Somebody stop that big gorilla

Games giant Electronic Arts has signed a five-year deal with America's NFL to score the exclusive rights to use player/team names, stats, etc in its titles. It effectively puts an end to any other developer producing a gridiron game for the next half-decade - all because the public demands realism and accuracy.

So what, sez you? But just as EA has now engineered a stranglehold on gridiron (a stunt at least partly sparked because it was losing market share to cheaper-priced rivals), so the gorilla could do the same to, say, football.

Imagine if EA bought up the rights to Premiership clubs and players? Or all the European leagues? It would be very difficult for the likes of the Pro Evolution Soccer series to compete with EA's inferior but "up to date" FIFA effort.

Now that would be wrong. Be worried. Very worried.