Sep 9, 2021; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) reacts after defeating the Dallas Cowboys at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports
NFL training camp is on the horizon, and that means player ratings are beginning to trickle out for the upcoming “Madden NFL 23” video game. The annual game is a big deal for some players, who put some real stock into how the developers rate their skills.
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase is one such player. Chase was not pleased to be left off the game’s list of the top ten receivers. He tweeted that he was using the snub as “extra motivation.”
Chase got some solid reassurance from a great source in the form of Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady. Brady responded to Chase by noting that he had been left out of the game completely in his second NFL season.
Brady is actually correct. He is not on the Patriots’ roster in Madden 2002, according to Madden Ratings, a website that chronicles the rosters and ratings from various iterations of the game. Damon Huard and Michael Bishop are in as Drew Bledsoe’s two backups instead.
Of course Brady would remember this, even though it was a minor thing that happened over 20 years ago.
Chase has a point here, though. He finished fourth in the NFL in receiving yards and third in touchdown receptions, and he did it as a rookie. Amari Cooper has never had a season that successful statistically and he is ranked higher. That one just doesn’t really check out.
In complaining about his rating, Chase is keeping some good company. If he keeps putting up the numbers, he should have no problem rocketing up the list fairly quickly.
Feb 3, 2011; Dallas, TX, USA; NFL former head coach John Madden during the Madden most valuable protectors award press conference at the Sheraton in downtown Dallas. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
The latest version of the long-running “Madden” video game will be released this summer, and EA Sports has unveiled the new cover. Fans are quite pleased with it.
John Madden himself is on the cover of “Madden 23.” The late Hall of Fame coach has not been featured on the cover of the game since 2000. The image being used this year is the same one that was on the very first “Madden” cover in 1988.
Madden’s voice will also be returning to the game. Developers have used “remastered audio clips that call back to his legendary days as a broadcaster,” according to EA Sports.
Madden died unexpectedly in December. He was 85. The former Oakland Raiders coach and broadcasting icon was one of the most influential figures in NFL history. He famously wanted the “Madden” game to be a realistic depiction of NFL football, and he helped developers accomplish that goal.
The choice to put Madden on the cover this year was an easy one.
There you have it. Medvedev is such a FIFA soccer nut that he did a celebration from the videogame upon winning his first career major. He is now the official favorite tennis player of soccer gamers everywhere. Maybe he will no longer be the heel.
Sports video game ratings are always a source of controversy. That’s true even for the players represented in them, sometimes especially so.
LeBron James is no different. However, his issue isn’t with his own rating. Perhaps surprisingly, he thinks two of his fellow stars are underrated in the upcoming “NBA 2K22.” Specifically, both Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant come in at 96 overall, which James thinks is too low for both.
It’s definitely a mark of respect from James to say the video game underrates two of his fellow stars and sometimes rivals. That said, plenty of people will agree with him. That’s especially true in the case of Durant when you consider his exploits in the playoffs.
The developers of 2K are going to be used to the criticism, both of the game and its ratings. Even their own past cover stars haven’t always loved the product. Don’t expect James’ complaints to influence how they choose to rate players, rightly or wrongly.
Tom Brady has been able to recruit multiple players to play with him over the course of his career, but even the GOAT has his limits.
Brady starred in a funny commercial for “Madden NFL 22” that was released on Tuesday. In it, the seven-time Super Bowl champion calls former teammates Julian Edelman, Mike Vrabel, Randy Moss and Chad Johnson to try to lure them out of retirement or whatever else they’re doing. He didn’t have any luck, so he decided to strap on a headset and play “Madden” online instead.
The ad was pretty clever. Brady, who is 44, has played for so long that he has countless former teammates to recruit, but most of them retired long ago. Brady, on the other hand, recently explained why he feels better physically now than he did more than a decade ago.
Thursday marked the first day that college athletes would be allowed to profit off their name, image, and likeness without breaching NCAA rules. The shift will have major ramifications, some of which could prove exciting for college football fans.
EA Sports had already announced the planned return of its “NCAA Football” video game series, marketed as “College Football” going forward. The series had been dormant since its most recent edition was released in 2013.
In response to the new rules, EA said in a statement it planned to explore the possibility of using real players in the video game going forward, but did not commit to doing so.
Statement from EA about NIL and how it could affect the eventual college football game returning to video games. pic.twitter.com/WzzJjVIWnv
In previous editions of the “NCAA Football” series, EA included real teams and stadiums, but were not licensed to use real players. To get around this, they typically filled the rosters with players based on their real life counterparts, but without real names attached. However, the game’s roster editing functions made it easy for users to enter the real names themselves. This was a major reason the series went on hiatus, as college athletes argued that the game was exploiting a loophole to use their likeness.
