The nugget of info was couched in a broader report about the run-up to the 20th anniversary of the seminal sports simulation. Huge hat tip to reader Max for spotting and pointing it out to us.

Quoth Reuters:

Under the deal, "Rock Band" will feature music from the "Madden 09" soundtrack in its weekly downloadable songs update, a handful at a time, over several weeks, with each song carrying the "Madden" brand. Additionally, each soundtrack song will be available for sale via iTunes as part of a special "Madden" playlist.

Max provided a handy-dandy track list reminder (below), noting that two songs already are available as Rock Band DLC: "Inside the Fire" by Disturbed, and "Hammerhead" by The Offspring. The soundtrack:

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 - Hell 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’

Madden Football Marks 20 Years With New Offerings [Reuters]

“You’re going to see it in 2009,” he said. He said that by “Madden ‘10” gamers can expect some of the “broader-based” EA games (not just any music titles) to be able to “continually recommend” new music that can be downloaded to enhance a soundtrack.

That makes connected video gaming sound kind of like iTunes, huh? But I'll ask you guys the same question Totilo asks: would you pay for that? What's it worth to you?

EA: Next Year’s Non-Music Games Will Feature DLC-Enabled Soundtracks [MTV Multiplayer]

We were curious: why is this massive music promotion for Madden such a huge deal to EA? It seems perplexing at first to see a publisher throw so much muscle behind a soundtrack. But it turns out there's a rather sensible motivation behind it that seems to be a win-win for EA, music artists, and for the gaming audience (or would that be a win-win-win?)

Hit the jump for Kotaku's full interview with Schnur:

Schnur admits that licensed music in games is subjective, and often a contentious topic. "I do remember seeing a blog once where somebody accused me of 'doing it wrong' in Madden a couple of years ago because we didn't have any Miles Davis in there," he said.

"It was just one guy, but his comment stood in my head... I don't know how many bodies I want to crush on the football field while listening to smooth jazz. My point is, you can't please everyone."

Discovering new music is something that all people generally enjoy, said Schnur; it's not especially particular to gamers. "But the problem in the last ten years specifically is that radio and music television have failed kids," he said.

Schnur recalled an era that you don't have to be very aged to look back on — a time when fans of certain musical genres or artists would unite under the banner of a favorite radio station and wear its bumper sticker on their cars. But radio is much more genre-restricted now and circulates the same careful list of top hits, making the days of radio and music television as the primary means of music discovery largely obsolete.

"The consolidation of radio has ensured that the music that I grew up with would never be able to be discovered in 2008, because radio plays the same 20 songs across America," he said.

"So how do people discover music, or the new coolest band? Through the places where they spend time, and that's online and playing games. So we decided to take that simple thought process of bringing new bands, new songs, to where kids were."

In that way, Schnur hopes games can become a new music discovery tool for today's audiences. Many gamers, he said, have become turned on to a new artist by enjoying their level in a game like Rock Band or Guitar Hero, or by developing a positive association with it through Madden.

An added benefit to introducing music through games is that it removes the genre-bound context of radio. "We believe that hip-hop, rock, other forms of music... there's no reason to put up walls between them. Hip-hop artists love rock songs because of Madden and vice versa, when we don't hear them separated out on the dial."

Granted, Schnur doesn't expect gamers will like every song that makes a soundtrack. "If there are 30 songs in Madden, we're not going to bat a thousand, because obviously it's subjective. But the goal was that after you played Madden in 2004, 2006, 2009... 3 months later when you hear that Trivium song, you're gonna go, 'Oh, Madden'."

See where the 'win' for EA comes in?

And it goes a bit further — what if, by earning the fealty of young people's tastes through the connection to popular music, sports games could actually influence the aesthetic of real-world sports? Schnur said that in Madden's early days some players complained that there were too few traditional AC/DC or Gary Glitter-style "stadium songs" on the soundtrack like you'd hear at a real football game.

