| |
Force the action on defense in Madden NFL 2005. New defensive tools allow you to make more plays and be in on all of the action. The all-new Hit Stick lets you lay the big hit to turn the momentum of the game in your favor. With the new Storyline Central, you get the inside scoop around the league from radio host Tony Bruno, along with local and national newspapers, to help you make critical franchise decisions. With groundbreaking graphics that capture the real stadium experience, Madden NFL 2005 continues its 15-year tradition of innovation in video game football.
Servers for Madden NFL Football 2004 will no longer be in service as of October 5, 2005. You may continue to play the game up until the closure date, although certain community programs may begin to close down prior to that date. Please be advised that this does not affect PC peer-peer (IP-IP) play that may be a feature of certain games.All of us at EA SPORTS would like to thank you for participating in such a special online community and hope that your enthusiasm for these games will continue on beyond this game experience with some of our updated titles.If you have further questions about your account or the shut down of the EASPORTS Online service, please visit
Back in 1986, Trip Hawkins and a group of programmers from his fledgling video game company Electronic Arts approached a former NFL head coach about working with them on a football video game.
Sounds great, said John Madden, who was broadcasting for CBS Sports at the time. But Madden wanted to be clear on just one thing: Unlike most football video games at the time, which didn't use the full number of players on a team, Madden insisted that any game with his name on it be authentic. "If it's not 11-on-11, it's not real football," Madden said.
The programmers protested that they couldn't do it. "Then come back to me when you can," said Madden.
The conditional OK delayed the first version of Madden NFL Football for two years. The game eventually launched in 1989 on the Apple II personal computer. In the 14 years since, Electronic Arts has sold more than 30 million copies of Madden, making it the best-selling sports video game title in the industry's history.
"John threw down the gauntlet when he told us that we had to do 11-on-11 game play," said Chip Lange, EA's vice president of marketing. "That kernel of realism was what pushed us to the authenticity that you see in the game today. We still push to make everything as realistic as possible."
The game, and especially the philosophy behind it, caused a revolution in the industry.
Before Madden NFL Football, sports games weren't particularly focused on realism. Madden's insistence on having all 11 members of each team on the field changed that. Games like Madden (and those that followed in its footsteps from EA and its competitors) became more sports simulations than just games, evolving into the incredibly intricate products we see today on platforms like the PlayStation 2 and Xbox.
"EA has never been satisfied with Madden," says Bryan Intihar, associate editor at Electronic Gaming Monthly. "They have a formula and they keep to it, but they add little things every year to make it more realistic -- you feel like you're more and more on the field with each passing year. No other game has been able to immerse you in that way."
Over its 14-year history, the game has been released on more than a dozen different platforms. It's been played by NFL players and fans, used on television to demonstrate the intricacies of football, and run by coaches to teach the game to kids.
Along the way, it's helped EA become the largest video game publisher in the world. Also, it has turned Madden into a cultural icon.
Madden NFL Football, and other sports video games, create a world where trash talking among friends is the norm, and where four guys in a frat room, or even online, play their own Super Bowls or World Series each night.
That competitive dynamic has been something that EA has designed the game around.
"I worked on Madden on the Sega Genesis," Lange said, "and you started to see this competitive gaming lifestyle emerge. It was guys hanging out on a Friday night, it was social and cool and competitive. It's kind of like the poker party of the next decade
Madden Keeps Gaining Ground
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Divvying Up the Pigskin Pie
Video Game Hard Knocks Pain NFL
John Madden on Gridiron Tech
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Grab Life by the Joystick
By Mark McClusky Mark McClusky Also by this reporter2003-08-13 14:59:00.0
The game has also become a particular favorite among a discerning set of consumers -- NFL players themselves. In fact, when each year's game comes out, those players immediately check to see how their in-game ratings have changed.
"You always look to see how you, as a player, have been increased or decreased," said defensive end Simeon Rice of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. "It feels good to be rated high and be one of the No. 1 players in the game."
According to EA's Lange, the release of the game each year is a big event for the players.
"We send advance copies of Madden to some NFL players who are on our A-list," he said. "These are guys who make millions of dollars, but there's nothing that's cooler to them than getting the game early, or being on the cover of the game. It's not something they can buy; it's about their stature in the sport."
For the players, like those couch potatoes who love the series, the key to the game is its realism.
"Madden is the closest I've ever seen in a game to what's really out there," said running back Clinton Portis of the Denver Broncos. "In some ways, you can put on a game tape, and play Madden, and if you've got a good tape, you wouldn't know the difference."
For the release of Madden NFL 2004, some stores are holding midnight Madden events, where they will put the game on sale in the first moments of Aug. 14. Some video game stores will send their employees to the airport to pick up the store's copies of the game, instead of trusting UPS to deliver them.
The game is even in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Earlier this summer, the Hall of Fame unveiled an interactive exhibit that would let museum visitors play Madden. No other video game has ever been put into a professional sports Hall of Fame in this way.
As the NFL's popularity has skyrocketed over the past 14 years, the video game has benefited. And the video game has allowed people to immerse themselves in the sport in ways that weren't imaginable a decade and a half ago.
John Madden isn't in the Hall of Fame for his coaching career, but now his game has been honored by the institution. And, in what might be an even greater tribute to the impact of the game that bears his name, he's become a generic noun.
"People don't refer to football video games as 'football video games' when they're at a store," Intihar said. "They ask for Madden."
Madden NFL is an American football video game series developed by Electronic Arts Tiburon (EA) for EA Sports. The Madden NFL series consistently is one of the top selling video games in North America every year. The game is named after John Madden, a well-known football color commentator and formerly a successful Super Bowl-winning professional football coach during the 1970s with the Oakland Raiders. Madden insisted that he would only give his endorsement to a game that was as close to real life football as possible. The first version of the game was released in 1989 for the PC, as John Madden Football. The first console version (and the version that made it a top-selling franchise) for the Sega Genesis followed in 1990 with a Super Nintendo version available a year later. EA Sports has released annual updates for all versions since 1991's John Madden Football '92. The series gained full NFL licensing and became known as Madden NFL with 1993's Madden NFL '94; NFL players licenses came two years later.
The games are currently available for the Xbox, PlayStation 2, GameCube, PlayStation, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance, PlayStation Portable, and Xbox 360 platforms, while versions of the games should become available for the PlayStation 3 and Wii. The PlayStation 3 version has yet to be announced, while on April 27, 2006, EA announced plans for the Wii version. It takes full advantage of the controller; you make motions to take the snap, and you move the controller in the same manner you throw a football to throw the ball. The faster the controller is moved, the faster the throw will be on-screen. Kicking and running are also enhanced on Wii. The '07 Wii version is set to be a launch title for the system.[1]
Madden NFL is an American football video game series developed by Electronic Arts Tiburon (EA) for EA Sports. The Madden NFL series consistently is one of the top selling video games in North America every year. The game is named after John Madden, a well-known football color commentator and formerly a successful Super Bowl-winning professional football coach during the 1970s with the Oakland Raiders. Madden insisted that he would only give his endorsement to a game that was as close to real life football as possible. The first version of the game was released in 1989 for the PC, as John Madden Football. The first console version (and the version that made it a top-selling franchise) for the Sega Genesis followed in 1990 with a Super Nintendo version available a year later. EA Sports has released annual updates for all versions since 1991's John Madden Football '92. The series gained full NFL licensing and became known as Madden NFL with 1993's
It has been suggested that Madden Bowl be merged into this article or section. (Discuss)
Official cover for the Xbox 360 version of Madden NFL 07.
