EA just released a new video for Madden NFL Arcade that outlines the “game changers” built into the game. Check it out and skim through the list which I’ve broken down for you below.

Entourage
Allows you to load up on linemen for an unfair advantage over your opponent. Offensive Entourage puts wall of blockers out in front of you turning a run play into a walk in the park. Defensive Entourage gives is Madden Arcade’s version of stacking the box as it sends the a wave of unblockable defenders your opponents way.

Molasses
Turns gameplay into a slow motion wonderland. If David Carr had this available to him his first few years in the NFL he may have had a fighting chance to stay upright.

Hard to Catch
Turn pass happy offenses into rumblin’ bumblin’ stumblin’ fools. This features forces incomplete passes to become live ball fumbles.

Bonus Play
Gives you an extra down to run out the clock or score the game winning TD. I know at least one coach that would have welcomed this feature into the NFL last week. Oddly enough, the example in the video utilizes the New England Patriots. The irony.

Flying Blind
Lets you turn off the icons over the heads of your opponent’s receivers giving you a slightly better chance for an interception on an errant throw.

and now for my favorite…

Flip Flop
This game changer takes it to a level of it’s own as it actually lets you steal your opponents score and replace it with yours. If ever there was a way to teach someone who likes to tack on the TD’s in a blow out — this is it. I’m guessing you have to save this until the last few seconds of the game and catch your opponent off guard right as the clock is about to run out so they don’t reverse it on you with a flop of their own. Winner winner chicken dinner.

Some may knock the cartoony style of Madden NFL Arcade, but as a kid that grew up playing NBA Jam in the arcades, I’m really looking forward to getting my hands on Madden Arcade. The game looks fun as hell and I welcome a break from the “just how realistic can we make things look” next gen graphics conga line.

If you haven’t seen or heard much of the game, it is essentially 5 on 5 football with insanely unrealistic power ups that freeze opponents in place, send three footballs down field with one whip of the arm, and allow Brett Favre to play until he’s 80. Better yet, to paraphrase Kotaku’s Owen Good, it allows the Washington Redskins to score two touch downs on offense.

Madden NFL Arcade is due to hit the PlayStation Network on November 24th and Xbox LIVE on November 25th, with a price tag of $14.99 and 1200 MS Points respectively.

My Thanksgiving agenda is bound to include eating way too much food, kicking my brother’s ass in some Madden Arcade, and passing out on the couch to a Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions match up sure to be a half time blowout.

Have a look at the trailer below and let me know what you think in the comments section.

Lace up your contractually obligated $200 dollar sneakers and hit the collegiate hardwood today … assuming you’re an Xbox LIVE gold member. EA Sports has just released a demo of NCAA Basketball 10 to Xbox LIVE gold members. Silver members will be able to try it out on the 12th followed by PlayStation 3 on the 19th.

You shoot. You score. You request a multi-million dollar rookie deal so you can feed your family. Start your transition from college ball to the pros today with NCAA Basketball 10.

I’m now convinced that EA Sports has my phone tapped. I literally had a conversation on the phone last night talking about how this year’s Madden was vastly improved in so many areas over last years iteration. But that said, there were still things I missed from the last gen version of the series — things like trading cards.

Well here they are … sort of. Cards will contain players, coaches, and jersey options, but special ability or perk cards offering up things like “rocket arm” or “scrambling legs”  don’t look like they made the next-gen transition. You will however be able to collect cards and do something new with them — build a custom team.

Cards will apparently come in different flavor decks (Bronze, Silver, and Gold) with each deck costing a different amount of “points” and each deck containing higher quality players than the previous. Points won’t cost you money (which is refreshing) but will instead be earned via on-field achievements.  It also looks like there will be periodic “weekly deals” offering up discounts on the rare cards.

Collecting players from the same professional or college team will grant special on the field rating boots and different instances of a single player will be able to exist on the same team. So, while you will need to build your team with lower level players at first, with a little dedication and hard work, it won’t be long before your squad resembles the John Madden Ultimate “Brett Favre” Team shown above. Boom!

The Madden 10 “Ultimate Team” feature will be available for free sometime in January via download on Xbox LIVE and PlayStation Network. Below are some screen images provided by EA Sports. What do you think of this latest addition to the game?

EA Sport’s has announced the addition of three fighters via DLC for their boxing title, Fight Night Round 4. Bernard Hopkins, Sonny Liston, and Evander “The Real Deal” Holyfield will be available to download in early December for $9.99 on the PlayStation Network and 800 MS Points ($10) on Xbox LIVE.

In addition, the retail price of the game will drop $10 from $49.99 to $39.99 in time for the holiday rush. Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield in the same game? That sounds like an ear-biting good time to me, but don’t take my word for it, see for yourself.

As it turns out, the old G.I. Joe Saying “knowing is half the battle” applies to more than just the military. According to the press release sent to me today by EA Sports, a recent study revealed that gamers who played John Madden football were more passionate and knowledgeable about the actual game of football itself. This must also mean that those who play Grand Theft Auto are more knowledgeable and passionate about rape, car bombs, and roof top sniping.

Hit the jump for the full press release and an even funnier version of the video shown above.

STUDY FINDS PLAYING EA SPORTS MADDEN NFL CREATES MORE PASSIONATE & KNOWLEDGEABLE FOOTBALL FANS

University of Oregon Survey Finds Madden NFL Players Are More Avid Football Fans with Intricate Football Knowledge

REDWOOD CITY, CALIF; – AUGUST 20, 2009 – Does the Madden NFL franchise create a better football fan? EA SPORTS, a label of Electronic Arts Inc., (NASDAQ: ERTS), announced today the results of the Madden Football IQ study, conducted by the University of Oregon’s Warsaw Sports Marketing Center. This year’s study, which examined how fans of Madden NFL also interact with the sport of football, determined that fans who play the Madden NFL video game series are not only more knowledgeable about the game of football, but are also more avid, devoted fans.

“For the second year, we delved into the relationship that the Madden NFL game forges with real football, and the study proved that it runs very deep. Madden NFL fans are not only extremely knowledgeable about the game of football, they are equally as passionate,” said Paul Swangard, Managing Director of the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center at the University of Oregon. “Twenty-one years of the Madden NFL franchise has created a smarter and more devoted football fan.”

The study surveyed more than 9,000 EA SPORTS Madden NFL players and football fans on both knowledge of the sport and fan avidity. Building on a previous study, respondents’ football knowledge was tested through five categories of football knowledge: Game Situations, General Knowledge, History, Rules and Business of Sport.

