Coach of the Oakland Raiders for nearly 10 years and winner of the Super Bowl in 1976 with the same team, John Madden joined the world of television in 1979 to become an iconic sports consultant on channels like CBS Sports, Fox. Sports, ABC Sports, and NBC Sports, consistently winning the Emmy for Best Sports Analyst. Apart from the United States and the followers that American football can count in the rest of the world, the name of John Madden was above all the one who invariably returned each year in the games developed by Electronic Arts and this since the year of grace 1988 , year of the launch of the first John Madden Football on PC. At a time when Electronic Arts could cause an earthquake by abandoning the FIFA name, Madden’s name has been the subject of an unwavering alliance for more than 30 years. The story goes, however, that John Madden was not the first choice of Electronic Arts, which had notably suffered a refusal from former quarterback Joe Montana.
People always ask me if I’m a trainer, analyst, or video game character. I am a trainer. I have always been a coach.
The story between EA and John Madden could have even collapsed when the latter learned that the game bearing his name was supposed to display only six or seven players per team due to the technical limitations of the time. Electronic Arts will finally release a game with 11 players on each side and will meet with immediate success, although the real take off of American football in video games will take place in 1990 with the release of John Madden Football on the 16-bit from SEGA. In August 2018, we learned that the franchise Madden NFL had exceeded 130 million copies sold worldwide (mainly in the United States, of course). This year again, Madden NFL is the best-selling sports game in the United States according to data released by the NPD. Basketball (NBA 2K) and baseball (MLB The Show) are the other two most popular sports games each year across the Atlantic.
“Today we have lost a hero. John Madden has been synonymous with football for over 50 years. His knowledge of the game was matched only by his love for her and his appreciation for everyone who stepped onto the pitch. A humble champion, an available teacher and a coach forever. Our hearts and sympathy go out to family, friends and the millions of John fans. He will be sorely missed and will never be forgottenThe Madden NFL franchise’s Twitter account posted.