"Now, we have stadiums from Foxboro to Oakland playing the music of Madden," said Schnur. "Because what they've learned is that younger people get into sports initially through the virtual experience of playing games." Whereas ten years ago kids' primary intro to sports would be playing out in the street, today the sports video game is a significant part of many kids' diet, and the real world is now tasked with keeping up.

It becomes somewhat of a virtuous cycle, said Schnur, in which new music can use games to reach its audience better, games can use licensed music to richen the experience of games, and in a sports title, it completes the loop of an overall cultural experience, because sports are also participatory events in which music plays a role.

So what determined the songs that made it onto the recently-revealed Madden soundtrack? Schnur said it took two colleagues and himself from January and May to distill the final list down from 4,000 possible candidates.

"What a song has to do is, it has to serve the game - in the case of Madden, get you pumped up. We have to... see how it fits within the game, and if that band could potentially have an impact on people going forward." The latter refers to a timing issue, he said, in that he seeks out bands on a rising career arc or with a chance for wider success in whatever the present climate happens to be, rather than picking songs that were popular years ago.

And the artist, Schnur said, will have gotten 1 billion impressions from its turn in the game, more than it would have had on the radio. Gamers are happy to discover a new favorite song, and that benefits the artists, too, in obvious ways.

"Some of the bands may never get on the radio. But some might just change your life, musically speaking; you might end up buying tickets to one of their concerts in the future."

And when you're at that life-changing concert, you'll have Madden in mind, which has got to work out well for EA. Win-win-win.

“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’

Madden Cover Stars Reveal Their Madden Betting Habits, Deny Curse At EA Event [Das Gamers]

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]

The list is similarly dominated by Madden in its various incarnations, whether they be Madden NFL 2005, Madden NFL 2006, Madden NFL 2007 or Madden NFL 2008. Halo 2 and Call of Duty 4's sales further prove that Americans like to shoot.

I'm currently hard at work on a video game about a football player that is given a guitar that shoots lasers and tasked with fending off a terrorist invasion. I'm calling it Admiral Shred's Terror Touchdown. Don't steal my awesome idea.

America's All-Time Favorite Videogames [Forbes]

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]

Moore was quick to point out that it wasn't Electronic Arts that asked for the exclusive deal, but rather the NFL which was seeking a single licensee. He said that EA feels that licensing remains an important part of adding realism to their sports titles and that he can't imagine a time when they wouldn't seek them.

Specifically, the weakness that EA faces when trying to deliver the same experience to the flood of new gamers brought into the fold by Nintendo's casual-centric Wii.

Moore said after speaking with focus groups who called their Wii sports titles a "joke" or the outcome of "spoiling a good game", they realized their approach to the Wii had to change.

"We weren't delivering the experience," he said. "We have to make it a little more approachable to allow them to get in early and quickly.

"We can't port content down to the Wii, we need to start building for the Wii from the ground up, that's what we are doing this year."

Specifically, they are doing that with their new All-Play brand which will bring Tiger Woods, NCAA, FIFA, NBA and Madden all to the Wii in versions built specifically for the console. Instead of trying to describe how that will be different, Moore booted up a Wii debug unit to show off how the alpha version of All-Play Madden will look and feel.

The idea with the All-Play games is to take a familiar brand, like Madden and make them "fun, stimulating, easy" Moore said, pointing out how All-Play Madden doesn't have "graphic intensity" but does give gamers a simple experience.

On first blush, the most noticeable change to the fabled franchise was the user interface. Cutting down on the slew of information-heavy, packed menus, the All-Star menu during play offered just three choices: Top picks, Madden's pick (which included a picture of Madden Mii) and all plays. Selecting one of the large buttons bring up a couple of options which can be quickly scrolled through.

It appeared that during Moore's time playing defense for us he controlled his player with the nunchuk's thumbstick and swatted the remote to play defense, either knocking the ball out of the air or tackling.

