Report: $27 million Madden payout to customers stalled in Appeals court

In 2008, a lawsuit alleged EA violated antitrust laws by holding exclusive licenses with the NFL, NCAA and AFL, and in 2012, EA admitted no wrongdoing and settled for $27 million. That money was, in part, to be distributed among people who bought Madden NFL, NCAA Football or Arena Football games for Xbox, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, GameCube or Wii between January 1, 2005, and June 21, 2012. Those applicable could fill out an online form to claim their damages, and in April the form deadline was extended because so few people applied; individual payouts tripled from the initial estimate.

Now, people who followed the case and filled out the form have to wait to receive their payout, following an objection from an invested person named Aaron Miller, Kotaku reports. Miller objects to the size of the attorneys' fees, and while his initial movement was dismissed, his subsequent appeal is in San Francisco's US Court of Appeals for the Ninth District. While the appeal is in process, payouts are on hold.

Miller's brief is due on October 7 and the response to his filing is due one month later, the site says. Payouts will remain in limbo until the end of the year. Stay strong – there's no real "bad time" for free, surprise money.