Ozzy Osbourne celebrates Maddenoliday in Times Square
by James Ransom-Wiley 
{ Aug 14th 2007 at 11:45AM }
Just the day before, we'd received a last-minute invitation from Microsoft PR inviting us to "Maddenoliday," a public celebration of the Xbox 360 version of Madden 08. (A Microsoft representative insisted that we not blog about the event prior to its start -- though sister site X3F gave late word by way of Microsoft's Gamerscore Blog.) With little publicity beforehand, the event mostly preyed on the droves of tourists who spend these comfortable summer nights in crisp 'I ♥ NY' tees, shuffling up and down Broadway and 7th Avenue. Set up a few iron blockades, blow some smoke, and they'll stop and linger.
Gallery: Maddenoliday hits Times Square
Opposite the Hard Rock stage, and just north, was a meager line outside of Toys "R" Us, which hadn't grown much since the first fans -- actual Madden fans -- gathered there about seven hours earlier, waiting to buy their game when the doors opened at midnight. Pinned between storefront and barrier, this half-block clump was the only evidence that this grandiose staging, complete with a virtual game cover drop (à la the New Year's Eve Ball), had a tangible purpose. But, after Ozzy had disappeared backstage and the Vince Young cover had traveled down the Reuters building, as the crowds began to thin, it became apparent that this spectacle had a second purpose.
These foreigners, whether from near or far, flock to Times Square hoping to stumble upon just this: fleeting pomp and pageantry that's so uniquely American. So excessive and so errantly pointless is Maddenoliday that it instantly dissolves into historic evidence of a wavering society that continues to hemorrhage global resources to make a buck. Who wouldn't want to be a part of that celebration? See you next year, Madden.
[Video filmed and edited by Andrew Yoon]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
mr nimblewick @ Aug 14th 2007 11:50AM
What a joke.
Jerk Face @ Aug 14th 2007 11:54AM
I like the photo in the gallery of the random Best Buy turd standing with the Madden skanks. They look SO happy to be cuddling up to him like that.
Crono @ Aug 14th 2007 12:04PM
Mnnn, skanks...
dvdguy @ Aug 14th 2007 12:19PM
Don't blog about it before it starts... okay...
riggs @ Aug 14th 2007 12:00PM
i was one of the few in the I heart NY shirts. i shouted for him to shut the fuck up. the fact that my ears were bleeding was no coicidence.
Todd H. @ Aug 14th 2007 12:02PM
How is Ozzy still able to rock? Gotta luv him.
Crono @ Aug 14th 2007 12:05PM
Dude, thats ALL ozzy can do. He's practically an invalid in every sense of the word, except when he's on stage.
deaftly @ Aug 14th 2007 12:08PM
ozzy is clearly a 360 fanboy, ill be seeing his old ass in a few weeks to
MYPS3KilledMy360 @ Aug 14th 2007 12:13PM
clearly EA is taking a liking to the 360 on this madden thing. if the PS3 ever some how passes or gets close to the 360 in consoles sold will EA change there minds and sit on sonys lap again then again 3rd party devs go where the moneys at, there not losing any money on 360 failures. i wonder why dont they support the wii if numbers are so important by this time next year the wii which i dont consider to be next gen will blow out the comp in sales.
g.Park @ Aug 14th 2007 12:27PM
What better way to celebrate the release of an exhausted, irrelevant franchise, than with a performance by an exhausted, irrelevant rock star.
Much respect for Madden to broadening the appeal of video games, which has done great things for the industry.
Much respect to Ozzy for being a part of Black Sabbath and pretty much inventing heavy metal- those first couple solo records were pretty decent, too.
But both of these guys are well past their prime. They've become jokes, parodies of themselves. It's time for Ozzy to hang up the teleprompter (I mean microphone) and retire before he dilutes his legacy any more. It's time for Madden to move to a new model for updating.
Jouten @ Aug 14th 2007 1:52PM
The only inciteful thing out of all that wasted verbage was, "...It's time for Madden to move to a new model for updating."
That I totally agree with, but everything else you put before it was waste. You would communicate way better with people if you just got straight to the point instead of complaining about everything up front first...
hdtvdinner @ Aug 14th 2007 12:32PM
Lol, promoting an old-ass game that continually rests on the laurels
of it's former glory to garner sales to trailer park trash, with an
old-ass "Rocker" that continually rests on the laurels of his former
glory to garner sales to trailer park trash. Brilliant!
24 @ Aug 14th 2007 12:53PM
this is so sad. even for Ozzy....
Jouten @ Aug 14th 2007 1:48PM
^
|
Make way for the Pessimistic Critic Brigade! LOL
Give the guy a break, he's an entertainer, that's his job. Be happy for him, at least he's still working!
As for 'tired' and 'old' people and franchises... Like it or not Madden is ONE of the reasons that people (general public) even know about video game consoles and it brings either a neutral or positive light on the topic. The only negative light it brings on the industry is from 'us'.
So lighten up! Enjoy Ozzy, enjoy some positive spin on the genre. Just...enjoy...
g.Park @ Aug 14th 2007 2:09PM
Some of us around here take our hobbies seriously, and as such we won't have only positive things to say about them.
Two of my biggest hobbies/interests are metal and games. When I see Ozzy up there embarrassing himself and diluting the genre's credibility, I have a right to be pissed. When I see Madden squandering it's potential to bring new players into the industry, I have a right to be disappointed.
If you like Madden 08 and Ozzy 08, more power to you. But a lot of us here aren't too pleased with either one, and we're entitled to that.
john @ Aug 14th 2007 2:42PM
another madden yay
Pat McRotch @ Aug 14th 2007 8:28PM
What the hell is Ozzy doing there anyway?
Yay, another Madden... I love watching big men in tight pants throw around a ball the same color as poo.