In addition to testing respondents’ football knowledge and game-playing habits, consumption of NFL football was also measured through questions on viewing, attending games and purchasing habits as it relates to the sport of football. Based on the results of the consumption and knowledge portions of the study, the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center developed a football “fan avidity” score to examine the correlation of time spent playing Madden NFL and being a passionate football fan.

According to the fan avidity score, the more hours playing the Madden NFL game correlates to a more devoted and involved NFL fan. The most passionate of these fans are less likely to miss a football game on Sunday than most non-Madden players and are likely to attend at least one NFL game per season.

Madden NFL Creates More Passionate Football Fans

According to the survey, Madden NFL players on average consume 35 percent more football content than those who do not play the game. This measurement included information on viewing, attending games, and purchasing habits related to the game of football.

One of the greatest differentiators between Madden NFL gamers and those that didn’t play the game was football viewing patterns. When it comes to watching football games, there is no NFL fan more reliable than a Madden NFL player, as 42 percent of Madden NFL players indicated they never miss a football game due to other activities. Only 12 percent of non-Madden NFL players would make the same claim.

Madden NFL players also watch a lot of football. During the regular NFL season, 43 percent of Madden NFL players watched 16 or more hours of NFL programming per week – two-thirds of a day per week or more – compared to only 15 percent of non- Madden NFL players. And it doesn’t slow down much in the off-season, as 41 percent of Madden NFL players watch six or more hours of football-related television per week compared to only 14 percent of non-Madden NFL players.

Madden NFL players also bring their passion to their teams. Madden NFL players more regularly attend NFL games: 58 percent of Madden NFL players attend at least one game a year, compared to only 39 percent of non-Madden NFL players.

“Each year, EA SPORTS provides an authentic football experience through the Madden NFL franchise for fans to not only fuel their passion, but also to learn the game of football,” said Peter Moore, president of EA SPORTS. “The findings of the Madden Football IQ study demonstrate that Madden NFL player’s knowledge and passion for the game of football is unparalleled.”

Madden NFL Players More Knowledgeable About Nuances of Football

In this year’s study, the Madden NFL Football IQ survey found that Madden NFL players continue to be more knowledgeable about the game of football than non-Madden players. Out of a total of 25 questions, Madden NFL players scored higher in all five survey categories. Categories where Madden NFL players scored significantly better were Game Situations and General Knowledge categories, where Madden NFL players scored 19 and 12 percent higher, respectively.

Questions where Madden NFL players scored particular higher indicated intricate knowledge of not only football mechanics, but also nuanced knowledge of football terminology. Examples included:

* 67 percent of Madden NFL players correctly identified specific passing routes versus 48 percent of non-Madden NFL players.

* Madden NFL players also know their defensive schemes, with 81 percent correctly identifying formations compared to 67 percent of non-Madden respondents.

* Madden NFL players get inside the game of football as well, demonstrated as they correctly defined injury classification terms more often than non-Madden NFL players. For example, 63 percent of Madden NFL players correctly defined “Injured Reserve” versus 48 percent of non-Madden NFL players.

In the near future, fans will be able to take the Madden Football IQ survey online when they visit the Madden NFL 10 page. Go to www.maddennfl.easports.com for more information.

EA Sports today revealed the cover athletes for the North American version of FIFA 10. The three cover athletes include Cuauhtémoc Blanco of the Chicago Fire, Sacha Kljestan of Chivas USA and Chelsea’s Frank Lampard. Okay, I’m familiar with Frank Lampard, but the two MLS players, not so much. But I bet your ass I’m not the only one left in the dark.

EA also revealed that the North American release date would indeed be October 20, a few weeks after the Euro release date of October 2. Hit the jump for a new video of FIFA 10.

Source: Joystiq

For those of you who have played Fight Night Round 4, you probably noticed (and were surprised) that there wasn’t an option to change the control scheme and use the face buttons to play like in previous Fight Night games. Well EA is about to fix that with an update coming later this summer to add the face button control scheme for those who have been complaining about it, and don’t worry, it’s free. I just wonder why EA Sports didn’t just include the option in the first place. Weird.

Along with this update, a new DLC will be arriving before hand containing a new training gym, new gameplay sliders and new equipment to use on your boxer. The 360 version will also be receiving an alternate, Pizza-Hut sponsored version of Sugar Ray Leonard. And all of this DLC will be free too. Sweet, huh?

Source: Joystiq

Make less than ten baskets (6 of 16 from the field)  in your team’s first two NBA Final games, and you too can grace the cover of EA Sports NBA LIVE … assuming you look really cool with a Photoshop blur effect. Congrats Dwight Howard, aka “Superman”, now stop playing like the court is made of Kryptonite. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Three-Time NBA All-Star Currently Looking for First NBA Title

Redwood City, Calif. – Thursday, June 11, 2008 – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced today that Orlando Magic center, Dwight Howard, will be the cover athlete for NBA LIVE 10. A three-time NBA All-Star, Howard is currently looking to lead the Magic franchise to their first NBA Championship. The No. 1 pick of the 2004 NBA Draft was the 2009 NBA Defensive Player of the Year presented by Kia Motors, an All-NBA First Team selection the last two seasons, and stole the show at the 2008 NBA Sprite Slam Dunk Contest with his superhero antics. Additionally, Howard was the starting center of the 2008 U.S. Basketball Men’s Senior National Team which won the gold medal at the Olympics in Beijing. NBA LIVE 10 is currently in development under the EA SPORTS™ brand by EA Canada in Vancouver, B.C. and will be available worldwide this October.

“It’s an honor to be named as the cover athlete for NBA LIVE 10,” said Howard. “This year has been a crazy ride and this is a cool way to cap it off. Of course – there is one more thing I’m on the hunt for that would complete it.”

Featuring several innovations to the core gameplay experience and online game modes, NBA LIVE 10 is bringing a renewed focus to the long-running EA SPORTS basketball franchise. The groundbreaking Dynamic DNA service, driven by Synergy Sports Technology, will make a return in NBA LIVE 10, with significant improvements that will allow players to connect their game to the NBA season like never before.

Along with Howard, regional NBA LIVE 10 cover athletes for France, Germany, Spain and Italy will be named at a later date.

The NBA LIVE franchise has graced multiple generations of consoles for over 15 years, and has sold more than 35 million units lifetime. The game will be available for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, and Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. The game has not yet been rated by the ESRB. For more information, log onto www.nbalive10.com. Media can find screenshots and pack art of the game at http://info.ea.com.

