Madden NFL 11 Will Feature New Swagger Statistic Sponsored by Old Spice
EA Sports will apparently be featuring a new statistical category in this years Madden NFL 11 game, and it goes by the name of “Swagger.” If you’re thinking, “hey, that sounds just like the Old Spice product Brian Urlacher used to transform himself into a manly man he is today.” you’d be 120% correct.
The statistical category is even branded with a tiny Old Spice logo on the in-game menu system itself, as you can see in the screen shot below.
Baltimore's speedy ball-hawking safety Ed Reed is apparently among the Swagger supreme in Madden 11.
What exactly will this magical stat do? Well, it’s rumored to give you a confidence boost or “swagger,” that improves your play after making a big catch, throw, touchdown, tackle, etc. The duration and effectiveness of the effect will depend on just how full-of-swagger that player is.
I personally think this specific plug is funny considering the humorous approach Old Spice has taken with their advertising, but future installments could prove to be increasingly annoying if and when EA further opens the in-game advertising flood gates. What’s up next on the EA Sports advertising integration agenda? D-Line power rating sponsored by Old Spice Power?
As for the annoying in-between plays pop-up ad we reported on in Madden 10, you can expect to see it again in 2011. Speaking with an EA Sports representative at E3 2010, I was told that it will be returning in Madden 11, though he told me players would be able to block it by disconnecting their console’s online access. Well isn’t that just uber convenient.
It seems that EA is hell bent on squeezing every penny possible from their game — be it in-game advertising, on-set advertising, or online price gouging. And those of us upset by this can take comfort in the recent words issued by Peter More:
“Whilst I’m not sure they’re angry, they absolutely look at what’s going on in the marketplace and understand totally what it is we’re doing.”
Oh yeah, we understand alright. You’re prepping us for a future of $80 partially-accessible used game purchases crammed with more ads than a Manning brother’s Super Bowl, more plugs than a hair transplant patient, more sponsor logos than NASCAR, more … oh you get the idea.
Update: EA has responded explaining what the Swagger statistic will do in-game. Read about it here.
