What’s the Matter With Madden?

A burst of innovation in the battle for National Football League fans transformed sports video games in an unexpected way.

Twenty years ago this month, Sega aggressively promoted ESPN NFL 2K5, slashing its price and releasing it weeks before Madden NFL 2005, the more established franchise. The dynamic running game and gang tackles in NFL 2K5, which was developed by Visual Concepts, were complemented by its immersive presentation, with animation-specific commentary, a comprehensive halftime show and a first-person under-the-helmet mode.

“I remember thinking, ‘Wow, how did they do all of that this year?’” said Ian Cummings, a former producer for Madden, which is developed by Electronic Arts. “They clearly had thrown the kitchen sink at us.”

There’s a world in which Electronic Arts responded with further innovations that then spurred additional ideas from its primary challenger, creating a gaming golden age. And then there is what actually happened: Electronic Arts signed an exclusive license with the N.F.L. and its players’ union months after the showdown, becoming the sole studio permitted to use the league’s players, teams and other official markings in simulation video games.

The ramifications can be felt two decades later.

Both NFL 2K5 and Madden 2005 joined the pantheon of greatest sports video games, along with titles like NHL ’94, MVP Baseball 2005 and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater. But there is a nagging sense that the genre has stagnated as the marketplace has consolidated.

Major League Baseball has an exclusive license with San Diego Studio, which makes MLB: The Show, and the NBA 2K and NHL franchises also have no competition. FC, the series formerly known as FIFA, is no longer being challenged by Pro Evolution Soccer.