EA SPORTS™ is the leading interactive sports software brand in the world, with top-selling titles and franchises including Madden NFL Football, FIFA Soccer, NHL® hockey, NBA LIVE basketball, NCAA® Football and Tiger Woods PGA TOUR®.

After a brief time of being exclusive to people who pre-ordered the game, the Fight Night Round 4 demo is now available on Xbox Live for all Gold members.

The demo has two boxers, Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton and Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao.

Those with a Xbox Live Silver membership will be able to download the game next week, June 4, the same day the demo will be available for the PS3. EA Sport’s Fight Night Round 4 will hit retailers on June 30.

Fight Night Round 4 is the first game in over 21 years to feature Mike Tyson, and let me answer your first question right now: No, you can’t bite someone’s ear off.  EA goes to great lengths to capture the devastating power of the late 80’s-early 90’s Tyson rather than the hot mess that was ear-biting, post-prison Tyson.  The roster of over 40 boxers is also the first in 17 years to feature “Big” George Foreman, again, not the smiley grill salesman but the cinderblock-fisted monster who almost ended Joe Frazier’s career in the 70’s. I recently got my hands on the newest entry in EA’s successful franchise to see exactly how the skull busting will be going down. 

The last Fight Night game, much like Oscar De La Hoya, while technically solid, garnered most of its attention from how good it looked as one of the first Xbox 360 titles.  Fight Night Round 4 looks like it’s shaping up to be more like Floyd Mayweather Jr.: just as pretty and with better boxing.  From the glimmer of Ali’s satin robe to Ricky Hatton’s creepy arched eyebrows, all the fighters look, act, and, most importantly, box like their real life counterparts. 

The new AI, dubbed R.E.A.L. (Record, Evaluate, Adapt, Learn), dictates that each fighter will fight as they do in real life but will also attempt new tactics if their strategy is failing.  That means if you’re fighting Muhammad Ali, he may come out cocky, ready to back you up, throwing lead crosses, but if you start beating on him, he may try to go on the defensive, let you tire yourself out and then turn up the heat in the later rounds to take the fight from you.

Playing to your fighter’s strengths will give you the advantage in the ring, such as pumping Ali’s piston-like jab and using Tyson, whose jab looks weak in comparison, to duck and weave into close range to throw absolutely demonic hooks and uppercuts.

But it’s Legacy mode that has everyone excited, Fight Night Round 4’s revamped career mode, where you’re not out just to become a champion but to cement your legacy as the greatest of all time.  You’ll start out as a lowly club fighter and by managing your Legacy Meter, you’ll work your way up the ranks, earning titles such as contender, champion and if you’re good enough, you’ll surpass Ali as the Greatest of All Time.

Your Legacy Meter is made up of two things, your Popularity and your Pound for Pound rating.  Your Popularity is based on how exciting your boxer is to watch:  Does he knock people out, does he have 12 round wars?  Your popularity can go up even if you lose, as long as you’re exciting.  Your Pound for Pound rating is entirely different.  It measures your technical proficiency.  Do you waste punches?  How’s your accuracy?  Can you counter effectively?  That 12 round slugfest you lost probably did wonders for your Popularity, but it won’t be helping your Pound for Pound rating, and you need both to become the greatest.

You’ll also be fighting against father time.  Many boxers are way past their prime once they hit their late 30’s and the game will reflect that.  As your fighter ages, doing the training exercises that once improved your stats will only sustain them, and eventually will only manage their decline.  The good thing about Legacy mode is that what you must do to become the Greatest of All Time will be fairly clear. For example, at the end of your career you’ll be able to see that if you beat two more top contenders, you will be known as the greatest, but it won’t be easy because those fighters are deadly and if you lose to them you could be knocked out into retirement and obscurity.

20 years after losing the title, George Foreman returned at age 45 to become heavyweight champion.

The deep create a boxer feature is back and now has Xbox Live Vision support if you want to add your own mugshot to your boxer’s body.  Aging won’t show on your boxers face, but if you take a bunch of beatings, you could have some lasting visible effects.  And, thankfully, you won’t be getting strange bonuses from the equipment you use, like getting +10 to punching strength from Everlast boxing gloves.  Were they lined with lead or hiding brass knuckles?  This time the only way to improve your stats is to train.

The new physics engine makes the game more organic and unpredictable. No punch ever seems to land the same way.  Even during the tutorial, when the boxers aren’t moving around the ring, my jab would land on my opponents face differently every time I threw it.  Fighting on the inside produced realistic, natural moments, such as Manny Pacquiao resting his glove on Ricky Hatton’s arm for a second and the boxers arms getting briefly entangled when they threw a punch at the same time.  The important thing to remember is none of this is scripted.  It’s not that the fighters arms will always become entangled when you throw punches at the same time, it’s something that just happened to occur in that one moment because of the game’s physics, and may not happen again for the entire fight.

Knockdowns are also more organic and unpredictable.  Flash, one punch knockouts are based on the strength of the puncher, the angle the punch lands and the physics of how it hits.  Blocking can be punched though and the scripted punch swatting and parry system that existed in the past two Fight Nights, which allowed you to bat punches out of the air and capitalize on the stunned fighter, has been almost completely scrapped.  Parrying punches still exists but will be based on more realistic timing and blocking is as simple as high or low.

The biggest improvements over the last Fight Night will probably be the streamlining of the controls.  The team found that the motion for haymakers made them too hard to throw, especially the right hook and uppercut haymakers.   The Right bumper now functions as the haymaker modifier.  Just hold down the right bumper and throw a hook or an upper cut and you’ll be winding up like Joe Frazier himself.

From my time with the game, the “KO Moment,” the groggy slowness right before a knockdown that was throughout the last Fight Night game, seems to have been removed along with the game mechanic of clinching to prevent a knockdown and gain yourself some magic health.  Clinching and pushing are still a big part of the game, but serve more realistic purposes, such as when the developer used Tyson to push me into the corner in order to pummel me.  If your fighter takes too many big shots in a row his health bar will flash, indicating that he is dazed and each new punch he takes does sizable damage.  I can see KO artists being able to capitalize on these moments for some first round knock outs that are unnaturally rare in other Fight Night games.

