"Say at least this much for Matt Brown, writer of the college sports-focused Extra Points newsletter: He is a fair-minded guy. You can safely bestow unto him the Ceremonial Scepter of Good Duderdom. Tuesday, Brown learned that ESPN, the all-powerful behemoth astride sports media in the western world, made and published and advertised what is in effect a copy of his excellent Athletic Director Simulator 4000, a game he built from his own imagination, the maintenance of which requires ongoing care and attention."
"I could see them reasoning, Our graphic style is different from that thing, we're trying to reach a different audience, we have a different objective. And one person can't, you know, copyright or lay claim to the idea of a text simulator based on multiple choice questions, balancing a budget, approval rating, and Director's Cup rankings for an athletic department."
Matt Brown maintains Athletic Director Simulator 4000 and produces the college sports-focused Extra Points newsletter. ESPN launched a feature game that closely mirrors the format, dynamics, and specific mechanics of Athletic Director Simulator 4000, including multiple-choice text simulation, balancing a budget, managing approval ratings, and tracking Director's Cup rankings. The ESPN game appears differently styled and sits on a far larger distribution platform, giving it much greater reach. Brown responded measuredly, acknowledging that one person cannot own a game concept, while observers described ESPN's action as underhanded and predatory and raised concerns about platform-driven competitive harm.
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