Get the 'free' Madden Xbox 360 demo for only $5.97

by Kevin Kelly { Aug 1st 2008 at 10:55PM }

We walked into 7-11 today while representatives were setting up the massive marketing onslaught of Madden NFL 09, and it's a full blitz. There are standees, posters, chip racks, Big Gulp plastic collectible cups, and even Madden sandwiches. That's right, Madden sandwiches. Boom. We feel as confused as the digital Terrell Owens in that photo.

As a "special deal" they're offering a FREE Xbox 360 Madden NFL 09 demo... if you purchase a "Madden Sub" ($3.59 for a turkey and cheddar sub, with maybe half a leaflet of lettuce on it), a .99 bag of Doritos (your choice of scent/flavor!) and any "Gulp" or larger drink. We didn't even know there were just plain old "Gulps."

Find out what kind of idiot buys something you can get online at home free, after the break.

That's right. Joystiq did it. What can we say? We were hungry, and we like free stuff. Plus it saves us the trouble of a 1.1 GB download. The disc includes DVD highlights of several NFL videos including The Quarterbacks, Moment of Impact, The NFL's Greatest Follies: Volume 3, Just One Play, and... Chuck? That's right, DVD highlights of NBC's Chuck. We don't get it either. Nom nom nom.

Tags: 09, Demo, Electronic-Arts, Football, Madden, Madden-NFL-09, NFL, Sports

Related From Joystiq

Madden 10 has shipped 3.9 million copies
7 hours ago
Wal-Mart offering $100 gift card with purchase of Xbox 360 Arcade
6 days ago
Madden NFL Arcade coming to XBLA & PSN; $15 this Dec.
27 days ago

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

The_Punisher @ Aug 1st 2008 11:00PM

This post is so great.

Saria the Cat @ Aug 3rd 2008 4:25AM

The "nom nom nom" made me giggle.

Neebs @ Aug 1st 2008 11:03PM

Was it good?

E.J. @ Aug 2nd 2008 6:09AM

If it's not a turducken sandwich, it's not worth it.

colin @ Aug 1st 2008 11:07PM

i hope you didn't put that on the company credit card.

Eh @ Aug 2nd 2008 4:23PM

I would question my employees decision making skills after that purchase. $6 for an old sandwich in a bag from 7-11... wtf

Edward Dean @ Aug 1st 2008 11:09PM

It may be stupid, but it got you to buy their food, didn't it?

spyyder @ Aug 1st 2008 11:09PM

Only a 360 owner would be that cavalier with their money. They already overpaid, for an nonperforming, typically non-working machine. Marketing execs figure, we already fooled the dopes into paying us for monthly online access, might as well charge'em for the content they already paid to get access to.

indoshindo @ Aug 1st 2008 11:13PM

Just like ps3 owners had to pay $40 to play a demo of GT5 .. called prologue??

dark_inchworm @ Aug 1st 2008 11:45PM

You got marbles in your mouth, spyyder.

Obie @ Aug 1st 2008 11:51PM

@indoshindo: GG man haha!

Ben @ Aug 2nd 2008 1:36AM

Underperforming? If there's anything that's underperforming, it's the PS3's cell processor. Not that it's not powerful, it's that it doesn't ever get used to its full potential, and it's Sony's fault. Check out the recent interview of John Carmack over at 1UP, and you'll see what I'm talking about. It's sad that it takes twice as long to optimize a PS3 game just to run as smoothly as a 360 game. He basically says the 360 is just as powerful, if not more powerful (practically, not technically) than the PS3 and the only thing that's keeping the 360 back is the lack of high density media (like Blu-ray). So, if anyone (over)paid for underperformance, it's you.
http://www.gamevideos.com/video/id/20047

Bauer22 @ Aug 2nd 2008 2:00AM

You make me ashamed to say I have a PS3. :(

j.howlett @ Aug 2nd 2008 2:54AM

i didn't have to pay for gt5 prologue

Vault @ Aug 2nd 2008 11:26AM

My fanboy senses are tingling!

Eric @ Aug 2nd 2008 2:43PM

This is the genius that stated HD-DVD is the only viable format.

So of course the XB360 is a huge flop, do they even sell them in America? (Don't slip in the sarcasm)

What a sad little man, probably from Alabama.