The cut man game in between rounds is gone, replaced with a RPG-like points spending system.  Based on how well you boxed in the previous round, you’ll earn points to spend to improve things like your health or stamina for the next round.  When I asked if this would produce an even bigger hole for losing boxers to get out of, I was told that points are distributed for a variety of reasons, one of which is accuracy.  Boxers that are flurrying, going for the knockout, rarely have good accuracy, limiting them from earning points in that area, therefore enabling losing boxer to gain some leverage to turn the fight around.

Fight Night looks good, and especially good when the people playing the game know how to play.  However, new players at the demo managed to make the game look some what like a frenzied catfight, which worries me a bit, but I’ll put myself to rest by remembering that those newbies were having a great time and overall EA has built a deep, realistic game with a fair learning curve in which those novice, frantic players will probably be put on the ground by veteran players faster than Ali put down Liston.

We just previewed Madden 10 and it seems like the team has been hard at work scrapping elements that haven’t worked for the series and creating new features in order to produce the most realistic feeling hard-nosed Sunday football game to date.  Let’s blitz through the top ten changes Madden 10 makes to famed Madden formula.

1.  Madden 10 lets players “Feel The Pressure” in the pocket and avoid It.  Since the beginning of time, Madden players have played passing offense the same way:  Running 20 yards or more into the backfield, away from the pocket, and firing a huge bomb to a downfield receiver.  They either complete that miracle pass or they’re sacked for an absurd loss.  Real NFL quarterbacks don’t do this, by the way, they stay protected in the pocket created by the offensive line.  The developers of Madden 10 found that when players were looking downfield for a receiver, the pocket didn’t feel safe because they couldn’t sense when the defense was rushing them, hence the running into the backfield.

One of Madden 10’s goals is to make the pocket feel safe again.  When looking downfield for a receiver to pass to, the controller will rumble when the quarterback is under pressure.  A quick flick of the right stick lets the quarterback execute an avoidance move to shrug away a potential sack and give the player an extra moment to complete a pass.  The avoidance moves will work better with elusive quaterbacks, like Big Ben, but even then they won’t work all the time.

Ben Roethlisberger, one of the larger quarterbacks, eluding a defender with an avoidance move.

2.  Quarterbacks have more guts.  Ok, that’s not a direct quote from Madden 10, but it’s the best way to describe the quarterback’s new ability to complete passes while being sacked.  Last year, Madden 09’s sack animation would overide the quarterback’s passing animation, causing him to tuck the ball instead of releasing it, resulting in some unfair feeling sacks.  “I pressed the throw button!”  Now the top part of a quarterbacks body can still make a pass even though he’s being sacked, which may result in a much needed completion, or a floating pass that could be easily intercepted.  Either way, if you want to make that risky play, now you can.

3.  Nine man gang tackles.  Madden 10’s mantra is “Fight For Every Yard.”  With Madden 10’s new Pro Tak feature you can bring the four on one ownage to some poor running back like the picture below.  The gang tackles generated by Pro Tak can also be used offensively.  If your running back gets some help from some big guys behind him, they may just push him right into the endzone, or help him break out of the tackle animation altogether.  Hopefully Pro Tak’s gang tackles can bring the more organic raw feeling of live football to the game.

3. Fight for the ball at the bottom of the pile.  Players will now experience the lawlessness of the game’s most gritty battle, the wrestling match at the bottom of the pile for the ball after a fumble.  Who knows what happens at the bottom of the pile?  Scratching, finger bending, biting?

Madden 10 handles this tooth and nail battle with an intense quicktime button pressing minigame.  Hit the right button as it flashes on the screen and you’ll tip the possession scale in your favor and probably end up with the ball once the ref’s pulls all the bodies off of the pile.

4. Holding the A button moves your defensive back into position for you to make big plays:  I’ve always had trouble playing defense in Madden, especially in the secondary.  Thankfully, the Madden 10 team found that many players also had the same trouble, and they’ve created Defensive Assist.  Holding down the A button will cause your defender to move into position and play defense, but it will not, however, make big plays like swats and interceptions for you.  It only gets you into position so you can make these big game changing plays yourself.

5. Many of last year’s Iterations have been scrapped, tweaked or downplayed.  The not so successful Madden IQ feature that was so prevalent last year is returning and you’ll still take the test at the beginning of the game, but the Madden 10 team asserts that the feature is going to be changed and be much more in the background.  Weapons, the new feature from a couple Madden’s ago have been completely scrapped and Rewind, Madden’s version of a “do over” is turned off at default.   Chris Collinsworth and Tom Hammond return, but between you and me and what the developers implied, Tom Hammond is going to be more interesting this time around.

7.  Photorealistic Depth of Field.  The reason why the screen shot above looks like it was pulled from the real Superbowl last February is that the Madden 10 engine accurately displays depth of field, blurring that which you’re not focused on.  Look at how the referee in the foreground and the sideline in the background are accurately out of focus.  One of Madden 10’s goals is to make games feel more like a televised broadcast and establishing depth of field is a great step into building that realistic look and feel from a real NFL game.

8.  Passes to the flat are no longer broken.  After catching a pass out to the flat, no longer will receivers fail to slow down and negotiate where the out of bounds line is. No longer will they sprint towards the sideline like Forrest Gump running home to Jenny.  This was a game breaker for many gamers who played Madden 09, so it’s exciting to see that the Madden 10 team is fixing this important play.

This ref should really have a “hit me” sign on his back, because that’s what we all want to do…

9.  You can knock over refs and run into the chain gang. Yep, you can knock those pin striped losers onto the ground during a play and doing so will never impede you or slow down your movement in any way.  That means a ref will never get in the way of pass or trip you up so you don’t make it into the end zone.   Also, Madden 10 wants to replicate the suspense of watching live football by having the chain gang run out and measure for the first down.  This may also increase the number of controller throwing moments.

10. Some players stats have been dropped as much as 20 points! The Madden 10 team saw that the stats have been slowly creeping upwards over the years and that average players were only a few points different from the NFL’s future Hall of Famers.  This would effect teams as well.  Playing the Lions didn’t feel like playing the Lions, it felt like playing the Cowboys or any other good team.  In order to distinguish the average players from the superstars, many player’s ratings had to be lowered.  If you rate everybody as great, then no one is.  Maybe some game websites should adopt this mindset in for review scores.  You didn’t hear it here!

Madden looks like its ready for another monster year of sales and hopefully ready to deliver the most true to life football experience thus far.  Even more Madden 10 features are going to to be revealed at E3 so get your Troy Polumalu jersey ready and check back later!

