Electronic Arts may have had a number of missteps during it’s run, but with titles like Apex Legends and Anthem, along with the sustained success of FIFA and Madden, EA seems to be on the upswing.
One of those titles, Madden NFL, may be generating so much interest in the esports arena, that Electronic Arts (EA) may need to implement a bigger plan for Madden’s future, that incorporates Esports on a broader scale.
“The thing we do year after year is gather feedback from our competitors themselves, Electronic Arts Commissioner and CGD Matt Marcou said, during an interview with ESports Insider.
“Whether you came Top 1000 or Top 30, your opinion matters. Outside of that, we want to bring outside partners to host Madden tournaments. We’d like to bring in more partners so the ecosystem is beneficial for them to get involved in running online and live tournaments. There are various publishers that want a very closed ecosystem whereas others prefer an open ecosystem, I’d say we’re more around the middle. We will always be working with the NFL to host the pinnacle tournaments.
However, we’d also like for those aspiring competitors in high school/college to have their own leagues and tournaments to compete in. You can expect this to happen next year. However, how it manifests itself is still to be worked on by our team.”
Marcou also touched on the increased interest in the title from actual NFL players who are interested in getting involved.
“I think the short answer is yes and yes, the primary example to highlight is John Sherman “JuJu” Smith-Schuster who is an avid video gamer. There have been multiple athletes from NBA, MMA, NFL and WWE who have taken an interest in streaming their gameplay on Twitch. I think generally modern athletes spend a lot of time on the road and they have grown up in a gaming culture so I think, especially in America’s case there are lots of stories of them being gamers when they want to pass time.
JuJu is a prime example who plays Madden and various other video games and really embodies the new cool. I think Madden, in general, puts a different light on what it means to be a gamer. I can say without a doubt that the Madden community is the most social and most approachable community that I’ve ever had the chance to work with. I’m so honoured and inspired to be able to put some of these young men and showcase their stories. I think it in all puts a positive face on what it means to be a gamer these days.”
You can read the entire interview over at Esports Insider.
