This has been bugging me for a while, and I can't find an answer anywhere online, so I'll ask here. Okay, as every sports fan knows, a company can buy naming rights to sports arenas, which result in lots of advertising for said company, and lots of money for the arena and teams that play there. However, I don't understand how this doesn't transfer to video games. Take NBA 2K12, for instance. Lots of fun, and even when I'm at college, I look forward to playing it again. You get arenas like the Kings' PowerBalance Pavilion, the Warriors' Oracle Arena, the Bobcats' Time Warner Arena... ...and the Rockets get "Rockets Arena?" You can mention Oracle, but not Toyota? My Player's Rookie Showcase game takes place in...wait. I see Willis Reed, Walt Frazier and Dave DeBusschere's numbers in the rafters (from that camera angle), and the floor is painted orange and blue, Knicks colors...yet the building is never once called Madison Square Garden. It's "Knicks Arena." (Or, for that one game, Showcase Arena.) Okay, taking away the Toyota Center name, I can sorta see that, since Toyota is a registered trademark that people need permission to use in commercial products. But why isn't it licensed for use in video games like it is in NBA broadcasts? "We welcome you to the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas for tonight's game..." And why can't you say Madison Square Garden? Don't tell me THAT'S a trademark too? Come on, I know we're supposed to hate the Knicks on this site, but for crying out loud, it's THE WORLD'S MOST FAMOUS ARENA. I want to feel like the game is taking place there! (At least they have the right music and such playing over the PA system.) I mean, you can say "The Palace at Auburn Hills," but not Madison Square Garden? Is there something I'm missing? For the classic arenas, that's fine--I don't want the '97-98 Jazz arena still called EnergySolutions Arena, when it was still called the Delta Center back then. Can someone clear all this up for me? The inconsistency here is what bugs me...
I think has to do with some licenses, its like you couldnt play with Jordan, you played with Bulls #23 or in Madden they dont say Bill Parcells ,they said Dallas Coach, (in Madden 06) maybe those arenas are not owned by the NBA or something, so they cant use the name.
It's most likely strictly financial. The video game company would have to pay extra money for the rights to say the names that are left out, so they don't. It really doesn't matter at all though, player and team names are all anyone cares about.
Are the games paying for the rights to the corporate names they do use or are they simply given permission to do so. You'd think it'd be free advertising for Toyota to have their name in the game.
Some companies give permission, some don't. Madison Square Garden is weird considering that they own the Knicks or vice versa.
I think it's an awful idea. Video game franchises, like any other media production, are way too transitory in their popularity to be worth a multi-year, seven- or eight-figure name rights deal.
