InstantClassic Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 While it's still too early to tell whether last week's news of Madden Lead Producer David Ortiz suddenly leaving developer EA Tiburon is a good or bad thing, the following announcement definitely falls in the former for the giant sports publisher. Electronic Arts revealed today that it has extended its exclusive licensing agreement with the National Football League and Players Association through the 2012 season. The original deal with the two organizations was due to expire after the 2009 season. So sorry to the dedicated fans of 2K's gridiron line -- it looks like Johnny Ballgame is gonna keep everyone on the NFL bench for much longer than initially expected. During our phone conversation with Peter Moore, the EA Sports president told us that aside from the obvious benefits to the deal (no one else can make an NFL-licensed title), EA's development studios will now gain even greater access to NFL-related properties, including NFL Films and the NFL Network. Moore hinted that both will play a role in the 20th anniversary of Madden, which is due out this August for basically every system known to man. Going forward, Moore also mentioned that "approachability" will be a key theme for the franchise. It's a smart move if you ask us, as the PS3 and 360 editions in particular have become, while pretty, quite the hardcore football experience. As for EA's relationship with the man whose name graces the cover, it remains business as usual. Despite continued rumors that the publisher would soon part ways with the famed coach-turned-broadcaster-turned-videogame icon, Moore ensured us that EA has no intention to do so. "The consumer doesn't give us much choice," he said. "His persona, personality, he's still the preeminent broadcaster... I think it's all good with John Madden." Boo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rillo Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 ^ Boo is right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhinHater Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 Terrible. EA does an awful job. They spend more time on "superstar mode" then then do on the actual gameplay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetheelz Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 This is exactly why I purchased the collector's edition of Madden 95. It has some of the previous versions of Madden...the ones I enjoyed more than the garbage they produce now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L.S. Dylan Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 that's unfortunate for us Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Troll Posted February 29, 2008 Share Posted February 29, 2008 Horrible news. Madden for the 360 is absolutely horrible. Unfortunately, Madden is so popular among casual fans that they don't even need to put out a good product in order to sell copies. For the first time since Madden '93, I will not be wasting my money on this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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