Artists scheduled to appear include headliners Good Charlotte, Busta Rhymes, Rev Theory, Airbourne, From First to Last and Young Dre The Truth. Sounds like a worthy successor to the traditional Maddenoliday, more than enough to hold us until they add the word Madden to the front of some new festive term.

EA Kicks-Off Madden NFL 09 Launch with Maddenpalooza Celebration
Madden NFL 09 Music Soundtrack Artist Good Charlotte to Headline Fan Festival

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) announced today that Madden NFL 09 will celebrate its launch with Maddenpalooza, a music, sports and gaming fan festival hosted at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California on August 11. To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the award-winning Madden NFL franchise and the release of Madden NFL 09, Maddenpalooza will run from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. the day before the official August 12 launch date. The event will feature live musical performances by bands from past and current Madden NFL soundtracks, including Good Charlotte who will headline the music stage. In addition to the music performances, Maddenpalooza attendees can enjoy a number of fan-friendly festivities including autograph signing stations with retired NFL legends, interactive NFL activities, 300 Xbox 360® gaming kiosks to play Madden NFL 09, and a Wal-mart pop-up store where customers can be among the first to purchase their copy of Madden NFL 09.

”Maddenpalooza will truly be a celebration of the 20th anniversary of one of the most popular video games in history,” said Director of Marketing Chris Erb. “The fan festival will provide an interactive experience for Madden fans to come together and experience Madden NFL 09 before its launch.”

Each summer, the launch of Madden NFL has emerged as a highly anticipated event that wins the attention of both consumers and media across the country. Past Madden NFL launches have centered around the concept of Maddenoliday, where thousands of Madden NFL fans flocked to stores and took the day off from work and school to immerse themselves in that year’s copy of Madden NFL. This year, with Maddenpalooza, EA SPORTS™ will take it to the next level for the 20th anniversary of Madden NFL. Hosted at the Rose Bowl, the stadium where John Madden and the 1976 Oakland Raiders won their first Super Bowl, Maddenpalooza brings together the impressive mix of elements from sports, entertainment and video games that have made the Madden NFL franchise an American pop culture icon.

In addition to Good Charlotte, whose song “The Anthem” first appeared on the Madden NFL 03 soundtrack, other music acts scheduled to perform include Busta Rhymes, Rev Theory, Airbourne, From First to Last and Young Dre The Truth. Each of these bands will perform throughout the day – leading up to the first sales of Madden NFL 09 which will begin at 9 p.m. PST at the Wal-mart pop-up store located within the Rose Bowl stadium.

Admission to Maddenpalooza is free, tickets will be distributed through the Los Angeles based radio station KIIS, as well as various other local radio stations and promotional partners. There will also be a limited amount of tickets available at the Rose Bowl on August 11 through a first-come-first-serve basis.

Madden NFL 09, the First Sports Game That Adapts To You, introduces over 85 new features and enhancements. Whether you are a seasoned veteran, or a franchise rookie, Madden NFL 09 will continuously asses your skills and adjust the gameplay to keep the experience both fun and challenging, all while training gamers to become better Madden players. Madden NFL 09 also includes a brand-new broadcast presentation package featuring Cris Collinsworth and Tom Hammond, online leagues, and the most realistic graphics in franchise history.

Madden NFL 09 is developed in Orlando, Florida by the award-winning EA Tiburon studio, which also produces NCAA® Football, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® and NASCAR® racing.

Madden NFL 09 will be available for the Xbox® and Xbox 360® video game systems from Microsoft, PlayStation®2 and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment systems, Wii™, Nintendo DS™, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) handheld entertainment system and is rated E by the ESRB.

EA SPORTS™ is the leading interactive sports software brand in the world, with top-selling titles and franchises including Madden NFL football, FIFA Soccer, NHL® hockey, NBA LIVE basketball, NCAA® Football, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® and NASCAR® racing.

For more information about Madden NFL 09, check out www.madden09.com.

“Madden NFL revolutionized the industry by making music of multiple genres – from both established acts and brand-new artists – an essential emotional component of the videogame experience and the NFL season itself... Not only have we changed the gaming culture forever, we continue to move the needle musically for millions of people around the world. Madden NFL will always be recognized as the game that made the music matter in videogames.”

So what's on this most important of soundtracks? Disturbed, Franz Ferdinand, The All-American Rejects, The Offspring, Busta Rhymes with Linkin Park..the usual suspects really. Expect EA to make a huge deal out of them though, with viral videos, a special issue of Billboard magazine, and beginning the week of August 4th they'll be a different Madden artist performing each night on a "popular late night show". Hit the jump for more details, along with the full 26-song track listing.

EA Celebrates 20 Years of Madden Music With Announcement of the Madden NFL 09 Soundtrack
One of the Most Influential Soundtracks in Videogame History Returns With Major Events, Tracks from Busta Rhymes featuring Linkin Park, Disturbed and The Offspring

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) today unveiled the music track listing for Madden NFL 09, set to release August 12, 2008. The new soundtrack features 26 songs from a multi-genre roster of superstar acts and soon-to-breakthrough artists, including Franz Ferdinand, Good Charlotte, Airbourne, From First To Last, The All-American Rejects, Rev Theory, K’Naan, and Kidz In The Hall. Madden NFL, the biggest-selling sports franchise in videogame history, celebrates its 20th anniversary this year with a full slate of live music events, tributes and television appearances leading up the game’s street date.

“Madden NFL is the foundation of what we do and sets the standard for every soundtrack we create,” said Steve Schnur, Worldwide Executive of Music and Marketing for EA. “Madden NFL revolutionized the industry by making music of multiple genres – from both established acts and brand-new artists – an essential emotional component of the videogame experience and the NFL season itself. This 20th Anniversary Edition soundtrack celebrates that legacy like never before, complete with marketing events that take the excitement to a whole new level. Not only have we changed the gaming culture forever, we continue to move the needle musically for millions of people around the world. Madden NFL will always be recognized as the game that made the music matter in videogames.”

