I remember when I was a kid, I loved playing Madden NFL. I had the greatest time choosing a team, setting up their playbook and taking them deep into the playoffs or hopefully winning a Super Bowl. It was like a dream come true. But one question I always asked myself was, do NFL players get paid for being on the video game?
The answer actually turns out to be no. While some of the players get a stipend, they aren’t paid directly for their appearance in the game. Instead, the NFL Players Association negotiates with the video game makers, granting Electronic Arts an exclusive contract with the NFLPA. This means that the market is made for the video game companies to make a profit and maximize sales of the video game. Additionally, this exclusive contract protects the players from getting ripped off, as no other competing video game company can get the exclusive license with the NFLPA.
I was slightly disappointed when I found out players didn’t get paid directly for being in the video game. I would have thought that it would have been fair to recognize and pay the players who were represented in the game. That being said, the protection the NFLPA provides for the players is valuable, as they are looking out for the welfare of their members. It’s possible that some players will get highly paid for eventually having their own exclusive endorsements for the video game, but that’s something that has yet to be seen.
Another interesting point is that when certain players enter the video game, Electronic Arts can make financial contributions to the players’ foundation or charity. That’s pretty cool since there is still some kind of compensation for players. This is beneficial for players in that it provides an avenue for them to give back to the community and help those in need through the distribution of money.
I think that when it comes to the motion captured images and other likenesses used in the game, it should be earned income that compensates the players for their image. There should be an understanding of the financial commitments the players have to make when signing with the NFL teams and how their brand value contributes to the success of the video game. It’s true that their likenesses shouldn’t be taken advantage of and it’s important that the players are adequately represented.
Furthermore, the Madden NFL video game does a great job of recreating what it’s like to be a real NFL player. From the plays to the atmosphere and look of the game, Electronic Arts does an excellent job with the game. But I believe that it should still recognize and denote the players that bring these aspects to life. Although it may not be feasible to compensate all of the players involved, it would still be great for the players to get some kind of recognition from the company that is profiting off of their likenesses.
Another thing that also comes to mind is that the more sophisticated video games become the more realistic the experience is for the player. This means that game makers need to continue to capture players’ nuances and personalities. To do this, the developers need to work closely with the players to ensure that they accurately portray what it’s like to be an NFL player. This level of creativity and insight requires a certain level of recognition and financial compensation in order to make sure that players are adequately compensated.
Finally, I think it’s important that the players and game makers come to some kind of understanding that gives the players some form of compensation. That being said, Electronic Arts may not be able to provide a direct payment to the players, but that doesn’t mean that a solution still can’t be found. The game makers should be willing to open up dialogues and conversations that take the players into consideration and offer some form of remuneration. It’s essential that conversations like this take place in order for progress to be made.