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Brett Favre named as Madden NFL 09 cover athlete
Confirming an earlier report that appeared on GameDaily, Brett Favre announced he would be honored as the cover athlete for Madden NFL 09; the 20th Anniversary of the series.The announcement was made during an interview by Late Show host David Letterman. While news may come as a surprise considering Favre recently retired from the sport, his accomplishments alone warrant the appointment.In his career Brett Favre was awarded one Super Bowl championship, 3 AP NFL MVP awards, was a Pro Bowl and All-Pro selection 9 and 7 times respectively and holds over 7 NFL records, including most career passing yards (61,655 all-time yards).Finally, a cover athlete that can end that silly Madden curse. Unless Favre falls off his fishing boat this summer or something.Madden NFL 09 is set to release on August 12.[via Joystiq][Image via GameSpot]
And the Madden 09 cover goes to ... Brett Favre?
Well, one way to dodge the "Madden Curse" is to just not play. Indeed, recent retiree Brett Favre will be drafted onto the cover of Madden NFL 09, reports GameDaily. While the choice seems somewhat peculiar, it's possible Favre was chosen to represent the 20th Anniversary edition of the game because of his iconic status. The long-time Packers QB is one of, if not the most familiar and celebrated player in recent NFL history (heck, he even starred in that Farrelley brothers flick some years back -- what was it ... something about a Mary?). So, what's it gonna take to get Old #4 to lace 'em up one last season and test his record streak against the mighty curse?Update: Official confirmation.
Vote for your favorite Madden NFL cover athlete
On April 25th the Madden curse will claim another victim when EA announces the football star who'll grace Madden NFL 09's cover. And to prepare for the glorious announcement, Xbox.com is hosting a semi-scientific poll asking Madden fans which year had the best Madden cover athlete. You can check out all the athletes (and John Madden too) after the jump, gawk at the Madden cover victims, select a favorite, then jump over to the forums to vote. Currently, Mr. Madden himself is leading the pack, but Ray Lewis (and his legally questionable past) is a very close second. Heck, while we're at it, tell us who you think deserves should be subjected to the 2009 Madden curse. We're up for seeing Vick a second time around. He deserves the curse times two.
User-Controlled Celebrations debut in Madden 09
GameStop's gaming blog (since when did they get into the blogging circuit?) is starting up a new weekly feature called Madden Monday where, every Monday, they plan on exclusively revealing a new Madden NFL 09 feature. And to kick-off (ha!) the fun, they just revealed Madden 09's new User-Controlled Celebrations. The UC Celebrations feature allows players the chance to semi-control their player's TD celebrations with the press of a button. Each player, stadium and Hot Spot location in the end-zone will have its own celebration. You'll even be able to steal the other team's patented moves. It's an interesting non-gameplay Madden feature addition that just may just be this year's BIG Madden formula change. Though, we hope it isn't.[Via NeoGAF]
EA scraps Madden '09 on PC
American Football fans will have to turn to one of of their consoles or portables to get their next Madden fix, as Peter Moore has revealed EA's cancellation of Madden '09 on PC, citing "serious business challenges" in releasing sports titles on home computers.The title will still appear on PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PS2, DS and PSP, leaving PC Madden fans feeling a bit left out. Moore notes that Madden '09 is not the only PC title receiving the axe, and that it represents a larger decision by EA Sports to cut back on their number of PC releases. It's unknown if EA will continue to release future versions of Madden on the PC, or if this is the end of Madden on the PC altogether. Luckily, gamers can still experience the latest iteration of EA's flagship sports franchise on a plethora of platforms. Just not on the computer.
Head Coach '09 only available in Madden '09 Collector's Edition
One tiny little detail about NFL Head Coach '09 seems to have been buried at the bottom of EA's announcement yesterday regarding the "Collector's Edition" of Madden NFL '09. Turns out that Head Coach '09 is only available by purchasing the $90 special edition. Just to be clear: It won't be sold separately.Madden's Marketing Director, Christopher Erb, says the decision was not made out of fear that the game couldn't stand on its own, and explains it's a way for the company to "reduce the price and make it a bonus to our fans." He's got a point, if it was at retail the two games separated would cost $120, but given the tepid response of the original Head Coach and its niche factor, this may be the best way to move units. Erb believes those who play Head Coach are hardcore Madden fans anyway and the company may consider releasing it as a separate title if there's enough outcry.
Madden turns 20 on Aug. 12, 'Collector's Edition' announced
EA announced today that Madden NFL 09, the 20th Anniversary of its exclusive NFL license-holding franchise, will touch down in stores August 12. The company states there'll also be a 20th Anniversary Collector's Edition of the game featuring Madden NFL 09 and NFL Head Coach 09, along with "an extensive library of exclusive bonus video content" for $90.So, let's make a Hail Mary pass and wish the best for Madden '09. Initial data on last year's Madden sales showed consumers weren't that into the series anymore. Maybe this'll be the year the franchise gets a major update bringing gamers in who don't just buy the series like sheep year after year ... stop laughing! One can dream, can't they?
Madden NFL 09 set to hike August 12th
Its release comes every Fall and we know die-hard Madden fanboys sit on the edge of their leather sofas in anticipation for the announcement of the game's official release date. So, here it is. This August 12th, Madden NFL 09 will tackle North American retailers in two flavors. The standard edition and a special Madden NFL 09 20th Anniversary Collector's Edition that comes packed with full versions of both Madden NFL 09 and NFL Head Coach 09 as well as some exclusive video clips, blah, blah, blah. Next up ... waiting to see which player will be treated to Madden's box art curse. So exciting!
EA extends NFL license into 2012 season
Today, industry powerhouse, Electronic Arts announced that it would be extending its exclusive licensing agreement with the National Football League and NFL Players Club until the end of the 2012 season, leading into early 2013. Sports gamers may remember 2004 when EA purchased the exclusive rights to produce NFL licensed games from under the competition, namely 2K Games. The Madden series from EA continues to be a successful brand, as the 20-year-old franchise has accounted for over $2 billion in sales alone. After the announcement, former Xbox head honcho turned EA Sports president, Peter Moore said, "Game quality is our top priority, and we're committed to pushing our gameplay innovation, connecting football fans via rich online experiences and delivering the most visually stunning sports games on the market." To be honest we're when someone going to buy the license for the lucrative Curling market, that's like an excuse to print money.