Electronic Arts has announced the release date for this year’s entry in the Madden franchise, Madden NFL 10. The game will release on August 14, 2009, and of course football fans will gather that day to play each other online and curse each other out like there’s no tomorrow.

Electronic Arts has said the game will feature “online innovation that will connect Madden fans together like never before” and “an immersive broadcast presentation that captures the suspense and emotion of the NFL.”

The cover athlete will be revealed in a presentation on Friday, April 24th.

Source

It has been a vague thought of mine that this year’s Madden title will go down as one of the best in the 20+ year franchise. Each week that thought becomes even more evident as new information is released. This week however is a special one because we now have the very first official screenshot of Madden 10, and boy does it bring a lot of exhilaration.

Placed in Peter Moore’s blog, the first Madden 10 screenshot reveals some nice additions that the fans have wanted for a long while now such as on the field referees and hand towels.

Check out Peter Moore’s EA Sports blog to see what he had to say. For the first time in a long time I am actually feeling strong anticipation for Madden and I am dying to get my hands on this title. If EA pulls this one off, I would suspect that they would have won many people over who have strayed away with the “EA Sucks” conviction.

While observing my Twitter page, I noticed something that seemed very interesting and I though I would share it with you guys.

For those anticipating Madden 10, Ian Cummings the Lead Designer has posting an interesting message on his Twitter:

“Saw some pretty amazing tech in today’s build. Never before seen in a football game I believe. The future of Madden is here baby!” Ian Cummings, Madden 10’s Lead Designer

In the Operation Sports forum, Mr. Cummings follows through with his Twitter posting by saying:

“I don’t mean to be a tease…I hate it if I come across as some PR type of guy.

But it was some pretty killer stuff. You guys will see it in a month or two I’m sure once it’s all locked in and tuned.”

For years now EA Sports has been taking the flack about their Madden series and how it is progressing too slow. From the blog updates thus far for Madden 10, it would appear that EA Sports is taking this year’s version very seriously and with these most recent statements by Mr. Cummings, the Madden community should really be in for a huge treat come August.

Boxing fans rejoice! The Fight Night Round 4 cover has been unveiled with two of the greatest boxers of all time on it. In response to fan voting on the official Fight Night website, Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson have been chosen to don the cover.

It looks as if we’re one step closer to actually having the sequel to one of the best boxing games ever in our grasps. As of now there is no release date or much information about the game, but I’m thinking a release sometime in the fall is imminent. I was a huge fan of the last Fight Night and can’t wait for this one.

Source: Operationsports.com

Even though this eagerness process repeats itself every year, nevertheless, Madden 10 is one of the most anticipated titles of 2009. To help quench some of this anticipation, Ian Cummings, the Lead Designer on Madden 10, has recently posted updates in regards to the development process on a weekly basis. This week, Cummings talks about new animations that have been added to WRs/DBs for a more overall realistic experience.

Go here to read the full blog by Lead Designer Ian Cummings as he delves into what will make Madden 10 an enjoyable experience when it comes to WRs and DBs. Ripten will continue to keep you informed about Madden 10 throughout its development from now it’s release.

As the Los Angeles Lakers begin their season tonight, taking on the Portland Trailblazers, I’d like to let all my fellow Lakers fans out there know that we aren’t the only ones who believe our team will go all the way. NBA Live 09 thinks we have what it takes to be champs once again!

A video game simulation of the 2008-09 season was conducted, using the EA SPORTS NBA Live 09 engine,  and it predicted that the Lakers would end up beating the Miami Heat to win the NBA Championship.

According to the EA SPORTS press release:

A simulation is conducted by artificial intelligence or logic of the video game that uses real-life data from each player. Results are extrapolated by the video game when two teams match up based on player ratings, line combinations, and include variances such as injuries and hot streaks to give a realistic outcome of a game or series.

Pre-season simulations make the assumption that teams will stay healthy and play a season without any big trades, which would alter the end result. NBA LIVE 09 can now be used as a predictive throughout the season to simulate results of big match ups and the rest of the season with authentic data driving the artificial intelligence.

Along with predicting who would win it all, the Live 09 simulation showcased the Award Winners of the NBA season. Here’s are a few:

• Houston Rockets’ Yao Ming  completes an injury-free season and captures the MVP Award after posting 25.8 ppg and 11.1 rpg.
• Kobe Bryant of the championship winning Lakers leads the league in scoring with 27.9 ppg.
• Rockets’ Ming, Lakers’ Bryant and Pau Gasol, Celtics’ Paul Pierce and the Denver Nuggets’ Allen Iverson complete the All-NBA First Team.
• Memphis Grizzles’ OJ Mayo will take home Rookie of the Year honors.
• Randy Foye of the Minnesota Timberwolves is awarded Most Improved Player Award.
• In addition to capturing the NBA Championship, Lakers head coach Phil Jackson will take home Coach of the Year honors.

Being a Lakers fan myself, I’m excited to hear that the Live 09 simulation has the Lakers winning it all, but unfortunately, I still have my doubts.

I mean first of all the simulation has the Lakers taking on the Heat in the Finals. Are you kidding me? The Heat? They were the worst team in the league last year, posting a record of 15-67, and the prediction has them getting to the Finals with a 55-27 record this season.

As for how well the rest of the league faired, here’s the full list of standings:

Final Regular Season Standings:
Western Conference                 W                     L                      Win %
1 Los Angeles                           65                     17                     0.793
2 Houston                                 59                     23                     0.720
3 Dallas                                    54                     28                     0.659
4 New Orleans                           53                     29                     0.646
5 Denver                                   50                     32                     0.610
6 San Antonio                           50                     32                     0.610
7 LA Clippers                            47                     35                     0.573
8 Phoenix                                 46                     35                     0.573
9 Utah                                       45                     37                     0.549
10 Portland                               33                     49                     0.402
11 Golden State                        31                     51                     0.378
12 Memphis                              30                     52                     0.366
13 Sacramento                          29                     53                     0.354
14 Minnesota                            28                     54                     0.341
15 Oklahoma City                      23                     59                     0.280

Eastern Conference                  W                     L                      Win %
1 Miami                                     55                     27                     0.671
2 Detroit                                   48                     34                     0.585
3 Boston                                   44                     38                     0.537
4 Chicago                                 41                     41                     0.500
5 Cleveland                               41                     41                     0.500
6 Orlando                                  40                     42                     0.488
7 Toronto                                  40                     42                     0.488
8 Charlotte                                39                     43                     0.476
9 Milwaukee                              37                     45                     0.451
10 New Jersey                           37                     45                     0.451
11 Philadelphia                          37                     45                     0.451
12 Atlanta                                 36                     46                     0.439
13 New York                              32                     50                     0.390
14 Washington                          30                     52                     0.355
15 Indiana                                 29                     53                     0.354

I guess we’ll have to wait until next summer to find out who’s going to win it all for sure, but I’ll make sure to check back with these predictions to see how well the NBA Live 09 simulation turned out. Here’s to the great NBA season ahead! Go Lakers!!!

