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It would appear that Microsoft and Electronic Arts are onto our annual turkey-eating, football-watching ritual, as Madden NFL Arcade has landed on Xbox Live Arcade just in time for Thanksgiving. If you've been looking for a faster, simpler game of football, Madden NFL Arcade just might be the thing for you. Assuming you can stomach the 1200 ($15) price tag, of course. Watch the latest episode of XBLA in Brief to see what the game is all about.

Download the trial version of Madden NFL Arcade

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Just in case you've taken a few exceptionally hard tackles in the past couple of weeks, we thought we'd remind you that this week's XBLA release is Madden NFL Arcade, a five-on-five, backyard-rules take on EA Sports' darling. You'll be able to pick the game up just in time for your Thanksgiving celebrations for 1200 ($15).

Editor's Note: Thank you to reader TuchdwnMan449 for reminding us that it's called the "end zone" and not "the scoring rectangle thing" as our headline originally read. We pledge to improve our understanding of sports before writing future football posts.

EA has pushed up the release of its upcoming Madden NFL Arcade downloadable game, just in time for when you're lounging around in a tryptophan-included daze. Like NHL Arcade 3 on 3 before it, PS3 owners will get early access to the game: it'll be available Tuesday November 24th on PlayStation Network and Wednesday, November 25th on Xbox LIVE Arcade for $14.99 and 1200, respectively.

Unlike its retail counterpart, NFL Arcade doesn't attempt to recreate the sport with any level of "realism." The field is much smaller and players will have to get touchdowns within four tries (no way to get a first down). The various power-ups, coupled with the smaller field, will make for much faster games and much higher scores. Its also likely to become one of the best-selling downloadable games ever, and from what we hear, EA really could use the cash.

Gallery: Madden NFL Arcade

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Well, this is a rarity: A sports game mode that's too nerdy even for us. When "Madden Ultimate Team" mode comes to Madden 10 on 360 and PS3 for free in January, you'll collect packs of cards (or buy them via the in-game store) and use those cards to compose a fantasy team, customizing everything from your head coach and stadium to your plays and players. You can then pit your ultimate team against those of other players or the CPU. Think fantasy football mixed with ... well, let's be honest, Pokemon.

Wow guys, really? Collectible card game battling? We thought Madden players were supposed to be the cool ones, but you're getting into some really noogie-prone territory here.

Everyone loves Achievements. That's a fact. As such, we really appreciate it when developers put some thought into their Achievements. While the 'cheevos for Madden NFL Arcade -- as unearthed by MGC -- are fairly standard in their execution, the names are all pretty amusing. We're particularly fond of "Like a Boss," likely named for the (incredibly NSFW) song of the same name. One that we're not so fond of is "2 Points 1 Win," making Madden NFL Arcade the second game to riff on an abhorrent internet meme that we refuse to explain (don't investigate if you value your sanity). Hit the source link for the full Achievement list.

When celebrities get on board for a game, the inevitable pitfall is the dreaded interview where said celebrity awkwardly tries relating to the "gamer" crowd (trust us, we know all about it.) With DJ Hero dropping this week, celebrity sponsor Jay-Z sat down with MTV News to talk about how much of a gamer he is (hint: not so much) and his support for the cultural awareness opportunities inherent in the recently released turntable title.

"Immediately, of course, with the success of Guitar Hero, you know, [DJ Hero] piqued my interest, and then on top of that it was something from the hip-hop culture. So, anytime you can, you know, I can expand the genre and introduce it to new audiences and widen it -- you know, the reach of what hip-hop can do -- you know, I'm interested in that," Jay-Z explains in the video interview (embedded after the break).

As far as Jay-Z's gaming roots, that's another story altogether. "I was really a gamer," Jay-Z urges. "Like, ask any of the guys. Like, I used to -- Madden and all these type of games," Jay-Z awkwardly cobbles together, "I was, like, really a problem. Like, those were my things -- for awhile." Presumably, until, you know, he got all that other stuff that impresses us, right? It's okay, Mr. Z -- you don't have to impress us with your gaming prowess, too. It's not like we have the numbers of "the guys" to fact check your claims anyway.

According to a report on Cleveland.com, the lawsuit filed against Electronic Arts by Cleveland Browns fan John "Big Dawg" Thompson has been dismissed. The suit had been filed on the grounds that EA featured Thompson's likeness in Madden NFL 09 without his permission. More specifically, the game featured the likeness of Thompson wearing a dog mask and orange hat, a costume he's worn to Cleveland Browns home games for years.

Thompson's lawyer, Alan Parker, noted that his client was happy the matter was closed, but noted that details of the dismissal are confidential. Thompson had been seeking damages "in excess of $25,000," so that's one thing he might be happy about. If his Big Dawg mask is sporting some gold teeth and a diamond encrusted hat during the next Browns home game, we'll know for sure.

