“Madden” Video Game Frenzy Again!

Mention “Madden” this time of year and most everyone knows the reference IS NOT pertaining to the Hall of Fame coach/sportscaster. It’s all about his video game! In an industry seemingly obsessed over aliens, fast cars, and crime, John Madden’s football series rushes its way annually to the top of the sales charts, selling some 60 million copies in the past 17 years.

The newest version, “Madden NFL 08,” debuts tomorrow for 10 different gaming systems. For hardcore devotees like Steve Williams, a 35-year-old from the Houston suburb of Sugar Land, “Madden” is more than a game — it’s a way of life.

“You’re playing as opposed to just watching; it’s like chess,” said Williams, who goes by the handle “Coach” when he plays the game with others. “You are the coach, the general manager, you’re everything that you’ve always wanted to be.” And recently he was among a handful of professional Maddenheads to participate in the taping of season three of ESPN’s “Madden Nation” reality TV show, which airs in October.

“Madden” has been a guaranteed, non-stop profit maker for publisher Electronic Arts Inc. EA sold 7.4 million copies in North America last year, including 2 million in the first week alone, making it the top-selling title in 2006. Copies retail from $30 to $60 depending on the game system.

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