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[MMaRsu]

After the fun and games of this morning only being the tip of the ice berg are we going to have another Tiger Woods situation here for EA?

Toxic brand? Hahaha gowans are u serious mate. FIFA isnt a toxic brand, or maybe it is but isnt seen as one.

A little scandal and corruption never hurt FIFA. This will also not hurt fifa. The corrupt will stay corrupt and as long as sepp blatter is in charge nothing will change.

Kinda ot but yea

 

[Silentium]

As is outbidding your competitor...

No way man. Any business strategy that results in my favourite company/game/series/developer not getting what they want is clearly the result of corruption!!

And yeah, this series will be called FIFA until the end of time.

 

[Breakage]

Birdz of a feather flock together.

 

[Omega]

Does normal people even know who Sepp Blatter is?

They would probably think it's the name of a bladder infection here in america

 

[Theonik]

As is outbidding your competitor...

Not claiming otherwise. I am using a hypothesis.

 

[explodet]

I'd play a FIFA spinoff where you play as Sepp Blatter and build up your corrupt international organization.
Or where you play an Interpol task force whose job it is to bring down said corrupt international organization.

C'mon EA, don't let me down.

 

[SolidSnakex]

Getting the branding involves paying these people. Also the brand is harmed by such controversy. The question lies elsewhere.

I don't think it's harmed at all. These sports brands are significantly bigger than any individual. People knew that those running FIFA were corrupt long before these charges went down. That didn't stop them from watching the World Cup or buying FIFA. The only thing that changed is that some of those involved have been arrested and there are actual hard details about what went on. But no one that followed the sport is surprised by those details because they're just confirmation of what everyone has thought.

 

[Theonik]

I don't think it's harmed at all. These sports brands are significantly bigger than any individual. People knew that those running FIFA were corrupt long before these charges went down. That didn't stop them from watching the World Cup or buying FIFA. The only thing that changed is that some of those involved have been arrested and there are actual hard details about what went on. But no one that followed the sport is surprised by those details because they're just confirmation of what everyone has thought.

Overall probably not I don't think the vast majority of people care, but usually there is a group of more casual observers or people in denial that do get shaken up by those things.
There is a disconnect between what people know and what they think they know, hence why there might be some impact in the minority of people that actually care but not enough to really matter.

 

[Hans.Gruber]

Corruption, Murder, and the Beautiful Game

Pretty good rundown of FIFA's history, for anybody interested.

FIFA 16 will not sell 1 copy less.

 

[Mushroomer25]

Honestly unsure. This fallout is big, but we don't quite know the scale of it yet. If this becomes a summer of news stories about FIFA's long storied history of taking money and profiteering on modern slavery - maybe that's enough controversy for EA to act.

At the same time, FIFA arguably has more brand recognition in the US than Madden right now. It is a massive asset to EA, and the last thing they want to fuck with in their portfolio. Tiger Woods was already on the out when they rebranded golf. FIFA has never been hotter.

Plus, who do you even get to sell Soccer in the US? Is there any player/figure recognizable enough to warrant the title spot?

 

[BraXzy]

Yeah, the majority of people that buy it every year won't care and its all about the money.

Yeah I don't think most of the people who buy it will care.

Plus, when someone says Fifa, I no longer think the organisation I automatically associate the word with the sports game.

 

[AwShucks]

Also, the main impact on FIFA today wasn't in Europe, which I'm guessing is where the majority of FIFA sales come from.

 

[Newman96]

People won't care, millions of people under 16 also purchase FIFA and they probably aren't bothered in the slightest.

The garbage games they've been putting out the last couple of years would do more to hurt the brand and it hasn't made a dent in sales as far as I know.

 

[4Tran]

Rumors of corruption and criminal activity can hurt the image of an organization or person who is considered wholesome and family friendly. However, FIFA has largely been regarded as corrupt and borderline criminal for decades, so the latest charges change very little. Perhaps it's an eyeopener for people who were only peripherally aware of FIFA, but they probably didn't care much to begin with. These events do little to damage the FIFA gaming brand, so it's unlikely that EA will make any changes. The only way this will change is if there is a large public outcry over FIFA's activities.

 

[DanteGhost]

While the FIFA news today are a fucking embarrassment for the beatiful sport, as a FIFA player my hype for FIFA 16 is fucking intact.

Most FIFA players I know, only stop buying for 1-2 years when they need a break. I did that from 2011 to 2014. Is just a most have if you are a football(soccer) fan.

 

[maltrain]

Next cover revealed!!!

