BizJournals.com is reporting that a number of sports gamers from California and Washington D.C. are suing Electronic Arts Inc for what they are calling “blatently anti-competitive conduct” in the area of football video games.

The suit details that after the early competition in the football gaming market between EA and Take-Two Interactive Inc, Electronic Arts cut the price of it’s Madden 2005 game from $49.95 to $29.95.

“Electronic Arts could have continued to compete by offering a lower price and/or a higher quality product.  Instead, EA quickly entered into a series of exclusive agreements with the only viable sports football associations in the United States: the National Football League (NFL), the Arena Football League (AFL) and NCAA Football.”

The suit says that EA raised the price of Madden 2006 by 70 percent.

The plaintiffs have requested a class action lawsuit and want restitution and damages for the buyers of all EA football games since August of 2005.

[Source BizJournal.com]