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Gamestop offers $50 credit with trade of select 360 games for Xbox One versions
Gamestop will offer $50 trade-in credit to PowerUp Rewards members who buy a new, Xbox 360 version of a game and then trade it back in for the Xbox One version. The promotion is valid for the Xbox versions of Call of Duty: Ghosts, Madden 25, FIFA 14, Battlefield 4 or Assassin's Creed 4. In order to be eligible to receive the trade-in credit, patrons must be PowerUp Rewards members at the time of the initial purchase, which must take place within 30 days of the game's release date. Then, upon trading the game in for the Xbox One version, the customer will be emailed a coupon that grants $50 trade-in credit for the Xbox 360 version, for use when upgrading to the Xbox One version before December 31 of this year. No mention of the PlayStation 4 was made in the press release, so whether a similar offer will be made for PS3/PS4 cross-generation games remains to be seen. Update: Gamestop has informed us that the $50 coupon is delivered in tandem with the purchase of the Xbox 360 version of the game, rather than after the upgrade to the Xbox One version. This article has been altered slightly to reflect that information.
Facebook app shows every team's playbook for Madden 25
With the first week of the preseason in full swing and regular season NFL games on the way, players that are eager for Madden 25 might want to do a little game-planning in advance. Prima Games put together a nice tool for armchair QBs in the form of a free, simple Facebook app that shows every team's offensive and defensive playbooks in the game. The app breaks down plays by formation, so it's easy to find your favorite gun snugs routes without sifting through strong I-formation plays. I like the look of Seattle's mix of plays in the pistol formation, which will go well with the running game improvements and combo moves in the game. Madden 25 will launch on August 27 for Xbox 360 and PS3, and will head to next-gen systems at a later date. The game's demo, which features a Super Bowl rematch between the Ravens and the 49ers, will be available next Tuesday, August 13.
Madden's All-25 team led by Michael Vick
Madden 25's special team comprised of all-time greats from the series will be led by Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick. Vick's inclusion in the All-25 team stems from his digital counterpart in Madden NFL 2004, at which point he was the QB for the Atlanta Falcons and cover athlete for the game. Players using Vick in Madden 2004, thanks to his strong arm and blazing speed for a player at his position, were dominant against their friends to the point that it warranted his inclusion in the list. Vick joins a long list of top-tier athletes from the series' history, including Dwight Freeney and Julius Peppers at defensive end, Brian Dawkins and Sean Taylor at safety and Deion Sanders and Champ Bailey as the dream team's cornerbacks. Madden 25 is coming to Xbox 360 and PS3 on August 27, then to Xbox One and PS4 at a later date.
Madden 25 features All-25 dream team coached by Madden
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the series, Madden 25 will include a special All-25 Team comprised of the best players to step foot on the virtual turf, usable in the Play Now mode of the game. Of course, the team wouldn't be complete without the game's namesake, John Madden, as its head coach, who will bring his own special playbook to the sidelines. EA Sports will lift the curtains on two players on the dream team's depth chart per day, starting today with former Buccaneers fullback Mike Alstott and former Rams running back Marshall Faulk. EA's All-25 team hub offers a few ratings for each player, such as Faulk's 90 catching and Alstott's 98 trucking ratings. Faulk is a respectable, albeit curious choice, given that Barry Sanders is the cover athlete for the game. Madden 25 will launch on Xbox 360 and PS3 on August 27, and will come to Xbox One and PS4 at a later date.
