What a beautiful day!
After a six-year hiatus, EA Sports’ college football video game is back. The company released a statement today announcing plans for the popular game’s return.
“We’ve heard from the millions of passionate fans requesting the return of college football video games,” said Cam Weber, EA Sports EVP and GM. “We love the energy, tradition and pageantry of college football and I am beyond thrilled to say we are back in development. We have a lot of really exciting work ahead of us, and a great team that is eager to bring a new game to players in the next couple of years.”
The last game was released in 2013 and featured then Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson on the cover. Production stopped when EA Sports agreed to pay a $40 million dollar lawsuit that was filed by former UCLA basketball player Ed O’Bannon over use of name, image and likeness.
There is no timetable for the game’s return just yet, but because the franchise was so popular among sports gamers and football fans alike, when the company made its announcement today, people were ecstatic. Even former UGA great D.J. Shockley got in on the celebration.
BOUT TIME!!! https://t.co/lUIOQtyStT
— DjShockley (@DjShockley3) February 2, 2021
Now, whether the game will feature image and likeness of current college football players is yet to be known. EA Sports said that they are moving forward without those aspects, because current NCAA rules prohibit paying players to use their names, images and likenesses in the game.
But those rules are set to change sometime in the next year as the NCAA works to change rules due to pressure from state and federal lawmakers, seemingly opening the door for a possibility of name, image and likeness use in the future.
I don’t know about you, but you can catch me on the couch with a controller in my hands as soon as the game is released.
Former Bulldogs Brandon Boykin and Chris Burnette joined “UGA Football Live with J.C. Shelton” to talk Dawgs, their new podcast and more! Listen here for lots of laughs!