Two Athletes Grace the Cover for the First Time in Madden NFL
Franchise History
REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Apr 24, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) announced today that Arizona
Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and Pittsburgh Steelers safety
Troy Polamalu will both be featured on the cover of Madden NFL 10,
set to hit retail shelves on Friday, August 14. For the first time in
the 21-year history of the Madden NFL franchise, two athletes
will grace the cover of the award-winning football franchise. Leaders on
their respective sides of the field, Fitzgerald and Polamalu epitomize
the offensive and defensive battles that take place on every play in the
NFL...the Fight for Every Yard.
"Larry Fitzgerald and Troy Polamalu are exemplary examples of the epic
battle between offense and defense in the NFL," said Sr. Product Manager
Anthony Stevenson. "Madden NFL 10 showcases the Fight For
Every Yard, and nobody fights harder than Troy and Larry, making
them the perfect athletes to grace the cover."
Larry Fitzgerald will be the second athlete to have been featured on
both the Madden NFL cover (Madden NFL 10) and NCAA
Football cover (NCAA Football 2005) the first being Shaun
Alexander. The three-time Pro Bowl selection and 2009 Pro Bowl MVP
reached career highs in reception yards (1,431) and touchdowns (12) in
2008, and set NFL post season records for yards (546), receptions (30),
and TDs (7), as he led the Arizona Cardinals to Super Bowl XLIII.
Fitzgerald's athleticism and unyielding focus often result in acrobatic
catches that change the course of a game.
Troy Polamalu is a 2-time Super Bowl Champion and one of the most
recognizable players in the NFL today. Anchoring the Steelers' vaunted
defense, Polamalu frustrates opposing offenses with his All-Pro speed,
agility and high-impact tackles. Known for his quick reactions on the
field and unrivaled preparation off the field, Polamalu is one of the
few defensive players in the NFL who can rush the quarterback, shutdown
a receiver in man-to-man, or drop back into zone coverage; making it
necessary for the offense to account for him on every single play.
Sharing the NFL record for most sacks (3) in a single game by a safety,
Polamalu also recorded seven interceptions and 73 total tackles during
the Steelers Super Bowl XLIII championship season.
Utilizing the all-new Pro-Tak(TM) animation technology, Madden NFL 10
on the Xbox 360(R) and PLAYSTATION(R)3, ensures that the Fight for Every
Yard doesn't end until the whistle blows. This new game changing
animation technology delivers steerable tackles, three to nine man gang
tackles, as well as the ability to fight for fumbles at the bottom of a
pile. In addition, Pro-Tak allows quarterbacks to avoid the oncoming
rush to extend a play, or step into the pocket to deliver an in-stride
pass. With Pro-Tak, the authenticity of NFL game days is brought home
like never before in Madden NFL 10.
This year, Madden NFL 10 arrives on the Wii(TM) with breath-taking
visuals that will captivate the entire family. Completely redesigned and
built from the ground up, Madden NFL 10 introduces a unique art
style that will define the look of sports games on the Wii. Bright new
stadiums showcase details of NFL fields, plus all-new player models
embody characteristics of your favorite athletes. Madden NFL 10 epitomizes
what fun looks like on the Wii, delivering the most social and dynamic
experience from the franchise to date. Get together with friends and
crown a "King of the Couch" during your pre-game tailgate party or
during halftime. Quick, exciting game modes ensure that anytime is the
right time for Madden NFL 10 on the Wii.
The award-winning Madden NFL franchise will be available on the
Xbox 360 video game system from Microsoft, PlayStation(R)2 and PLAYSTATION
3 computer entertainment systems, Wii, and PSP(R) (PlayStation(R)Portable)
handheld entertainment system.
Madden NFL 10 is developed in Orlando, Florida by the EA Tiburon
studio, which also produces NCAA(R) Football, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR(R) and
NASCAR(R) Kart Racing.
For more information about Madden NFL 10 please visitmaddenNFL.easports.com.
For pack art and screenshot assets from Madden NFL 10 please visit http://info.ea.com.
About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is
the world's leading interactive entertainment software company. Founded
in 1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive
software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, cellular
handsets and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under
four brand names: EA SPORTSTM, EATM, EA SPORTS
Freestyle TM and POGOTM. In fiscal 2008, EA posted
GAAP net revenue of $3.67 billion and had 27 titles that sold more than
one million copies. EA's homepage and online game site is www.ea.com.
More information about EA's products and full text of press releases can
be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.
EA SPORTS(TM) is the leading interactive sports software brand in the
world, with top-selling titles and franchises including Madden NFL
football, FIFA Soccer, NHL(R) hockey, NBA LIVE basketball, NCAA(R) Football,
Tiger Woods PGA TOUR(R) and NASCAR(R) racing.
EA, EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS Freestyle, POGO and Pro-Tak are trademarks or
registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S and/or other
countries. John Madden, NFL, FIFA, NHL, NBA, NCAA, Tiger Woods, PGA TOUR
and NASCAR are trademarks of their respective owners and used with
permission. Microsoft and Xbox 360 are trademarks of the Microsoft group
of companies. "PLAYSTATION", "PlayStation" and PSP are registered
trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Wii is a trademark of
Nintendo.
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SOURCE: Electronic Arts Inc.
Electronic Arts Inc.
Rob Semsey, 407.386.5337
Senior PR Manager
RSemsey@ea.com
or
Julie Michel, 407.386.5184
Publicist
JMichel@ea.com
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