Joe Flacco is the only new clutch player in Madden 25
EA Tiburon introduced its "clutch trait" for in-game athletes in Madden 12 as a means of providing a boost in players' ratings when the right circumstances were in place, namely when the game is on the line in the 4th quarter or overtime. That trait will carry over to Madden 25, and oddly enough, the list of players that will start the game out with the clutch trait is nearly identical to the one announced for Madden 13 last year. One name is new to the list: Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco. Flacco certainly earned the trait, given his stellar playoff performance and Super Bowl win. Only two other names are missing from last year's list, Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher, and that's because those linebackers retired during the offseason. EA Tiburon's Donny Moore, the "Ratings Czar" for the Madden series, tells Joystiq the team "decided when we added these traits that we wanted it to be a special thing, very unique, there wouldn't be a clutch player on every team necessarily, so we sort of stuck to that mantra when we assigned the traits." %Gallery-186852%
Original Madden NFL designer awarded $11 million in EA lawsuit
A US District Court jury in the Northern District of California has ruled in favor of Robin Antonick, the original credited designer for EA's Madden NFL series, in his lawsuit against publisher Electronic Arts, awarding him $11 million. Antonick's lawsuit against EA sought unpaid royalties for iterations in the series released between 1990 and 1996. The jury found that games released during that time "were virtually identical to the original version of Madden NFL Football, developed by Antonick," according to a press release issued by Hagens Berman, the law firm representing Antonick. The release also notes that Antonick and his attorneys will "seek to appeal previous rulings that excluded Super Nintendo games and fraud claims from the jury deliberations." Antonick's case will now move forward to the next phase, in which the court will decide whether EA owes Antonick royalties for games in the series that launched from 1997 to today.
EA offering Ultimate Team incentives for next-gen Madden 25 upgrades
Those looking to play Madden NFL 25 will likely pick the game up for either Xbox 360 or PS3 when it launches on August 27. Though some may opt to wait a few months for the PS4 and Xbox One versions, those that plan to own both current and next-gen versions are entitled to a few perks in the form of bonuses for Madden Ultimate Team. Players will be able to perform a one-time transfer of up to 1,100 items in Madden Ultimate Team (45 players, 55 items from the active roster and up to 1,000 reserves) from either Xbox 360 or PS3 to either Xbox One or PS4. Ultimate Team fans can still use the items in their current-gen copies of the game, but MUT cards cannot be auctioned or traded after being transferred. Additionally, Anniversary Edition owners will receive an extra six All Pro card packs once they create their team in the mode in a next-gen version of the game, which will be helpful for those looking to create teams with high chemistry in this year's Ultimate Team mode.
Accused murderer Aaron Hernandez removed from NCAA 14 and Madden 25
Aaron Hernandez, the New England Patriots tight end charged with murder on June 26, has been removed from Madden 25 and NCAA 14. Players that happen to unlock Hernandez's Ultimate Team card in NCAA 14 by getting a gold medal in the game's Shovel Option drill in the Skills Trainer mode will see the card turn into that of current Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith. A future title update will remove Hernandez from the game entirely. EA Sports' statement reads: "We have made a decision to remove Aaron Hernandez from Madden NFL 25 and NCAA Football 14. Because NCAA Football 14 was finalized prior to our decision, Hernandez' image still appears in the Nike Skills Trainer. However, he is not in the game, and anyone who unlocks that particular Nike Skills Trainer reward will receive an Alex Smith Ultimate Team player item instead. The image of Hernandez will be removed via a Title Update in the near future." NCAA 14's Ultimate Team mode, the college football series' version of EA Sports' card-collecting mode seen in many of its games, features thousands of unlockable, real-life athletes. The athletes, many being current NFL players, represent the colleges they attended. In Hernandez's case, his likeness in NCAA 14 was tied to the Florida Gators. He was released by the Patriots on the day he was arraigned, so were he in Madden 25, he would have been a free agent.
Madden 25 brings chemistry back to Ultimate Team
Madden Ultimate Team, the series' card-collecting mode in which players gradually upgrade their team by earning card packs, will receive a few improvements this fall in Madden 25. The game will see a reintroduction of team chemistry to the mode, which will provide performance boosts for your team when the player styles of those on your depth chart match up, of which there are four for defensive and offensive players each. Madden Ultimate Team will also include an online head-to-head seasons mode, which challenges players to compete in a 10-game season that culminates in an eight-team playoff. Competing players earn card packs and coins in the playoffs for head-to-head seasons, instantly making it an attractive option for Ultimate Team addicts. Madden 25 is coming to Xbox 360 and PS3 on August 27. %Gallery-193251%
Madden NFL 25 holds a settings swap meet with Madden Share
Madden Share is a feature new to the series in Madden NFL 25, a destination where the community can swap custom playbooks, rosters and gameplay settings. Those settings can then be used in exhibition games and imported into your Connected Franchise career. Players can cherry pick their favorite plays from across all playbooks in order to create a custom attack plan. A ratings and sorting system will help cull content, along with a featured area designated to highlight new files from the community and developers.