Source: @Footy_Jokes

 

[system11]

To be honest, doesn't it make the license 'cleaner' if a bunch of obviously corrupt people are all pulled out of it? I'm just waiting to see how long it is before these ones start to spill dirt on others to save themselves from a prison sentence.

 

[AlexBasch]

What's the fascination of this forum with the word "toxic". Toxic this, toxic that. It never stops!

Also nope, sales and money won't allow this to happen. Then there's also the licensed leagues and players, but IIRC, they're obtained via FIFPro and not FIFA, not sure how they're related though.

 

[Huggers]

Fifa have been corrupt as fuck for years and everyone knows it. Not sure this makes much difference to the perception.

 

[Toxi]

What's the fascination of this forum with the word "toxic". Toxic this, toxic that. It never stops!

I think it's a pretty great word.

 

[4Tran]

Fifa have been corrupt as fuck for years and everyone knows it. Not sure this makes much difference to the perception.

Decades. The same goes for the IOC as well, but we don't see companies running away from that organization either.

 

[ne1]

The FBI is investigating high ranking officials in the criminal organisation known as FIFA.

FTFY.

 

[Ravensmash]

That's not an accusation. What it means is that it would make business sense on EA's part to become involved in this. This is actually pretty common in most industries.

To be honest, I don't think many companies view bribery as something that you can label 'business sense'.

 

[TheCochese]

I think the shock from today (where that term applies) isn't because of what was uncovered, it is the fact that someone finally actually did something about it. Who knows if anything will stick, but this is a first.

As for the game title, no. It will be FIFA unless FIFA rebrands or is dissolved. Neither of which I find terribly plausible.

 

[Red Devil]

Well without FIFA's license they'd lose the license for the World Cup and the Clubs World Cup, and that's it I guess since all the other competitions' licenses are held by other entities.

Next cover revealed!!!

Source: @Footy_Jokes

Sure, but as it's Blatter will likely still be free until he dies and in top of everything he'll be reelected on Friday.

 

[Theonik]

To be honest, I don't think many companies view bribery as something that you can label 'business sense'.

Well unless you go to pretty much any industry dealing with government contracts ever. In most cases where you have this rackets, they are created by business. If businesses couldn't benefit from it, they wouldn't pay, and that might often lead to these cases being exposed. But more often than not, this doesn't happen.

 

[SerTapTap]

I wish they wouldn't, but if working slave laborers to death didn't kill the FIFA brand (we've known about this for months), then I don't see why some bribes suddenly would. Too many people don't give a shit.

 

[celsowmbr]

Dilma says Yeah !!!

 

[adamantypants]

The thing about us footy fans is that we know how fucked up FIFA is but love the sport too much too stop us from enjoying it.

 

[Arrage]

Toxic... LoL bleeds to everything I guess.

Of course they can, as long as there are buyers and FIFA organization runs, they will use it.

 

[Alex_Mexico]

In Europe? Yes.

South America, Africa and Asia? Sure.

NA? Probably not.

Make that LATIN America. Everyone from Mexico to Argentina over here also know who Blatter is.

That is unless you considered Mexico part of South America which would be factually wrong.

 

[Wavebossa]

This would be more like not calling an NFL game NFL anymore.

Basically... thread

 

[maltrain]

Well without FIFA's license they'd lose the license for the World Cup and the Clubs World Cup, and that's it I guess since all the other competitions' licenses are held by other entities.



Sure, but as it's Blatter will likely still be free until he dies and in top of everything he'll be reelected on Friday.

He won't... you can bet on it.

UEFA won't let him...

 

[Brazil]

This suggestion is bizarre. FIFA was already disgustingly corrupt (and widely known as such) decades before the first videogame was created.

This is merely a setback.

 

[Yagharek]

Make that LATIN America. Everyone from Mexico to Argentina over here also know who Blatter is.

That is unless you considered Mexico part of South America which would be factually wrong.

He is listing continents.

Latin America isn't a continent.

 

[timetokill]

Unfortunately, I don't think soccer fans care enough about corruption, third-world exploitation, slavery, murder, death, etc. to cause any change.

They just want to watch the games, no matter the (moral, ethical) cost.

And then they have the gall to call it "beautiful!"

 

[GoldenCrow]

The FIFA brand has been toxic as long as can remember and having worked in the football industry I have heard a few more rumours than most to do with the organisation which I hope have some truth and are exposed but people buy the EA game because they enjoy footy and they like playing with specific clubs rather than [city] [colour].

 

[Pai Pai Master]

Yes just like people will stop watching the world cup

 

[Alex_Mexico]

He is listing continents.

