Beyond EA Sports’ plans to rebrand the FIFA franchise

Almost two weeks after the launch FIFA 22, title developed by EA Sports – A Brand of Electronic Arts It remains as news in the gaming world. Although she achieved impressive numbers in her premiere and mostly garnered positive reviews around the world, not much is said about her, but about her future. In a recent statement, it was expected that the name of the classic FIFA could be changed with the next installment and a few days later the name registration was revealed. EA Sports FC, which suggests that it will be a reality sooner rather than later.

Today, thanks to a new report from The New York TimesThe reason behind this renewal of the brand was known and nothing more, nothing less than money. electronic arts You maintain a cash agreement with FIFA (FIFA Affiliate) to keep the FIFA World Cup and FIFA World Cup™ as titles for their video games. That contract is coming to an end with the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and after ten years of working together, FIFA is demanding a license renewal for double the agreed amount. According to analyst Daniel Ahmed, the amount will be around $1 billion every four years.

The disclosure of this information did not cause as much uproar as FIFA had hoped, because the truth is that EA Sports does not rely as much on this agreement to maintain the licenses for the leagues and players it already has. For example, yesterday they confirmed the renewal of the contract with FIFPro, which includes 40 championships and thousands of players from all over the world, which means that the study’s biggest loss will be the name it has kept since its inception.

It is the most successful sports franchise in the gaming world, and as it has already been proven on other occasions with all sorts of titles, a name change wouldn’t be too big of a problem for the company or the players. On the other hand, if EA Sports decides to pass the FIFA license, the organization will be completely free to enter into a new relationship with another franchise. The options are, for now at least, limited, with a file eFootball That made fans laugh and cry alike and mystery UFL, which was announced in Gamescom In August and still did not appear the material in action.

In any case, football video games haven’t made big news over the past generation of consoles, and the Hyper Motion technology in FIFA 22 hasn’t dazzled as much as it promised, even though it’s still in constant development. 2022 is expected to see significant changes in the landscape, which are also expected to be reflected in gameplay and business models that are no longer sustainable with new deliveries year after year.

For a long time, Electronic Arts has mentioned the possibility of turning a video game into a platform, thinking about the future of the franchise with Regular updates and thematic content Like the mode already seen in modes like FUT. More than one classic video game saga has been adapted to the latest generation with different monetization models based on the season pass, more elaborate cosmetics, and different offers designed for different types of consumers.

The potential change to the FIFA name represents the perfect moment to update the franchise with its biggest news in a long time. However, it is still one of the most successful properties without risking too much.

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