Madden NFL (originally known as John Madden Football until 1993) is an American football video game series developed by EA Tiburon for EA Sports. It is named after Pro Football Hall of Famer John Madden, and has sold more than 120 million copies, and influenced many players and coaches of the physical sport. Among the game’s realistic features are sophisticated playbooks and player statistics, and voice commentary that allows players to hear the game as if it were a real TV broadcast. As of 2013 the franchise has generated over $4 billion in sales.
Electronic Arts founder Trip Hawkins conceived the series and approached Madden in 1984 for his endorsement and expertise. Because of Madden’s insistence that the game be as realistic as possible, the first version of John Madden Football did not appear until 1988. EA has released annual versions since 1990, and the series’ name changed to Madden NFL in 1993 after EA acquired the rights to use NFL teams and players. Despite Madden’s retirement as a broadcaster in 2009, he continues to lend his name to provide expertise for the game franchise.