Madden NFL is an American football video game series developed by Electronic Arts Tiburon (EA) for EA Sports. The Madden NFL series consistently is one of the top selling video games in North America every year. The game is named after John Madden, a well-known football color commentator and formerly a successful Super Bowl-winning professional football coach during the 1970s with the Oakland Raiders. Madden insisted that he would only give his endorsement to a game that was as close to real life football as possible. The first version of the game was released in 1989 for the PC, as John Madden Football. The first console version (and the version that made it a top-selling franchise) for the Sega Genesis followed in 1990 with a Super Nintendo version available a year later. EA Sports has released annual updates for all versions since 1991's John Madden Football '92. The series gained full NFL licensing and became known as Madden NFL with 1993's Madden NFL '94; NFL players licenses came two years later.
The games are currently available for the Xbox, PlayStation 2, GameCube, PlayStation, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance, PlayStation Portable, and Xbox 360 platforms, while versions of the games should become available for the PlayStation 3 and Wii. The PlayStation 3 version has yet to be announced, while on April 27, 2006, EA announced plans for the Wii version. It takes full advantage of the controller; you make motions to take the snap, and you move the controller in the same manner you throw a football to throw the ball. The faster the controller is moved, the faster the throw will be on-screen. Kicking and running are also enhanced on Wii. The '07 Wii version is set to be a launch title for the system.[1]
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[edit]
History
Prerendered CGI of Madden NFL 2006.
Screenshot of Madden NFL 2006 (PlayStation 2 version).
Screenshot of Madden NFL 2001 (Nintendo 64 version).
The game has grown, refined and matured over the years, adding many new features. Among these is voice commentary, allowing players or watchers to hear the game being called as if it were a real game on TV. The commentary is by John Madden teamed with his regular broadcast partner, which meant Pat Summerall until he retired; the role is now filled by Al Michaels, John's current broadcast partner on NBC Sunday Night Football (and former partner from 2002 through 2005 on ABC Monday Night Football).
The original version of the game was commissioned by EA founder Trip Hawkins in 1984, and originally ran on an Apple II. EA had just shipped the hit Dr. J and Larry Bird Go One on One and would soon begin work on Earl Weaver Baseball and World Tour Golf, which together were the foundation for the EA Sports line of video games. The Apple II was not fast enough to show all the players running in real formations on the field. Madden personally rejected the initial proposed build because there were only seven players on each team. After several years of unsuccessful experiments the game finally shipped in the late 1980s and did not sell well.
When the Sega Genesis gained popularity in the early 1990s, EA tried again. Producer Richard Hilleman brought in veteran sports game designer Scott Orr, who had founded 1980s Commodore 64 game publisher GameStar and had led the design of their best-selling sports games. The team of Orr and Hilleman designed and led the development of what is today still recognizable as the modern Madden Football, the highest revenue-generating video game series in North America in game history. Early versions of Madden were created by outside studios (including Park Place Productions and Stormfront Studios) but by the late 1990s development was centralized internally at EA Tiburon in Orlando, Florida.
There are multiple modes of play, from a quick head-to-head game to running a team for a whole season or even multiple seasons. Online play, which was a new feature for Madden NFL 2003 was only available for users of the PlayStation 2 console or a Microsoft Windows PC until earlier this year. At E3 2004, Microsoft and EA Sports released a press statement announcing that games made from July on will now be Xbox Live-enabled. In August of 2004, EA Sports released Madden NFL 2005 and thus became a fierce competitor in the Xbox Live Community.
Also, starting with Madden NFL 2004, EA Sports created the new "Play Maker" tool, using the right analog joystick found on many controllers. This allows the players to make pre-snap route adjustments, as well as defensive alignment adjustments. In Madden NFL 2005, EA Sports further utilized the right analog joystick by creating the "Hit Stick", an option on defense that allows the controlled player to make big hits that can cause fumbles. In the most recent edition to the Madden series, Madden 06, the truck stick was introduced. This feature allows the offensive player to lower his shoulder and break a tackle, or back juke to avoid one. Another new feature is the 'Superstar Mode', which allows the player to take control of a Rookie, and progress through his career. This includes an IQ test, the NFL draft, hiring an agent, and other aspects of a superstar's life. However, the Xbox 360 version of Madden NFL 06 lacks many of these features and only includes a play now, season, and stripped-down franchise game modes; the graphics, however, are superior to the other versions.
Due to a contractural obligation, Bill Parcells cannot appear in the Madden NFL series until his television contract with ESPN actually expires (however with ESPN partnering with EA, that remains to be seen for the 07 version). Currently, the game makes the Dallas Cowboys head coach named "Dallas Coach".
On December 13, 2004, EA Sports announced it had secured exclusive rights to the NFL for the subsequent five years, precluding any other game company from selling a football game using NFL players, teams, stadiums or other licenses.
[edit]
The "Madden Curse"
Prior to 2000, all of the Madden NFL game box covers prominently featured John Madden only. When EA started to have NFL players on the cover of the Madden NFL games, some later (half-jokingly) speculated that there was a "Madden curse": a coincidental series of misfortunes that befell the product's cover-boys. People started noticing a pattern with St. Louis Ram's runningback Marshall Faulk. from the fallout of a superbowl winning season, and great season statistics earned a cover spot, The following year he nearly fell off the side of earth compared to his prior season.Also the Atlanta Falcons' star player, quarterback Michael Vick, was injured during the 2003 preseason after posing for the cover of Madden 2004. Vick suffered a broken fibula in a pre-season game against Baltimore, the day after Madden 2004 was released to retailers. The injury resulted in a painful 5-11 year for Vick's team. Some of the people that believed in the curse stated that the player featured on the box would get injured, or simply have a weak season. EA officials point out that Ray Lewis and Eddie George appeared on the covers of the 2005 and 2001 versions, respectively, and had successful seasons without injury. [1]
The first NFL player to be on a Madden NFL cover was Barry Sanders in 1999, for Madden 2000. He shared the cover with the then-customary picture of John Madden. However, a week before training camp began in 1999, Sanders abruptly retired -- ending his career and leaving the Detroit Lions without their star running back of the previous 10 years. Sanders' part in the curse is debated because he is not pictured alone on the box, and he had willingly retired. Dorsey Levens was also featured on the 2000 cover, but that version of the game is much less common. He was cut by the Green Bay Packers in 2001, and finished his career in 2004.
