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'Madden' returns to PC this fall
With Madden 18, EA introduced "Longshot," which brought a story mode to the popular football franchise. This year, the big news (at least for right now) is that the game will return to PC when its annual installment arrives this fall. This is the first time you've had that option in about 10 years. So far at E3 2018, EA hasn't gone into a ton of detail about the other changes we'll see in Madden 19 -- like if that story mode will return -- but we're sure to hear more soon. At any rate, you'll be able to play the game on August 7th, including a "Hall of Fame Edition" with some of the all-time great players.
Video Game Hall of Fame inducts ‘Tomb Raider’ and ‘Final Fantasy VII’
The Strong museum has announced this year's inductees to the World Video Game Hall of Fame -- Spacewar!, John Madden Football, Tomb Raider and Final Fantasy VII. They were selected from 12 finalists that also included Asteroids, Call of Duty, Dance Dance Revolution, Half-Life, King's Quest, Metroid, Minecraft and Ms. Pac-Man. "The four inductees span multiple decades, countries of origin, and gaming platforms, but all have significantly affected the video game industry, popular culture, and society in general," said The Strong museum in a statement. Tomb Raider and Final Fantasy VII were finalists last year.
EA and the CW team up for a 'Madden NFL' eSports special
Sure, Madden NFL is a massively popular video game series that began in 1993 as John Madden Football, but it has never really broken through to the mainstream. The franchise has been making inroads to the eSports space over the last couple of years, though, with a live broadcast last year on ESPN 2. Now the CW is set to air a one-hour primetime special, co-produced by EA and NFL Films called the EA Madden NFL 18 Challenge. The mouthful of a title will air December 27th of this year.
EA may no longer release 'Madden' or 'FIFA' every year
If you play EA's sports games often, you know the drill: every summer there's a fresh round of titles that carry new modes, gameplay tweaks and (of course) roster updates. They're often minor and not always worth buying, but what choice do you have if you want to stay current? There might be a more practical option soon. In an interview with Bloomberg, EA chief Andrew Wilson floated the possibility that his company might drop annual sports game releases in favor of updates or subscriptions. The publisher could treat the games as a "365-day, live service," he said. Instead of buying FIFA or Madden every year, you might pay a regular fee or download content to keep it relevant.
Amazon's latest Twitch Prime giveaway eyes 'Madden 18' fans
Amazon's well and truly got football fever. It seems securing the rights to select NFL games for Prime Video wasn't enough, it's now also got the hook-up for Madden 18. The latest instalment in the long-running sports franchise just dropped. And, Twitch Prime members who own a copy will receive in-game goodies that could prove handy to their Ultimate Team. As part of the latest offer, you'll get an 83-rated Madden Legend and a Collectible per week throughout the season (25 in total). To kick things off, your first freebie will be an 85-rated Reggie White and five Collectibles -- combine the two and you've got a 90-rated Legend straight off the bat. Just link your Twitch account with Amazon Prime to reap the benefits.
Every NFL team is involved in EA's 'Madden' eSports tournament
You've seen conventional sports teams dip their toes in the eSports waters before, but probably not like this. EA is launching the Madden NFL Club Championship today, and it'll have official involvement from all 32 NFL teams -- the first time an American sports league has fully committed itself to an eSports tournament. You'll qualify online in Madden 18 between now and October 16th, but the best players will square off in tournaments in the stadiums for each team. The final 32 players will compete at NFL experiences in Orlando and Minneapolis. And if you win? You'll get both a cash prize and two tickets to (what else?) Super Bowl LII.
Behind EA’s push to put more women in sports games
Until two years ago, there was no way to play female characters in FIFA, the world's most popular gaming franchise. But EA Sports changed that with the introduction of FIFA 16. That's because, for the first time ever, the studio revealed its flagship game would feature women soccer players. It was a great move toward diversifying the game's plot, albeit a risky one considering its core demographic: young men. That doesn't mean FIFA players aren't open-minded. But in an industry with a reputation for being misogynistic, EA Sports made itself vulnerable to potential backlash. It turns out the company needn't have worried: FIFA 16 quickly became one of the best-selling titles of the year.
'Madden 18' story mode looks a lot like 'Friday Night Lights'
The rumors were true: EA is bringing FIFA 17's story mode to the realm of American football. EA has revealed that Madden 18 will include a Longshot campaign that sees you fill the cleats of Devin Wade, a "forgotten prospect" hoping to make the cut in the NFL draft. From the early glimpse, it's akin to every football movie and TV show you've ever seen, complete with big name actors: There's fatherly drama (Moonlight's Mahershala Ali), the loyal best friend (appropriately, Friday Night Lights' Scott Porter) and even real-world legend Dan Marino serving as a mentor.
'Madden 18' may follow 'FIFA 17' with a story mode of its own
It looks like American football is taking something from soccer beyond the sport's name. Well, as far as Electronic Arts' virtual versions go, that is. This year's Madden will feature a full-fledged story mode akin to what FIFA '17 had. In the very evocative trailer below, a young man stares out at the Indianapolis Colts' Lucas Oil Stadium, dreaming of either a burrito or being on the cover of a video game. It's hard to tell which considering all we can see is the unnamed protagonist's expression in the reflection of a hotel window.
