EA Sports Starts it's Seventh Season of Madden Challenge

Redwood City, CA– September 17, 2008 – Snap your chin strap and get ready to put your Madden NFL skills on the line as Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced today the start of the EA SPORTS™ Madden Challenge presented by Best Buy.  The Madden Challenge kicked off its seventh season on September 5 in Los Angeles and continues this week with stops in Minneapolis and Chicago, as part of an 18-city, two-month tour of NFL towns across the nation.  The event culminates in a final tournament event held at Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort and SPA featuring the new Italian Village where gamers will be competing for a chance at $85,000 in total prizes.
 
Tens of thousands of Madden NFL players from all around the country compete in the Madden Challenge each year, providing the same high-stakes drama that unfolds on the football field every Sunday. The first Madden NFL gaming competition was held by EA in 2001, which spawned what would become the Madden Challenge, an annual competition offering the best Madden NFL players in the world a venue for putting their skills to the test.
 
“Just as the NFL kicks off the first games of its season this fall, the EA SPORTS Madden Challenge presented by Best Buy will give gamers around the world a chance to feel the intensity and spirit of competition themselves,” said Brian Movalson, EA SPORTS Marketing Director. “Madden NFL 09 brings the most realistic graphics in the 20-year history of the game, so players in this year’s Madden Challenge will feel the every tackle and the rush of the crowd as they put their skills and pride on the line.”
 
”Games like Madden NFL 09 continue to enhance the gaming experience by adding new features and experiences,” noted Jill Hamburger, Best Buy vice president of gaming. “Best Buy has been changing the gaming experience in our stores by adding an interactive EA SPORTS area within the gaming section. This change and sponsorship of the Madden Challenge lets our Blueshirt gaming experts lend their expertise helping consumers create the ultimate HD gaming experience that puts them in the game.”
 
This year’s Madden Challenge includes a dedicated online program as EA SPORTS has partnered with Microsoft to bring the Madden Challenge to hundreds of thousands of potential participants via the Xbox LIVE® online entertainment network. From August 29th until March 1st you’ll get an entry into the sweepstakes when you play a multiplayer Madden NFL 09 game online and will score a new entry into the sweepstakes for each different day you play online. Register your gamertag now as there are great prizes to be won, including a trip for a winner and one guest to Tampa, Florida, to attend the EA Madden Bowl.
 
The Madden Challenge tour kicked off on September 5 at the Universal CityWalk in Los Angeles.  The winners from each city stop will advance to EA SPORTS own version of the Super Bowl - the Madden Challenge finals from January 11-14, 2009 at Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort and SPA in the Turks & Caicos Islands. Dates and locations for Madden Challenge venues are:
 
Date             Venue                                                Location                   
9/5/08          Universal CityWalk                           Los Angeles, CA
9/6/08          Universal CityWalk                           Los Angeles, CA
9/7/08          Horton Plaza                                     San Diego, CA
9/12/08        Grapevine Mills                                Dallas, TX
9/13/08        Grapevine Mills                                Dallas, TX
9/14/08        Houston Galleria                              Houston, TX
9/19/08        Mall of America                                Minneapolis, MN
9/20/08        Navy Pier                                         Chicago, IL
9/21/08        Castleton Square                            Indianapolis, IN
9/26/08        King of Prussia                                Philadelphia, PA
9/27/08        King of Prussia                                Philadelphia, PA
9/28/08        Inner Harbor                                    Baltimore, MD
10/3/08        South Street Seaport                       New York, NY
10/4/08        South Street Seaport                        New York, NY
10/5/08        Government Center                          Boston, MA
10/10/08      Lenox Square                                   Atlanta, GA
10/11/08      Lenox Square                                   Atlanta, GA
10/12/08      Florida Mall                                      Orlando, FL
 
EA SPORTS will travel around the country to host events where participants can register, enter and play in a tournament. Participants in the Madden Challenge will compete playing the game on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. Gamers in this year’s Madden Challenge will compete for prizes totaling $85,000. For more information on rules, registration and regulations, go to www.maddenchallenge.com.
 
Madden NFL 09, released on August 12, is the First Sports Game That Adapts To You. Madden NFL 09 will continuously assess your skills and adjust the gameplay to keep the experience both fun and challenging, whether you are an experienced player or just a rookie, all while training gamers to become better Madden players. The game has also added over 85 new features and enhancements, including a brand-new broadcast presentation package featuring Cris Collinsworth and Tom Hammond, online leagues, and the most realistic graphics in franchise history.
 
Developed in Orlando, FL by EA Tiburon, Madden NFL 09 is available now on Xbox and Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION®3 and PlayStation®2 computer entertainment systems, Nintendo GameCube™, Nintendo DS™, Wii™, Windows PC, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) handheld entertainment system and mobile handsets. For more information check out http://www.easports.com/madden09.

All information contained in this news post comes directly from a press release sent out by EA Sports