Jury finds Antonick's claim against EA has not expired in case for Madden royalties
A California jury determined that the statute of limitations in the lawsuit filed by original Madden series creator Robin Antonick against Electronic Arts has not run out, according to a press release from Antonick's legal representatives. As a result, Antonick has been deemed eligible for unpaid royalties, as well as "punitive damages and disgorgement of all profits arising from the $5 billion Madden NFL franchise and related sports videogames" released between 1990 and 1996. "Damages relating to 1997-2013 games" will be tried at a later date. Originally filed in 2011, the suit claimed that EA breached a development contract signed by Antonick in 1986 that entitled him to royalties on derivative versions of the game. A federal judge then denied EA's motion for dismissal in April 2013. Games in the series leading up to Madden NFL 97 in 1996 were handled by external development studios such as Visual Concepts and Bethesda. Madden 97 was the first game developed by now-internal studio EA Tiburon, and also the first game created for PlayStation and Sega Saturn. The jury determined that Antonick "did not suspect any wrongdoing by EA before 2005. It also found that a reasonable person would not have known about the claims before 2005," when determining that the statute of limitations on the case did not run out. The jury will now decide what to award Antonick in unpaid royalties and profits from the games launched between 1990 and 1996. We've reached out to both EA and Antonick's legal team for statement, and will update accordingly.
Adrian Peterson gracing the cover of next-gen Madden 25
While legendary Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders is the cover athlete of current-gen versions of Madden 25, current Minnesota Vikings superstar Adrian Peterson was announced as the cover athlete for the PS4 and Xbox One versions of the game at EA's E3 press conference today. Along with that announcement came a new trailer for the game, which highlights just how gritty the sport can be.
Madden NFL 25 GameStop pre-orders get classic 49ers players
Those who lock in their Madden NFL 25 purchase through GameStop will be guaranteed a trio of greats from the San Francisco 49ers of yesteryear: former owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr., former coach Bill Walsh and Joe Cool himself, four-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Joe Montana. All three will be available in Connected Franchise and Madden Ultimate Team modes. Madden NFL 25 is EA Sports' annual football release, this year boasting improved ball handling and a tweaked engine, plus team relocation. Fan voting appointed cover duties to Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders.
Madden 25 will let you move to 17 different cities, revive historic teams
In Madden 25's Connected Franchise career mode, players can take on the role of team owner and perform a number of new tasks, including relocating teams to new cities. Madden's Creative Director Mike Young told Joystiq today that the mode is designed to limit the franchise relocation option to 17 different markets. The 17 cities include Brooklyn, London, Dublin, Toronto, Mexico City, Los Angeles, Austin, Columbus, Orlando, Portland, Oklahoma City and Memphis. Additionally, some locations with an already-established NFL presence can receive a second team, such as Chicago and Houston. Players will have the option to retain their team name, logo and uniforms when moving or select from three different preset options for each city, including the Brooklyn Beats. The mode also grants players the option to reboot now-defunct teams from the NFL's history, such as the Columbus Panhandles, London Monarchs or the Houston Oilers. Players can opt to turn off the team relocation feature, disabling the option entirely. EA Sports provided us with a new trailer for the game in which Young discusses the move from Madden 13's Connected Careers mode to this year's Connected Franchise mode. Madden 25 will launch August 27 for PS3 and Xbox 360.
Ignite won't power FIFA 14 on PC; Xbox One trailer was pre-rendered
FIFA 14 on PC won't use Ignite, the new engine EA Sports announced at yesterday's Xbox One conference. Ignite will power FIFA 14 on Xbox One and PS4, EA Sports Global Communications Manager Steve Frost told Joystiq. "Ignite will be the engine that drives our sports games on PS4 and Xbox One," Frost said. "It will not be used for FIFA 14 on PC." Ignite also runs Madden NFL 25, EA Sports UFC and NBA Live 14, as EA Sports said on the Xbox One stage – right before it showed off pre-rendered footage of all of these games. "The video uses assets pulled directly from the in-game engines, and was rendered to create this first look multi-product trailer," Frost said. "It's representative of where we expect our games will be when they launch." EA Communications Specialist Brad Hilderbrand promised us a closer look at Ignite at E3. "Yes, given the timing and planning required for the Xbox One reveal event the EA Sports Ignite video was developed in a pre-rendered video format," Hilderbrand said. "We'll be showing off the game using in-game assets at E3."
