Update on 1UP/ESPN roster article controversy
May 25, 2008 by pastapadre
Update: Todd Zuniga has responded in the comments and now his blog. It is greatly appreciated, however much of the damage that has already been done by the original article can’t be corrected. I have edited my title though to reflect the current situation.
There have been long running issues that have come with the ability to edit roster files for NCAA games. For years now there have been those who have profited off the rosters, in many cases after having stolen them from someone else who did all of the work. Not only is it immoral, but with the NCAA licensing it is illegal to profit off of the names of amateur athletes.
Numerous websites have been created to solicit along with eBay having being another consistent place this occurs. Unsuspecting consumers have continually been ripped off. And it is no small “business”. The most active roster sellers have been known to rake in well over $50,000 off a game like NCAA Football which is the primary “seller”.
One of these scumbags is Brian Kaldenberg of gamerosters and now fkrosters (which he bought back in December). Not only is he a well known thief across the community having been shown to have stolen rosters numerous times in the past (which have been made by others through hundreds of hours of work) but he will even come right out and admit it. This was the case earlier today in postings on Operation Sports where he was throwing it in the face of everyone. Not to mention he has even been sued by the NCAA in the past.
Recently Todd Zuniga of 1UP irresponsibly featured Kaldenberg in an interview. This was then carried by ESPN Videogames which is driven by 1UP created content. It is extremely disappointing that these media outlets would support such an endeavor and the person behind it.
In the past this put at risk the actual ability to make player edits at all in NCAA branded games. It looks like now though with the addition of the EA Locker and 2K Share those will fill in by providing user created rosters for free and to anyone who has online access.
The important thing it to NEVER pay for rosters. There are places to get them for free even if you don’t have online access to download them through the EA Locker. Do anything you can to spread the word about the feature and prevent as many as possible from being duped into the roster scam by people like Kaldenberg. Hopefully the talk that has been ongoing over the past few years where the NCAA may agree to include named rosters will come to fruition in the future and put to bed the issue completely.
It seems like he’s either totally nuts or he might just see the writing on the wall.
Either way, it’s good that you and the OS commenters are putting people on game.
nice job zuniga giving exposure to that idiot. he also stated that ea had bought the rights to college basketball, might want to work on his facts also.
So I think it was two years ago that I tried putting up “free rosters” on ebay where the pages showed where they could be found. Of course ebay yanked my auctions and let the others continue. Which, BTW, ebay has gone down the crapper the last few years in a sad way (off-topic I know…)
That guy is hilarious. Stupidest “businessman” I’ve ever seen.
Hey, it’s Todd Zuniga–just got wind of all of this, and wanted to respond (and will respond more on my blog in minutes).
But first, for the college hoops license, check this link.
Okay, now for the rosters: this is a shock to me, and I’m currently looking at the Brian Kaldenberg situation. There was no way for me to know that he stole roster files that he was given for free, and when I dug up the story, I thought it was a great way for people to get names in NCAA Football. To me, it’s worth paying for, as it’s a huge, massive, insane amount of work.
Did I dig deep enough? Apparently I didn’t. I never thought to check into court records.
As for the headline to this story, seems downright ridiculous. By posting a story about a roster update site I don’t feel like I’m walking around wearing a Brian Kaldenberg for President t-shirt. It was one site amongst many (much like a site I’d written about in the old OPM days, run by DT Lindner: http://www.psxsports.com/).
Oh, also: I want the best to come of all this, so maybe you can help point me in the direction of free rosters. If they’re easy to get to, then I want to make lemonade out of the Kaldenberg lemons.
Let’s do it!
Todd Zuniga wrote:
Sometimes on operationsports.com people post their roster files on there. Also, with the EA locker feature this year there should be plenty of free rosters to download. Look for guys like Fairdale_Kings. Some people have amazing detail put into their work.
Oh Todd, don’t know if this helps/matters, but throughout the year some people make updates to their rosters, especially with the player ratings. Think of guys like Michael Crabtree or Jeremy Maclin who have breakout years. They adjust their ratings as the season goes, therefore keeping accurate, up to date rosters available.