Eddie George, then of the Tennessee Titans, who graced the 2001 box, was the second 'cursed' player. He was cursed by bobbling a pass in the playoffs, which was then intercepted by Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, who returned the ball for a touchdown. George, (up until then) known for his durability, would also get injured the following season. After regularly averaging nearly 4 yards per carry in his first five seasons and rushing for over 1,300 yards in each one, he averaged only 3 yards per carry and rushed for career lows of 939 yards and 5 touchdowns in the 2001 season. For the rest of his career, he never averaged more than 3.5 yards per carry.
Former Minnesota Vikings star quarterback Daunte Culpepper appeared on the 2002 cover, and the Vikings struggled to a 4-7 record until Culpepper was shelved with a season-ending knee injury.
Running back Marshall Faulk of the St. Louis Rams, who was on the 2003 box, suffered an injury and had a bad season overall. He has yet to break 1,000 yards rushing since.
In Madden 2004, Atlanta Falcons Quarterback Michael Vick was injured during a preseason game, suffering a fractured right fibula. Vick played in only 5 regular season games, finishing with only 585 yards passing and 4 touchdowns. The Atlanta Falcons missed the playoffs, finishing the season with 5 wins and 11 losses, a stark contrast on the team's 9-6-1 record the season prior.
Madden 2005 featured Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens. He had an injury that kept him out of the last game of the regular season. It was also Lewis' first season without a single interception, after posting a career-high 6 the previous year. The Baltimore Ravens also failed to make the playoffs that season (2004), after winning their divison the year before.
The Philadelphia Eagles' star quarterback Donovan McNabb was on the cover of Madden NFL 06. Prior to the 2005 season, McNabb had a highly-publicized feud with his teammate, wide receiver Terrell Owens (who was, ironically, the cover athlete for rival Sega Sports' ESPN NFL 2K5, though no "Curse" had been associated with that series of games and won't be, since EA purchased exclusive rights to the NFLPA, thereby eliminating any NFL-based competition). Also, in the first game of the regular season, McNabb took a hit to the chest from the helmet of Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Chad Lavalais. After the game, it was revealed that McNabb had a 'sports hernia' [2] that needed surgery. Refusing to have the required season-ending surgery while the Eagles (who had made the Super Bowl the previous season) still had a chance to make the playoffs, McNabb played in discomfort and pain throughout the season. In the tenth game of the season, McNabb re-injured his groin when shoved to the ground by Dallas linebacker Bradie James while McNabb was attempting to tackle Dallas Cowboys defensive back Roy Williams, who was returning an interception for an eventual game-winning touchdown. McNabb did play the next series but was horrible and then decided to pack it in for the rest of the season; on November 21, 2005, McNabb, on the advice of his doctors, opted to have season-ending surgery for his sports hernia; the Eagles had been eliminated from playoff contention.
On April 20, 2006, Electronic Arts officials, with the help of ESPN, announced Seattle Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander will be on the cover of the 2007 version of the title. [3] In the 2005 regular season, Alexander rushed for an NFL-high 1,880 yards and setting an NFL record for touchdowns in a season with 28. He also led the Seahawks to a berth in Super Bowl XL, earned an invitation to the NFL Pro Bowl (which he did not play in, due to a sprained right foot), and was named NFL MVP.
The 2006 regular season has not started yet, but it is possible that Alexander's numbers will suffer after Seattle lost star left guard Steve Hutchinson to the Minnesota Vikings.
Year of Release
Madden Title
Cover Athlete
Potential Curse
1999
2000(1)
Barry Sanders
Abruptly retired during training camp in 1999.
1999
2000(2)
Dorsey Levens
Cut by the Packers in 2001 and finished his career as a journeyman player.
2000
2001
Eddie George
Key fumble vs. Ravens in playoffs; team lost in Divisional Playoff after losing Super Bowl XXXIV
2001
2002
Daunte Culpepper
Missed 5 games in 2001; team missed playoffs after losing NFC Championship in 2000
2002
2003
Marshall Faulk
Least productive season as a Ram up to that point; team missed playoffs after losing Super Bowl XXXVI
2003
2004
Michael Vick
Missed 11 games in 2003; team missed playoffs after losing Divisional Playoff in 2002
2004
2005
Ray Lewis
Critically seen as an off year; team missed playoffs after losing Wild Card Playoff in 2003
2005
2006
Donovan McNabb
Missed 7 games in 2005; team missed playoffs after losing Super Bowl XXXIX
2006
2007
Shaun Alexander
TBD
(1) - Barry Sanders was featured in the background along with John Madden in most versions of Madden 2000.(2) - Dorsey Levens was featured, by himself, in a less common version of Madden 2000.
[edit]
Criticism
The Madden NFL series each year is given annual updates that are generally small, sometimes a new feature or two, and updating the graphics slightly, all for the same $50 price as the previous years' title (now $60 on next-gen consoles). For example, Madden 2004 introduced a new feature: Build-A-Stadium. The 2006 version had absolutely no updates on this feature. Many players have been calling for a Career Records listing in Franchise Mode (such as the top ten all-time rushers or passers) for many years, though the producers of Madden have never obliged. Still, the game sells well each year because of player movement in the NFL, as well as being the only "real" (or, official) NFL video game. The new added features, however, are key to the Madden attraction as they take another step into bringing the player into the game. Since fall 2005, EA has significantly lowered the retail price of the game, as well (as of February 2006, it sold at most U.S. retailers for just $19.99).
Each year, Madden developers also fail to address certain issues that fans have found with the game. Also, wide receivers and defensive backs can often, seemingly psychically, know that a pass is coming even when the player is not looking for it and the pass is ill-timed.
It has been debated that each year, Madden removes features from previous editions only to make returns in future versions of games. The Xbox 360 version of Madden NFL 06 removed many features and the ability to challenge plays. While the missing features from the Xbox 360 version of Madden would appear consistent with the argument, it has also been argued that EA simply rushed this version of the game to release so that the game would coordinate with the launch of the next generation console.
In 2005, the producers of the Madden series, EA Sports, signed an exclusive licensing deal with the NFL league and players to give them the exclusive right to use the NFL's teams, stadiums and players in a video game, something which has been widely criticized. This exclusive license has put an end to competition in NFL video games and, some have suggested, this gives EA less incentive to maintain quality and a greater opportunity to increase prices. In this climate, some football games, such as the ultra-violent Blitz: The League, have elected to continue, seeking to distinguish themselves through innovative gameplay, while others such as the well-reviewed ESPN NFL 2K series have been forced to cease production.
[edit]
Soundtracks
Main article: Madden NFL series soundtracks
[edit]
The Madden Bowl
The Madden Bowl is a single elimination tournament held on the most current edition of Madden NFL. It has been held since 1995 during Super Bowl weekend in the host city and, in the past, participation included NFL players and celebrities. The Madden Bowl's participation has changed over the years from being an event held with athletes, musicians, and celebrities, to become an event where only NFL players invited to participate get a chance to play. Participants in the Madden Bowl are free to choose which team they will play as- the player does not necessarily have to play as the team that they play for in real life. Winners receive a Madden Bowl trophy and recognition in the upcoming Madden video game.
