University of Oregon Survey Indicates Playing the Award-Winning Video
Game Improves Football Intelligence
REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Jan 21, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- What does it mean to bring an 8th man into the box? If you're
looking for the correct answer, you're more likely to receive it from an
EA SPORTS Madden NFL player than from someone who doesn't play
Madden. EA SPORTS, a label of Electronic Arts Inc., (NASDAQ: ERTS),
announced today the results of a new survey by the University of
Oregon's Warsaw Sports Marketing Center, that determined fans who play
the Madden NFL video game series are more knowledgeable about the
game of football than people who don't play the game. The survey found
that Madden NFL players' football IQ was 60 percent higher than
people that don't play Madden.
The study, which surveyed over 15,000 EA SPORTS Madden NFL
players and NFL fans, tested respondents in five categories of football
knowledge: Game Situations, General Knowledge, History, Rules and
Business of Sport.
"It's amazing to see how much football knowledge Madden NFL players have
especially when you compare it to people that follow and know the sport
well," said Paul Swangard, Managing Director of the Warsaw Sports
Marketing Center at the University of Oregon. "We also found the more
time they spent playing EA SPORTS Madden NFL the higher they
scored on the survey."
Out of a total of 36 questions, Madden NFL players answered on
average 22 questions correct while people who do not play Madden NFL
answered only 14 correct. Madden NFL players scored higher in
each survey category, most notably in the General Knowledge and Business
categories, where Madden NFL players scored 79 and 63 percent
higher, respectively. Questions where Madden NFL players scored
particular higher include:
-
What does it mean to bring an "8th man into the box?"
-
Madden Players - 83% correct
-
Non-Madden Players - 47% correct
-
What is the purpose of sending a man in motion before an offensive
play?
-
Madden players - 59% correct
-
Non-Madden Players - 19% correct
"For 20 years, EA SPORTS has been committed to delivering a truly
authentic football experience with the Madden NFL franchise,"
said Peter Moore, president of EA SPORTS. "The findings of the Football
IQ study demonstrate the authenticity of the game and how much smarter
gamers have become about the sport because of it. It also represents the
impact this iconic game has had on the way football is played and
experienced, both by players and fans."
The More You Play, the Smarter You Are
The survey also shows a correlation between the total hours of playing Madden
NFL per week and football IQ, as scores increased the more a gamer
played Madden NFL. A Madden NFL gamer who rarely plays the
game attained an average score of 20.4, less than one hour a week scored
20.9, one to five hours per week scored 21.4, six to ten hours per week
scored 22.4 and a Madden NFL gamer who plays more than ten hours
a week earned an average score of 22.7.
About the Madden Football IQ Survey
The Madden Football IQ survey was conducted by University of Oregon's
Warsaw Sports Marketing Center in conjunction with Electronic Arts Inc.
in July, 2008. The study included more than 15,000 surveys that were
completed online. Survey results are nationally representative, and the
margin of error for is the survey is ? 3 percent.
About the James H. Warsaw Sports Marketing Center
Established in 1993, the James H. Warsaw Sports Marketing Center is one
of the world's premier sports education and research programs. Housed
within the University of Oregon's Charles H. Lundquist College of
Business, it has become a model for sports-business programs across the
country. The program offers degrees at both the undergraduate and
graduate level and is active in industry outreach through its
consulting, research and annual events including the Women in Sports
Business Symposium.
About Madden NFL 09
Madden NFL 09, the First Sports Game That Adapts To You,
introduces more than 85 new features and enhancements. Whether you are a
seasoned veteran, or a franchise rookie, Madden NFL 09 will
continuously asses your skills and adjust the gameplay to keep the
experience both fun and challenging, all while training gamers to become
better Madden players. Madden NFL 09 also includes a brand-new
broadcast presentation package featuring Cris Collinsworth and Tom
Hammond, online leagues, and the most realistic graphics in franchise
history. NFL legend and current New York Jets Quarterback Brett Favre
dons the cover of Madden NFL 09.
Madden NFL 09 was developed in Orlando, Florida by the
award-winning EA Tiburon studio, which also produces NCAA(R) Football,
Tiger Woods PGA TOUR(R) and NASCAR(R) racing.
Madden NFL 09 is available for the Xbox(R) and Xbox 360(R) video game
systems from Microsoft, PlayStation(R)2 and PLAYSTATION(R)3 computer
entertainment systems, Wii(TM), Nintendo DS(TM), PSP(R) (PlayStation(R)Portable)
handheld entertainment system and is rated E by the ESRB.
About EA SPORTS
EA SPORTS 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.
For more information about Madden NFL 09, please visit http://www.madden09.com/.
EA, EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS Freestyle and POGO are trademarks or registered
trademark in the U.S. and/or other countries. John Madden, NFL, FIFA,
NHL, NBA, NCAA, Tiger Woods, PGA, and NASCAR are the property of their
respective owners and are used with permission. Xbox 360 is a trademark
of the Microsoft group of companies and is used under license from
Microsoft. "PLAYSTATION" is a registered trademark of Sony Computer
Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their
respective owners.
SOURCE: Electronic Arts Inc.
Fleishman Hillard
John Reseburg, 415-312-4000
John.reseburg@fleishman.com
Copyright Business Wire 2009