The highlights of the Madden NFL 09 soundtrack include genre-bending collaborations by Busta Rhymes featuring Linkin Park and Young Dre, The Truth featuring Good Charlotte, as well as returning Madden NFL hit makers Franz Ferdinand, Gym Class Heroes (both with pre-album prerelease tracks), All American Rejects, Shinedown, Senses Fail, Disturbed, The Offspring and Airbourne. The soundtrack’s trend of introducing emerging artists continues with 12 new acts that include The Fashion, Kardinal Offishall featuring Lindo P, In Flames, Innerpartysystem, Hollywood Undead, Mindless Self Indulgence, Izza Kizza, Trivium, Kovas and Tyga.

Cross-promotional events leading up to the game’s release include a series of :60 viral videos for tracks featured in the game, a special Madden Music Anniversary tribute issue of Billboard on newsstands July 13th, as well as other marketing partnerships to be announced in the near future. Beginning the week of August 4th, a different Madden NFL 09 soundtrack artist will perform live each night on a popular late night show.

Over the past decade, the Madden NFL soundtrack has launched premier artists that include Good Charlotte, OK GO, Fallout Boy, Franz Ferdinand, Avenged Sevenfold, Bullet For My Valentine, Yellowcard, Dashboard Confessional, Jet, Ozomatli and 30 Seconds To Mars, and featured such superstars as Green Day, Outkast, Foo Fighters, blink-182, Bon Jovi, Ozzy Osbourne, The Hives, Timbaland featuring Justin Timberlake and Sum 41.

The complete in-game soundtrack for Madden NFL 09 features the following 26 songs:

ARTIST SONG
Airbourne Stand Up For Rock ‘N Roll
Busta Rhymes feat. Linkin Park We Made It
Disturbed Inside The Fire
Franz Ferdinand Lucid Dreams
From First To Last Worlds Away
Gym Class Heroes I’m Home
Hollywood Undead Undead
In Flames The Mirror’s Truth
Innerpartysystem Don’t Stop
Izza Kizza Millionaire
K’NAAN ABC’s
Kardinal Offishall feat. Lindo P Burnt
Kidz In The Hall Blackout
KOVAS Wax On, Wax Off
Mindless Self Indulgence Never Wanted To Dance
Rev Theory Hey Yeah
Senses Fail Wolves At The Door
Shinedown Devour
The All-American Rejects The Real World (Demo)
The Fashion Like Knives
The Offspring Hammerhead
Trivium Into The Mouth Of…We March
Tyga Diamond Life
Underoath Desperate Times, Desperate Measures
Wale feat. Southeast Slim Breakdown
Young Dre The Truth feat. Good Charlotte Workin’

The web-based service of Fantasy Football, which will be free, and the paid applications for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 for fantasy football are expected to hit later this summer.

“EA SPORTS Fantasy Football this year takes fantasy football leagues to the next level,” said EA SPORTS Fantasy Football Executive Producer Jeremy Strauser. “Through our draft day and live scoring applications we have made fantasy football a truly interactive and innovative experience. In addition, we have created integration between our EA SPORTS Fantasy Football product and Madden NFL 09 which gives the football gamer the complete football gaming experience.”

Gamers will be able to download a Fantasy Football Live Draft Tracker to the 360 or PS3 which will give them the ability to view video clips and hear EA expert commentary. The Live Score Tracker, another download, will track fantasy football scores, delivering them either in full screen mode with rosters and details or a more compact picture-in-picture mode.

Hit up the jump for more screens, the full release and to speculate on what exactly the price tag will be.

EA Sports Fantasy Football [EA Sports]

EA SPORTS™ FANTASY FOOTBALL DELIVERS INNOVATIVE CONSOLE-BASED TOOLS AND IN-GAME INTEGRATION WITH MADDEN NFL 09

EA SPORTS™ Fantasy Football is the Complete Fantasy Football Experience

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., - June 16, 2008 – Electronic Arts Inc., (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced today that EA SPORTS™ Fantasy Football will be launching a new website, fantasy.EASPORTS.com and will have fantasy football applications specific to the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system later this summer. The web-based service of EA SPORTS Fantasy Football is free, while members of Xbox LIVE or PLAYSTATION 3 Network will have the opportunity to download the innovative fantasy football applications for a fee. In addition, for the first time ever, gamers will have the ability to play their fantasy football squad in Madden NFL 09. EA Experts, a team of internal fantasy football gurus, returns and serves as a go-to source for all fantasy football information.

“EA SPORTS Fantasy Football this year takes fantasy football leagues to the next level,” said EA SPORTS Fantasy Football Executive Producer Jeremy Strauser. “Through our draft day and live scoring applications we have made fantasy football a truly interactive and innovative experience. In addition, we have created integration between our EA SPORTS Fantasy Football product and Madden NFL 09 which gives the football gamer the complete football gaming experience.”

Exclusive to EA SPORTS Fantasy Football customers, gamers will have the ability to download the EA SPORTS Fantasy Football Live Draft Tracker application and experience a fantasy draft that includes all of the fanfare and presentation of an authentic professional football draft on their Xbox 360 or PLAYSTATION 3. The days of paper draft boards are over and gamers can view video clips and hear the EA Experts team provide commentary on top players. Moreover, gamers will be able to track their EA SPORTS Fantasy Football teams and leagues through the EA SPORTS Fantasy Football Live Score Tracker application, which is also available via download from Xbox LIVE or PLAYSTATION 3 Network. The fantasy scores can be viewed in two ways: full screen mode with complete rosters and details or picture-in-picture mode which allows gamers to keep an eye on scoring updates while watching live football action.

