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Card-based Madden Ultimate Team mode coming in January
by Justin McElroy 
{ Nov 5th 2009 at 10:06AM } 
Click to open the foil wrapper on a giant version.
Well, this is a rarity: A sports game mode that's too nerdy even for us. When "Madden Ultimate Team" mode comes to Madden 10 on 360 and PS3 for free in January, you'll collect packs of cards (or buy them via the in-game store) and use those cards to compose a fantasy team, customizing everything from your head coach and stadium to your plays and players. You can then pit your ultimate team against those of other players or the CPU. Think fantasy football mixed with ... well, let's be honest, Pokemon.
Wow guys, really? Collectible card game battling? We thought Madden players were supposed to be the cool ones, but you're getting into some really noogie-prone territory here.
Gallery: Madden Ultimate Team mode
Madden NFL Arcade Achievements are funny, disturbing
by Richard Mitchell { Nov 4th 2009 at 7:15PM }
Jay-Z is a gamer; likes Madden and, uh, you know, stuff like Madden
by Ben Gilbert { Oct 29th 2009 at 5:00AM } 
"Immediately, of course, with the success of Guitar Hero, you know, [DJ Hero] piqued my interest, and then on top of that it was something from the hip-hop culture. So, anytime you can, you know, I can expand the genre and introduce it to new audiences and widen it -- you know, the reach of what hip-hop can do -- you know, I'm interested in that," Jay-Z explains in the video interview (embedded after the break).
As far as Jay-Z's gaming roots, that's another story altogether. "I was really a gamer," Jay-Z urges. "Like, ask any of the guys. Like, I used to -- Madden and all these type of games," Jay-Z awkwardly cobbles together, "I was, like, really a problem. Like, those were my things -- for awhile." Presumably, until, you know, he got all that other stuff that impresses us, right? It's okay, Mr. Z -- you don't have to impress us with your gaming prowess, too. It's not like we have the numbers of "the guys" to fact check your claims anyway.
'Big Dawg' vs. Madden lawsuit dismissed
by Richard Mitchell { Oct 16th 2009 at 5:00AM }
According to a report on Cleveland.com, the lawsuit filed against Electronic Arts by Cleveland Browns fan John "Big Dawg" Thompson has been dismissed. The suit had been filed on the grounds that EA featured Thompson's likeness in Madden NFL 09 without his permission. More specifically, the game featured the likeness of Thompson wearing a dog mask and orange hat, a costume he's worn to Cleveland Browns home games for years.Thompson's lawyer, Alan Parker, noted that his client was happy the matter was closed, but noted that details of the dismissal are confidential. Thompson had been seeking damages "in excess of $25,000," so that's one thing he might be happy about. If his Big Dawg mask is sporting some gold teeth and a diamond encrusted hat during the next Browns home game, we'll know for sure.
Madden NFL Arcade coming to XBLA & PSN; $15 this Dec.
by James Ransom-Wiley { Oct 14th 2009 at 11:15AM } 
Click for more highlights!
Dear Download-only Record Holder,
You had a good run -- time to move over. Madden NFL Arcade is coming to town. EA has detailed, priced and dated its bite-sized Madden for Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network. Targeted for the holiday season, Madden Arcade is described as fast-paced, 5-on-5 football. It's a classic backyard scenario -- first to 30; 4 plays per possession; no penalties; no field goals -- draped in NFL glamour.
Following in the tradition of its arcade-football predecessors (NFL Blitz, NFL Street, etc.) and EA's 3-on-3 NHL Arcade, Madden Arcade will feature a 'toonish art style, downsized playing field (60 yards) and 13 "Game Changers" (power-ups), including the ability to freeze your opponents, turn off their passing icons, or enlist an army of lineman to pretty much guarantee a sack. Each match is customizable, too, by altering skill level, points to win and other options, and supports up to 4-player co-op on a single console or 1-vs-1 online.
Madden NFL Arcade will be released this December on XBLA (1200
) and PSN ($14.99). And shortly thereafter, the game is the odds on favorite to become the best-selling download-only title ever. How's the saying go: Don't hate the player? Hate the ...Gallery: Madden NFL Arcade
Reebok goes Madden, gives free PS3 DLC
by Andrew Yoon { Sep 27th 2009 at 6:45AM }
Enjoy!