The 2006 Madden Bowl, held during the weekend of Super Bowl XL in Detroit, Michigan, was televised on ESPN and premiered in April of 2006. It is not to be confused with Madden Nation, which was a reality television show that chronicled a cross-country trip to crown the best Madden player in America, which also aired on ESPN.
[edit]
Madden Bowl Winners
1995 - Reggie Brooks
1996 - Reggie Brooks
1997 - Jimmy Spencer
1998 - Morris Chestnut
1999 - Ray Mickens
2000 - Terry Jackson
2001 - Jacquez Green
2002 - Jacquez Green
2003 - Dwight Freeney
2004 - Dwight Freeney
2005 - Michael Lewis
2006 - Alex Smith, TB
[edit]
Main cast
Note: Dates indicate the version number, not the calendar year when it was actually released.
Color commentator: John Madden
Play-by-play: Pat Summerall (1996 - 2002)
Play-by-play: Al Michaels (2003 - present)
Sideline reporter: Lesley Visser (1996 - 2002)
Sideline reporter: Melissa Stark (2003 - 2004)
Sideline reporter: Jill Arrington (2005)
Studio host: James Brown (1997 - 2002)
Sports radio host: Tony Bruno (2005 - present)
Referee: Red Cashion (1998 - 2000)
[edit]
References
^ Bozon, Mark (2006-05-18). Wii: The Launch Games. IGN. Retrieved on 2006-05-19.
[edit]
See also
NFL Blitz
NFL Street
NFL 2K
Madden NFL 06
Since its inception, the Madden NFL Football franchise has reigned supreme as the pre-eminent sports title in the video game industry. Selling more than 30 million units, the all-time bestseller in North America, and bringing home a countless number of gaming awards, it’s the most critically acclaimed sports title ever created. This year the Madden phenomenon celebrates its 15th Anniversary.
To mark this milestone, we've created a special "15-Year Phenomenon" PDF detailing the history of the beloved game. Download the PDF and find out 'How it All Began', why Madden NFL Football is 'The Game Players Play' and more about the longest-running sports franchise in gaming history
Force the action on defense in Madden NFL 2005. New defensive tools allow you to make more plays and be in on all of the action. The all-new Hit Stick lets you lay the big hit to turn the momentum of the game in your favor. With the new Storyline Central, you get the inside scoop around the league from radio host Tony Bruno, along with local and national newspapers, to help you make critical franchise decisions. With groundbreaking graphics that capture the real stadium experience, Madden NFL 2005 continues its 15-year tradition of innovation in video game football.
Servers for Madden NFL Football 2004 will no longer be in service as of October 5, 2005. You may continue to play the game up until the closure date, although certain community programs may begin to close down prior to that date. Please be advised that this does not affect PC peer-peer (IP-IP) play that may be a feature of certain games.All of us at EA SPORTS would like to thank you for participating in such a special online community and hope that your enthusiasm for these games will continue on beyond this game experience with some of our updated titles.If you have further questions about your account or the shut down of the EASPORTS Online service, please visit eatech.custhelp
MADDEN FINALS CHAMP - Young Jarvis Thomas
After waiting over a month for the much-anticipated 2005 EA SPORTS Madden Challenge Finals in beautiful Honolulu, HI,, February 9, with high hopes of taking home the $100,000 grand prize. Competitors checked-in to their rooms and immediately huddled in the hotel lobby to share and find out the latest Madden gossip with questions like, "What [play] is Big Gene running?", "Do you know how to stop the QB draw?", "What team are you using tomorrow?", "I wonder what the brackets are going to look like?", and more came from the competitors' peanut gallery. Some embers of the crew showed signs of nervousness, others attempted to get tips, and some simply showed no emotion at all. Among those who decided to keep their thoughts and nerves to themselves was a guy, nicknamed "Young Jarvis," who was seen checking out a local street entertainer. While the rest of the guys were chattering away in the lobby, Jarvis kept his cool. "I'm just not worried about these dudes," said Jarvis. Apparently, Jarvis' attitude and preparation MO were successful, as he went on to dominate everyone on his side of the tournament bracket once the games began. He entered the semi-final facing red hot, Billy "Da Secret" Wolf, who was a crowd favorite to win it all after knocking out 2004 defending champion, Big Gene. Jarvis quickly changed that and shut "Da Secret" down. He forged ahead into the championship game against Haaruwn "House Shoe" Brown with a confident swagger. Gritty QB-draw defense and sexy user-catching skills forced opponent, "House Shoe" to throw several, crucial interceptions early on in the game. "Young Jarvis" jumped out to an early lead with precision-offense, and never looked back. "This guy is pretty good," said NFL player, Donnie Edwards at one point during the game. The confident Jarvis that began the tournament, undaunted by any of "these dudes," took home the "W"... as well as the check for $100,000. The final score was 42-18. Congratulations to all our finalists and competitors who participated in this year's 2005 EA SPORTS Madden Challenge. Thanks for all of your passion, dedication and loyalty. Without you the Madden Challenge would not have the impact of gaming lifestyle that it does today. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, so until next year... Mahalo.
Madden remains the untouchable football franchise that transformed video games into pop culture
Peter Hartlaub
Tuesday, August 17, 2004
·
Madden NFL Football 2005: Sports game (Electronic Arts for PlayStation 2, Xbox and Game Cube. $49.99. ESRB Rating: Everyone.)
Try assigning a Little Man rating to a national holiday. Or a famous landmark. Or the institution of marriage.
Since the John Madden football series premiered 15 years ago, the franchise has developed from product to phenomenon to fact of life.
Madden NFL Football 2005, which reached stores a week ago, is better than last year's version (again). It will almost certainly be the top-selling game of the year (again). And sports-loving children will brood in their rooms this week, wishing that the baby Jesus had been born a few months premature, so their Christmas lists could be fulfilled in August (again).
More than a review, the game is deserving of an update on its place in history. And as the world's best-selling video game of all time celebrates its quinceañera, it's becoming clear that the popular "Monday Night Football" announcer and former Oakland Raiders coach has made an even greater impact on pop culture than he has on football.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the enduring icon for gridiron video games was Football on the Atari 2600 -- perhaps the single worst toy in history (and we're including products that were recalled because they were flammable). Each side had four players, who were shaped like a stacked washing machine/dryer combo. The football was a small black square, forward passes were physics-defying guided missiles and there were no announcers, NFL players or field goals.
Madden and former Electronic Arts head Trip Hawkins -- both Bay Area residents at the time -- met on a train to discuss a new football game in the mid-1980s. The coach said he wouldn't get involved until technology allowed 11 players on a side and realistic football plays, delaying the game two years past its target date. When John Madden Football was finally released in 1989 for personal computers, Madden expected it to sell as a niche product that could be used as a tool to help coaches.
Fast-forward to the 2005 version, when video game covers have replaced the Wheaties box as the ultimate measure of an athlete's achievement. The Madden game in 2003 sold 5.4 million copies -- equal to about $270 million in sales, or the U.S. box office of the original "Shrek."
