The guy suing Electronic Arts for, potentially, tens of millions in royalties from the Madden NFL series, has overstated and overrated his importance in developing John Madden Football, according to the series' creator.

One of the developers on the first edition of John Madden Football is suing Electronic Arts, seeking a handsome cut of the estimated $4 billion in profits the series has reaped over more than 20 years.

Trip Hawkins, who not only founded EA but was the driving force behind the 3DO, is often described as a "colourful" figure in video game history. Part of that is because he's been so important, but it's also because he's in a world of trouble.

In 1990, Electronic Arts reverse-engineered the Sega Genesis to begin development of a game for it, fully aware that if the project became known, they were in for a major lawsuit. The game was John Madden Football.

A new video game show and online magazine announced today offers a look into the minds of the video game industry.