"There are no timeouts, no huddles, not a lot of penalties or interference plays," he said.

Next Moore showed us Five-On-Five mode which cuts down on the number of players on the field and features big-head players. Pausing the game while playing offense, Moore outlined the course a receiver was going to take in real-time by pointing to the field with his remote and clicking on a button. Each click created a waypoint. On several plays Moore used two or three waypoints when creating his play on the fly. After starting the game back up, the player ran his play.

"The idea is to make games a little more simple," he said.

Something, that from our brief time watching the game, Electronic Arts appears to have done.

Moore said EA plans to also market their All-Play titles differently, using less intense box art and different commercials.

When asked, Moore said that just because All-Play is meant to be an easier experience, it doesn't mean that the game can't still innovate.

"Innovation could come through more intuitive use of the Wii remote," he said, theorizing: "Can i get the Wii remote in 2010 to feel speed and have the ball react to it? That's just blue sky stuff, but that's some of the things you might see."

"We are still looking at ways we can replicate the experience without it being too difficult."

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]

Holographic... interface?

Riccitiello also promised that the next NBA Live would take "a huge step up," with new features set to be unveiled at E3.

EA seems enthusiastic about its sports franchises, and Riccitiello says he expects EA Sports will help drive the company to an additional $1 billion in revenue and an 100 percent increase in operating income. Riccitiello was optimistic about the company's studio structure in general, also listing big things ahead for the Sims Studio: Two sequels for MySims, a new SimAnimals title, and the launch of The Sims 3.

"Our fiscal 09 operating plan keeps us on track to achieve our fiscal year target - even without Take Two," Riccitiello said.

During the same call, EA Games label president Frank Gibeau also expressed positive sentiments about EA's "city-state" label structure. "We have restructured... from a top-down and centralized model to a federation of highly creative teams, each with our own culture and vision," he said, noting a broad range of studios and properties from EA Mythic's Warhammer to Battlefield and Mirror's Edge at DICE.

Riccitiello was largely unable to comment on the specific state of the Take-Two acquisition, however. "We're obviously contained pretty clearly in what we're allowed to talk about," he said. "Our offer currently stands at $25.74 a share, or $2 billion dollars, and our valuation took fully into account the success of GTA... we'd anticipated a result much like what happened in the market."

"It's a spectacular game - I'm enjoying playing it - and offer enormous congratulations to the Rockstar team."

Piracy's a big issue on the PC. I can't turn a blind eye to the fact that it's very difficult for us...and we lose money making a game. At some point, I have an obligation not to bring out products that lose money.

I'm not savvy enough to play this game. Most of the younger generation has no idea [Madden] coached...Some of our guys play Madden better than they play on Sundays. And they spend more time talking about playing Madden.

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...

Less has been written about the defining role television plays in the design and presentation of games, especially sports titles. Long-running franchises like the Links series of golf games have gone by the wayside, largely because their simulation of the sport relied more on playing the game than watching it played.

The market is what it is, but I think the CNN-ization and ESPN-ization of video games comes at a cost. It limits game design to the visual and structural framework of television, and it removes the player from a true simulation experience. I want a video game to offer me something more than a simulated sports broadcast. The more Madden talks, the less like Payton Manning I feel.

What do simulations simulate? [The Brainy Gamer]

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]

2008 Kids' Choice Awards [Nickelodeon]

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.

Sure, maybe the concept of an evil counterpart to Luigi actually had potential at some point, like maybe if they didn't just take the Luigi model, turn it purple, then stretch him out and give him a mustache like a silent film-era villain. It also doesn't help that you're debuting him in a damned tennis game. Seriously, if this is the first time we've seen him, how do we know he's evil? Because of his backhand?

The 15 Most Annoying Video Game Characters [Cracked.com - Thanks DeadEyeReborn!]

Electronic Arts sent out the official release this afternoon confirming that they have extended their exclusive license with the NFL and NFL Players Association through the 2012 season, which ends in Feb. 2013. Not a whole lot new here from my interview with Peter Moore about the deal.