If you’ve ever wanted to test your fantasy team against others in the Madden NFL franchise, EA SPORTS Fantasy Football now gives you the opportunity. Through the website, players designate which fantasy team will be imported into Madden NFL 09. This fantasy team is a fully-functional created team and can be played in all areas available to created teams, including online head-to-head games, providing the ultimate football gaming experience.

EA SPORTS Fantasy Football is an officially licensed product of NFL PLAYERS, the licensing and marketing subsidiary of the NFL Players Association.

EA SPORTS Fantasy Football is developed in Orlando, Florida by the award-winning EA Tiburon studio, which also produces Madden NFL 09, NCAA® Football, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® and NASCAR® racing.

EA SPORTS™ is the leading interactive sports software brand in the world, with top-selling titles and franchises including Madden NFL football, FIFA Soccer, NHL®, NBA LIVE, NCAA® Football, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® and NASCAR® racing.

The graphics whore within wishes that Madden NFL 09 looked like this all the time (and that a holographic John Madden could be called upon for advice at any moment, should we need to know the barbeque time on sausages or find out if Ace hardware had something in stock). We think the "Madden IQ Test" revealed last month is a fantastic introduction for people who are terrible at virtual football, as I am, so that they can have a good measure of their skill level before playing. Maybe it's just so easy to place John in an AT-AT or Death Star transmission with that bluish interlaced look he's got. It's slimming!

Madden NFL 09 - IQ Test: Rushing Offense HD [GameTrailers]

That feature and the "Backtrack" function—which illustrates how you blew a play with on field graphics and voiceovers—look like they're going to go a long way to help relapsed Madden players and noobs figure out the intricacies of the venerable football series. GameSpot's preview of Madden NFL 09 is far more enlightening, should you be interested in seeing what this year's entry has to offer.

Madden NFL 09 First Hands-On [GameSpot]

We think it's actually a neat little feature, if only for its strategic shutting down of big plays (and big flubs) and allowing for scores to be settled over and over again. Personally, I think EA should add it to the online mode. Oh, wait. There's Madden NFL 2010 to consider. Maybe next year!

Do Over! Madden Mondays Week 6: EA SPORTS REWIND [GameStop Blog]

The bad news? It's shipping about a month after the packed-in version.

In virtual draft news, EA says that NFL Head Coach 09 has picked Jake Long as the number on draft pick courtesy of a simulation that... zzzzzz...

He says on his official EA blog that the PC "presents some very serious business challenges to us in the sports category, particularly because so many of you all are playing your favorite sports games on the PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii." Moore goes on to say that Madden isn't the only PC effort being scrapped, but lines the whole thing with a bit of spun silver, writing that "We do have ideas for how to revitalize the PC for sports games and the types of games that are best suited to the platform, and we'll continue to explore those."

The news doesn't seem to be sitting well with PC-only Madden players, who suggest that EA Sports "EAT A ***" though we're not sure what that means. Another commenter asks "WFT Peter? NO PC??", suggesting that Peter "needs grow some balls instead of hair!" which certainly gives us a lot to think about.

Obviously, EA likes to make money and would take the cancellation of a key franchise on an extremely popular platform seriously. We just have to wonder how profitable it was becoming to continue support for Windows-only virtual footballers.

Madden 20th Anniversary and More! [EA]

The traditional twentieth anniversary gift is china, so we hope EA follows suit with a special porcelain case or a John Madden commemorative Hummel figurine. The full press release, with Peter Moore and Chris Erb quotes about how exciting this year will be, is after this.

EA Announces Madden NFL 09 Official Ship Date and Special Collector's Edition

Madden NFL 09 20th Anniversary Collector's Edition, including NFL Head Coach 09, Available This Summer

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) announced today that Madden NFL 09 will be available in retail stores in North America on August 12, including a special collector's edition in celebration of the 20th anniversary of one of the best-selling video game franchises of all time. The Madden NFL 09 20th Anniversary Collector's Edition will be the ultimate interactive NFL experience - featuring full versions of both Madden NFL 09 and the all-new NFL Head Coach 09, exclusive classic Madden NFL gameplay, and an extensive library of exclusive bonus video content.

"The Madden NFL franchise has a rich history, and we're proud to be celebrating it with this definitive video game package," says Peter Moore, president of EA SPORTS. "Featuring two deep and innovative new standalone games, as well as a host of exclusive bonus content, the Madden NFL 09 20th Anniversary Collector's Edition is the ultimate interactive offering for both long-time Madden NFL fans and anyone who enjoys football on Sundays. I can't think of a better way to get your NFL fix than to enjoy everything that's unique about both Madden NFL 09 and NFL Head Coach 09, and then connecting and sharing content from both."

Whether you prefer to make your moves on the field, from the sidelines or in the front office, the Madden NFL 09 20th Anniversary Collector's Edition has something for every football fan. Madden NFL 09 will feature the most immersive gameplay, the richest online offerings and the most comprehensive feature depth in the history of the franchise, while NFL Head Coach 09 has been reinvented to provide a unique new NFL experience by allowing fans to be in total control of their favorite franchises. The two games offer unique experiences and then can even interact with one another with gamers being able to import their user-designed plays from NFL Head Coach 09 and put them into Madden NFL 09 to create customized playbooks for complete control on the field.

"Both Madden NFL 09 and NFL Head Coach 09 are deep and unique gaming experiences that will truly immerse sports fans of all ages, skill levels and playing styles," says Chris Erb, EA SPORTS director of marketing. "With the Madden NFL 09 20th Anniversary Collector's Edition, we're bringing two great NFL games together to create the definitive football offering."

