John Madden, the late NFL coach, announcer and namesake of the mega-popular football video game series, will grace the cover of Madden 2023, EA Sports announced on Wednesday. It will be Madden’s first appearance on the cover since 2000.
In fact, the former station will be on three covers that will “pay homage to a different chapter in Coach Madden’s unforgettable life,” according to EA.
Madden, who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006 as the Oakland Raiders coach, died at the age of 85 in December, but his legacy endures with his pseudonymous video game. The series began in 1988. EA originally wanted Joe Montana to be the face of the franchise, but the former quarterback had previous commitments to Atari, according to ESPN.
Madden was finally signed and the coach and broadcaster immediately made an immediate impact on the game, requiring programmers to upgrade the game’s 7-on-7 format to 11-on-11, as played.
In 1993, “Madden” took a big leap forward when the NFL allowed the series to use real team names and logos, which helped make it one of the most popular video game series of all time. EA (ELEC) has sold more than 130 million copies of “Madden,” generating at least $ 4 billion in total revenue. It has also become a cultural touchstone. NFL athletes are asking to be on the cover, though some believe the distinction came with a curse.
– Jordan Valinsky of CNN Business contributed to this report.