| Joel: |
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Speaking of player reactions, it seems like every NFL player on MTV Cribs has PS2 or an X-Box in their house (car, pool, etc) and they're always playing Madden. Can you share any anecdotes regarding professional athletes and their obsession with EA line of sports games? |
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| Jeremy: |
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That is true - everyone loves playing Madden each year. Athletes, celebrities, you name it. Ricky Williams is a big-time Madden player and loves to play online. If you check out his web page he posts his online user name and will take challenges from anyone. |
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| Joel: |
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Are the EA Sports individuals who work on Madden more likely to be a computer geek or a football geek? |
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| Jeremy: |
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Actually, we're a mixture of both. Some of our best programmers on the team don't really follow football, while some love football and can't get enough. Our designers and producers are all pretty big football fans and I guess even our casual football fans here are pretty hard-core in the "real" world. |
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| Joel: |
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First it was the cigarette companies, and now it seems to be the fast food industry... do you think we're coming to a day where I'll be able to sue Electronic Arts for creating such an addictive game that I can't manage to get off my lazy arse and get some exercise? What is it about these Madden games has gamers lining up to buy their copy year after year? |
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| Jeremy: |
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I hope not - hit that stairmaster while you play. I think people love the sport, love the NFL and love Madden because we deliver something new every year. Whether it is mini-camp, owner mode, online, the hit stick or crete-a-fan --- there is always something new and major in Madden each year. We treat it like a new game each year, not an expansion pack or upgrade, and I think that is a big part of the popularity. |
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| Joel: |
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One of the new elements of Madden 05' is a story element that will intertwine with franchise play; is this going to be Madden 90210? ESPN got in a bit of hot water with the NFL last year with their "Playmakers" show. Are we going to be seeing linemen with a drug habit and QBs coming out of the closet, or are most of the stories dealing with contract disputes and player morale? |
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| Jeremy: |
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Storyline Central is a great way to bring life to franchise mode. Each player has a personality and reacts to everything going on in the league. You stay on top of it all through your PDA and e-mail. The other part is the media, you have newspapers covering you all the time and the EA SPORTS radio show (hosted by Tony Bruno - one of the funniest guys I've met) talking about it in real time each week of the season. We'll steer clear of the things you mention, but we have plenty of personality here. |
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| Joel: |
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Aside from the standard Madden 05' edition, you are also releasing a special 15 year commemorative edition of the game exclusively for the PS2. Is this going to include the original version of Madden I used to play on my Sega Genesis? What other features will this game include? |
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| Jeremy: |
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The Collector's Edition is going to the be the "one" to get this year if you have a PS2. We have three classic versions of Madden - one from the 16-bit days, one from early PS1 days and one of the later PS1 engines. That alone is cool, but we also added two new game modes - Madden Moments, where you have to take control of the most memorable moments of the past 15 years and a Trivia Challenge, which is a fun trivia game featuring EA, Madden and NFL trivia. Oh and also, we have a ton of DVD type bonus videos that are a must for the collector. |
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| Joel: |
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How the heck did Madden Football get inducted in to Canton? Did you get a special Football Hall of Fame ceremony for the game? If so, what was that experience like, and who from EA was in attendance? |
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| Jeremy: |
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The game means a lot to the NFL and its fans, so we're very proud to have a place in the Hall of Fame. Several members of the EA staff were in attendance for the opening of the Madden area and I can tell you it was amazing - very ceremonial, a proud day for sure. |
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| Joel: |
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Your developers must be salivating over the prospect of working with the next generation systems. Have you begun working on a Madden game for the PS3 and/or any of the other proposed systems? What do gamers have to look forward to on these systems? Have the developers begun to feel at all constricted because of technology restrictions of the current systems? |
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| Jeremy: |
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We're looking forward to working on these but don't really know much about them yet other than what you read in magazines and on the internet - we're just starting to research them, but if the leap is anything like the last transition, we're in for something good with the next generation of Madden Football. |
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