That thread on OS was hilarious!!
Nice article Pasta, I almost bought a roster update from one of these idiots last year. Lucky for me I held out a little bit longer and got it for free.
Great article, pasta. Items like this really need to be brought to light. A large demographic of gamers are getting ripped off by this scam and this article only brings in more victims.
Unfortunately, there is the perception that gaming sites do not put much pride or effort into their coverage of sports games. Articles like the one by 1UP.com only add to that perception.
Had he done a Google search on this character, within the first few pages the author would have found info on the NCAA lawsuit, incidents on facebook & wikipedia, and a bad reputation on community sites. This character lives for website hits, Google ranking, and stealing the work of others.
Gamers are beginning to ignore the reviews and commentary on sports games from sites such as 1UP, IGN, ESPN.com Video Games, kotaku, etc. given irresponsible reporting such as this and also not properly evaluating certain game features (online play, for example) and not looking to see if community wishes are addressed from year to year. They treat these franchises as if they were second-rate, not doing their homework like they do for titles such as Halo, Gears of War, Grand Theft Auto, etc. They blatantly disrespect sports gamers and this trend must come to an end.
Given that said author claims to be ‘the Sports Games Guy,’ his article was extremely disappointing.
Gamers into sports titles now rely on impressions from community member sites like PastaPadre, ConsoleSports, ncaaStrategies, MaddenMatrix, etc. Thankfully, it seems as if EA Sports and 2K Sports recognize this and have included the community in the feedback process.
This is why I love your site! Great job for calling out this a-hole Pasta.
CDJ- Thanks for the thoughts. I definitely agree with the perception surrounding sports gaming by the major media outlets. The one person who I feel really respects these games the most is Jon Robinson, which is why I try and link to his content at Gametap frequently.
Just added in a comment from Todd Zuniga which was caught in the spam filter because of the number of links included.
Wait, did I just help the guy from 1up get rosters to cheat like Kaldenberg?
I’m under the understanding that he is going to use free rosters to make Kaldenbergs obsolete, or he is at least going to promot where to get free rosters.
What exactly is going on?
pastapadre wrote:
Ok thanks. I didn’t see that before I made my last post.
Thanks Pasta.
Thumbs up on showing the tool who steals and markets off of others hard work. CDJ- Agree 100%, I never check those sites you mentioned since most of the reviewers are clueless and just throw out a numner to make the company happy. EG: Peter Moore and his interview with Pasta about being content with the quality since the ‘meta scores’ were high..its strange how users rated it alot lower than that
That clown couldnt be serious. I mean did you see his responses over at OS??? Maybe it was an imposter, i mean NO one could be that stupid to openly admit that you stole the work of someone else and profited from it.
If Zuniga wants an interview with a legit roster editor, he needs to contact ‘Fairdale Kings,’ a roster editor for the 360. FK runs a legit operation and has been doing so for years.
Todd Zuniga wrote:
First, I do appreciate the response and correction. However I don’t understand how that article could be seen as anything other than endorsing the site and the guy behind it.
Zuniga is a tool also. If you publish an interview with another tool to market theft of his, then youre endorsing the site. I wonder what ESPN will think of this?
It’s really a sad day in sports when almost all college athletes get money under the table, yet the NCAA refuses to let the real names of people get published in games. I mean how many magazines are published with their names. How many hours of TV coverage uses their names and likenesses? Do these media outlets not make money off of that? How would that be different than a video game making a game with real names and likenesses?
That being said, if they actually were able to make games with names and likenesses it would shut down jackasses like this clown and save hundreds of hours to those who actually make correct rosters.
I got a roster or two off of psxsports.com and DT Linder back in the day. I didn’t donate any money cuz I was in college and poor, but if I could have I would have. I kept up the community and knew he put in the time and effort into this. If someone is going to do all that work don’t charge money for it simply accept donations. I will gladly chip in a few bucks for accurate rosters but the second you start to charge my radar gets tipped off that you are trying to screw people. Especially with most people posting them for free.