There are these two lovely quotes from the two organizations:

"This is all about bringing authenticity and realism to NFL videogames," said Eric Grubman, President of NFL Ventures. "EA SPORTS continually works to maintain the cutting edge for NFL products across a variety of gaming platforms. We like the fact that they never rest."

"This is great news and it means we can continue to produce the best interactive experience possible. It also allows NFL PLAYERS, the NFL and EA to continue to build our brands," said Gene Upshaw, Chairman of NFL PLAYERS and Executive Director of the National Football League Players Association. "We offer a very unique experience. "

No mention of the cost to EA for the deal, something Moore also declined to tell me in our talk last night. I'm still confused about why the NFL would seek an exclusive deal instead of selling the rights to a number of publishers. Maybe they want to keep a better handle on how their license is used? Full release on the jump with more Mooreisms.

EA EXTENDS INTERACTIVE VIDEOGAME AGREEMENTS WITH NFL AND NFL PLAYERS

Exclusive Agreements Renewed Through 2012 Season

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - February 12, 2008 - Electronic Arts (Nasdaq: ERTS) today announced an extension of its exclusive licensing relationships with the National Football League and NFL PLAYERS to develop, publish and distribute interactive football video games. These agreements - which were negotiated separately and are extensions of contracts originally signed in December 2004 - provide EA continued rights to NFL teams, stadiums and players for its critically-acclaimed and best-selling football videogames through the end of the 2012 season, which culminates in February 2013.

Both agreements include all aspects of the interactive experience, including console and handheld games as well as console-based online features. The agreements also provide EA access to both NFL Films and the NFL Network to enrich its game experiences. Financial terms of the agreements were not disclosed.

"This is all about bringing authenticity and realism to NFL videogames," said Eric Grubman, President of NFL Ventures. "EA SPORTS continually works to maintain the cutting edge for NFL products across a variety of gaming platforms. We like the fact that they never rest."

"This is great news and it means we can continue to produce the best interactive experience possible. It also allows NFL PLAYERS, the NFL and EA to continue to build our brands," said Gene Upshaw, Chairman of NFL PLAYERS and Executive Director of the National Football League Players Association. "We offer a very unique experience. "

"We are excited about the opportunity to extend and expand our relationships with the NFL and NFL PLAYERS," said Peter Moore, President of EA SPORTS™. "For nearly two decades, EA SPORTS has been bringing sports fans closer to the great game of football through the breakthrough interactive experiences of our videogames. Game quality is our top priority, and we're committed to pushing our gameplay innovation, connecting football fans via rich online experiences and delivering the most visually stunning sports games on the market."

Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2008, EA's Madden NFL franchise has consistently been one of the videogame industry's best-selling and top-rated products, generating more than $2 billion in retail sales. Madden NFL 08 earned awards from the 2007 Game Critics Awards at the E3 Media and Business Summit, The SpikeTV Video Game Awards, and the GameSpot Readers Choice Awards last year. The game is available on the PLAYSTATION®3 and PlayStation®2 computer entertainment systems, Xbox 360™ and Xbox® videogame and entertainment systems from Microsoft, Nintendo DS™, Wii™, PC, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) handheld entertainment system, mobile handsets and Mac. EA also produces the arcade-football game NFL Tour which hit stores in January 2008, and NFL Head Coach, which was released in 2006. EA SPORTS recently hosted Madden Bowl XIV in Scottsdale, Ariz., as part of Super Bowl XLII festivities.

Both agreements grant exclusive rights for action simulation, arcade-style and manager games on the PC, handheld game devices and consoles.

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."

Ah Peter Moore, how we've missed you. No one has really stepped into the "public face" void filled by Moore's sudden departure over at Microsoft, but fortunately, Moore himself is still going to be very much a public face in gaming.