Latin America isn't a continent.

I don't see why you can't list continents and regions when applicable because he was still factually wrong. He said regular people in North America don't know who Blatter is and last time I checked Mexico wasn't part of South America.

He could've said "everywhere else but USA and Canada".

I'm sorry, it's a pet peeve of mine when people want to group everything south of the USA by saying "South America". Unless you really mean from Colombia to Chile/Argentina then say South America. But if you want to talk about everything that's not USA and Canada it's easier, and geographically correct, to just say Latin America.

 

[Akiraptor]

In Europe? Yes.

South America, Africa and Asia? Sure.

NA? Probably not.

Considering the sheer amount of people on those continents, I doubt most people know who he is.

 

[The Albatross]

No reason to give up the FIFA brand. The tops are all corrupt for sure, but it's different than having the brand closely associated with a person similar to Tiger Woods. The only way EA drops a brand like that again is if it's named after a person and that person does something despicable, like if John Madden is found to be in league with Jerry Sandusky then they'll rename to NFL '16. But otherwise, it's the organization.

 

[PodcastFips]

There has been corruption in the past, and there will be corruption in the future. And there wll be future FIFA games with even more insane sales numbers... no need to drop the brand.

 

[jtb]

I actually disagree with most posters here. FIFA's sole value is in the exhaustive licenses they hold, not the name. No one cares what "FIFA" is. When you watch football, it's not football run by "FIFA," you're watching UEFA, Premier League, La Liga, etc. If they want to call it "Champions League Football 2016," people will buy it if it has the licenses.

 

[Glass Rebel]

Modern-day slavery hasn't damaged the brand to such an extent and you think some goons being locked up will?

 

[GoldenCrow]

I actually disagree with most posters here. FIFA's sole value is in the exhaustive licenses they hold, not the name. No one cares what "FIFA" is. When you watch football, it's not football run by "FIFA," you're watching UEFA, Premier League, La Liga, etc. If they want to call it "Champions League Football 2016," people will buy it if it has the licenses.

UEFA isn't far off FIFA. They are practically in FIFA's shadow there is a reason why certain clubs aren't pot 1 even though they hit the criteria to be.

 

[Captain_Wreckus]

I think its too early to tell what EA will do. Also, we don't know whats in their contract with FIFA so they may not be able to get out of it (which would be shocking if they don't have an out clause).

But, since were about 3-4 months until the new FIFA game comes out, it may be too late to clear out the FIFA brand from the new EA Soccer Game.

If they will get rid of the FIFA brand, it won't be until the new EA soccer game in 2016, not this year...But knowing me, i'm probably wrong.

 

[bryehn]

After the fun and games of this morning only being the tip of the ice berg are we going to have another Tiger Woods situation here for EA?

Tiger cheated on his wife and likes to smang, like many American athletes. Hell, dude cheated on Lindsay Vonn too and my god them skier thighs in bed would be ridiculous.

But I digress...The main issue they switched to Rory is that Tiger is simply getting old, broken and is rarely competitive these days.

FIFA is way, way bigger and I can see the bigger leagues becoming more independent, at least for marketing and licensing. You can bet your ass the people at BPL, La Liga, Primera, etc. are rubbing their hands in excitement, FIFA will have to beg to keep top leagues.

 

[Apathy]

Until the day FIFA starts publicly murdering children, it will not be toxic and will produce crazy amount of money for whoever brands their games with it. This is a sad fact that as corrupt as the people running it are, the majority of people don't really know about the inner workings of the organization and only know it as "that thing that brings us the World Cup every 4 years"


This from Last week Tonight kinda shows why (mostly the start and the very end but all of it is good)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlJEt2KU33I&feature=youtu.be

 

[mokeyjoe]

Any international football fan who didn't think FIFA was corrupt already is probably also a global climate change denier. Hopefully this leads to corrections to their BS practices and suppression of less cash plentiful market teams.

This. FIFA's been messed up for years and everyone knows it. The arrests don't change really change anything in that regard.

 

[darkside31337]

The only way EA will get rid of it is if it costs them money.

Being associated with the NCAA literally cost them tens of millions thanks to a lawsuit. And they bailed because it wasn't going to be worth it after that.

Being associated with Tiger Woods wasn't worth it because all the off the course stuff and decreased play on the course wasn't worth the cost of his name.

EA will bail on the FIFA brand if the brand stops being worth the licensing costs. They can easily rename it to Lionel Messi Football (with all of their current league licenses) and it wouldn't hurt sales in the slightest out of World Cup time and well there are some ways around that not too different than what PES has done in the past.