First off, I want to applaud EA for their decision to support such a worthwhile cause. The video game publisher has joined forces with Target, the national retail chain, to distribute a limited edition “Madden 09 Pink” edition cover throughout the month of October.

The pink ribbon is the hands down identifier for the fight against breast cancer, however Green Bay’s green and yellow is no longer associated with Brett Favre. Again, this is a great cause, and I totally support it, but it puzzles me as to why EA would update the cover to include a pink ribbon yet leave Favre wearing his Green Bay uniform.

Deanna Favre, Brett’s wife, overcame her battle with breast cancer, and now runs the Deanna Favre HOPE Foundation. EA will be contributing proceeds from the sale of this limited edition version of the game to Deanna’s foundation.

Those interested in purchasing the game will have two flavors to choose from, with the Wii version ringing in at $49.99, and the 360 version retailing at $59.99. A bit strange that the PS3 version is not being added to the list, but according to the press release, it won’t be joining the fight against breast cancer this time around.

Your local Target store is the only physical location you will be able to buy it from. If you prefer to shop online, you can head on over to www.target.com or www.nlshop.com to place your order.

The full press release is available after the jump.

EA SPORTS JOINS THE FIGHT AGAINST BREAST CANCER WITH MADDEN NFL 09 PINK

Limited Edition Videogame Raises Funds for Breast Cancer during National Awareness Month

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., – October 2, 2008 – Electronic Arts Inc., (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced today that Madden NFL 09 Pink will be available throughout the month of October, coinciding with National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Boasting the same renowned gameplay and graphics found in Madden NFL 09, Madden NFL 09 Pink features limited edition packaging displaying a pink ribbon—the international symbol of breast cancer awareness. Proceeds from Madden NFL 09 Pink will contribute to a donation to the Deanna Favre HOPE Foundation on behalf of EA SPORTS™ and Target, the exclusive retailer of the title.

Deanna Favre, wife of Madden NFL 09 cover athlete Brett Favre, founded the Deanna Favre HOPE Foundation after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004 at the age of 35. Since overcoming the disease, Deanna Favre has committed herself and the foundation to helping underserved and underinsured women who bravely face the battle against breast cancer.

“EA is honored to team up with Deanna Favre and Target in the fight against breast cancer,” says senior product manager, Anthony Stevenson. “Almost everyone has been affected by this disease in some way, so we’re eager to give our passionate fans an opportunity to participate in finding a cure.”

Target, the exclusive retailer for Madden NFL 09 Pink, will carry the limited edition game in stores throughout the month of October. The game will also be available online at www.Target.com and www.NFLShop.com in October. Madden NFL 09 All-Play Pink is available for the Wii for $49.99. Madden NFL 09 Pink is available for the Xbox 360® video game system from Microsoft for $59.99.

You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours. Behind the scenes wheeling and dealing can generate tasty bargains, but sometimes those bargains come with a nasty aftertaste.

In this case, it appears that EA and the NFLPA along with Players Inc. struck a deal for retired NFL player rights that was significantly below fair market value. A class action lawsuit was filed by the players in question against Players Inc, but the fun didn’t stop there. In a letter crafted by 51 year old former Buffalo Bills safety, Jeff Nixon, Madden was asked to come to the aid of his fellow Hall of Famers.

Jeff’s “Dear John” letter to the former Raider’s Head Coach is laced with incriminating quotes, the most shocking being that EA’s total cost to produce Madden each year is apparently no more than $200,000!!

You are… the face and name behind the wildly popular EA Sports Video Game – Madden NFL… will you sit back and let the NFLPA and EA Sports continue to take advantage of our Hall of Fame players?

…Evidence in the Retired Players Class Action suit demonstrates that the NFLPA and Players Inc. were working against the interests of the retired players and in favor of your boss EA Sports. For example, this internal email from NFLPA Executive Clay Walker, confirms that Players Inc. negotiated a deal with EA on behalf of retired Hall of Fame players which was significantly below market rate:

“I was able to forge this deal with the HOF that provides them with 400K per year (which is significantly below market rate) in exchange for the HOF player rights. EA owes me a huge favor because of that threat was enough to persuade Take Two to back off its plans, leaving EA as the only professional football videogame manufacturer out there.”

…Instead of negotiating the best possible deal for the retired players which it purported to represent, the NFLPA and Players Inc. were doing favors for EA by reducing compensation to retired players, and driving a competitive licensee [Take-Two's NFL2K series] out of the market…

And in this February 22, 2007 email from NFLPA Executive Clay Walker to Players Inc. in-house attorney Joe Nahra, the naked truth is exposed to the world:

“…The per player price for most of these guys was tens of thousands of dollars less than what they were guaranteed by Take Two Interactive so it’s a real coup that we were able to pull this off so cheaply. You have to remember that EA’s total cost is only $200,000 per year. We know that Take Two offered six figure deals to several former NFL players so the total cost is millions below market prices…”

John, these are your fellow Hall of Fame Players they are talking about! Are you going to let them get away with this? I know that EA is your employer, but come on…

Afterthought: What say you? Do you think John Madden will come to the aid of his fellow hall of fame brothers, or will his role be exposes as nothing more than a powerless figure head?

Source: gamepolitics.com

Get your popcorn ready. EA Sports, in partnership with ESPN, has created a new technology called Virtual Playbook that merges real life ESPN analysts with virtual EA video game characters.

According to EA, in-studio cameras will be synchronized with in-game cameras, allowing both real and virtual people the ability to “move realistically around the studio set to demonstrate plays and scenarios.”

As a huge sports fan myself, I am interested in seeing how all of this comes together. On paper it definitely sounds like it has the potential to be a major addition to the sports broadcasting venue.

You can see EA Sports Virtual Playbook in action September 7th, on ESPN’s Sunday Countdown. The full press release is available after the jump.