Another thing, Brian Kaldenberg was stupid enough to reveal his identity on the Operation Sports thread.
I’m not comfortable with the info being posted on here - Pasta
It’s just another example of how EA is clueless about very obvious things that we all catch in 2 seconds.
Personally, I don’t have a major huge problem with people profiting from them simply because the NCAA is a bunch of hypocritical bastards making money hand over fist on the backs of these kids and the whole “oh they get a free education” argument is lame not inclusive of a lot of other expenses. But when a person is stealing someone else’s work and profiting, that’s a problem.
baumy300: My goal is to get the world free rosters for life. Any tips, great, and would love to get a hold of Fairdale Kings.
Signed,
The Tool
Todd Zuniga wrote:
Todd,
Please check your Opium Magazine e-mail account. His name and e-mail address are there waiting for you.
Todd Zuniga wrote:
Ok, that’s what I initially thought.
I told you everything I know pertaining to free rosters. Also, Fairdale Kings posts over at operationsports.com and if you create an account you can PM him. Here is his profile - http://www.operationsports.com.....kings.html
I’ve always bought from FK Rosters and had no problems (NCAA 08 being the most recent). What do we do now, with the online roster sharing going on? I liked being able to track what conference FK was on at the time, and then, BAMM, the file was ready for download/purchase after you paid (I even sent my Xbox memory card back in the day). I don’t want to share a roster online and have FATT STAFFORD as the QB for UGA, or, God forbid, Tebow with the wrong face mask.
Anyone could make rosters and these people using this is as their job is pathetic, basically stealing from people illegally. So you go on the school’s site and match the names with the numbers, it’s terrible that 1UP/ESPN Video Games, would promote this guy and his site, lost all credibility. Who would seriously buy rosters, unless they are free they do nothing good and don’t add to the game. Good article Pasta for pointing this out.
First, I want to respond to the Todd Zuniga article appearing on ESPN.com that was brought to my attention today. It is completely ridiculous to think that Brian Kaldenberg has attracted this much attention again and free publicity. Brian Kaldenberg is the owner of the site known as Gamerosters.com and I sold him my site, FKrosters.com in December through a third-party buyer. It was not until the sale was finalized that I knew the identity of the new owner.
Anyway, my name is FAIRDALE KINGS. I was the owner of a website known as FKrosters.com that provided free rosters for the NCAA Football series since 2003. This year will be my seventh intallment of rosters that I have released to the public. I’ve worked with DT Linder at PS2rosters.com (now known as PSXsports.com) and released XBox rosters in the beginning. I’ve actually been a member of the EA Sports Community Leader’s Program and have pretty good relationships with many of the NCAA/Madden gaming communities so I am known & respected in the gaming community. For the past three years I have actually released my rosters before the game was “officially” released.
Since 2005 Brian Kaldenberg has been stealing my rosters and selling them on his site without my permission. I’ve asked him numerous times to remove my work but he refuses. Last year Brian harassed me for eight months to sell my site to him. He begins harassing me every year in May and inquires about the release of my rosters. He brags about the fact that he doesn’t have to edit the rosters because I do all the work… and he reaps in all the profits. For anyone that is interested I still have every email that Brian Kaldenberg sent to me last summer. So there is documented proof of his treachery. If you go to his site, FKrosters.com, he continues to use my name to promote his products. I have asked him several times to remove my name, FAIRDALE KINGS, from his promotions but he continues to pimp his site using my personna.
This year I will once again be releasing “free” rosters. I am in the process of starting a new website that will be named Fairdale-Kings.com and the rosters will be available for download there as well as OperationSports.com, NCAAStrategies.com and MaddenMania.com because those sites have always supported my efforts.
If anyone wants to contact me I am not hard to find. My email address is fairdalekings@msn.com or you can contact me through XBox Live. My gamertag is FAIRDALE KINGS.
Thanks!
Victor Vasquez
FAIRDALE KINGS
Fairdale-Kings.com COMING SOON!!!!