NFL Head Coach 09 provides the complete NFL coaching experience, offering a variety of different ways to control an NFL franchise, on and off the field, in-season and off-season. With strategic game-planning features, NFL Head Coach 09 places gamers in the coach's seat by allowing gamers to comprehensively scout the opponent, build custom playbooks, and develop a team that will adapt to the philosophy and system of an NFL franchise.

Last year's Madden NFL 08 was honored with various awards, including the 2007 Game Critics "Best Sports Game" award at last year's E3 Media and Business Summit, "Best Team Sports Game" from the Spike TV Video Games Awards, "Best Sports Game of the Year" by GameTrailers' 2007 Game of the Year Awards, GameSpot's "Best Sports Game" Reader's Choice Award, and the "Best Sports Games" of 2007 by MSNBC. Over the past 20 years, the Madden NFL franchise has sold over 70 million* copies and has been established as one of the most revered sports video games in the industry. Since 2002, Madden NFL has been the number one selling sports game** each year in North America.

Both Madden NFL 09 and NFL Head Coach 09 are developed in Orlando, Florida by the award-winning EA Tiburon studio, which also produces NCAA® Football, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® and NASCAR® racing.

Madden NFL 09 will be available for the Xbox 360™ video game system from Microsoft, PlayStation®2 and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment systems, Wii™, Nintendo DS™, PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable) handheld entertainment system and is rated RP by the ESRB. NFL Head Coach 09 is scheduled to ship only as a part of the Madden NFL 09 20th Anniversary Collector's Edition, which, at a suggested retail price of $89.99 for the complete package of Madden NFL 09 and NFL Head Coach 09 plus additional exclusive bonus content, will ship on the Xbox 360™ and PLAYSTATION®3.

EA SPORTS™ is the leading interactive sports software brand in the world, with top-selling titles and franchises including Madden NFL football, FIFA Soccer, NHL® hockey, NBA LIVE basketball, NCAA® Football, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® and NASCAR® racing.

For more information about Madden NFL 09 and NFL Head Coach 09, please visit www.madden09.com

* Based on internal sales data

** According to the NPD Group

About Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is the world's leading interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, cellular handsets and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTS™, EA™, EA SPORTS BIG™ and POGO™. In fiscal 2007, EA posted revenue of $3.09 billion and had 24 titles that sold more than one million copies. EA's homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA's products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.

Electronic Arts today announced that they've extended their exclusive agreement with the NFL and the Players Association for another three years, meaning the publisher has the only agreement in place with the league for creating licensed football games through the 2012/2013 season.

"We've just completed a period of renegotiations with the NFL for a three year extension of our current deal," Peter Moore said in an interview with Kotaku. He added that Electronic Arts plans to expand that license to include games beyond Madden, including, potentially, a fantasy football title.

Moore said had they not locked down the NFL license soon the publisher would have had to start making decisions about "redeploying" the team who would have been starting work on Madden 2010 in eight months or so.

Moore declined to comment directly on rumors that Electronic Arts has been in talks with the NBA to land a similar exclusive deal, but he did say it wasn't the way EA operates.

"The deal we had with the NFL it was instigated by the NFL, it wasn't EA going after them," he said. "The NFL tendered for the exclusive license and EA bid on the license."

This year marks the 20th Anniversary of Madden a franchise that Moore said has a "legacy of innovation" and one he says will continue to innovate.

I asked Moore if the Madden franchise might ever make the leap from retail distribution to digital, perhaps episodic distribution and he said not anytime soon.

"Sports has that opportunity... to have levels or different types of teams delivered digitally, but I think we are a long way away from that," he said. "The model we currently have, where we have the game on the disc and updates every few weeks and some micro-transactions works for us. We continue to look at that, but we're still away from truly episodic."

Moore said that EA is looking at making a bigger push in the fantasy football arena.

"We do have a fantasy product, but we haven't been able to break through with it," he said. "I think there is an opportunity to bring our 3D engine to fantasy in the future."

Moore said he also feels there is potential for Madden broadening its and football's reach in Europe, something that is one of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell commitments for the year.

"It's never goint to challenge soccer (in Europe) let's be clear, but I think there's enough Americana in the game that there will be this fascination for people to watch it," he said. "A great number of consumers have been introduced to sports through video games. My son learned most of the games he plays now through games like Madden or World Series baseball."

Unfortunately, the experience of driving in 3D on a plasma television with oversized glasses fails to impress. Samsung claims that with the tech, "you can feel you are in the game" the only feeling I got was one of nausea. The constant flicker and ghosting of your ride doesn't do much for the sensation of depth. It's hard to imagine the product being anything more than a novelty or lending itself to long gaming sessions.. but it's perfect for a five minute distraction at CES!

Further driving the Latino appeal home is new cover athlete Luis Castillo of the San Diego Chargers, pictured prancing about above.

No information on whether perfect translations for Maddenisms like "Boom!", "Where'd that truck come from?!" or "That was a perfect pass" but we'll know for sure when Madden NFL 08 en Español ships to North and Latin America later this year on the PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360.

Alright, let's get that conversation going, folks.

Sales of the Xbox 360 critical darling BioShock outsold its first person competition Metroid Prime 3: Corruption by more than two-to-one during the month of August. Keep in mind the latter was on the market for one less week than 2K's insta-hit, but it still bodes well for a BioShock sequel.

The top ten selling games in the U.S. for August are listed below. More after the break.

