After a decade of absence, EA college football is returning with a new version of the game and a changed fan base.

• Every player who opted in to appearing in the game received a minimum of $600 along with a copy of the game, as stated by EA.
• Since 2013, this is the first significant college sports game to be released.
• The changes in the video game are mirroring significant alterations in college football, such as the introduction of the College Football Playoff.

The 2024 football season commences this weekend for many enthusiasts, as EA Sports releases an eagerly anticipated update to its college football game. Some devoted fans of the previous version, who have recently spent less time gaming on their XBox and PlayStation, are now realizing they need to brush up on their skills.

Anthony Bencomo, a 47-year old corporate recruiter and owner of Deli Fresh Threads clothing brand in Orlando, stated that the game has undergone significant changes due to the transition from a flip phone to an iPhone. He explained that the gameplay and various elements have evolved as a result of this change.

EA Sports College Football 25 is drawing Bill Long, a 31-year-old accountant in Sacramento, back into gaming, as he recruits gamers through social media into an online league for those roughly 30 and up, with the idea that some of his peers might be a bit rusty.

Long, who hosts a sports podcast and streams on Twitch, stated that he knew there was a significant group of people who would feel like they didn't want to be associated with the younger kids who were confident in their abilities.

The game was launched on Friday, but many players who purchased the deluxe version had been playing it all week. According to EA, over 2 million users played the game early. Third-party data, such as GameStop's best-seller list and early Twitch viewership, suggest that the game could have a successful launch.

Since 2013, this is the first significant college sports game to be released.

Eric Handler, a senior research analyst at Roth MKM, stated that he believes there is pent-up demand.

A new era

EA's college football game, known as NCAA Football, was traditionally a smaller offering compared to their flagship Madden franchise.

Over time, the demand for used copies of NCAA Football 14 has remained high, making them valuable items for trade and resale. However, Lucas Dolengowski, a 31-year-old social media director from Madison, Alabama, was deterred from purchasing a copy of the game he used to play in college during the Covid pandemic due to its high price.

Dolengowski had planned to purchase an older XBox and the game to play it, but the games were priced at $100 on eBay. However, he ended up buying the deluxe version of the new game.

Bencomo kept his 2013 copy of the game but traded in the 2014 one to purchase a gaming system for his daughter. He plans to buy and play the new game, but finding time could be challenging, even with his family urging him to return to gaming.

"During this period, I have grown up and built a life," Bencomo stated.

The College Football Playoff has brought about significant changes in college football, which are also reflected in the video game.

The financials of college football have undergone a significant transformation. In the past, college football players were subject to strict rules regarding earning money outside of their scholarship. However, a series of legal cases have enabled players to receive payment for their name, image, and likeness rights, commonly known as NIL.

The game provided every opted-in player with a minimum of $600 and a copy of the game, while some college football players and athletes were signed as ambassadors to promote it.

In the new versions, players are assigned unique and official names, eliminating the need for fake names or numbers.

Bencomo stated that he would purchase a memory card and send it to someone, who would then input the names.

What's next

The success of EA's College Football game depends on whether both old and new fans contribute to its success. The game may surpass the estimated sales of around 3 million units, but it may still be half the size of Madden. Stifel analyst Drew Crum predicts that the game could sell more than 4 million units, but with limited in-game monetization, which has become crucial for game publishers in recent years.

The impact of the two football games on EA's Madden franchise is uncertain, according to analyst Douglas Creutz of TD Securities.

The number of units produced from Madden and transferred to NCAA Football is still uncertain, according to Creutz, who mentioned the possibility of cannibalization.

The college football game may not be an annual launch yet, so gamers should enjoy this new version for now. However, the nostalgia factor is evidently benefiting the game.

Long stated that it is impressive to see gamers aged 30 and above because they were in their prime during the years 2003 to 2007. This period marked the sweet spot for new gamers who were just starting to play or not yet born during that time.