Madden endorsed the game, so the players started embracing it, and the public suddenly had no excuses. Before the game came out, adults who fostered a video game hobby were given a one-way ticket away from social acceptance, joining the Trekkies and comic book collectors in the land of no girlfriends. Now the most aggro alpha males on the planet -- professional football players -- brag about their video game skills on national television. Do you want to be the one to tell Warren Sapp it's a game for little babies?
After 15 years of fine-tuning, the 2005 version of Madden has a new-coat- of-paint-and-new-curtains look, with no demolition or major rebuilding of the time-tested formula. This year's game allows players to create their own fans, call complex defensive audibles and execute something called the "hit stick," which executes punishment-inducing tackles with the flick of the thumb.
Whatever. For many fans, buying Madden is more reflex than conscious decision. It's the game all your friends are going to own, so what choice do you have? Electronic Arts had been marketing last Tuesday as National Madden Vacation Day -- complete with sick notes for your boss -- and the publicity ploy isn't too far off from the truth. With online play and a national battle this week to determine who's the best Madden player (there's a $50,000 prize), the game is helping break the next video game stigma -- that your Xbox or PlayStation 2 is an anti-social appliance.
While many critics have in recent years awarded higher ratings to Sega's excellent ESPN Football series and even Electronic Arts' NCAA Football product, Madden's strengths continue to play to the largest crowds. The game allows the most flexibility in creating your own players (down to the shape of their cheekbones and the bulge of their stomach) and has the deepest franchise mode -- which this year includes newspaper headlines and other minutiae as the season progresses.
Some of the best parts of Madden 2005 aren't noticeable until you've played the game for a week or two. While ESPN Football 2K5 is a better-looking game (at less than half the price), the artificial intelligence of the computer-controlled players in Madden seems more in tune with real football. Fifteen years later, Madden is still dedicated to making a game that will please the coaches.
If we learned nothing else from George Foreman and his grill, it's that anyone can be a pitchman for anything if the timing is right. The fact that a 68-year-old's name has become synonymous with video game football says a lot about the evolution of video games from plaything to mainstream entertainment.
While other products released during the Atari, Nintendo and PlayStation eras have contributed to the emergence of video games as a legitimate art form, Madden is the link between the time when games were toys and their current place in pop culture alongside movies, television and music.
Madden NFL Football features more improvements some years than others, but its overall excellence hasn't wavered over the past decade and a half. The 2005 game isn't so much overhauled as it is polished, and for the millions of fans who will reflexively drop $50 this month, that will be more than enough.
The Little Man is falling out of his chair (again).
NBA
World Cup
Video Game Football, A History
Helpful blogger Free Meat, inspired by our “Three and a half months until Madden!” post from earlier this week, went out and tracked down screenshots from various moments in football video game history.
He tracks it all, from the five-players-per-side of the Atari 2600, to short chess-piece-like players of early Nintendo, through Tecmo Bowl and up to the current-day Madden dominance.
It was moderately depressing to see some of these old screenshots and realize just how much of our youth was spent fiddling around with these things. Don’t get us wrong; we certainly waste plenty of our adult life with them now. But it seems like, when we were younger, we should have been outside frollicking in a field or something. Meh. Oh well.
How Far We’ve Come [Free Meat]“Just Three And A Half Months Until Madden [Deadspin]
More:
NFL
Madden 2007
no love for 4th and Inches? I used to play that on my old Apple IIGS. for some reason every player (on both the red and blue team) wore number 11. The halfback screen was completely unstoppable.
by Unsilent Majority on 05/12/06 11:07 AM
No 10 Yard Fight? Boo-urns! The most random formations possible and it was as slow as sin.
by Rob Iracane on 05/12/06 11:10 AM
Ah, Bill Walsh. What other game let you run the triple option for 99 yards every single play? God, that never got old.
by Big Daddy Drew on 05/12/06 11:12 AM
No 10-yard fight? Joe Montana Talking Football? The John Elway game with his ugly horse-face on the cover?
Not to mention he skipped over the original Tecmo Bowl with it's extensive set of 4 offensive plays to chose from.
by Jimbo on 05/12/06 11:16 AM
No John Elway's Quarterback, which had the glicth on reverse play that would make your guy run through the top of the screen at then show up at the bottom. It was like Bo running past the Boz on Monday Night Football, out the tunnel and then popping back out in the other end zone, but on 4x FF.
by GoinYostal on 05/12/06 11:16 AM
The history goes back beyond Realsports Football. Atari had a 'football' game in 1978. Pic is here:i.i/cnet.g2/images/2005/features/historyfoo...
Come on. Who hasn't played 3 on 3 football... without yardage markers... or end zones... or being able to go out of bounds... Are we trapped in video game hell?
by Jackwraith on 05/12/06 11:21 AM
I was always fond of Madden 92 when the ambulance would come out on the field to pick up QB #7 (Ken O'Brien).
by Denis Lemieux on 05/12/06 11:25 AM
ha ha! I remember that Yostal!! The John Elway QB ... I actually used that glitch as strategy against my brother and it would piss him off to no end ... good times!
by The Dude on 05/12/06 11:27 AM
Tecmo Bowl has forever rendered me a painfully average Madden player. I can't deal with more than four plays, divided so perfectly on the screen before me. And then the whole strategy would arise where I would try to spy what play my brother was calling by looking at his controller. That caused many a fight.
by Gasface on 05/12/06 11:38 AM
Sports Illustrated football/baseball was the shit.
by Bronto on 05/12/06 11:43 AM
Yeah, I'll take Tecmo Bowl over any of this new crap anyday. EA sports can lick my taint.
by williamzabka on 05/12/06 11:49 AM
Madden 96 on the Genesis. That was my freshman year of college, and we had a Madden League; everyone on the floor had a designated team, and the playoffs concluded with the Madden Bowl on the big-screen TV in the lounge downstairs.
Natrone Means + Mark Brunell = untacklable.
by Captain Caveman on 05/12/06 11:49 AM
No love for Mattel Electronics Football 2. oaktreeent/misc/web_photos/1978_Mattel_Electron...
My dad still has a working version on his dresser. Nothing says excitement like blinking lights.
Plus the "quarterback/running back/receiver" taught Barry Sanders his moves. Running two lights backwards in order to go five lights forwards.
by twoeightnine on 05/12/06 11:54 AM
"Natrone Means + Mark Brunell = untacklable."
by Unsilent Majority on 05/12/06 12:26 PM
YOU STOLE MY THESIS!
by Unsilent Majority on 05/12/06 12:26 PM
M Network football on the 2600? your LB could run off the screen on the right side and show up on the left side to tackle the QB ... or if you got burned going for the interception you could just keep running left and voila! there you are on the right side ready to make the TD-saving, brother-pissing offing tackle
this one kicked ass too ... handheldmuseum/Mattel/LBFB.htm
by Clashed on 05/12/06 12:36 PM
10 Yard Fight didn't even seem like football.
You didn't pick plays, you just called "hut" and tossed the ball to some guy off to the side as he slowly trotted down the field.
Anybody remember a year of Madden I believe where they didn't have the NFL license and the teams were just known by their cities? The Patriots were simply called "Foxborough".
by Hoagie with Pastrami on 05/12/06 12:48 PM
I just had to add another thing here.