01. Madden NFL 08 (Xbox 360) - 896,600
02. Madden NFL 08 (PS2) - 643,600
03. BioShock (Xbox 360) - 490,900
04. Madden NFL 08 (PS3) - 336,200
05. Wii Play (Wii) - 256,800
06. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Wii) - 218,100
07. Mario Strikers Charged (Wii) - 147,400
08. Guitar Hero II (PS2) - 145,400
09. Mario Party 8 (Wii) - 138,300
10. Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s (PS2) - 127,100

11. Madden NFL 08 (Wii)
12. Madden NFL 08 (Xbox)
13. Brain Age 2: More Training In Minutes A Day (DS)
14. Two Worlds (Xbox 360)
15. Pokemon Diamond (DS)
16. High School Musical: Makin' The Cut (DS)
17. Guitar Hero II (Xbox 360)
18. Madden NFL 08 (PSP)
19. Pokemon Pearl (DS)
20. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 (Xbox 360)

Sales for Activision's Guitar Hero franchise continue to impress, as does Nintendo's first party Wii efforts. A month of stellar sales totaling some $488 million across consoles and handheld gaming machines shows an $89 million boost over the previous August. Go video game industry!

Thanks to the NPD Group for August sales figures.

Apple stock was up 5.01 (4.28%) on news that probably had nothing to do with this at all. Full press release after the jump.

EA SHIPS FOUR GAMES FOR THE MAC

First EA-Published Titles Ever for Mac OS X

Redwood Shores, Calif., - August 17, 2007 - Electronic Arts Inc., (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced that
Battlefield 2142TM, Need for SpeedTM Carbon, Harry Potter and the Order of the PhoenixTM and Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium WarsTM are now available to order for Mac users. These are the first games ever published by EA for Mac OS X, Apple's advanced operating system. Users can go to the Apple Store (www.apple.com) to purchase the games today.

All games will also be available at Apple's retail stores nationwide. Need for Speed Carbon and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix will be available on Tuesday, August 21, and Battlefield 2142 and Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars will be available on Tuesday, August 28.

The first games from EA for the Mac are:

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, licensed by
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Harry's fifth year at Hogwarts is shaping up to be his most exciting yet. Fearing that Hogwarts' venerable Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, is lying about the return of Voldemort in order to undermine his power, Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge appoints a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher to keep watch over Dumbledore and the students. But Professor Dolores Umbridge's ministry-approved course leaves the young wizards woefully unprepared, so Hermione, Ron and Harry form "Dumbledore's Army" with the goal of preparing themselves and other courageous young wizards for the extraordinary battle that looms against VoldemortTM and his Death Eaters.

Need for Speed Carbon - What starts in the city is settled in the canyons as Need for Speed Carbon
immerses you in the world's most dangerous and adrenaline-filled form of street racing. You and your crew must race in an all-out war for the city, risking everything to take over your rivals' neighborhoods one block at a time. As the police turn up the heat, the battle ultimately shifts to Carbon Canyon, where territories and reputations can be lost on every perilous curve.

Battlefield 2142 - Earth, 2142. As a new ice age depletes the planet's resources, two massive multinational coalitions wage a brutal war for the only cause that matters—survival. Armed with a devastating arsenal of futuristic weaponry and gear, including active camouflage, EMP grenades, and sentry guns, plus Battle Walkers and vast airborne bases called Titans, you must coordinate the efforts of your teammates to win the war for Earth's last fragile pieces of livable land. With extensive improvements to the groundbreaking Battlefield 2TM ranking and upgrade system and the new Titan gameplay mode, Battlefield 2142 brings the franchise's award-winning online warfare into a harsh and desperate future.

Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars - The year is 2047. A massive nuclear fireball explodes high in the
night sky, marking the dramatic beginning of the Third Tiberium War and the long-awaited return of the most groundbreaking Real-Time Strategy franchise of all time. Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars unveils the future of RTS gaming by bringing you back to where it all began: the Tiberium Universe. With the corrupt substance Tiberium blanketing most of the Earth, the infamous Kane is back to lead his Brotherhood of Nod in a massive global assault on the Global Defense Initiative (GDI) and the few remaining livable Blue Zones left on the planet. Only you can stop him. Featuring state-of-the-art next-generation graphics, an epic story, and truly innovative features such as the ability to transform online battles into a spectator sport, Command & Conquer is about to reinvent RTS gaming ... again. Welcome back, Commander.

Further rounding out EA's portfolio of Mac games is the release of Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® 08 and
Madden NFL 08 in the September/October window.

In addition to these games, other EA titles available for Mac include The SimsTM 2, The Sims 2 Open for
Business, The Sims 2 Pets, The Sims 2 Nightlife, The Sims 2 University, The Sims 2 Family Fun Stuff, The
Sims 2 Seasons, The Sims 2 Life Stories and more.

Screenshots from the games can be found at http://www.info.ea.com.

EA SPORTS' MADDEN NFL 08 HITS RETAILS STORES NATIONWIDE

Top Selling Franchise Unveils New Read and React System and

is Now Available on Ten Platforms

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - August 14, 2007 - Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced that Madden NFL 08, the newest iteration of the best-selling EA SPORTS™ football franchise with the exclusive videogame license of the NFL and PLAYERS INC, is now available in stores nationwide. Awarded the 2007 Game Critics "Best Sports Game" award at last month's E3 Media and Business Summit, Madden NFL 08 features a unique combination of innovative gameplay and authentic NFL football simulation.

Now in its 18th year, the Madden NFL Football franchise continues to stand out as Madden NFL 07 was last year's #1 selling video game in North America with more than seven million copies sold* since launch.

Madden NFL 08 features a new Read and React system that allows gamers to quickly identify the strongest players on the field, and to make game-altering adjustments to further affect each and every play. New player skill icons identify on-field strengths and weaknesses, providing an immediate read on what an opponent is doing. This new icon system complements a deeper gameplay experience that maximizes the skill of the individual NFL superstars, separating them from the role players, and takes NFL football strategy to a new level.