This is Brian Kaldenberg with Gamerosters.com. The poster today on operationsports is not me nor anyone affiliated with Gamerosters. Secondly, we do not steal the rosters.
Finally, yes we do charge. There are plenty of places to get rosters and many places you can get them for free.
We charge for them, and with that our customers enjoy excellent customer service and very fast shipping.
I would appreciate it if you call me Pasta Padre.
My line is 515-669-6560. Anyone else who would like to talk about this artice is free to call me too.
Why would Pasta or anyone else want to call you? No one wants to buy your rosters its EA Locker now, sorry.
Absolute chaos. I never knew any of these guys by names (except FK) but I thought it was odd when that BK article went up a while back, but since no one said anything when it originally showed up on 1UP I figured he wasn’t one of the bad ones….Whoops.
Either way that thread on OS today was epic.
Brian Kaldenberg wrote:
Bollocks.
I remember you vividly from your ill-advised taunt fest over at at Maddenmania in June of 2005. The sheer arrogance you displayed then, coupled with what we know of your correspondence with FK, exactly mirrored that of “JunJun2323″ today at OS.
There isn’t the slightest doubt that it was you. This pathetic attempt at spin control is going to fool no one.
how im suppose to get the roster pasta? i dont play online so how do i get it?
I highly doubt that the real Todd Zuniga and Brian Kaldenberg are really posting above.
Hopefully, EA Locker will help.
Kaldenberg you’re a liar again! If that wasn’t you on the OS boards earlier today, then why did you crap your pants after your publicly available phone and address were signed up for all the unsolicited porn imagineable? You wouldn’t have started with the whole “posting it without permission” garbage if it wasn’t you. Get a life!
qdog wrote:
Gamerosters.com will mail you a memory card for like 40 bucks.
Oh wait…
Lol I am surprised they don’t charge for custom covers as well.
cdj wrote:
FK was awesome last year when i had my 360 but now i heard he sold his site its kinda disheartening but i almost bought from there but i poked around in some fourms to find out that the jerk brian was trying to monopolize but i mean hey he is a lame anyway and i will get them somewhere else for FREE
thanks again PASTA P
DLane wrote:
Don’t worry. That site took them from other sites without permission as well.
The custom cover templates were created by gschwendt at ncaaStrategies.com and were to only be on our site. Well, they somehow ended up ‘elsewhere’ - along with many of those created by our members.
cdj wrote:
Yeah I was just browsing IGN and came across their custom cover thread, and found a lot of similar ones from their on their site. It’s sad when a grown man can’t do his own work.
DLane wrote:
Someone with a tie to that same site mentioned on a rivals.com site how they would be posting a ’stadium sounds’ resource in the near future. As pastapadre.com members know, that resource is located at ncaaStrategies.com. Again, more hard work from our members is about to be ripped off. This doesn’t even include when he stole the Historical Rosters some of our members made a few years back.
CDJ, you run a business. Why don’t you worry about running your business.
Yes, we are going to create a Stadium Sounds section similar to yours. Toyota created the first Hybrid vehicle… it was a good idea so Honda copied it.
It’s business, evolve or die. If you have a problem with me call me instead of this childish posting. 515-669-6560.
Kaldenberg stole my covers from NCAA Strategies along with Motowns and Jack’s (IGN). I emailed him asking him to remove the covers and he responded by threatening legal action against me and giving me his phone number. Talk about bipolar…
I really am surprised at how many people did not know you could get them for free. I mean, I knew there were some people out there. I just didn’t realize it was that many.
Brian Kaldenberg wrote:
NCAAStrategies isn’t a “business”. It’s a forum that collects donations to keep it alive…
All right people need to cut this s@#t out there are so many sites to get names for i been getiing since the start of PS2 .It’s one thing to take somebody
s work and claim it.I would get mad at that to but there not making people pay for it.Also for the people that wants throw DT (PSXfourm) under the bus just like other sites they take donations they dont make u pay for the links.Some people appreciate there work and drop a couple of dollars so cut this out.All u have to do is go to a search engine and typ NCAA _ _ roster upload and u will get tons of websites
http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2.....9-visuals/
Check the vid. Im sure Pasta will find one that has an HD version somewhere.