Collaborative Technology Project Merges Video Game Graphics into ESPN Studio Programs

Debuts on ESPN’s Sunday Countdown on September 7

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. and BRISTOL, Conn. – Sept. 5, 2008 – EA SPORTS™ and ESPN are advancing media convergence and delivering a new enhancement to in-studio sports analysis with the debut of EA SPORTS Virtual Playbook, on ESPN’s award-winning NFL programs. The new television technology, developed jointly by EA SPORTS and ESPN, delivers an “augmented reality” that allows ESPN’s football analysts to interact with the virtual players from EA SPORTS video games and provide insight, education and analysis to fans about key football plays and techniques. EA SPORTS is a Label of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS).

The two companies announced the launch of EA SPORTS Virtual Playbook today, and it will be integrated into ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown, Monday Night Countdown and NFL Live shows. It will make its debut on the September 7th Sunday NFL Countdown and will be integrated into Monday NFL Countdown and NFL Live throughout the 2008 season. It may also be used at times in other ESPN television programs including SportsCenter, ESPNEWS and First Take.

“EA SPORTS Virtual Playbook is born out of our deep football heritage at EA SPORTS and our drive to expand the impact of our innovative sports technologies beyond gaming,” said Peter Moore, president of EA SPORTS. “Telecast on ESPN, EA SPORTS Virtual Playbook marks the future of sports production by allowing television analysts to highlight, critique and dissect on-field action more intimately than ever before. EA SPORTS Virtual Playbook brings an entirely new level of excitement and realism to football analysis to ESPN viewers this NFL season.”

John Skipper, executive vice president, content, ESPN, said, “ESPN’s technology, production and content teams have a long heritage of developing and implementing game-changing enhancements that have advanced the way fans engage with sports on television. With EA SPORTS Virtual Playbook we’ve been able to integrate EA’s game technologies and assets into our studio programs like never before. It will again move the industry forward, while further connecting two media worlds important to fans.”

Developed jointly by EA SPORTS Technology Licensing Group and ESPN’s Emerging Technology group, EA SPORTS Virtual Playbook merges the depth and realism of EA SPORTS industry-leading graphics with the award-winning production, personalities and analysis of ESPN’s programming. As fans tune into ESPN’s NFL studio programming they’ll find ESPN’s commentators providing pre-game analysis of week one match-ups as if the teams’ lineups were playing on the set – demonstrating defensive schemes, receiver sets or other scenarios with realistic players generated by EA SPORTS Virtual Playbook.

How EA SPORTS Virtual Playbook Works

EA SPORTS Virtual Playbook is created using feeds from in-studio real-world cameras as well as an in-game camera that captures EA SPORTS in-game graphics depicting real game scenarios. The real-world studio and game images of virtual characters are combined to create the effect of “augmented reality” — virtual players appearing in the studio alongside real life hosts and analysts. Both real and virtual people are able to move realistically around the studio set to demonstrate plays and scenarios. The system accommodates, and in fact is controlled by, the multiple real-world cameras that are typical in today’s sports analysis television programs.

For the 2008 NFL season, commentators on ESPN’s Sunday Countdown, Monday Night Countdown, NFL Live and other programs will use the EA SPORTS Virtual Playbook to analyze game matchups, demonstrate offensive and defensive schemes, and even highlight mismatches as if the players were alongside them in the studio.

In 2005, ESPN and Electronic Arts announced a 15-year integrated content and marketing agreement for ESPN media and personalities and EA SPORTS games that includes ESPN content integrated into multiple EA SPORTS titles and EA SPORTS content appearing across ESPN media platforms.

The more I see, the more I believe. When I spoke to an EA/Tiburon employee at this years E3, he told me that the company was really trying to change the way they interact with their community. Well, it seems they are putting their money were their mouth is, and doing just that.

It wasn’t long ago that Levinator25, a Tiger Woods 2008 gamer, uploaded a glitch he had found in the game to Youtube. The bug allowed his virtual Tiger Woods to make a shot as he hovered over a body of water.

In a hilarious response from EA Sports, the following video claims that the “feature” was not a glitch, and calls on the real life Woods to prove it.

Source: Joystiq

If ever you wanted proof that Brett Favre was considered a God in GreenBay, this has got to be it. What seemed like a lock to break the Madden cover curse, has turned into one of the ugliest aftermaths yet.

Sure Favre may not be suffering the effects of any on the field physical damage (at least not yet), but the pounding he has been taking from the GreenBay faithful hurts in its own right. The latest outcry comes courtesy of a Wisconsin based church.

The sign in front (shown above) compares the former Packers QB to God and reads “God Will Never Leave You For The Jets!” I had no idea God played pro football.

Source: ireport.com

If you are a hockey fan, and you own a PS3, you can boot up right now and download the EA Sports NHL 09 demo. Xbox 360 owners will looking to lace up will have to wait until early September to hit the virtual ice.

Our very own Emily Balistrieri had a chance to check out the game at the EA Studio Showcase a few days ago, and had this to say:

Dave McCarthy gave us the lowdown on what’s new this year for NHL 09. They’ve made further improvements even since last year’s award-gilded installment, adding the EA Sports Hockey League mode. Players can create their own character, level up, and play on fully human teams–six on six–with other hockey fans online.

The career tracking is pretty in-depth, and you can be scouted by other players or scout for new talent for your own team. During the game, you get feedback on how well you’re keeping position (also shown in real time as an arrow, if you’re not quite in the right spot), as well as various other attributes, so you’ll know what to work on to become a better team member. NHL 09 will be available September 9th.

Sounds like the game is worth a download, but if it’s as short as the Madden demo was, XBL owners won’t be missing out on much.

EA Sports has announced the 42-song soundtrack to FIFA Soccer 09 this morning. Featuring songs from 21 countries and a number of genres, the soundtrack follows the style of their previous sports games with a mix of both established and new music acts. Some of the artists include The Ting Tings, Kasabian, The Kooks, Foals, and Duffy.

“We have exceeded our annual challenge to create videogames’ preeminent international soundtrack,” said Steve Schnur, Worldwide Executive of Music and Marketing at EA, in a press release. “No other game has been as influential with regards to new music, and FIFA Soccer 09 truly raises the bar worldwide. We’re excited that Brazilian fans of Curumin will hear Spain’s The Pinker Tones and Norway’s Datarock. We’re proud that Canadians who love Chromeo will discover Ladytron from England and Junkie XL from Holland. We want fans throughout France, Mexico and Germany to find that their favorite new song is by Señor Flavio from Argentina, DJ Bitman from Chile or Jupiter One from New York. FIFA Soccer 09 will take music globalization to a whole new level.”