Isn't what he refers to as "NES Football" actually "Play Action Football"? I remember the diagonal field from Play Action Football.
Anyone remember the VCR football games? I had VCR college football. We got bored with it after a couple days and just watched through the video tape of football clips.
by Hoagie with Pastrami on 05/12/06 12:53 PM
oh man! i remember when we had natrone means! god. my family used to have jags season tickets, and we would be there every weekend.
we would have the holy trinity of Bolles high school on friday nights, gators on saturday, and jags on sunday. the perfect weekend.
by konstantConsumer on 05/12/06 01:38 PM
my favorite madden was madden 91, also know as the year madden was not released because their programmers couldn't convert the game into 3D
by covert on 05/12/06 05:38 PM
Unsilent Majority HOLY CRAP! I played 4th and inches and rain that screen play over and over. Unstoppable.
10 Yard fight had the best blocking ever seen. You ran the ball with 8 guys around you.
by Killa Sam on 05/12/06 05:42 PM
No QB club 98? it was far more advanced than 96 but the field always seemed way to big for the players and QBs were too fast meaning i got around 300 rushing yards a game for Vinny Testaverde all out of scrambling from the shotgun.
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Read more... HOW IT ALL BEGAN
When theNo video game in history has endured the test of time, economics and a fickle public better than Electronic Arts’ John Madden NFL Football. From the very beginning, Madden NFL Football has been at the top of the charts because of its unique approach to bringing the game to life, offering gamers unparalleled qualities that no other sports video game can. As the EA slogan suggests, with Madden "It’s In the Game."
What makes Madden NFL Football so popular? The same thing that made John Madden a popular and successful NFL head coach and the same thing that today makes Madden the sport's best-known and respected broadcaster: attention to details. Just like Madden had to weekly dissect an opponent's strategy and counter with a more effective one of his own, so, too has the staff at EA taken apart the ins and outs of football and brought them together in a video game that rose to the top of the charts from its inception. Today, EA's Madden NFL Football series reigns supreme as the preeminent sports video game available.
Entering its 14th year, Madden NFL Football has become the most critically acclaimed sports game to hit the market. Teen-agers love it, adults fawn over it and NFL players crave it, helping it to become the most popular sports video game ever. The EA SPORTS Madden NFL Football series has sold more than 19 million units since its debut in 1989. Last year alone, the Madden game sold more than 4 million copies on PCs, PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, Xbox video game system from Microsoft and other video game consoles, according to a Bloomberg report.
Those numbers are sure to soar even higher with the release of the latest version, the Madden NFL Football 2003 game, introduced this past May and set to hit stores in August. It is the standard by which all other football games are judged. It can be compared to an ever-evolving novel, with a new chapter being written every year. And as the torchbearer, the EA SPORTS brand continues to take the game and its users to new heights.
Before Madden NFL Football all video games were lumped into the same category no matter what their distinction. But because of the game's success a separate sports category was added and EA's Madden game has been at the head of the list ever since. In fact, the sports category games comprise 40 percent of the console software market.
staff at EA first began thinking about creating a football program for use on PCs, they targeted the most knowledgeable football brain on the planet, former Raiders coach and celebrated broadcaster John Madden.
Madden, who worked for CBS and Fox Sports before joining ABC's Monday Night Football this past offseason, is considered one of the game's foremost experts when it comes to analyzing and breaking down plays. His insights and knowledge of the game have helped educate and entertain thousands and thousands of football fans each and every weekend during the NFL season. That was a prime reason that EA wanted to tap into Madden's know-how and use it to create a video game that would be extremely deep in authenticity, style and artificial intelligence but also easy and fun to play.
But getting to Madden wasn't easy, considering he eschews airplanes and instead travels by bus.
Back in 1986, long before the first Madden Cruiser bus was built though, Madden did his traveling by train and was en route to an NFL game when he was first broached by Trip Hawkins, former CEO and founder of EA, along with a select group of programmers from the company. The idea was pitched to Madden, who was very much in favor of it and liked what he was hearing.
But there was a catch. EA's group envisioned a game that pitted two teams of seven players against one another. Madden, though, wanted no part of a toned-down game. ''If it's not 11 on 11, it's not real football,'' Madden said at the time. ''I will not put my name on it if it's not real.''
It was at that historical moment the direction for the Madden NFL Football game was set. Though the challenge of putting 11-player teams into the game sent EA back to the drawing board for another two years, it was precisely what would serve to set all Madden games apart from the rest. That and Madden’s insistence that each player be rated and that the 1-on-1 matchups be stressed set the standard for all sports video games. Because of Madden's mandate, the EA SPORTS team has been motivated each and every year to produce the most realistic and authentic football game possible.
That’s why the EA SPORTS creative team goes through the annual painstaking process of updating player ratings and changes in the game to keep in tune with the NFL game as well as innovations in technology. Rule and roster changes are thoroughly tracked and adopted into each year’s new game.
From day one Madden has taken an active interest in making the EA SPORTS game as close to real life as possible. Each year the EA SPORTS creative team visits Madden in Pleasanton, Ca. to solicit his input and make sure that the tweaks and twists being added keep the game in line with the NFL game.
''You can't ship Madden football without going through Madden and his unequalled perspective on the game and his high quality standards,'' said Chip Lange, EA's vice-president of marketing. ''John's influence from day one has kept this game on track and great.''
Madden may be one of the most popular broadcasters and a Super Bowl-winning coach, but he knows his true identity now comes from the video game that bears his name.
''I would bet that the kids that know me know me as Madden 2002,'' Madden recalled. ''They don't know me as a coach.''
NEW PLATFORMS, NEW TECHNOLOGY, NEW IDEAS
The very first Madden NFL Football game ever made was called John Madden Football and ran on Apple II computers. It was produced in 1989 and was an instant hit, both for the public and for EA. Since then, EA has made the game available on numerous other gaming platforms, including various Apple computers and PCs, the Commodore 64, Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo, Amiga, 3DO Multiplayer, PlayStation game console, Sega Saturn, Nintendo 64, PlayStation 2 console, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube and Game Boy.
The advance of technology opened the door for the creative minds at EA to expand the horizons of Madden Football and take it to new heights. In the beginning the changes were subtle, such as adding players' names and offering changing weather. In 1997, though, the baby steps were replaced with giant strides. Using the Nintendo 64 platform, EA SPORTS designers were able to introduce polygons into the game which brought a more lifelike, 3-D look to the players on the field and gave it a true taste of reality, such as players going from light to dark depending on the weather and time of games.
The advent of motion capture also changed the way the staff for the EA SPORTS brand does business in a dramatic way. Where programmers once had to painstakingly draw every single frame of animation, they now can get in one fell swoop with motion capture. Players are brought in and fitted with a special tight fitting lycra outfit that has upwards of 40 reflective markers placed on it to identify joint and bone locations. Ten infra-red cameras encircle the athlete and capture every move. The athletes will go through a variety of moves and plays while a computer records everything. The movements show up as dots on a computer screen and software is later used to connect the dots and form a skeleton of the athlete’s body and movements. From there, computer graphics artists place muscle tone and skin on the athlete’s body, giving it the lifelike feel that has separated the Madden NFL series from its competitors.
