UFC fighter says EA Sports activities pays athletes by their reputation

The UFC fighter Demetrious Johnson appears in UFC 3, a video game, with a championship belt slung over his right shoulder

Demetrious Johnson, a former mixed-martial arts champion who fought within the UFC, not too long ago supplied perception as to how that promotion’s stars are paid for the usage of their likeness in EA Sports activities’ online game. In response to Johnson, the extra gamers who use a fighter, the extra that star will get paid.

In a video clip shared on X, Johnson says he as soon as acquired a $25,000 examine for showing within the EA Sports activities UFC collection, which launched in 2014.

It’s an attention-grabbing declare as a result of the Final Combating Championship performers are a part of a gaggle license entitling Digital Arts to make use of them of their MMA video games. It’s additionally uncommon as a result of $25,000 is properly greater than most payouts — below a gaggle licensing association — to gamers in different sports activities, together with skilled soccer, the Nationwide Soccer League, and the Nationwide Basketball Affiliation.

Johnson was the quilt star for the “Icon Version” of EA Sports activities UFC 3, which launched in 2018.

Johnson says he was given an electronic mail from Digital Arts that referred to “enough telemetry knowledge from participant utilization” indicating “fan engagement and fighter reputation” ensuing within the payout.

It’s additionally attention-grabbing as a result of most athletes seem in sports activities video video games below a gaggle license bought by their participant’s associations, or unions. (UFC opponents are contracted to and represented by the league itself). Whereas some athletes lower particular person offers (particularly within the case of these showing on the field cowl of a recreation) most take a typical royalty examine distributed via their union.

The opposite attention-grabbing element is how the cost was primarily based on video games telemetry, which ought to inform players how a lot EA Sports activities, and due to this fact different publishers, find out about their preferences and tendencies in video video games.

EA Sports activities UFC 5, the most recent recreation within the collection, launched in October 2023 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Collection X.

The put up UFC fighter says EA Sports activities pays athletes by their reputation appeared first on ReadWrite.

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