EA Sports said at the time of its announcement that the initial plan was to bring the game back without real players. Much has to be worked out, but the rule changes at least open the door to the possibility of including real players and compensating them for their appearance in the game.
Ever since the reveal that EA Sports plans to bring back its popular “NCAA Football” video game series, fans have waited for any news on when the next game might be released. We might have something of a hint.
Matt Brown of Extra Points obtained a redacted copy of a licensing proposal from EA to NCAA schools. It proposes a four-year initial exclusivity window starting in 2023.
Got another copy of the EA Sports/CLC proposal to FBS schools, dated Jan 15, with fewer redactions than previous copies. Here's a bit more info on the money schools may make from the game:
While the proposed royalty rate is redacted, the document reveals a previous proposal of 8.5 percent. Notably, schools would receive royalty money in tiers based partly on how popular their downloadable in-game content proves to be.
Licensing issues ended the series after the 2014 edition of the game, but with image and licensing rights rules being worked out by the NCAA, the pathway was paved for the game to return. Let’s just say everyone was pretty excited about it, and any possible news on a year of return will only get fans more excited.
Justin Jefferson watched his signature touchdown celebration rapidly gain popularity during his breakout rookie season in 2020, and the dance will now be featured in a prominent video game.
Epic Games announced on Monday that Jefferson’s “Griddy” dance will be featured in “Fortnite” beginning Wednesday. As ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes, Jefferson will be the first NFL player to be featured in the popular video game.
The NFL entered a partnership with Epic Games, the developer of “Fortnite,” back in 2018. The deal allows the game to feature logos from all 32 teams on the gear that characters wear.
Jefferson began doing the “Griddy” dance when he became a star at LSU, though he is not the inventor of it. The dance was created by Allen “Griddy” Davis in the weight room of Landry Walker High School in New Orleans in 2017. It eventually went viral on social media, and Jefferson first did it in a game at LSU in 2019.
Many NFL players and pro athletes are avid “Fortnite” players. One MLB player even once had to apologize for something he said about his manager while playing the game. Jefferson’s inclusion in “Fortnite” may lead to some jealousy among his peers.
Jefferson, the No. 22 overall pick in last year’s draft, made the Pro Bowl as a rookie last year. His 1,400 receiving yards ranked fourth in the NFL.
Tiger Woods has not had an endorsement deal with a video game company since the last installment of “Tiger Woods PGA Tour” was released by EA Sports in 2013, but gamers will be happy to hear that the 15-time major champion is officially back.
Woods and video game company 2K announced on Tuesday that they have agreed to an exclusive deal to produce content using Tiger’s name. Tiger will become an executive director for 2K’s PGA Tour video game franchise, and his image and likeness will be used in the games.
“I am looking forward to making my return to the video game landscape, and with 2K and HB Studios, I’ve found the right partners to make it happen,” Woods said in a statement. “I’m honored to take part in this opportunity and look forward to sharing my expertise and insights as we build the future of golf video games together.”
The “Tiger Woods PGA Tour” franchise was wildly popular for EA Sports from 1998-2013. EA briefly tried to keep the franchise going with Rory McIlroy as the face of it, but that only lasted one season.
Tiger is still recovering from the horrifying car crash he was involved in last month, so the 2K news is certainly a welcome change of pace from the headlines we have been seeing about him.
EA Sports made an announcement on Tuesday that many video game enthusiasts have been waiting years for, and the internet reacted exactly how you might expect.
After years of hiatus due to licensing and compensation issues, college football is returning to EA Sports. The game will be called “EA Sports College Football” rather than “NCAA Football,” but there will be some sort of college football game in the near future.
There has not been a new version of “NCAA Football” since “NCAA Football 14” was released in the Summer of 2013. Former Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson was on the cover.
Twitter went ballistic after EA Sports dropped the news:
The NCAA is in the process of changing its amateurism rules regarding athletes profiting off their name, image and likeness. A case is expected to be heard later this year, and CBS reported last month that the goal is to enact legislation in 2021. Holt says EA Sports will be prepared to adapt to that.
“We’ll just keep tabs on everything as it develops and we’ll be ready,” he told ESPN. “That won’t be a problem for us. But it’s really, that’s not an answer for us right now to decide. We’re as much passengers as anyone else.”
The game will feature over 100 college teams. EA Sports partnered with collegiate licensing company CLC to secure the rights to FBS schools, traditions, uniforms and more.
If you want to know how popular the “NCAA Football” series was, just look at the way some schools have used it as a recruiting tool. To say that gamers and college football fans are ecstatic would be an understatement.