EA SPORTS was the first to use motion capture in their video games. In 1994, NFL players Johnnie Morton, Ken Harvey, Derrick Deese and Jamal Anderson were brought in and used in this groundbreaking technology at BioVision in San Francisco. Back then, motion capture suits did not exist so reflective balls were velcroed on to the players to capture their movements.
In 1999 gamers were brought even closer to the realism of the game when a Franchise Mode was added to the game. This enabled players to not only coach and call the plays for their team but to see how successful they could be over the long haul. By also giving users the ability to manage the salary cap of their teams in the Franchise Mode, EA SPORTS offered an entirely new twist to the game. To this day it remains one of Madden Football's most unique qualities.
More changes came two years later when the EA SPORTS team first began experimenting with giving the players in the game facial features designed to make them look realistic. An added bonus was the introduction of Madden Cards, which in theory looked to be the video equivalent of the old baseball cards kids collected along with a stick of pink bubble gum. But the Madden Cards went a step further than the baseball cards, as they can be used to boost a player's abilities in the game, unlock cheat codes, hidden stadiums and even players from long ago.
And new technology continues to open new doors for the EA SPORTS brand. Using inverse kinetics and motion blending has brought even more realism into the games. Not only do the players look lifelike, but they also act it. They blink their eyes, turn their heads to follow the action and do just about everything their real-life counterparts can do, except maybe grab an endorsement or two.
REALITY TELEVISION: IT'S IN THE GAME
From the very beginning Madden NFL Football set the standard by which all other sports video games are judged. That's because no other game offers the realistic qualities and takes users as close to the action like Madden Football has. Each year as technology advances and newer capabilities are achieved, the EA SPORTS creative staff has raised the bar and crossed over, giving gamers more life-like interaction with the game than ever before.
An ever-expanding playbook, audibles, crowd chants, coaches grimacing, instant replay challenges ... it's all there.
There is no better example of EA SPORTS ability to capture the realism of football than Madden NFL 2002. While the previous 11 versions of the game were hits in their own right, Madden NFL 2002 offered users unique qualities, such as the chance to challenge calls on the field via instant replay in hopes of getting it overturned.
Little things don’t go unnoticed either. In real life, the Seattle Seahawks have had to play at Washington State’s Husky Stadium for the past two seasons while a new home stadium was being built. Though it meant a bit more work, EA didn’t overlook a thing and recreated Husky Stadium right down to the smallest of details.
Prior to Madden NFL 2002 the players in the game were generic looking in just about every way. But with the introduction of PlayStation 2, Xbox and Nintendo GameCube, the EA SPORTS designers were given even more room to operate. They took that leverage and ran with it, coming up with facial features on the players that are almost eerie in their near-exact replications of the real-life superstars they portray. Watch Jerry Rice walk onto the field in Madden NFL 2003 and it's as if the Hall of Fame-bound wide receiver is actually there in person.
But it doesn't stop there. Players grunt and groan with each tackle, the weather changes from week to week. Background animation, for so long just a plain, inactive piece of the puzzle, is now an interactive part of the game, offering operating scoreboards, working chain gang members who (as an added twist to the game) often get buried under by a swarm of players when the action reaches the sidelines. Injuries can turn a whole season upside down in the NFL, and with Madden the same thing holds true.
There's even Pro Bowl voting and MVP awards handed out in Season Mode, not to mention an All-Madden team that is selected prior to every Super Bowl.
Need to know which of your offensive linemen is the weakest link? Check out the stats and see who's getting beat for sacks and make a switch. About the only thing missing anymore is a Gatorade shower for the winning coach. And with the crew of EA SPORTS, it can't be that far behind.
''All these years we've been pushing to look like television,'' Madden said recently. ''Then I'm in a meeting with television and we're trying to look like the video game. I thought, 'We've come a long way.' ''
PLAYER TESTIMONIALS
The pure success of the Madden NFL Football series isn't in the number of games sold over the years. Instead, it has and always will be about producing the most lifelike product for gamers. And there is no better testimony to EA SPORTS ability to do just that than the words of the NFL players themselves.
With several hours of downtime in the locker room after practice and on the road, athletes often turn to video games for entertainment. And throughout the NFL players eagerly anticipate the arrival of each year's new Madden game to supply that entertainment. It's common practice throughout the NFL for players to form their own mini-leagues with the Madden NFL Football games, with the intensity and trash-talking in the video game contests almost matching that of real NFL games.
''It's so real,'' said Denver Broncos tight end Shannon Sharpe. ''You get to call plays and everybody in the back of their mind wants to coach. So you get an opportunity to do some things that would never work on the football field.''
Adds New Orleans safety Sammy Knight, who helped promote the game at February's Pro Bowl in Honolulu, ''It's as close to NFL football as you can get from a video game. It really feels like you're in the game. It requires you to think, then react the same way as if you are in a (real) game.''
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper was featured on the cover of Madden NFL 2002 and called it one of the highlights of his life.
''It's amazing to see the hard work and effort (needed) to put this game out,'' said Culpepper. ''I really appreciate even more playing a game like this now (with) all the work they put in to make this as real as possible. They do a great job. Now the game is elevated to a level that was probably unimaginable. To be a part of this is a great honor to me.''
The NFL players, some of who have served as consultants for the game, are acutely aware of the intricate details in the game and keep a sharp eye out for any flaws. Few, if any, can be found and the players appreciate the quality of EA's Madden series.
''This is the electronic age and we were all born in it,'' said Oakland Raiders running back Tyrone Wheatley. ''We've seen the progression of games come from little stick men to now almost virtual reality.''
The game's popularity among professional athletes isn't just limited to the NFL. Baseball players, basketball stars and athletes from all walks of life have become obsessed by the Madden phenomena.
''Some buddies of mine I grew up with will play (Madden) together,'' said Tiger Woods, golf's preeminent king on the PGA TOUR who also has his own game with the EA SPORTS brand. ''Then we'll play my game and usually talk a lot of trash.''
Al Michaels, the play-by-play announcer for ABC's Monday Night Football and Madden's newest on-air broadcast partner, joined the EA SPORTS crew to lend his voice for Madden NFL 2003. It didn't take long for him to understand the magnitude of Madden mania.
''The fact that I will be announcing the real Super Bowl for the fifth time means absolutely nothing to my two young nephews,'' Michaels said. ''That I'm part of the Madden 2003 game is everything. They think that's the coolest thing in the world.''
MADDEN BOWL
Every NFL player's greatest goal each season is to play for the league championship and step out onto the field for the Super Bowl. Likewise, the competition and intensity is equally high for the annual EA SPORTS Madden Bowl.
Started in 1995, the Madden Bowl has become one of the most anticipated events of the week prior to the NFL Super Bowl as players try to gain their piece of the championship prize. They have to weave their way through a bracket of playoffs before two finalists square off to gain the crown and become Madden King.