Players will rule the gridiron with intuitive controls, fluid gameplay and a new branching animation system that yields the jaw-dropping tackles and spectacular catches in Madden NFL 08. New player moves, lateral passes and the dynamic Hit-Stick 2.0 gives gamers an unprecedented and hyperrealistic NFL football experience.

Developed in Orlando, Florida by EA Tiburon, Madden NFL 08 is available for the Xbox® and Xbox 360™ video game systems from Microsoft, PlayStation®2 and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment systems, Wii™, Nintendo GameCube™, Nintendo DS™, PC, Mobile, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) handheld entertainment system and is rated E by the ESRB.

EA SPORTS™ is the leading interactive sports software brand in the world, with top-selling titles and franchises including Madden NFL Football, FIFA Soccer, NHL® hockey, NBA LIVE basketball, NCAA® Football, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® and NASCAR® racing.

Madden NFL 08 (X360, PSP, PS3, WII, PS2, MAC, GC, PC, XBOX, DS)
Crack open a brewski and invite the boys over for a few rounds.

Heroes of Mana (DS)
More Mana, more better.

Rune Factory: A Fantasy Harvest Moon (DS)
As if the regular Harvest Moon wasn't fantasy enough

Luminous Arc (DS)
An RPG with witches, mages and fighters. Imagine that.

Dungeons & Dragons Tactics (PSP)
Be an uber nerd on your PSP. Unfortunately there are no twenty sided die to make you really feel at home.

Fatal Fury: Battle Archives Volume 1 (PS2)
Fatal Fury 1-3 plus Fatal Fury Special all on one disc.

Operation: Vietnam (DS)
It brings the excitement of war torn Vietnam to you DS!

1914 Shells of Fury (PC)
The world's first WWI Submarine sim.

Billy the Wizard: Rocket Broomstick Racing (WII)
They may as well have called him Gary Dotter.

The kids from 1UP and EGM sat down with Sony Worldwide Studios' king cue ball Phil Harrison at E3 2007 to chat all things PlayStation software related. Of interest to console torch and pitchfork bearers is Harrison's response to questions about Madden NFL 08's underwhelming performance on the PLAYSTATION 3. Phil, why does the PS3 version run a last-gen 30 frames per second?

Well, I can only point to our own sports studio—1080p, 60 frames-per-second basketball game. I'm afraid I have no idea. We're providing some tools and technologies from our worldwide studio's core technology groups to 3rd parties now, as well. You may remember something from GDC, we announced this thing called Edge and that's now widely deployed in the third party community, and that is clearly improving the developer's ability to maximize what the CELL processor does. So, hopefully, that will assist folks like EA.

Phil later added that "It would concern me if the platform was incapable of doing it, but we've proven the platform is capable of doing it, so it's not a PLAYSTATION 3 issue. I'm trying to be polite."

Well played, Phil—but we'll make sure to mention that an NBA game features about half the players on the court compared to an NFL game. There's plenty more where that came from in the full video interview, including plenty of detail on this fall's release of Home.

I downloaded Super Stardust HD from the PlayStation Store last night, impressions of which will follow later in the day. Following a discussion with N'Gai Croal of Level Up fame over drinks and Madden NFL 08, I have a renewed interest in revisiting Manhunt. Yes, I may have been in my cups at the time, perhaps too deep, but I'm pretty sure I told Croal that I considered the Rockstar Games splatterfest one of the most important console games of the previous generation. I should reevaluate that with a bit more playtime, me thinks.

And you? What are you playing this weekend? Anyone got E3 Fever yet?

Spike TV Announces 2007 'GUYS CHOICE' Winners

First Annual Show Hosted by Tracy Morgan Premieres on Spike TV Wednesday,
June 13 at 10 PM
Adam Sandler Voted the Ultimate 'Guy's Guy' by Spike TV Viewers
'Swingers' Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau Receive the First-Ever 'Guy Movie
Hall of Fame Award'
Show Features Performances and Appearances by Will Ferrell, James
Gandolfini, Jessica Alba, Chuck Liddell, Kevin James, Elisha Cuthbert,
Mandy Moore, Masi Oka, Disturbed and Many More
To View Exclusive Footage from 'GUYS CHOICE' Log-On to http://www.spiketv.com

LOS ANGELES, June 10 /PRNewswire/ — Winners were announced tonight
during the first annual Spike TV "GUYS CHOICE" held at the CBS Radford
Studios in Los Angeles. Hosted by comedian Tracy Morgan, the show that
commemorates all the things men love premieres on Spike TV Wednesday, June
13 (10:00 PM-Midnight, ET/PT).
Adam Sandler took home one of the night's top honors, as he was voted
the ultimate "Guy's Guy" by Spike TV viewers. Sandler's favorite band of
all time STYX rocked the house with its mega hit "Renegade."
The show also honored the iconic and ultimately quotable guy movie
"Swingers" with the first-ever "Guy Movie Hall of Fame Award" presented to
Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau.
In addition, Will Ferrell walked away with two awards, "Funniest M.F."
and "Most Viral Video" for his work in "The Landlord." Spike TV's "GUYS
CHOICE" also included ZZ Top featuring a sizzling dance performance by
Carmen Electra; Chuck Liddell, Elisha Cuthbert, Mandy Moore, Andy Samberg,
Artie Lange, Brittany Snow, Chris Cornell, Disturbed, James Gandolfini, Joe
Rogan, Kelly Carlson, Masi Oka, Rob Corddry, Seth Rogen, Sofia Vergara,
Steve-O, Bill Goldberg, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Tricia Helfer, and Will
Forte, among others.
The highlight of the night was a toast for Adam Sandler by friend and
comedian, Kevin James, his co-star in the upcoming movie "I Now Pronounce
You Chuck and Larry" (in theatres July 20).
In addition to honoring the sexiest women and coolest guys from the
past year, the show featured unforgettable tributes to legendary
entertainers, rockers and babes, as well as edgy stand-up comedy and
house-shaking musical performances.
A full list of winners is included below:

