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The relationship between EA and FIFA has become strained over the last year, as the latter is looking for more money for its branding; apparently, the organization wants $2.5 billion over 10 years for the naming rights.In an all-hands meeting held last year, EA CEO Andrew Wilson apparently argued against keeping the FIFA branding. Wilson also claimed that FIFA has held back progress on the series. While Wilson acknowledged that FIFA has the rights to the World Cup, he also maintained that EA’s existing partnerships would allow the company to retain the elements that have made its FIFA games so popular.
Additionally, Grubb claims that FIFA has updated its trademark to include video games. Essentially, this means that the organization could continue to produce new FIFA games in-house, or with a different publisher. That means soccer fans could see FIFA 24 on the shelves alongside EA Sports FC! That might lead to some confusion for casual gamers, but with EA’s size and marketing budget, the company could make sure most players know the difference.
Of course, these trademarks could just be a move to prepare for the possibility before any kind of decision has been made. Given how much money is on the table, it’s entirely possible FIFA and EA could come to terms over the licensing agreement and continue working together. It certainly doesn’t look like that will be the case, but for now, it doesn’t seem that any definitive decisions have been made!
Would you be opposed to EA selecting a different name for the FIFAseries? Do you think the branding is important? Let us know in thecomments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!