Today the EA Sports president launched his very own blog over on EA Sports. Moore says he hopes to update it weekly with thoughts on sports, sports gaming and the gaming industry. He also told me in a recent interview that he might post some picture of fancy new digs (complete with sports bar I'm told) on the site down the line.

If his first blog post, which touches on everything from Facebreaker, the Super Bowl and why he thinks Larry Hryb is the Perez Hilton of video game blogging, is any indication, Inside the Game with Peter Moore is going to be a must read for sports gamers. Oh, and the best part? His posting name is EACrazyLegs. Wow! Turns out that EACrazyLegs is actually the community manager who posted Moore's first blog entry. His real forum name is... PeterMoore. Boo!

Inside the Game [EA Sports]

Dance Dance Revolution
Guitar Hero
High School Musical: Sing It!
Madden NFL '08

Kids' Choice Award's Official Nominee Announcement [Nickelodeon]

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!

Wait, so we can't get a solid framerates in Madden but my PDF files are in danger of being exposed to thousands of leet haxorz from the evil menace Anonymous? Priorities are out of whack, people.

The PlayStation 3's relatively low price could mean password cracking and encryption busting could become much more commonplace, warns Breese. He issued a warning to software makers to increase their security efforts based on the findings.

PlayStation a hacker's dream [The Age via Game|Life]

A lot of Japanese publishers are commenting about coming into and developing in the Western market, but I don't think that a lot of Japanese companies are taking as many risks as they used to... You've got Devil May Cry 4, Metal Gear Solid 4. No one's really taking the risks with original IP. They think the answer is to come to the US or come to Europe and found development studios which would appeal to the West. I don't think that's the answer. People are just not taking that creative risk anymore.

In the next five years, we're all going to have to deal with this. In China, they're giving games away for free...People who benefit from the current model will need to embrace a new revenue model, or wait for others to disrupt.

Nothing is free. We're guessing he means "ad subsidized." Because short of sticking actual commercials into games, it's tough to believe in-game ads could produce $59 per copy..actually, more than $59 since games are already getting ad cash.

Then again, Riccitiello should know of some master plans that we don't. Like, maybe communism is taking over America and EA will give every citizen a game pending proper numbers of "work units."

What EA's CEO learned from playing Madden NFL for 11 straight years [fortune]

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.

Most Grade I or Grade II strains begin to feel better within a few days. In most cases, symptoms are either totally gone, or very much improved, within 8 to 10 weeks. Symptoms of a Grade III strain may last until the torn muscle is repaired surgically.

Young leaves Titans loss to Bucs with strained quadriceps [Yahoo! Sports - Thanks Brandon]

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.

"They hate us because we have fun and they don't and their bosses would never put up with the kind of crap we do," Taylor said. "They are all grownups. They are weak. We are cool. They're not."

No time off from EA's cool capers [The Orlando Sentinel via Next Generation]

I wrote up a feature for the Rocky earlier this month on the latest installment of Madde. It was mostly a guide to what's new in the latest versions and how the developer continues to squeeze some semblance of originality out of an 18-year-old franchise. 18! So Madden is actual legal. Isn't that shocking?

Annnnnyway, I did manage to throw the games producer, David Ortiz, off his game for a second when I suggested that maybe it's time for Electronic Arts to turn Madden into an episodic game. They could just keep a general build available on shelves for people who don't own the game and then every year sell a huge downloadable pack that adds in a bit of gameplay and new elements for the franchise. Every three to five years they could sell a new in-store version with a different engine or major overhaul. It's essentially what EA seems to be doing already, but for the full price.

Ortiz wasn't exactly clear with his answer to the question.

"That's something we may explore in the future . . . or maybe we won't," he said. "What's important to us is having enough time to deliver something relevant to our fan base. Right now we tie in nicely with the football season. It kinda works out nice. In addition, it gives us enough time to devote to coming up with these innovative ideas."

So I guess $60 a pop retail games win out over $20 to $30 episodic versions every time.

Power game [Rocky Mountain News]