Fans Play More than 300 Million Minutes and Set Record Week for
Madden Ultimate Team
REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Electronic Arts Inc., (NASDAQ: EA) announced today that EA
SPORTS Madden
NFL 25 sold-through more than 1M units during its first
seven days at retail (Aug. 27-Sept. 2), catapulting the title to the top
of the videogame charts as the highest selling game in North America in
August, according to internal estimates.
Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the Madden NFL franchise
continues to prove its popularity, with fans playing nearly 6M hours of Madden
NFL 25 in Week One, the equivalent of more than 600 consecutive
years. Rivalries run deep as fans chose Seahawks vs. 49ers three times
more than any other matchup. Fans took the competition to Madden
Ultimate Team too, opening more than 3.3M packs, the most in any single
week since Ultimate Team was introduced in Madden NFL 10. In
addition, Saturday marked the highest day for net revenue in Madden
Ultimate Team history.
"The strong start for Madden NFL 25 on current generation
consoles is a testament to the power of this amazing franchise and its
fans," said Andrew Wilson, Executive Vice President of EA SPORTS. "It's
a big year for our fans as we launch Madden NFL 25 for two
different hardware generations, and we're pleased with the early results
for the Xbox 360 and PS3. We're confident we can sustain this momentum
as we move towards the launch of next generation consoles this Fall with
the most innovative Madden NFL yet."
"The Madden NFL 25 Anniversary Edition was the best-selling
sports game preorder in Amazon.com history," said John Love, Director of
Video Games for Amazon. "Our customers have responded and we have
certainly seen a significant growth in Madden NFL sales this year
versus last year."
"We had thousands of gamers in our stores the night Madden NFL
launched," said Laura Phillips, Senior Vice President of Entertainment
for Wal-Mart U.S. "We're encouraged not only by sales of Madden
but our overall gaming business, and expect this to be a top seller now
and throughout the holiday season."
Madden NFL will make the leap into the next generation of
consoles when Xbox One and PlayStation® 4 release in November.
"Our customers are big fans of Madden NFL 25's new dynamic
running game and Owner mode," said Bob Puzon, Senior Vice-President of
Merchandising for GameStop. "The initial response we've received for the
game has been positive, and we have plans in place to make it easy for
consumers to upgrade this version of the game once the new consoles are
available in GameStop stores."
Madden NFL 25 for Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system
and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system allows fans to Run Free
and unlock the power, precision and creativity of an NFL ball-carrier
with the brand-new precision modifier. Utilizing an arsenal of over 30
new moves, players can leave the defense grasping at thin air by juking,
spinning and stiff-arming their way into the end zone.
This year also offers fans the opportunity to take full control of their
favorite NFL team with the new Owner mode within Connected Franchise.
Owners can set prices on everything from concessions to merchandise;
draft, sign and trade players; upgrade and renovate home stadiums or
even pack up the team and move to a brand-new city. Owners retain full
control both on and off the field, and do everything from calling and
running plays on game day to managing all aspects of a team's day-to-day
operations.
Embraced by fans and honored by critics for 25 years, Madden NFL is
known as the NFL's "33rd Franchise" due to its authentic
gameplay, the development team's unparalleled access to NFL resources
and its prominent place in NFL culture.
Madden NFL 25 is developed in Orlando, Florida by EA Tiburon is
now available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, iPhone and iPad. Madden
NFL 25 will also be available for Xbox One, the all-in-one
entertainment system from Microsoft, and the PlayStation 4 in November.
To learn more about Madden NFL 25, visit http://www.easports.com/madden-nfl.
Fans are also invited to become
a Madden Insider on Facebook for exclusive information including the
latest news, original content and more for Madden NFL 25.
All player participation has been facilitated by National Football
League Players Incorporated, the licensing and marketing subsidiary of
the NFL Players Association (NFLPA).
EA SPORTS is one of the leading sports entertainment brands in the
world, with top-selling videogame franchises, award-winning interactive
technology, fan programs and cross-platform digital experiences. EA
SPORTS creates connected experiences that ignite the emotion of sports
through industry-leading sports videogames, including Madden NFL
football, FIFA Soccer, NHL® hockey, NBA LIVE basketball,
NCAA® Football, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® golf, SSX™
and EA SPORTS UFC.
For more information about EA SPORTS, including news, video, blogs,
forums and game apps, please visit www.easports.com
to connect, share and compete.
About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) is a global leader in digital interactive
entertainment. The Company delivers games, content and online services
for Internet-connected consoles, personal computers, mobile phones and
tablets. EA has more than 300 million registered players and operates in
75 countries.
In fiscal year 2013, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.8 billion.
Headquartered in Redwood City, California, EA is recognized for a
portfolio of critically acclaimed, high-quality blockbuster brands such
as The Sims™, Madden NFL, FIFA Soccer, Need for Speed™, Battlefield™ and
Mass Effect™. More information about EA is available at www.ea.com/news.
EA SPORTS, The Sims, SSX, Need for Speed, Mass Effect and Battlefield
are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. and its subsidiaries. Madden,
NFL, FIFA, NHL, NBA, NCAA, Tiger Woods and PGA TOUR are the property of
their respective owners and used with permission. All other trademarks
are the property of their respective owners. Xbox is a trademark of the
Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
"PlayStation" is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment
Inc.
Electronic Arts Inc.
David Tinson, 650-628-5189
VP,
Communications
dtinson@ea.com
Adam
Tanielian, 407-386-4824
Sr. Director, Communications
atanielian@ea.com
Julie
Foster, 407-386-5184
Sr. Manager, Communications
jfoster@ea.com
Source: Electronic Arts Inc.
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