On August 10, at 12:01 a.m., the Walmart in Salem was more apt for a birthday party than the release of a video game.
The “Maddenoliday” had arrived. The employees were even passing out Madden 11 cupcakes.
It’s as if Madden has become a member of the family. You save the date in your calendar and you can’t wait for the big day to come. Sometimes, even my own family doesn’t hook me up with cupcakes when it’s their birthday.
Thanks, Madden.
The game has a culture of its own. There was a show on ESPN2 where a bunch of trash talking douchebags would play each other in Madden for a chance to win $100,000.
Madden message boards go crazy with gamers trying to get 32 team online franchises going or to vent about how overloaded the servers are. Some hardcore gamers even make
YouTube videos to expose glitches the EA team didn’t catch. For instance, in Madden 09, you could direct snap the ball to your wide receiver in Tampa Bay’s playbook. Last week, ESPN’s Outside the Lines had a full spread on the front page of ESPN.com about Madden.
The cult following has spilled over into the mainstream — and the fact that it’s a damn-good game keeps it that way.
EA Sports comes up with new gimmicks every year to give the Madden faithful yet another reason to buy the game. Whether it was the hit stick in ’05, or the new cover athlete, we all come crawling back every summer. This year, I was giddy for the new voice of Madden, the amazing Gus Johnson. His great one-liners (“he’s got getting-away-from-the-cops speed”) and untamed excitement are perfect for the game. For others, the game’s realistic feel is enough.
Dylan Young of Salem was in the front of the line to get the game and was excited about how much the game evolved.
“They are making it more realistic,” Young said. “It’s not like 07, where every one has 99 speed and anyone can catch anyone. It’s more like real football.”
EA Sports has tried very hard in recent years to make the sure fundamentals of football (following your blockers, reading coverage, etc.) are also an integral part of
playing Madden.
What separates Madden from any other video game is the connection its players have to the actions represented on the screen. People who play Madden are, or become, football fans. People who play Grand Theft Auto and Call of Duty aren’t fans of stealing cars, death and destruction. (I hope.) It has a following nearly as big as the NFL itself. 
I can honestly say that my love for Madden came before my love for the NFL. I couldn’t get enough of the game. I could be the owner, coach and star quarterback of my own team. As a 12 year-old kid, that’s what you always dream of.
I became familiar with the players and strategies through the game. I learned what a post route was because of Madden. I learned that nobody could guard Randy Moss in his prime because of Madden. Because of Madden, I knew the names of breakout stars before they were breakout stars.
During the late ’90s and early 2000s, the NFL truly became America’s No. 1 sport. For many, it was due to work stoppages in the MLB and NBA. This was also when Madden was breaking new ground for sports video games. For a sport as complicated and as strategic as football, understanding the game is essential to becoming a fan. Madden made it easier to get to know the game that created more football fans in the process.
As I was standing in line waiting to get the game, I asked my good friend Justin, who happens to be a Madden stud (he was once ranked in the top 10 in the world on Xbox Live) if he thought Madden helped develop his love for the game of football. “Without a doubt, with Madden I have a chance to enjoy football year round,” he said.
Madden is the NFL’s best marketing tool. It gets fans excited at a younger age and helps them develop an understanding of the game. Madden gives every kid the chance to be Peyton Manning or Tom Brady. In its 22nd year, Madden has withstood the test of time.
However, it has been both a gift and a curse to the NFL. Since EA Sports started featuring players on the cover of Madden in 1999, eight of the 12 athletes on the cover suffered a major injury the following year, causing them to miss significant time.
Name a form of media other than Madden with its own curse, causing physical harm to two-thirds of the people it features on their cover.
You can’t.
I don’t know where Madden can go from here, but I do know that next year me and the other Madden disciples will be in line at midnight waiting to find out.

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