EA Sports' next-gen Ignite Engine shown off in trailer form
EA Sports' next-generation Ignite Engine was on display at the Xbox One reveal event at Microsoft's Redmond campus today. We have four trailers that demonstrate the engine's capabilities, three of which can be found after the break. EA Sports Executive Vice President Andrew Wilson told attendees of the Xbox One event that the Ignite Engine will perform "four times more calculations per second" than the publisher's current offerings. Wilson said the engine will allow for 3D crowds and dynamic sidelines. EA will launch four sports games for the console within 12 months, namely FIFA 14, Madden NFL 25, EA Sports UFC and NBA Live 14. Each game will be powered by the Ignite Engine.
EA, Microsoft enter into 'special relationship,' FIFA 14, Madden NFL 25, NBA Live 14, UFC on Xbox One [Update]
Andrew Wilson, EA Sports boss, took to the stage at Microsoft's Xbox One event and confirmed that EA and Microsoft have entered into a "special relationship." This will see four EA Sports games on Xbox One: FIFA 14, Madden NFL 25, NBA Live 14 and UFC. All four will launch within the next 12 months, Wilson said. EA Sports Ignite, a new engine created at EA, will power each game, attempting to emulate human intelligence and true player motion within each games. There are "four times more calculations per second" to achieve this. Special content for FIFA 14 Ultimate Team will "only be on Xbox," Wilson concluded before showing off an EA Sports sizzle reel. Update: EA has clarified via Twitter that FIFA 14 Ultimate Team will be available on both PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, though there will be content exclusive to the Xbox One version. The text of this post has been updated to reflect that.
Relocate your team in Madden 25's franchise owners mode
EA Sports lifted the curtains today on one of its core additions to Madden 25 this year, Connected Franchise owners mode. In it, players take on the role of team owner, setting prices for tickets and concessions as well as having the option to relocate teams to both domestic and international cities. Owners also handle the hiring of team personnel, such as scouts, trainers and coaches, and they answer questions from the media. Players will manage stadium upgrades and market their superstar athletes so fans will buy their jerseys, increasing their teams' yearly profit. The options to import draft classes from EA's NCAA Football series and take control of all 32 teams in the Connected Careers mode were woefully absent from last year's game, but will return to Madden 25. Additionally, the game's primary career mode will receive a face-lift thanks to an improved user interface that includes a transaction log to follow the movement of players from team to team. The mode's UI includes a new Trade Center, allowing users to see what other teams are offering for players and draft picks so they can top their opponents' bids. Lastly, Madden 25 will feature more media personalities for the career mode's in-game Twitter feed, such as ESPN fantasy analyst Matthew Berry and Fox Sports NFL writer Peter Schrager. It will also receive new legendary players and coaches, including Mike Ditka and William "The Refrigerator" Perry. %Gallery-188881%
Madden 25 trailer gets defensive
This video for Madden 25 shows a sizzle reel of defensive features while San Francisco 49ers linebacker Navorro Bowman discusses tactics for tackling players in the NFL. The game will see some under-the-hood changes, including Infinity Engine improvements and the addition of heat-seeker tackling.
Limited Amazon-exclusive Madden 25 special edition includes free Sunday Ticket subscription
Since Madden NFL 25 skipped 12 years is named to commemorate the series' 25th anniversary, it shouldn't be surprising that EA Sports recently unveiled a special Anniversary Edition. What is a little surprising are the contents of the special edition, which includes a free one-year subscription for DirecTV's NFL Sunday Ticket service, allowing fans to watch every out-of-market NFL game throughout the season. EA Sports tells us that the subscription is limited to the NFL Sunday Ticket computer, tablet and mobile service. Additionally, those who are able to receive DirecTV service in their area can get $10 off per month for the service, which starts at $225, as well as a free subscription to the higher-tier NFL Sunday Ticket MAX. The Anniversary Edition of Madden 25 is exclusive to Amazon, and limited to 50,000 copies on each of the game's platforms, Xbox 360 and PS3 (100,000 copies total). It will also include complimentary Madden Ultimate Team card packs every week of the NFL's 17-week regular season. Madden 25's Anniversary Edition is available to pre-order now on Amazon for $99.99.