In 'Madden 17' the LA Coliseum has one tiny problem
A legacy fan of the Madden sports game franchise made a disturbing discovery: In its latest version, Madden NFL 17, the evening sun is in the east, the absolute wrong side for it to set anywhere on planet Earth. It only happens during games set in Los Angeles at the Memorial Coliseum, which is the Rams' home stadium once again. Thus, the case is either an isolated aberration or a sly dig at how upside-down crazy it is that the team came back to Southern California after leaving it for St. Louis, Missouri 21 years ago.
ESPN will air 18 hours of eSports coverage on July 17th
ESPN is increasing its eSports coverage in a big way. The network will be airing 18 hours of eSports programming on ESPN2 and ESPNU on Sunday, July 17th. This will mark the first time ESPN will air an entire eSports block on its major networks, a far cry from the days when it relegated League of Legends matches to streams on the web.
NFL legend Jim Brown settles 'Madden' lawsuit with EA
Nearly eight years after Jim Brown sued EA over the use of his likeness in Madden 09, the two parties are finally settling the case. According to Hagens Berman, the law firm that represents the legendary NFL running back, Brown, 80, will receive a $600,000 compensation from the video game maker in exchange for a dismissal and release of his claims. Back in 2008 the former Cleveland Browns player said EA had asked to feature him in the popular football franchise, but he declined the request.
Madden NFL 16 championships will be broadcast live on ESPN2
While their deal with League of Legends may have been a pipe dream, ESPN is expanding their eSports coverage to something a little closer to the roots of the "Worldwide Leader in Sports." On June 14th from 6–7:30 PM ET, ESPN2 will televise live coverage of EA's Madden NFL 16 Championship series for the first time ever.
Here's everything we saw at EA's E3 'Play' event
Today, video game juggernaut Electronic Arts kicked off this year's Electronics Entertainment Expo with a show all its own. If you weren't a member of the press or one of the lucky few fans that were let into the event to experience it firsthand, don't worry: We've collected all the trailers that made their debut on The Novo theater's stage and put them in one handy spot for you. Want a look at the new multiplayer trailer for October's Titanfall 2? Look no further. How about FIFA 17's intriguing single-player story mode? We've got your back there as well, with a few other bits like a new glimpse at Battlefield 1's World War I action. Join us below, won't you?
EA launches an eSports division led by Peter Moore
Electronic Arts, the studio responsible for Star Wars: Battlefront, SimCity and the Battlefield franchise, has launched a new Competitive Gaming Division led by former COO and EA Sports President Peter Moore. The goal of the new business is to cultivate eSports opportunities within EA's library, most notably in the Battlefield, Madden NFL and FIFA franchises. EA's CGD will develop live events and broadcasting featuring eSports, plus create new, officially branded competitive experiences, CEO Andrew Wilson says in a blog post.
GameStop won't sell consoles bundled with digital games
Perhaps more than any other retailer, Gamestop has serious clout when it comes to selling video games. The retail chain makes money hand over fist on game trade-ins and the resulting used game sales, and in an effort to protect that, it's made an edict that it'll only sell bundles that include a physical disc rather than a download code. In a shareholders call (PDF), chief operating officer Tony Bartel specifically cited the current Madden '16 Xbox One bundle. Rather than carrying the official deal, the company worked to offer a free physical copy of the annual football title with the purchase of a PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, refusing to stock the digital bundle at all.
Recommended Reading: Streaming is the future of New York Fashion Week
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read. Why Live Streaming Is the Future of Fashion Week by Chavie Lieber Racked Don't worry about trying to secure a ticket to New York Fashion Week. In September 2014, 2.6 million people livestreamed the festivities rather than making the trip to the Big Apple. And the best part? The runway shows are available for free through the NYFW app on iOS and Android.
Recommended Reading: The secrets behind 'Madden's' player ratings
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read. How Madden Ratings are Made by Neil Paine FiveThirtyEight If you've ever played a Madden title, at some point, you've questioned how player ratings are compiled. Heck, players are even critical of their own scores. Well, the stats experts over at FiveThirtyEight dive deep on the matter, offering a load of background information and a method for compiling and grading your own abilities... or lack thereof.
'Madden'-simulated Super Bowl match predicted the winner... and exact score
Pundits schmundits. Give us a console and an annually rehashed sports game series and we'll do the rest. Possibly. EA's Super Bowl simulation, which ran on Madden 15 last week, pegged the New England Patriots to win, coming from behind to clinch it 28-24 against the Seattle Seahawks. Which is exactly what happened in real life last night, with the Patriots trailing in same third quarter. While this year's prediction might be particularly uncanny, Madden has now picked the winner in eight out of the last 10 Super Bowls. However, some may still prefer the shock and awe of Breaking Madden in comparison to more straight-laced sims.
Recommended Reading: A closer look at the 2015 Oscar nominations
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read. Breaking Down the Oscar Nominations: What the Hell Happened to 'Selma'? by Mark Harris Unless you took a week off from the internet, you're well aware that this year's Oscar nominations were announced a few days ago. While Selma did earn nominations for Best Picture and Best Song, the film that depicts Martin Luther King Jr.'s marches from Selma, Alabama, to Montgomery in 1965 was mentioned only twice. Grantland's Mark Harris takes a closer look at the full list to see what other categories should've included Ava DuVernay's picture.