GUY'S GUY
Adam Sandler

BIGGEST ASS KICKER
Gerard Butler

BALLSIEST BAND
Disturbed

HOTTEST GIRL ON THE PLANET
Adriana Lima

LUCKIEST BASTARD
Cash Warren

FUNNIEST M.F.
Will Ferrell

GIFT FROM THE GODS
Minka Kelly

MOST UNSTOPPABLE JOCK
LaDainian Tomlinson

NAUGHTIEST CYBERVIXEN
Christine Dolce

MOST DANGEROUS MAN
Chuck Liddell

FEMME FATALE
Rose McGowan

KINGPIN (GUY OF THE YEAR)
James Gandolfini

COCKIEST CREW
"Jackass 2" Crew

GUTSIEST MOVE
Stephen Colbert

SICKEST RHYMES
Jay-Z

SEXIEST IMPORT
Bar Rafaeli

COOLEST GEEK
Masi Oka

BEST GANGSTERTAINMENT
"The Departed"

HOTTEST JESSICA
Jessica Alba

CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
Shaun White

GAME WITH THE MOST GAME
Madden NFL '07

MOST VIRAL VIDEO
Will Ferrell "The Landlord"

GUY MOVIE HALL OF FAME
"Swingers" Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau
To view exclusive footage, interviews, behind-the-scenes access, and
more from the 2007 "Guys Choice," log-on to http://www.spiketv.com
The official sponsors of Spike TV's "GUYS CHOICE" are the new AT&T,
Corona, Jeep(R), Pizza Hut, SNICKERS(R)Brand, Southern Comfort(R) and U.S.
Army.
Emmy Award-winning producer Joel Gallen of Tenth Planet Productions and
Casey Patterson, Senior Vice President, Event Production & Talent
Development for Spike TV served as executive producers. Alicia Portugal is
the executive in charge of production for Spike TV.
Spike TV is available in 91.6 million homes and is a division of MTV
Networks. A unit of VIACOM (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), MTV Networks is one of the
world's leading creators of programming and content across all media
platforms.

SOURCE Spike TV

No official word on teams, players, or how Visual Concepts plans to entice video game football fans to invest in an non-Madden, NFL-license free product. However, the rumors that IGN posted late last year hinted at historical players and a "throwback phenomenon" would lead one to believe that we'll see some familiar faces. Michael McWhertor

2K returns to gridiron [Gamespot]

2K Sports Announces All-Pro Football 2K8

NEW YORK, NY - January 31, 2007 - 2K Sports, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (Nasdaq: TTWO), announced today the return of football to its video game line-up with All-Pro Football 2K8. The critically acclaimed 2K football series once again hits the gridiron with the legendary gameplay, innovative features, and outstanding visual quality sports gamers have come to expect from 2K Sports.

"Football gamers have been awaiting the return of the 2K series," said Greg Thomas, president of Visual Concepts, a 2K Sports studio. "All-Pro Football 2K8 will deliver an authentic next generation gridiron experience and we are happy to give fans another choice in the football category."

All-Pro Football 2K8 will be available this summer on next generation video game systems.

For more information, log onto http://www.2ksports.com.

I'd like to see Nintendo and their Wii third parties take advantage of further Wii Channel capabilities, including the News and Virtual Console channels. Should interesting news pop up, Tom Nook from Animal Crossing for Wii should chime in about it. Did you buy something off of the Virtual Console channel lately? It should show up as a mini-game in Wario Ware Smooth Moves or unlock new character attributes for creating Nintendo themed Miis for Wii Sports 2.

I don't know. I'm just fantasizing/brainstorming here. What level of internet interaction do you want to see in future Wii games? Michael McWhertor

Madden Wii Uses the Forecast Channel [1UP]

Starting tomorrow, November 30th, Xbox Live users and owners of Madden NFL 07 and NCAA Football 07 can download (at no cost) new, alternate uniforms for both and "throwback" uniforms for Madden. Did I mention these were free?

Pretty smart, EA. Don't start pissing off the userbase of your biggest cash cow. We'd appreciate more of this sort of behavior in the future. Michael McWhertor

NCAA Football Alternate Jersey Details and Madden Alternate Jersey Details [SportsGamer]

The videos are hundreds of megs, and cost about 2 bucks each. EA is currently selling the tutorial vids for the games Madden NFL 07 and NCAA 07 Football. By common report, they aren't helpful in the slightest: you'd get better tips downloading the strategy guide off of GameFAQs. Florian Eckhardt

EA Charges for Everything [Aeropause]

When EA released Madden NFL 07, it was full of at least one bug that was a pretty astonishing screw up: players don't fatigue at all. Or are they? Apparently, the players are fatiguing, but the UI just doesn't even bother to register it.

EA promised a fix. Oh, and they promised a roster update, to reflect recent changes. But it's a few days past the September 5th patch date EA promised, and still no sign of either of these fixes. Which caused Luke Smith of 1UP to spit through his soup stained beard in outrage:

Considering EA's monopoly on NFL-related games one has to wonder if they had competition in the NFL gamespace would these patches be completed a bit quicker?

No. Period. It's EA. Florian Eckhardt

Hey, EA, About that Madden Patch? [1UP]

Every Madden cover-boy has met with horrible end, a disastrous calamity. The cover, they say, those who know, that the cover is cursed! GIANT Mag's Scott Stein sat down with current Madden poster player Shaun Alexander and asked him how he beats the curse. "I pretty much have to play every game, don't I?" said Alexander. "Plus I open up about ten or eleven umbrellas inside the house every day, and it kind of balances everything out." We've seen Alexander's on field skills, but what about his gaming abilities? Stein writes:

And better than Madden's own crowds came the cheering section that was EA's entire PR team, chanting Shaun and mocking my inability to stop him. Alas, this peanut gallery continued throughout the game.

