave's UFC title on the Dreamcast in 2000, and have been a fan ever since.

* Note he mentions "respect for the organizations and individuals that have invested in the sport's growth over the past decade", without once addressing White's and the UFC's allegations that EA is showing anything but respect.
 
KG The One

KG The One

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#17
Oct 9, 2008
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Honestly it's a good bizness move by dana white...ufc has mma on lock..no recognizable fighters in yo game means no sales!! EA should just chalk it up as a loss..
 
DAT NIGGA TAZZ

DAT NIGGA TAZZ

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Jun 5, 2004
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IDK WHY DANA WHITE IS TRIPPIN... THE EA SPORTS GAME ISNT GONNA SELL AT ALL IF IT DOSENT HAVE ANY BIG NAMES IN IT.


ITS LIKE IF I HAVE AN 2009 MLB BASEBALL GAME, AM I GONNA GO OUT AND BUY A SHITTY MINOR LEAUGE BASEBALL GAME OR AM I GONNA WAIT FOR THE NEW AND IMPROVED 2010 MLB TO COME OUT?
 
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