[Via Slickdeals]
You bet the 'Madden curse' will strike again
by Andrew Yoon { Sep 19th 2009 at 9:30PM }
To enter the pool, players will have to successfully guess which week Fitzgerald will get injured, with 9:1 odds offered for each possible game. With quite a number of games still left to play, the odds are definitely not in your favor. However, should Fitzergald manage to dodge a bullet, all bets will be called off. "If Fitzgerald does not get struck by the curse and remains healthy all regular season the bets will be graded as no-action and all money bet will be returned to the bettor."
It's certainly a morbid concept to spend money on. We wonder if Madden curse victim Michael Vick is getting in on the action ...
Madden 10 for Wii sold only 67K copies in August, EA calls overall sales 'discouraging'
by Randy Nelson { Sep 10th 2009 at 9:45PM }
We first caught wind that an imperfect storm was brewing for this season's Madden offering shortly after kickoff in mid-August. Now we know that not only has Madden 10 for Wii been sacked at retail, but EA is less than happy with the performance of the franchise as a whole thus far in '09.
IndustryGamers received word from NPD that Madden NFL 10 for Wii -- a game touted as being rebuilt from the ground up for Nintendo's console this year, in part to improve sales -- sold only 67,000 copies in the month of August. In comparison, the PS2 version sold 160K copies, with the Xbox 360 SKU selling the best at 928K. This time last year, the Wii installment of Madden 09 sold ... just about 116K copies.
In the same afternoon, Bloomberg reported that EA CEO John Ricitiello emailed his employees a memo that stated, in part, "It is discouraging that one of our highest-rated and best-marketed Madden titles in years is facing strong headwinds." Ricitiello clearly wasn't faulting quality, but rather downward industry sales trends which he admitted "present a challenge." That may be the case, but it doesn't explain the Wii version's shockingly low sales, especially for a franchise that's about as mainstream as they come.
Source -- Madden Wii Sells Just 67K Copies [IndustryGamers]
Source -- Electronic Arts Says 'Madden,' Industry Sales Drop [Bloomberg]
IndustryGamers received word from NPD that Madden NFL 10 for Wii -- a game touted as being rebuilt from the ground up for Nintendo's console this year, in part to improve sales -- sold only 67,000 copies in the month of August. In comparison, the PS2 version sold 160K copies, with the Xbox 360 SKU selling the best at 928K. This time last year, the Wii installment of Madden 09 sold ... just about 116K copies.
In the same afternoon, Bloomberg reported that EA CEO John Ricitiello emailed his employees a memo that stated, in part, "It is discouraging that one of our highest-rated and best-marketed Madden titles in years is facing strong headwinds." Ricitiello clearly wasn't faulting quality, but rather downward industry sales trends which he admitted "present a challenge." That may be the case, but it doesn't explain the Wii version's shockingly low sales, especially for a franchise that's about as mainstream as they come.
Source -- Madden Wii Sells Just 67K Copies [IndustryGamers]
Source -- Electronic Arts Says 'Madden,' Industry Sales Drop [Bloomberg]
August NPD: PS3 sales soar as gamers go batty for Arkham Asylum in a Madden world
by Randy Nelson { Sep 10th 2009 at 8:15PM }
This year's August NPD sales numbers were, as usual, dominated by EA's monolithic Madden franchise -- but who's that creeping out of the shadows? "I'm Batman."
Rocksteady, Warner Bros. and Eidos officially have themselves a critical and commercial hit in Batman: Arkham Asylum, with the game having sold more than half a million copies across PS3 and 360 in its first week on sale. Even the Joker can't laugh at sales like that.
Hardware saw a slight increase for the month, with the exception of PS3, which saw an impressive 72% jump in sales, no doubt due to early sales of the lower-priced 120GB slim SKU. Wii is still the best-selling home console, but its numbers are gradually dipping down into "maybe we should consider a price cut, too" territory. Here's how sales of the stuff we play are games on stacked up:
Rocksteady, Warner Bros. and Eidos officially have themselves a critical and commercial hit in Batman: Arkham Asylum, with the game having sold more than half a million copies across PS3 and 360 in its first week on sale. Even the Joker can't laugh at sales like that.
Hardware saw a slight increase for the month, with the exception of PS3, which saw an impressive 72% jump in sales, no doubt due to early sales of the lower-priced 120GB slim SKU. Wii is still the best-selling home console, but its numbers are gradually dipping down into "maybe we should consider a price cut, too" territory. Here's how sales of the stuff we play are games on stacked up:
-DS: 553K
14K (+2%)-Wii: 277K
24K (+9%)-360: 215K
12K (+6%)-PS3: 210K
88K (+72%)-PSP: 140K
17K (+13%)-PS2: 106K
2K (-2%Check out the software sales chart after the break.
