EA Sports Feeds Starving Fans With Its Approach To College Football 25 Video Game Release
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you already know that EA Sports is set to release College Football 25 next month much to the joy of fans everywhere.
The game, which was discontinued more than a decade ago essentially because the inability for players to profit on their name, image and likeness, has been the subject of much consternation and could be considered the foundation in the push for players to earn money via NIL.
"College Football 25" (Credit: EA Sports)
The hype train for the game is out of control due in large part to EA Sports’ ability to capture the passion of the college football world.
Take Tuesday, for example. The company released its ranking of the toughest places to play, and the college football world erupted. Fans and media alike dished out take after take on what EA Sports got right and wrong.
I’m guilty of this. I said on my podcast that it’s insane that Auburn and Tennessee were left out of the top 10.
What’s more, the SEC is wildly under-represented in the list. It seems like stadiums from other conferences were just tossed in to represent more of the country. Luckily for SEC fans, they are "subject to change."
The desperation of the college football world, combined with the doldrums of the offseason, has made this release the most anticipated sports video game release of all time.
The date of its drop — July 19 — is the same week of multiple conference’s media days events, including SEC Media Days in Dallas. Those events are not true media events and more like conventions and celebrations of college football. What better way to celebrate than to unleash the game to a crazed fan base when the anticipation of the season ramps up in a massive way.
"College Football 25" (Credit: EA Sports)
Hopefully, the game lives up to the hype. Judging from the first-hand accounts and the teasers released by EA Sports, it will stay true to its roots rather than acting as a college version of the Madden franchise.
No matter what, EA Sports’ ability to capture its core customer and build a wave of momentum toward one of the most anticipated dates of the offseason is unlike anything that we’ve ever seen.