Gamers Sue EA Over Football Game Exclusivity

Two gamers are suing Electronic Arts for monopolizing the market on football video games.

The class-action lawsuit, launched by two gamers in Washington, DC, and California last week, alleges that EA is engaging in "blatantly anticompetitive conduct" by raising the price of its football game offerings after securing key licensing deals.

The suit points to EA's decision to pump up the price of its Madden series (pictured) after it signed deals with the NFL, NCAA, and the Arena Football League, following Take-Two's exit from the genre.

It also decries EA's attempted takeover of Take-Two, alleging that it would "remove one of the few companies with the ability and expertise to compete in the market for interactive football software."

The plaintiffs are requesting damages for anyone who purchased an EA football title since August 2005, return of all profits stemming from anticompetitive behavior, and related agreements declared null and void.

EA has not commented on the litigation.

Source: Gamespot.com