So long New York! Today’s Rundown was written mostly on a train headed for upstate New York. The lady next to me got train sick and proceeded to cup her mouth for most of the trip. Not exatly the best way to end what was overall a wonderful trip to the Crispy offices, but hey we roll with the punches. On to the news after the break.
Retired NFL players, unhappy that the NFL Players Association’s licensing deal with EA for the Madden franchise that cut them out of the mix and didn’t pay them a dime for using a likeness of them in a special classic matchup mode in the latest game , recently kicked off a class action suit in New York. The suit, fronted by Hall of Famer Herb Adderley represents 2,000 retired players that feel ripped off by the NFLPA. But Madden is not the only thing retired players take issue with; the suit aleges that the union has also undercut them with deals made for trading cards and other merchandise.
For its part the union says that companies are not interested in paying for the licensing rights of older players and that some companies have specific deals that target new “bankable players.”
September’s NPD retail sales numbers for the month of Sept. show that Star Wars: The Force Unleashed was the most popular software title for the month, raking in a combined 1,158,000 units across three platforms (Xbox 360 – 610K, Wii – 223K and PS3 – 325K). Wii Fit came in at number 2 with sales of 518K, and Rock Band 2 came in third at 363K units. Full list after the jump.
Why, oh why, can’t they just leave us the f**k alone? They harass us on network television, assail us in email, and call us incessantly on the phone.. and now they remind us in our video games that there is an election going on. sure, it’s a big election year with tons of big issues to deal with but can we just have one sacred place to get away from it all? Nope.
See, when money is to be made, companies like EA have space to sell in their games. EA has put up billboards featuring presidential candidate Barack Obama in several of its top sports games like Madden NFL 09 and popular games like Burnout Paradise. EA spokesperson Holly Rockwood would not say how much the ads cost, but said that they are running on the Xbox Live versions of the game through Nov. 3. They began earlier this month - according to an Associated Press report.
“It reaches an audience that is typically hard to reach—young males, roughly 18 to 34,” said Rockwood. “That’s very appealing to our advertisers.”
Rockwood declined to say how much revenue the company generates from selling ad space in its games, but chances are like network and Cable Television, the camp is paying a low cost rate that conforms to national election laws.
While some may see this development as “exciting,” “a breath of fresh air,” or very tech savvy on Obama’s part, I see it as just another way for game companies to monetize something we have already paid for. We paid for the game already and we pay a subscription fee to Xbox Live, so why should we be forced to see any ads - let alone political ads that some of us are trying to get away from in the first place?
Kudos to Obama for finding new ways to reach voters, but shame on EA for re-monetizing a product we’ve spent our dollars on. It’s this kind of behavior that caused the Boston Tea Party, folks.
Source: breitbart.com
Electronic Arts announced that Madden NFL 09 Pink will be available throughout the month of October, coinciding with National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Boasting the content in Madden NFL 09, Madden NFL 09 Pink features limited edition packaging displaying a pink ribbon—the international symbol of breast cancer awareness. Proceeds from Madden NFL 09 Pink will contribute to a donation to the Deanna Favre HOPE Foundation on behalf of EA SPORTS and Target, the exclusive retailer of the title.
Deanna Favre, wife of Madden NFL 09 cover athlete Brett Favre, founded the Deanna Favre HOPE Foundation after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004 at the age of 35. Since overcoming the disease, Deanna Favre has committed herself and the foundation to helping underserved and underinsured women who bravely face the battle against breast cancer.
Normally i’d have a smart assed comment, but it’s tough to do when we are talking about charity and fighting a serious disease that affects millions of women. Instead I urge EA Sports to give more money than what they make on the Pink version of the game to this excellent charity.
EA Mobile has released a slate of new sports titles for mobile phones based on many of its most popular sports franchises. EA Mobile plans to roll out Madden NFL 09, NCAA Football 09, and EA SPORTS NASCAR 09. Madden NFL 09, NCAA Football 09 and EA SPORTS NASCAR 09 are currently available for purchase in North America. Check with your local mobile phone provider for availability.
I wish this story was a little more exciting, but sadly it is not.
Madden NFL 09 En EspaAol has shipped to retail stores for the PS3 and Xbox 360, giving Spanish-speaking football fans a fully translated version of the popular game. The game features Chicago Bears offensive guard, Roberto Garza, on the cover to boot. Offering the same content as Madden NFL 09, Madden NFL 09 En EspaAol also includes exclusive Spanish language content, additional music tracks and Spanish play-by-play and game analysis voice-over by Alvaro MartAn. Madden NFL 09 En EspaAol users can also compete online against Madden NFL 09 users because the two games are fully compatible.
If you have been holding out to buy this version of the game your wait is officially over - look for it in stores beginning today.
