Madden NFL 11 Commercial Rant

I was watching Futurama tonight and noticed an interesting Madden 11 commercial. You may have seen it yourself, it starts with Drew Brees stepping off a bus. If you want a peek at it check the video below. The most interesting thing about the commercial is that besides a few heavily obscured shot in the background, the commercial contains no gameplay footage. It also contains literally no information about the game it self. What is new? What has changed? What’s the gimmick this year? But that’s just it, there is no gimmick. The gimmick is football.

This commercial embodies exactly what Madden has come to mean to its fan base. Madden is football, it happens to be a game, but at its core all Madden is, is the ultimate NFL fan service. Legions of console owners only own their console to play Madden, and maybe NCAA Football. For once a game is not about the game, its about the fans. With that said, the controversial EA/NFL exclusivity makes perfect sense. The NFL wants a singular product they can stand behind on the market that is synonymous with NFL football, and with this deal, they have it.

Gamers have a hard time swallowing the idea of Madden’s existence. It takes a lot of heat from the “serious” gaming community for being nothing more than a roster update for a game they already don’t want to play. What I say to them is, get the eff over it. You are not the target audience. Trust me, EA will find another way to separate your money from your wallet.

That will be all.

(Sorry for the green video quality, this is what happens when you use a camcorder to record a plasma display)