After confirming that Electronic Arts will no longer continue to develop its popular football game franchise called FIFA, many wondered who would be the next ally of the mother house of world football. There are rumors about the interest of various studies in the development of a successor FIFA 23which will also compete with the new EA Sports FCThey didn’t keep themselves waiting long. And one of the strongest aimed at Take-Two interactivesports saga owner 2Kbut the company decided stay away from speculation. At least for now.
Strauss Zelnik, the company’s CEO, expressed caution when asked about it. And though he appreciated the hierarchy of the saga FIFAassured that do not negotiate with an organization chaired by Gianni Infantino. “We are definitely interested in expanding our capabilities in sports, and FIFA has a great brand and incredible influence, but we have no current plans to discuss,” he said. IGN.
as assembled VGK, the CEO mentioned the issue again during the presentation of Take-Two Interactive’s latest financial results. Zelnick said the company is aware that the license for FIFA will be left without an owner at the end of the year, but they should think carefully about their future business. “We are very excited to build our sports business and we have nothing more to say,” he said.
Take-Two makes no secret of its interest in FIFA but I prefer caution
It’s clear that T2’s CEO is trying to be as discreet as possible, and he has his reasons for doing so. FIFA it is a potential generator of hundreds (or thousands) of dollars, but it also requires a very large initial investment; And it’s not just about buying the franchise name itself.
We mean that EA Sports FC will retain many of the team, stadium, league and cup licenses that currently exist in FIFAand it will be a very difficult mountain for any potential opponent. And while we could come up with an approach more like electronic football (ESPearlier) with several exclusive licenses, doesn’t seem right for such a historic franchise, and that is what represents the mother essence of world football.
And the statements of FIFA President Gianni Infantino indicate a desire play big game and not start from scratch. “I can assure you that the only authentic and real game that bears the name FIFA It will be the best available for players and fans. Name FIFA is the only global and original name. FIFA 23, FIFA 24, FIFA 25 D FIFA 26and so on, the constant is the name FIFA and will remain forever and continue to be the best,” he said a few days ago.
Therefore, any company that intends to become a replacement for Electronic Arts must understand that the bar will be very high and that its first development will be under constant control. At the end, FIFA has branded an entire generation of football fans and the public will be well aware of what will happen to the franchise once it is no longer in the hands of EA.
Will 2K be the next home to the biggest football franchise in history?
Beyond Strauss Zelnick’s claims, Take-Two Interactive is positioned by analysts as the most viable alternative for the future FIFA. With 2K, the company has been able to create a range of very exciting opportunities for some of the most important sporting events of our time. The most notorious case at the international level is the saga NBA 2Kbut also stood out for fighting franchise WWE 2K. And if that wasn’t enough, he expanded into golf with PGA 2K and is working on a football game following a recent deal with the NFL.
So it’s understandable that Take-Two Interactive already knows what it’s like to negotiate with the organizations that run some of the world’s most important sporting events, and also face costly licenses. However, FIFA it is a much more global proposal that also poses new challenges.
But even if you look at things only from an economic point of view, T2 seems to be the right choice. Earlier this year, the company bought Zynga for a staggering $12.7 billion. over $2.5 billion that FIFA allegedly asked EA to extend the alliance to develop their football game for another 10 years.
Now, Take-Two Interactive plays stealth. We will be attentive if there is new news.
Source: Hiper Textual