Madden 10 tackles the iPhone
by Andrew Yoon { Sep 9th 2009 at 2:15PM } 
click for Madden 10 iPhone gallery
There's an old (albeit imaginary) adage in the game's industry: If it can play games, Madden will undoubtedly follow. EA Sports is rushing Apple's App Store with a brand new game that takes full advantage of the iPhone's (and iPod's) touch screen. Unlike the console variants, the handheld Madden 10 experience is more accessible to the casual player. Beginners will be able to get by without thinking about the playbook, as the game automatically recommends appropriate plays. The action slows down when the quarterback has the ball, and color-coded icons appear on the screen, indicating the likelihood of making a completion.
In our brief time with the game, it was clear that EA Mobile placed a lot of effort into ensuring Madden could be played in short bursts: not only does the game launch within seconds from the iPhone menu, the game auto-saves after every play, allowing players to stop and resume a match any time they want. Hardcore football fans are likely to appreciate the added depth that casual gamers wil avoid: there are 2000 players in the game, voiced (tinny) commentary from John Madden, and a feature called "Hot Route" which allows players to manually draw plays to carry out. A ridiculous number of stats are also tracked by the game with full sorting, so you can know exactly who has the highest 3rd down conversion ratio in the league.
The game will be available for $9.99 in the App Store, though you can snag it for a discounted $7.99 today. We've been told that multiplayer is being worked on, as well as DLC, such as roster updates and "authentic jerseys."
Gallery: Madden 10 (iPhone)
Analyst: Madden 10 sales 'slightly' below expectations
by Richard Mitchell { Aug 19th 2009 at 9:20PM }
Not to worry though, as Sebastian believes the recent PS3 price cut, along with an expected 360 price cut and the beginning of the back-to-school season "could provide a later lift" for the game. We hope so -- because we're really hoping for a sequel.
Trophies: Madden 10
by Andrew Yoon { Aug 18th 2009 at 11:52AM }
Some copies of Madden 10 missing 'Online Franchise' DLC codes
by Ben Gilbert { Aug 14th 2009 at 12:30PM }
Panic broke out at EA's forums over the situation, but EA Sports told Joystiq this morning that a fix is on the way. "We are aware of the situation and we're working towards a solution right now," EA's Rob Semsey told us. The one-time use DLC code is supposed to be on the back of the manual in the game's box, but due to the "printing process of the manuals," some folks are getting copies without any code. Worse? The DLC has already landed on Xbox Live and PlayStation Network, giving some Madden 10 owners the impression that they were expected to pay for the content -- despite having purchased a new copy on launch day.
EA says we'll get more official word on a solution "very soon," but for now we suggest following Madden 10 lead designer Ian Cummings' tweeted suggestion of calling the customer support line.
Gallery: Madden 10: PS3/360
Sports Illustrated subscription and Madden 10 bundled for only $49
by Andrew Yoon { Aug 10th 2009 at 10:30AM }
If you do take advantage of the deal, make sure you watch out for the auto-renewal option. You'll have to cancel your subscription before it ends, or SI will charge you for another year when your subscription ends.
[Thanks, Colin M.!]
Madden 10 DLC lets you buy injury healing, retirement prevention, 'Elite Status,' more
by Andrew Yoon { Aug 8th 2009 at 12:00PM }
- Super Superstar - Downloading this will enable your Superstar to get maximum progression for the length of his career.
- Pick A Superstar - Downloading this will allow you to pick any NFL player to start Superstar mode with.
- Dig Deep - For one play, your players respond to the challenges of the moment. All players receive a 10% boost to all stats.
- Game Day Instincts - For one game, your coaching staff is in the zone. All players receive a 5% boost to all stats; can be used once per year, per franchise.
- PK Scout - Download this to use a special scout who will reveal all true stats for Punter and Kicker prospects in the upcoming offseason. This is usable in Franchise only.
- Play Through the Pain - Using this allows for one player to recover from any injury no matter what the severity; usable once per season, per franchise.
- Not Done Yet - Downloading this allows you to keep one player out of retirement for one more year; usable once per season, per franchise. This is used in Franchise Mode only.
[Thanks, Ryan!]