BPM [MSN: BPMdotEXE @ hotmail.com] @ Aug 1st 2008 11:15PM

"We"? You guys all went to the same 7-11 and ate the same sandwich? ;P

Sorry, guys, but you really need to lay off on the hivemind typing.

NoHitHair @ Aug 1st 2008 11:50PM

My friend and I were discussing this the other day. Joystiq's posts are very inconsistent: few post from a first person singular perspective and the rest as a collective speaking for this site. The problem with the latter is stories such as this one where it simply doesn't make any sense.

I really wish you guys would stop attempting to speak for the entire staff. You're each one person.

Kia @ Aug 2nd 2008 12:07AM

Agreed. I've said this many a time on the other fanboy blogs. They say Weblogs, Inc. makes them write like that, but I think it's BS.

Regardless, it's still stupid. Needs to quit. Now. =\

007craft @ Aug 2nd 2008 10:07AM

yeah cause in one post they say something like "our favorite game is halo" then in the next post they will say "our favorite game is halo 3". It cant be both.

And saying they think a crappy game is so great sometimes is annoying when they put "we" because it may just be 1 of 10 who thinks that, but now the readers get the image of lots of people actually liking that crappy game.

BrotherSimon @ Aug 1st 2008 11:16PM

epic fail

Wiinterfang @ Aug 1st 2008 11:18PM

Oh men, the 7/11 on puerto rico all broke, they take all of them away :(.

juju187 @ Aug 2nd 2008 8:42AM

the schools must be still on strike down there too...

Wiinterfang @ Aug 2nd 2008 2:04PM

The strike was over months ago but nobody won anything.

J @ Aug 1st 2008 11:18PM

This stuff has been set up in My 7-11 since mid july. I already have my madden reserved there. If you buy a snickers at purchase of madden 08 you get $10 off.

juju187 @ Aug 2nd 2008 8:42AM

can it be snickers ice cream

Saria the Cat @ Aug 3rd 2008 4:22AM

Holy crap, Snickers ice cream is delicious. *wanders out into the middle of the night in search of one*

reppy @ Aug 1st 2008 11:19PM

So, how'd Madden 09 taste?

ExMcCloud @ Aug 2nd 2008 12:24AM

I guess like a snickers according to our sarcastic friend above us...lol

Rob Accomando @ Aug 1st 2008 11:19PM

so you get to play the demo and have exploding diarrhea at the same time? AWESOME

Luke @ Aug 2nd 2008 12:57AM

Get that out of my head right now!

Bob @ Aug 1st 2008 11:22PM

Chuck FTW!!!

theturtle363 @ Aug 1st 2008 11:34PM

SPICY SWEET CHILI?!!! BAD CHOICE JOYSTIQ!!!

NukeAssault @ Aug 2nd 2008 12:03AM

Stephen Colbert told me i have to love them... Or he wont let me watch his show.

Neil @ Aug 1st 2008 11:51PM

This article is Priceless.

DigTheDoug @ Aug 2nd 2008 12:21AM

Actually, it was $3.59.

Neil @ Aug 2nd 2008 12:58AM

Hehe....indeed. :P

JagerQ @ Aug 1st 2008 11:51PM

Eh, I guess if you don't got the tubes running to your house and into your xbox...

iNNeR_KaoS @ Aug 1st 2008 11:53PM

Hi...

Yeah, some of us can't afford the bandwidth, and this would seem like a good idea. Food? Check. Drink? Check. Chips? Check. Disc? Check.

Murmaider, murmaider, murmaider, murmaider...

Young_Nastyman @ Aug 2nd 2008 3:05PM

But beware
For when you quench your blood thirst
Others will seek their vengeance on you
And they won't rest
Until you're dead

They'll have their:

Shiv? Check.
Pipe? Check.
Hammer? Check.
Axe? Check.
Subject? Check.
Location? Check.
Desire? Check.
Vengeance? Check.

xGeneral DEATHx @ Aug 3rd 2008 7:22AM

Awesome reference! +1...Still..."Detharmonic" is their best...ever.

joe tkocs @ Aug 1st 2008 11:56PM

It looks like stole the background of that sign from old Sega Genesis game covers!

On a side note, I'm still slightly upset that when I got my Genesis, I was sent Buster Douglas Boxing as my free game instead of Joe Montana Football! Yes, for you young kids out there, when the Genesis first came out, you got Altered Beast as a pack-in cart as well as another game to be named later. You had to mail in the receipt/UPC/etc., pick a game, and Sega would mail it to you.