Newsweek's N'Gai Croal spent the weekend hanging out in Miami checking out the Electronic Arts affair leading up to this year's Super Bowl.

With EA monopolizing the rights to make NFL-branded games, this was it in the way of video game related Super Bowl happenings. That's right. no more Sony sponsored Game Before the Game. Instead we had Sony's Challenge a Playmate event, featuring Madden. And we had Microsoft's Madden Bowl 2007.

Croal says EA insists it is working to change their tone, making it "less arrogance, more humility." Could this change in demeanor have something to do with 2K Sports announcing that they are getting back into the videogame football biz? Who cares? What really matters is how the games look come publishing day. And for that I have to say a big thank you for the renewal of competition in this market. Brian Crecente

Double Life: At the 13th Annual Madden Bowl, Electronic Arts' Football Marketing Director Christopher Erb Discusses The Future of Virtual Pigskin [Level Up]

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