Dear Download-only Record Holder,

You had a good run -- time to move over. Madden NFL Arcade is coming to town. EA has detailed, priced and dated its bite-sized Madden for Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network. Targeted for the holiday season, Madden Arcade is described as fast-paced, 5-on-5 football. It's a classic backyard scenario -- first to 30; 4 plays per possession; no penalties; no field goals -- draped in NFL glamour.

Following in the tradition of its arcade-football predecessors (NFL Blitz, NFL Street, etc.) and EA's 3-on-3 NHL Arcade, Madden Arcade will feature a 'toonish art style, downsized playing field (60 yards) and 13 "Game Changers" (power-ups), including the ability to freeze your opponents, turn off their passing icons, or enlist an army of lineman to pretty much guarantee a sack. Each match is customizable, too, by altering skill level, points to win and other options, and supports up to 4-player co-op on a single console or 1-vs-1 online.

Madden NFL Arcade will be released this December on XBLA (1200) and PSN ($14.99). And shortly thereafter, the game is the odds on favorite to become the best-selling download-only title ever. How's the saying go: Don't hate the player? Hate the ...

Hopefully, this redemption works a bit easier for you than today's LittleBigPlanet offer. Reebok is offering PS3 owners free DLC for Madden 10. The AFL Legacy Pack, which originally costs $7, adds eight original AFL teams and 15 AFL Legacy Game matchups. American PlayStation Network users will be able to register for this Reebok contest and get a free DLC code.

Enjoy!

[Via Slickdeals]

No seriously, that's what you do on PlayBlackjack.com. For those not in the know, the Madden "curse" has afflicted every athlete featured on the cover of a Madden game. These pros get injured in some way through the course of the season, forcing them to miss a few games. When one of the two Madden 10 athletes, Troy Polamalu, suffered an injury to his left knee, many wondered if Larry Fitzgerald would follow. Well, at least one site is planning on turning that inquisitiveness into a real gambling operation.

To enter the pool, players will have to successfully guess which week Fitzgerald will get injured, with 9:1 odds offered for each possible game. With quite a number of games still left to play, the odds are definitely not in your favor. However, should Fitzergald manage to dodge a bullet, all bets will be called off. "If Fitzgerald does not get struck by the curse and remains healthy all regular season the bets will be graded as no-action and all money bet will be returned to the bettor."

It's certainly a morbid concept to spend money on. We wonder if Madden curse victim Michael Vick is getting in on the action ...

-DS: 553K14K (+2%)
-Wii: 277K24K (+9%)
-360: 215K12K (+6%)
-PS3: 210K88K (+72%)
-PSP: 140K17K (+13%)
-PS2: 106K2K (-2%

Check out the software sales chart after the break.

There's an old (albeit imaginary) adage in the game's industry: If it can play games, Madden will undoubtedly follow. EA Sports is rushing Apple's App Store with a brand new game that takes full advantage of the iPhone's (and iPod's) touch screen. Unlike the console variants, the handheld Madden 10 experience is more accessible to the casual player. Beginners will be able to get by without thinking about the playbook, as the game automatically recommends appropriate plays. The action slows down when the quarterback has the ball, and color-coded icons appear on the screen, indicating the likelihood of making a completion.

In our brief time with the game, it was clear that EA Mobile placed a lot of effort into ensuring Madden could be played in short bursts: not only does the game launch within seconds from the iPhone menu, the game auto-saves after every play, allowing players to stop and resume a match any time they want. Hardcore football fans are likely to appreciate the added depth that casual gamers wil avoid: there are 2000 players in the game, voiced (tinny) commentary from John Madden, and a feature called "Hot Route" which allows players to manually draw plays to carry out. A ridiculous number of stats are also tracked by the game with full sorting, so you can know exactly who has the highest 3rd down conversion ratio in the league.

The game will be available for $9.99 in the App Store, though you can snag it for a discounted $7.99 today. We've been told that multiplayer is being worked on, as well as DLC, such as roster updates and "authentic jerseys."

According to Lazard Capital Markets analyst Colin Sebastian, as reported by IndustryGamers, sales of Madden NFL 10 have been "slightly below" EA's plan for the title. Based on Lazard's retail data, Sebastian says he believes the lower than expected sales are the result of fewer purchases by mainstream gamers. Specialty game retailers seem to be having no trouble selling Madden, which indicates that "core game fans appear to be somewhat more resilient than mainstream shoppers," according to Sebastian.

Not to worry though, as Sebastian believes the recent PS3 price cut, along with an expected 360 price cut and the beginning of the back-to-school season "could provide a later lift" for the game. We hope so -- because we're really hoping for a sequel.

	1 Platinum 6 Gold 16 Silver 12 Bronze	Difficulty: Difficult Online Trophies? Yes Time to Completion: 10 hours DLC Trophies? Yes* *Trophies requiring DLC are highlighted in yellow.
	View Trophy List	Read More About the Game