Here’s the complete track list:

* Caesar Palace – 1ne
* Chromeo – Bonafied Lovin’ (Yuksek Remix)
* CSS – Jager Yoga
* Curumin – Magrela
* Cut Copy – Lights And Music
* Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley – Something For You (One Loaf Of Bread)
* Datarock – True Stories
* DJ Bitman – Me Gustan
* Duffy – Mercy
* Foals – Olympic Airways
* Gonzales – Working Together (Boys Noize Remix)
* Hot Chip – Ready For The Floor (Soulwax Remix)
* Jakobinarina – I’m A Villain
* Junkie XL feat. Electrocute – Mad Pursuit
* Jupiter One – Platform Moon
* Kasabian – Fase Fuse
* Ladytron – Runaway
* Lykke Li – I’m Good I’m Gone
* Macaco – Movin’
* MGMT – Kids
* My Federation – What Gods Are These
* Najwajean – Drive Me
* Plastilina Mosh – Let U Know
* Radiopilot – Fahrrad
* Reverend And The Makers – Open Your Window
* Sam Sparro – Black & Gold
* Señor Flavio – Lo Mejor Del Mundo
* Soprano – Victory
* The Airborne Toxic Event – Gasoline
* The Black Kids – I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You (The Twelves Remix)
* The Bloody Beetroots – Butter
* The Fratellis – Tell Me A Lie
* The Heavy – That Kind Of Man
* The Kissaway Trail – 61
* The Kooks – Always Where I Need To Be
* The Pinker Tones – The Whistling Song
* The Script – The End Where I Begin
* The Ting Tings – Keep Your Head
* The Veronicas – Untouched
* The Whip – Muzzle #1
* Tom Jones – Feels Like Music (Junkie XL Remix)
* Ungdomskulen – Modern Drummer

FIFA Soccer 09 will be available in stores on October 16 for the Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Wii, PS2, PSP and Nintendo DS.

Weighing in at just over 1GB, the Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 demo just hit Xbox Live today and is packed with three holes on the new course, Gary Player Country Club in South Africa.

Tiger Woods 09 will feature personalized gameplay with Tiger Woods’ own personal coach, Hank Haney. After playing, you’ll receive performance feedback from Hank and he’ll even provide you with custom drills to improve your power, accuracy, short game or putting.

In the demo you’ll also be able to access the new Club Trainer and maximize your swing by customizing your clubs. The demo should hit the Playstation Network sometime later today or tomorrow as well.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 will be available in stores on August 26 for the Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PS2, Wii and PSP.

Source: Videogamer

The EA Sports Madden 09 cover update we mentioned would be happening a few days ago appears to be complete — as you can see above. The site which first came into possession of the box art, is also claiming that Walmart will be updating the cover in their stores as early as noon tomorrow.

The in-store update by retailers was never mentioned in the previous press release issued by EA Sports, and if true, all I can say is “thank God I got mine before the cover change was forcefully put into effect by retailers.” In his New York press conference, Brett stated that he would always be a Green Bay Packer, and I couldn’t agree more.

The Madden Curse has struck again, and this time it hit a man thought untouchable.

Every year since Madden 2000, the athlete featured on the game’s cover has fallen from grace, usually due to injury. It happened to Faulk, Vick, and Culpepper. It laid low Ray Lewis, Donovan McNabb and Shaun Alexander. It even gave Vince Young his first career game missed due to injury. It’s called the Madden Curse.

Perhaps it’s all superstition, or perhaps the super-stars who make the cover are just unable to maintain the level of greatness that got them on the cover. Either way you look at it, the Madden Curse is a disturbing trend.

It looked like the curse would be put to rest in an ingenious way in 2009. Put a retired guy on the cover. But the fabled quarterback Brett Favre just couldn’t stay retired. And, now that he’s playing for the Jets, will he suffer the same fate? Will his glorious resurrection be heralded as a Phoenix rising? Or will he merely burn out like so many superstars who can’t give up the game?

Or has the curse already been cast? Hit the jump for some superstition speculation.

With Favre retired after a spectacular year, it looked like the golden boy of Green Bay would make the perfect cover athlete. Everyone loved him, even if they hated him, as the good ol’ boy of Green Bay, he was one of those athletes everyone could respect. And the curse would hurt no one, it seemed, as Favre would not have another season to screw up.

But now that’s changed. Favre has caused a sport sensation by coming out of retirement, drawing the ire of long time admirers and putting himself in the spotlight in a negative way for perhaps the first time.

In a way, this is the most insidious form the Madden Curse has ever taken. The people of Green Bay are torn, their shining idol has fallen faster than that statue of Saddam, and in the end no one on either side has come away unscathed.

The team management will be reviled for cutting Favre loose, and Favre’s legacy has already been tainted by the bizarre drama that has unfolded this summer. As a New York Jet, he’ll likely go from messiah to pariah before anyone has a chance to throw the red flag and view the replay. Number 4, who had MVP-worthy season, taking his Packers to the NFC Championship Game, will now be playing for a team that won only four games last year.

Maybe its time to go back to putting John Madden on the cover.

Sure, the blogging community makes its share of mistakes, but as you can see above (and previously here), so do the “real journalists”, even the ones “real” enough to work for big publications like The Washington Post.

Now, I’m not saying that incorporating features from a 1970s German film about mining wouldn’t make a nice addition to the well known EA franchise, I’m just not sure that I fully understand how it would mesh with the traditional American football aspect “Madden” is best known for. But hey, that’s for the real journalists to figure out, and we’ll be sure to blog about it when they do.

Source: Teh Washeengton Powst

The 7-Eleven chain of min-marts have begun busting out marketing collateral for their “Sack Madden Meal” deal.

I haven’t personally stepped foot into a 7-Eleven in years, but according to Joystiq, the $5.97 deal buys you a “Madden sub” (turkey and cheese is the mini mart equivalent to a turducken sandwich), your choice of Doritos, the chain’s signature BIG GULP drink, and most importantly, the Madden 09 demo.

The 7-Eleven version of the demo includes some additional treats you won’t find in your 1.1 GB download. In addition to the virtual trainer and 2 minute gameplay drill found in the downloadable demo, you’ll get several highlights from the NFL Films collection.

And, apparently sine Madden has often been quoted saying “chuck the ball down field”, the team putting together the DVD thought it would be appropriate to toss in a few highlights from NBC’s “Chuck”. Yeah, I’m sure that’s why they did it.

Via: Joystiq