''It's always one of the things I look forward to ever since I was younger and I heard they had a tournament,'' said wide receiver and two-time defending Madden Bowl champion Jacquez Green. ''It's the best video game on the market right now.''
Players from all around the league come to take part in the event, which has also grown into a party where all types of celebrities can be found. NFL running back Jamal Anderson has twice served as host of the Madden Bowl tournament, while rapper LL Cool J and actor/talk show host Jay Mohr have also served as celebrity hosts.
''You can't beat this event,'' said Anderson. ''It's incredible. The stars are here from football, basketball, celebrities. EA SPORTS puts on a good party every year.''
Mohr, who hosted the Madden Bowl in 2001 and who recently began his own talk show on ESPN, said the tournament was unlike anything he had ever been to.
''Out of all the things I did last year, hosting this thing flattened me,'' Mohr said. ''This is the place to be and if you're not at the EA SPORTS party, I don't know what you're doing.''
But the Madden Bowl is nothing, if not competitive and emotional. Players jaw and trash-talk one another just as they do on the football field. Some of the NFL's premiere players take part in the tournament, knowing the bragging rights that come with winning the title. Green, who plays for Tampa Bay, has won the Madden Bowl each of the last two seasons, joining Reggie Brooks (1995 and '96) as the only two-time winners. Jimmy Spencer ('97), Morris Chestnut ('98), Ray Mickens ('99) and Terry Jackson (2000) are the other players to have won the Madden title.
''At this point, it's just a part of youth culture,'' said LL Cool J, host of the 2002 Madden Bowl. ''It's for everybody.''
STILL SETTING THE STANDARD
No one has been able to duplicate the standards or success that the EA SPORTS crew has attained with its Madden NFL Football series, but that doesn't mean the competition has gone away. On the contrary, the market has become crowded with an array of football games and titles. And while the other games can be a bit amusing none offers the realistic qualities that have helped set Madden's games apart from the rest.
Madden NFL 2002 sold more than 4 million units, following up on the huge success of Madden NFL 2001, which was close to 3 million in sales.
According to the TRSTS Video Game Report published by the NPD group, Madden NFL 99 was the No1 selling PlayStation sports video game in 1998 in North America. The NPD group reported that the '99 game on the PlayStation sold 1,128,366 units the same year, over 164,000 more than its closest competitor in the sports category.
That has been the case almost from day one. Other earlier versions of Madden Football dominated the PC football category in 1989. According to the market research PC Data, the Madden franchise of PC football games accounted for 57 percent of the PC football market in 1998. The next closest competitor registered only 7.3 percent of unit sales.
''You will not find a game engine with more testing time, design tuning and game play expertise than Madden football,'' said Lange. ''While others create new games from scratch, we leverage our experience and design expertise to make the best use of modern technology and game play innovations. Nobody else can step up to the plate with 14 years and over one million man hours of design and tuning.
''Our consistent, maniacal attention to competitive excellence with Madden football is unmatched in the interactive world. Nobody has obsessed so long with so much talent around and perfected the interactive football experience than EA SPORTS with the John Madden franchise. Nothing goes out the door without John's stamp on it, and after it does leave, EA it has to stand up to the toughest critics in the world, the NFL competitive set. They require excellence and will not accept imperfection. We deliver on this, year in and year out, and that consistent quality standard is why EA SPORTS Madden NFL remains the definitive interactive football experience. We won't accept less, John won't accept less and our fans won't accept less.''
THE FUTURE: NOTHING TO HOLD BACK
The crew at Electronic Arts and John Madden continue to push the envelope in bringing the reality of football into living rooms and television sets across the country. Madden NFL 2003 hits stores in August, which will surely set off another feeding frenzy among the Madden maniacs.
Online play is already available for Madden NFL 2003 on the PlayStation 2 console, one of many new twists and turns that the latest version offers. Gamers can now pit their skills against the best from across the country, all from the comfort of their living room. They can also get updates on rosters, injuries and lineups throughout the course of a real season, downloadable onto their console. Madden NFL 2003 was the first sports game shown with online play during the E3 show in May. Daunte Culpepper and Jevon Kearse demonstrated the online play capabilities during a Sony press conference.
''In the future it will be harder to be superior on the technology side (because) the technology will be so powerful,'' said Lange. ''It will be all about game play. We've been working on football physics and AI (artificial intelligence) for 12 years. No one else has that experience and it shows.''
UGO Special Note: What you're about to read is both a fascinating article on the beginnings of one of the most successful game franchises of all time, and a look at its continued evolution. While there is a healthy amount of "Rah-Rah, Go EA Go" spirit in the article, we felt that a lot of the information was interesting enough to warrant publishing. As always, make up your own mind about the sports games you play and enjoy, but if you're looking for a little history, look no further than here.
No video game in history has endured the test of time, economics and a fickle public better than Electronic Arts’ John Madden NFL Football. From the very beginning, Madden NFL Football has been at the top of the charts because of its unique approach to bringing the game to life, offering gamers unparalleled qualities that no other sports video game can. As the EA slogan suggests, with Madden "It’s In the Game."
What makes Madden NFL Football so popular? The same thing that made John Madden a popular and successful NFL head coach and the same thing that today makes Madden the sport's best-known and respected broadcaster: attention to details. Just like Madden had to weekly dissect an opponent's strategy and counter with a more effective one of his own, so, too has the staff at EA taken apart the ins and outs of football and brought them together in a video game that rose to the top of the charts from its inception. Today, EA's Madden NFL Football series reigns supreme as the preeminent sports video game available.
Entering its 14th year, Madden NFL Football has become the most critically acclaimed sports game to hit the market. Teen-agers love it, adults fawn over it and NFL players crave it, helping it to become the most popular sports video game ever. The EA SPORTS Madden NFL Football series has sold more than 19 million units since its debut in 1989. Last year alone, the Madden game sold more than 4 million copies on PCs, PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, Xbox video game system from Microsoft and other video game consoles, according to a Bloomberg report.
Those numbers are sure to soar even higher with the release of the latest version, the Madden NFL Football 2003 game, introduced this past May and set to hit stores in August. It is the standard by which all other football games are judged. It can be compared to an ever-evolving novel, with a new chapter being written every year. And as the torchbearer, the EA SPORTS brand continues to take the game and its users to new heights.
Before Madden NFL Football all video games were lumped into the same category no matter what their distinction. But because of the game's success a separate sports category was added and EA's Madden game has been at the head of the list ever since. In fact, the sports category games comprise 40 percent
It's all about the Hybrid Tight End in the NFL now a says and we might just be able to see one of the best... Even better then Todd Heap, Tony Gonzales and who knows maybe even the great Shannon Sharpe. Vernon Davis from Maryland is the man I am talking about. The guy is a freak, he runs a 4.3 40 yard dash, he can bench press 225 lbs 35 times. This TE might be the hottest thing going in this years draft. Look at what Antonio Gates has done to help the Chargers. Look out for this guy, he could be the best pick in the draft in 06. Your thoughts?
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