Thus began a long, long four quarters where the following events kept occurring: a) Shaun running for long touchdowns, wearing down my increasingly pathetic defense. b) Me scrambling and throwing shockingly long touchdowns to Laveranues Coles, beating all coverage. Repeat, about five times.

So what was that about a Madden curse? We'll find out in less than a month when the NFL kicks off.

More Here [GIANT Mag]

At first glance, I mistook these pics for shots of something John Madden was having delivered to his warehouse. Were these thousands upon thousands of aerosol cans of itch relieving Tinactin? Tons and tons of savory Lunchables for John to snack upon while travelling on the Madden Bus? The shipment of crisp twenty dollar bills to pay off the exclusive NFL license?

Sadly, its just a bunch of copies of Madden NFL 07. It's an impressive display and the folks at Screw Attack have exclusive pics of the shipment. Before you can grunt out a "How is this news?", just check out the full pics for the impressive display of the cash cow that is EA's footballer. You will be in awe of the massive shipping capabilities!! Michael McWhertor

Madden '07- Ready To Ship!

If you really needed a Madden fix on the go, chances are you were pretty peeved when this bug emerged when the game hit retail. Gaming Horizon points to EA doing more than the quick fix that stopped the bleeding on the portable Madden. Now, via the official site, EA found a permanent solution to the franchise mode bug. New discs. Send yours in to the address after the jump and you'll get a fresh, functioning disc, a voucher for the EA store and they'll cover your shipping.

All they're missing is a personalized "We're Sorry" card from the development team.

EA Offers Madden Fix for PSP [Gaming Horizon]
Let's Call it Maddengate
Longterm PSP Solution [EA]

EA Customer Warranty
Attn: Madden PSP
209 Redwood Shores Parkway
Redwood City, CA 94065

Included in the package, please include a note with the following information:
Your name
Address
E-mail address
Phone number

Once the disc is received by the EA Customer Warranty team, please allow up to 10 business days to receive the replacement disk.

At least EA isn't being sued for some act of violence that happened as a result of their football game. GameSpot reports that the publishing powerhouse is being sued by Pernell Harris for allegedly stealing Harris' idea for growing your own virtual players in Madden's petri dish. Harris' idea apparently let you select what type of parents and genetics an athlete would have and allowed you to follow his career through high school and onto the NFL's astroturf. Sounds a bit too Gattaca, if you ask me.

EA Sued over Madden Feature [GameSpot]

Just received a second batch of 360 titles. This wave includes Tiger Woods PGA Tour 06, Madden NFL 06, NBA Live 06 and the first two levels of King Kong. I'll try to get the reviews up as soon as I can, but I still have to play all but Madden, so it might be a day or two.

The Pittsburgh Post Gazette reported that a game of Madden 2006 turned sour and resulted in 18-year-old Braddock resident Erskine Smith being charged in the deaths of Jonathan Hudson, 19, and Daniel Underwood, 17 and injuring the fourth player (whose identity was not released). Normally, a snarky joke would be in order, but there's nothing laughable about situations like this. Here come the Madden 2006 is making people kill accusations.

Two Shot Dead in Flap Over Video Game in North Braddock
Is Madden Teaching Kids to Kill [Gamepolitics]

Well, I don't think he's the angriest Madden player in the world anymore. Early this morning a man was stabbed in a dispute over the popular football game. Maybe the guy went for it on fourth and long? Or executed an onside kick when he already had the lead? That always really ticked me off, too.

Sierra Drive Stabbing [WIVB.com]

A football video game fan is fuming over this year's version of Madden NFL 2006. He's so angry he's selling it on eBay. Throughout the text of the auction, he compares Madden to last year's NFL 2k5 and past iterations of the Madden franchise. Great auction, though (aside from the $79.99 opening bid). I can't imagine what made this guy so angry, the game isn't that bad.

Thanks to Anne for the link.

A little over a month away from Madden 2006 and here's the latest batch of screens from the game. Judge for yourself, but look at Michael Vick's action figure elbow after the jump.

Madden 06 is totally on the fritz. The game doesn't only emasculate linemen by making them tiny, it also randomly shuts off your PSP in franchise mode. Heated threads have been popping up over at EA Forums with gamers venting their frustration. The EA Forum moderator seems like he's doing his best to please everyone and be helpful, but the poor guy's hands are tied. The extent of this problem seems larger than a "please visit our customer support page."

One better, call EA's customer support at (650) 628-4302. Feel free to vent your frustration. You held your end of the bargain: You are the customer and paid for a product. EA didn't deliver their end of the deal. It's their fault. And if you are still pissed, call yer local Better Business Bureau. Keep at it until EA either fixes the problem or refunds your money.

If anyone knows Madden himself, let John know the game that's paying for his new vacation cottage is screwed up beyond belief.

Pissed Gamers [EA Forum] Thanks Matt!
Cut Down to Size

That Tiny Tim in the lower middle of the screen is New York Jets lineman Michael King. Thanks to a glitch in Madden 2006, the footballer shrinks to the equivalent of a grasshooper.

Don't take it personal Mr. King. The little guy is simply a bug in the program and not a question of your manhood.

Small Football Player [Infendo] Thanks Blake!

Wow, the video of Madden NFL 2006 for the Playstation Portable looks amazing. Of course what really matters is how it plays. I d think that the system has enough buttons to make it playable and the screen is certainly crisp enough to deliver the necessary details to make it fun.

Madden NFL 06 PSP [IGN]