The Madden video game has become synonymous with the NFL. Every year, a new game is released for game consoles.
It is always a big deal to be selected as the cover. There can only be one every year, and Patrick Mahomes was the latest.
The game made a deal with the NFL, allowing the game to stick around until at least 2026. The NFL and the players union made a deal with Electronic Arts, the video game maker in charge of Madden.
The deal is allegedly worth at least $1 billion to the NFL and $500 million to the players. The agreement also includes that at least $500 million will be spent on marketing.
The game has been one of the most popular sports games ever. The only one to rival its popularity has been FIFA. Since Madden’s start in 1989, it has sold over 130 million copies. FIFA is the only other sports game that has sold over 100 million copies.
“I remember making a statement that I wanted the game to look like it looks on television,” John Madden told ESPN in 2002. “And then there was a whole, 360-degree turn where television started doing the animation to make it look like the game.”
The current edition of the game has seen a 30% increase in unique players and over 330 million hours played. Much of the spike has to do with the lack of sporting events to watch during the coronavirus shutdown.
Sony and Microsoft are expected to come out with new game consoles around the end of the year. Madden hopes to have continued success while changing platforms.
“EA has done a nice job of ensuring the game matches the experience during a game week. The new technology will allow richer content and add more realism,” Rachel Hoagland, the league’s vice president and head of gaming and esports said.
The Madden Curse
Even though the game has had a lot of success, there has been a curse linked to it. Many say that there is a curse on those who are pictured on the front cover.
Several players who have appeared on Madden have gone on to get injured. Not only that but the exact year that they were on the cover.
Players to get injured in the same year they appeared on the cover are Marshall Faulk, Daunte Culpepper, Michael Vick, Vince Young, and Shaun Alexander.
This was a span in which it happened on several occasions, with those being close together in years. However, the curse hasn’t panned out for a little while.
Last season the exact opposite of bad luck happened for the cover athlete. Mahomes and his Kansas City Chiefs went on to win the Super Bowl.
The next athlete to be on the cover of the video game is going to be Lamar Jackson. It has already been announced that he will be on the 2021 version of Madden.
Hopefully, this curse fails to be true ever again!
