EA Sports "MMA" Video Game may be keeping Fedor out of the UFC for good:

**G-Off** · Posted On: 8/23/2009 2:48am

Pride vs. UFC and EA vs. UFC are apples and oranges. Really it's EA/Strikeforce/DREAM fighters they can sign against THQ/UFC. Yes, UFC > Strikeforce/DREAM in terms of cash, fighter quality and popularity, but EA's bigger and more popular than all the other players combined. Also, they're known for playing hardball, much like the UFC, except they've been in business a full 19 years longer than Zuffa LLC. has been running the UFC.

In short, EA can do what the **** it wants, and it will. Words will not matter here, if a good enough fighter wants to join the UFC having been in the EA game, the UFC will make an exception (or maybe use TUF as a side way in, a la Kimbo). If THQ folds (always a possibility), the UFC posture aggressively to be exclusively featured in the next EA game. If they can't get it, and they still don't have Fedor, they will fold, sign to appear in the next EA game alongside Strikeforce, and just focus on spending Strikeforce out of business as soon as possible. On the other hand, if their game doesn't sell well enough, or the UFC offers them a better business deal, EA will follow the money to the bigger brand.

Ignore the trash talking, ignore the posturing, ignore the ultimatums. Business is business, and money + legitimacy in product quality will always rule the day. There's a good reason Peter Moore (EA Sports President) has ignored the UFC's declaration of "war™" and talked up their product rather than firing back: they may well be business partners in the future, and Moore knows it.

**Sokaku** · Posted On: 8/23/2009 11:14am

Originally Posted by Hesperus

They may lose a shitload, but what's a shitload or two when you have a fuckton?

EA will immediately cease any attempt at organizing MMA events or anything like that, that's what it is. Just like all the other organizations that were apparently "well funded" (Donald Trump anyone?).

Just because they have a fuckton of money doesn't mean they're dumb enough to waste shitloads of money for something that will arguably never make them profit.

**Hesperus** · Posted On: 8/23/2009 11:33am

Originally Posted by Sokaku

EA will immediately cease any attempt at organizing MMA events

Immediately from when? Huh? What drugs are you on that make you view the timestream in such a way?

Just because they have a fuckton of money doesn't mean they're dumb enough to waste shitloads of money for something that will arguably never make them profit.

Beg the question harder, why don't ya.

How much gaming politics do you follow? EA plays hardball.

**Hertzyscowicz** · Posted On: 8/23/2009 1:30pm

Originally Posted by Sokaku

And in the end it'll be up-yoursy EA because they'll lose a shitload of money in trying to compete with the UFC, just like all the others have (not talking about Pride obviously).

I wouldn't be so sure; if they latch it on to the game tight enough, they'll get extra publicity for the game, in addition to sponsors being willing to pay extra to get their ads into the game as well as the real-life event.

Plus, if they get the fighters they've already got aboard the game aboard the RL counterpart, it'll ~~almost~~ certainly have Couture vs. Fedor as the main event. If EA couldn't rip money out of that, they'd hardly be in the entertainment industry.

**Sokaku** · Posted On: 8/23/2009 5:08pm

You guys are naive, you really think anyone, as rich as it can be, will ever manage to compete with the UFC? After everything that has happened, you still believe some organization coming out of nowhere could possibly even rival the UFC?

It's not only naive, but it's ignorant.

Originally Posted by Hesperus

Immediately from when? Huh? What drugs are you on that make you view the timestream in such a way?

From when? From the moment those in charge in EA notice they are wasting a shitload of money, they're not making any profit and arguably never will, at least not before a very, very long time. And they probably know that already, as most businessmen do, hence why they'll never do that.

What would be smart from them though, is trying to buy THQ while they're having a hardtime in term of finances (I still read some things about video games), or just take their place and make games for the UFC.

Beg the question harder, why don't ya.

What?

How much gaming politics do you follow? EA plays hardball.

Not much I'm not as hardcore as I used to be a while ago, but I still know EA is well known for "playing it hardball" and buying other small businesses (like Westwood).

But so what? Playing it hardball, having "business relationships and skills that the other didn't have", "a deep pocket", having "a great roster of top fighters outside the UFC", and so on, those things never kept all the other competitors to fail and cease all activity as far as MMA events go.

WFA, Pride, Affliction, Bodog, IFL, they all went down (and Strikeforce will probably follow soon if they continue to try to compete with the UFC), and after all those events I still can't FREAKING believe there are people delusional enough to think anyone is EVER going to be able to be on the UFC level, be it funded by Bill Gates or whoever you want, it doesn't FREAKING MATTER.

The UFC or ultimate fighting are brand names even more used and known than "MMA" (not just in the U.S.A.) for crying out loud.

You may not be on drugs, but you're very obviously full of **** and probably bias, anyone objective enough should know that trying to beat the UFC is a lost cause. I'm not a nuthugger, I loved Pride when it was around, WAY more than the UFC, but I'm not stupid enough to think-or hope- there's going to be a second Pride or whatever. It's never going to happen, period.

I wouldn't be so sure; if they latch it on to the game tight enough, they'll get extra publicity for the game, in addition to sponsors being willing to pay extra to get their ads into the game as well as the real-life event.

Plus, if they get the fighters they've already got aboard the game aboard the RL counterpart, it'll almost certainly have Couture vs. Fedor as the main event. If EA couldn't rip money out of that, they'd hardly be in the entertainment industry. Today 06:33 PM

A) We'll see about that first argument but I very much doubt it

B) Randy Couture is still under contract with the UFC and since his losses, the Fedor-Couture match up has become way less interesting

C) I'll probably hurt the feelings of all the Fedor nuthuggers on this board, but noone gives a flying **** about him in the USA. He's the number one HW and a top 3 P4P, but he's not popular, he's not well known and he doesn't sell. All the events that had him headline were complete and utter failures. Even with a "stacked" (at least on the level of competition) card like the Affliction ones... So Randy V Fedor will not earn as much as you may think. Hell, he wasn't even that great of a seller in Pride, compared to the likes of Silva or Cro Cop.

**Sokaku** · Posted On: 8/23/2009 5:11pm

Trying to Go up against the UFC is like trying to go up against the NBA. Only the UFC is more well known than the sport itself.

P.S.: Yes the UFC isn't as rich as the NBA, but MMA isn't as big of a sport as basketball is either.

**IMightBeWrong** · Posted On: 8/25/2009 9:32pm

YouTube - Fedor Emelianenko: In His Own Words

Found this on the recommended for you section on youtube. Fedor talks a bit about his perspective on deals with the UFC, as well as a bit about EAs game in production.

**nogicrappler** · Posted On: 8/27/2009 12:50am

Originally Posted by Hertzyscowicz

My first reaction to White's comment was that it's a macchiavellian tactic to keep Fedor out of the UFC. I recall reading a claim that the UFC has already offered Fedor a ridiculous contract for a similar effect. Then again, I haven't really looked into this thing too deeply.

In the monkeyscrotumcleaning.tv article, Dana White is quoted saying that, a year and a half ago, EA declared MMA "not a real sport", and now White's bitter that they've seen the error of their ways. It has also to do with the fact that another company had already agreed to make an UFC video game while the economy was still down.

It'll be interesting to see how the UFC turns out when/if they blacklist Couture and a bunch of other fighters. Come to think of it, it'd be fairly up-yoursy if EA decided to host a real-life MMA promotion with the fighters who sign up for the game.

I read that Fedors' attorney said that the original UFC contract was "unsignable", with things like he would be unable to paricipate in Russian Sambo tournaments. There were some other things in there this one just sticks out the most. UFC tends to try to enslave it's fighters.