A tip came in about EA getting a hit with a lawsuit for unfair practices when it comes to the Madden games. I was very surprised. Not that it was filed but that it was not 2K Sports. They were at one point very strong competition for EA Sports with their 2K Football series. Some would say they had a better and lower cost to buy product then EA. That rivalry was cut short when EA paid for an exclusive license to the NFL & NFLPA. I love Madden and I’m one of those that get it every year. I need my football fix but it was nice to at least have a choice. I harp on Madden because that is what I play but the suit is because the whole football market is under license by EA. They have exclusive licenses for the NFL, NCAA and even AFL. There is more information at EA Sports Litigation. Let’s see if this goes anywhere.
Here is the Lawsuit:
GEOFFREY PECOVER and ANDREW OWENS v. ELECTRONIC ARTS INC.
U.S. District Court (N.D. Cal. – Oakland Div.)
Case No. 08-cv-02820 CW
If You Purchased Certain Electronic Arts Brand Football Video Games
Between January 1, 2005 to the Present
You May Be a Class Member.
Membership as a class member in the Electronic Arts Litigation is the result of a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, Oakland Division (Case No. 08-cv-02820 CW).
What Is This Class Action About?
The class action lawsuit alleges violations of California’s antitrust and consumer protection laws in connection with the sale of certain football video games. Plaintiffs, purchasers of Electronic Arts’ football video games, claim that Defendant Electronic Arts entered into a series of exclusive licenses with the National Football League (NFL), National Football League Players’ Association (NFLPA), National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA), and Arena Football League (AFL), which Plaintiffs claim foreclosed competition in an alleged football video game market. Plaintiffs allege that this series of exclusive licenses caused customers who purchased certain football video games to be overcharged.
Defendant Electronic Arts has denied any liability and all allegations of misconduct. The Court has not decided whether the Defendants did anything wrong, and this Notice is not an expression of any opinion by the Court about the merits of any of the claims or defenses asserted by any party to this litigation.
Who Are Class Members?
The Class includes all persons who, during the period January 1, 2005 to the present, purchased the Madden NFL, NCAA Football, or Arena Football League brand video games published by Electronic Arts with a release date of January 1, 2005 to the present. Excluded from the class are purchasers of software for mobile devices, persons purchasing directly from Electronic Arts, persons purchasing used copies of the relevant football video games, and Electronic Arts’ employees, officers, directors, legal representatives, and wholly or partly owned subsidiaries or affiliated companies.
What Should I Do? (Getting Further Information)
If you believe that you may be a class member (see above “Who Are Class Members”), you should get more detailed information about the class action and its potential effect on you and your rights. Further information can be obtained by going to the following website: www.easportslitigation.com. Additional information about the lawsuit may be obtained from Plaintiffs’ Counsel website at www.hbsslaw.com, or by calling Plaintiffs’ Counsel at 1-206-623-7292.
To Remain a Class Member
If you are a class member and you do nothing, you will be bound by the court’s rulings in the lawsuit, including any final Settlement or Judgment.
To Exclude Yourself from the Class
(Deadline to Request Exclusion: June 25, 2011)
If you are a class member and you want to exclude yourself from the class and keep your right to sue Defendant, you must take further action before June 25, 2011. By that date, you must request exclusion in writing to this address:
Electronic Arts Litigation Exclusion
P.O. Box 8090
San Rafael CA 94912-8090
Or submit a request for exclusion electronically at the following website: www.easportslitigation.com
For further information about excluding yourself from the class go to the following website:
www.easportslitigation.com
Please do not telephone or address inquiries to the Court.
April 6, 2011. By Order of the U.S. District Court (N.D. Cal. – Oakland Div.).
Really there’s nothing wrong with the product but I had bought the game thinking these games were the very first games that were to come out on the new gen. If that were the case then it would have the superb first builds of the great NHL and FIFA franchises. Turns out these gamers were the builds from last gen. Nothing wrong with the games per se but just come in hear knowing what to expect. For $15 I thought this was a bargain but when I played the games…ehhh…