14 DAY TRIAL // Video game publisher Electronic Arts has announced that it is once again asking fans of its Madden NFL series of sports simulations to decide who will be the cover athlete for this year's edition with a public vote system that expands upon the one used last year.
The company has chosen a number of players from all 32 National Football League teams, using criteria like their performances in 2010, their media visibility and their overall career highlights, and a voting bracket has been created, shown on the SportsNation show on ESPN.
Players need to go online, choose their bracket results, vote and then watch another ESPN broadcast on April 27, which will reveal who the Madden NFL 12 cover athlete will be.
Last year the publicly chosen cover man was New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees who drew significantly more votes than Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne and Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen.
Anthony Stevenson, who is a senior product manager at EA Sports, has stated, “Whether it be from fans, media, agents, or even the players themselves, there’s never a shortage of opinions when it comes to the annual selection of the Madden NFL cover athlete.”
The fact that EA Sports is making such a big deal of the choice of the cover athlete for Madden NFL 12 is further proof that the company is working on the game and planning to release it this year, even if the players and owners in the NFL cannot come to an agreement and the season is delayed or even canceled.
Electronic Arts has not said when Madden NFL 12 could be released and has not offered too much information on the innovations of the new game, just saying that it will strive to be as close as possible to the real life sport.
The publisher is also believed to be creating a Madden Curse movie based on the video game.