Brian Kaldenberg wrote:
A business that involves stealing other peoples work?
I’m sure when Toyota made that hybrid Honda didn’t come over and steal their blueprints.
Your logic is ridiculous. It’s ridiculous because no matter what you say, you can’t justify the fact that you’re stealing other peoples work and passing it off as your own. Pathetic man. That to me is childish.
baumy300 wrote:
If Kaldenberg was Honda, he didn’t just steal the blueprints, he stole the car itself and sold it as his own…
man someone tell me how do i get roster if i play offline
http://img389.imageshack.us/im.....aldpq0.jpg
Brian Kaldenberg wrote:
I refuse to call someone who engages in harassment like you did towards Fairdale Kings.
After the incident this afternoon, I think you are the last person who should be accusing someone else of ‘childish posting.’ It just upsets you that the truth is getting out after your years of stealing.
people been ripping people off for years im not supporting what he did was right but if stupid people is going to buy it and not look around for the rosters can u blame him for selling it.Everybody is the fool for one day out there life and found many.good thing to get exposed
kc10785 wrote:
I’d object on the grounds of moral ethics, but regardless of your positioning on ripping people off, what Kaldenberg’s doing is HIGHLY ILLEGAL. There’s a reason why EA hasn’t been able to put names in the college game. There’s a reason why college jerseys you buy at the mall have no names on them. There’s a reason why they don’t make college football cards. That reason is the fact that the NCAA made it illegal to profit off of amateur athletes, which is exactly what Kaldenberg is doing.
kc10785 wrote:
Umm…what? Just beacuse his customers didn’t know any better doesn’t mean Kaldenberg get a free pass.
He steals other people’s work and sells it. That’s despicable.
he doesn’t get a pass but have yall ever heard buyers beware
customers just as fault as he is
kc10785 wrote:
Ummm…it’s illegal??? If it was scamming, then sure. Whatever. I wouldn’t be nearly as pissed off. But what he’s doing is ILLEGAL. a.k.a. AGAINST THE LAW. He’s already been sued by the NCAA before.
lol i cant wait to see this play out even more
GhettoShark,
It isn’t against the law. I’ve spoken with legal counsel.
Secondly, I haven’t stolen your (illegal) custom covers. I just link to them.
You’re lucky I even do that because you wouldn’t get as much traffic.
Go to bed, its past your bedtime.
Brian Kaldenberg wrote:
You’re making a real case for the supposed “identity theft” incident that occurred earlier today, aren’t you?
There goes your credibility again.
Wow man, I mean I’m a nice guy. I really am. I wouldn’t even hate on you like this and I never wanted to start, but when you come on the net just so arrogant and cocky, it is really hard to even try and understand you. You joke about stealing peoples hard work, you refer to us at OS as your slaves by calling the forum there your sweatshop, you harass people until they give into you, and you never act like you have any remorse.
You make it so hard for people to like you. You lie, cheat, steal, and you do it consistently. I just can’t understand why you want to portray yourself like that in front of some of your past and possible future customers.
Thankfully people are now being brought up to date on how to gather rosters and your site will soon be obsolete.
Brian Kaldenberg wrote:
Any lawyer that told you it wasn’t illegal to make a profit off of the names and likenesses of NCAA athletes (and that is what you’re selling) isn’t much of a lawyer.
Brian Kaldenberg wrote:
How can your assert on the one hand that offering custom covers that feature the likenesses of NCAA athletes is illegal, and on the other hand claim that selling rosters that contain the names and likenesses of the very same athletes is not?
Seriously now-do you ever bother to think about the implications of the things you say?
Its really simple. If anyone sees this guy promoting gamerosters.com link them to the operation sports post and this blog. This guy will be exposed soon enough. Brian Kaldenberg preys on the people that dont know any better. Everyone needs to inform people that this guy is a theif and a liar.
Steven W.
who really cares……