John Madden passed away at 85 years of age this December 28 And while we wanted it to be April Fool’s news, it wasn’t. His legacy it goes beyond the NFL and has transcended into popular culture, more specific to video games.
The Madden franchise is one of the most successful of Electronic Arts, but have you ever asked yourself the question: Why is the Madden called that? The answer is simpler than it might seem, but we will explain it in detail.
Foto: Twitter (@Xbox)
Electronic Arts It was founded in 1984 and the money of the company was a problem at that time, they were starting. But his idea was to have a video game about NFL, although they did not have to pay for a license as expensive as that of the best professional football league.
So they approached John Madden to see if he wanted to be the face of the video game they would launch in 1988 and the legendary coach agreed. John Madden Football was the first title of the installment and the success it had, they did not expect.
It introduced a new way of video games about American football. The Madden franchise would have a resounding success among gamers because of its aerial screen where you could see the play both on offense and defense, that screen continues to be used until last delivery by EA Madden 22.
Foto: Getty Images
Madden video game blast
After several years delivering good results and very good money to Electronic Arts, in 1994 they finally got the NFL license and all the players, which was twice as successful for the video game Madden.
Since the NFL joined the video game Madden, Success was assured, as it is the only American football video game that has the players and teams licenseSo, it has become a tradition among gamers and grids fans.
Photo: Special
In the first installments after signing with the NFL, John Madden appeared on the covers of video games, but entering the new millennium, EA began using prominent players in the season to be the face of the video game.
That is where another story is born that surrounds the legendary Raiders head coach, it is about the ‘Madden Curse’, which has nothing to do with him, but with the video game. Basically, most of the players that appear on the cover, in the following season suffer serious injuries or their performance drops considerably. This is not 100% safe, the effectiveness of the ‘Madden curse‘is not perfect.
The story of how the Madden video game came about and the coach’s refusal to invest
In accordance with ESPNJohn Madden was neither the first nor the second choice of Trip Hawkins, founder of Electronic Arts. His first picks were Joe Montana and former quarterback Joe Kapp.. The first had a contract with Sega and the second wanted royalties.
Hawkins offered Madden to invest in the video game, but the coach bluntly told him that he was just a coach: “I pointed my finger at him and said, ‘I’m giving you my time. I won’t give you my money ‘“Possibly one of the worst in his career because it would have increased his fortune.
“It was the dumbest thing I ever did in my life“John Madden told ESPN. The franchise is one of the most successful in the gaming world in history. In addition, it positioned Electronic Arts as one of the most profitable developer companies. Not bad for a third image option.
