NFL Future Draftees Defeat League Young Guns at 19th Annual Madden Bowl

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--North America’s longest-running sports video game franchise celebrated its 25^th anniversary in style as Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) hosted the 19^th annual Madden Bowl in New Orleans as a prelude to Super Bowl XLVII. The most anticipated pre-Super Bowl event of the week saw former Florida State quarterback E.J. Manuel, former Oregon running back Kenjon Barner and former Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson become the first rookie team to win Madden Bowl in its 19-year history. The event, which featured performances by Big Boi and Lil’ Wayne, saw the rookies take the title with a 21-7 victory at the Bud Light Hotel. To watch highlights, click here.

Earlier in the week, the Madden NFL 13 Super Bowl Prediction Powered by Xbox 360® predicted the Baltimore Ravens as Super Bowl XLVII champions, defeating the San Francisco 49ers 27—24. With the victory, the Ravens would capture their second Lombardi Trophy and allow linebacker Ray Lewis to end his illustrious NFL career as a Super Bowl champion. To view the full prediction video, click here.

Super Bowl week also saw the franchise officially announce Madden NFL 25, launching on August 27. This year’s game will feature the Madden NFL 25 name when it launches in August, plus a new fan Cover Vote will pit NFL’s greatest legends against today’s hottest stars. The past and the future will collide across ESPN platforms and SportsNation with a bracket of 32 legends going head-to-head against one another, as will 32 current NFL superstars, with the winners of each bracket facing off in the final round.

Embraced by fans and honored by critics for 25 years, Madden NFL is known as the NFL’s “33^rd Franchise” due to its authentic gameplay, the development team’s unparalleled access to NFL resources and its prominent place in NFL culture.

Madden NFL 25 is developed in Orlando, Florida by EA Tiburon and will be available for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system for $59.99. To learn more about Madden NFL 25, visit http://www.easports.com/madden-nfl. Fans are also invited to become a Madden Insider for exclusive information on Facebook including the latest news, original content and more for Madden NFL 25.

All player participation has been facilitated by National Football League Players Incorporated, the licensing and marketing subsidiary of the NFL Players Association (NFLPA).

EA SPORTS is one of the leading sports entertainment brands in the world, with top-selling videogame franchises, award-winning interactive technology, fan programs and cross-platform digital experiences. EA SPORTS creates connected experiences that ignite the emotion of sports through industry-leading sports videogames, including Madden NFL football, FIFA Soccer, NHL® hockey, NBA LIVE basketball, NCAA® Football, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® golf, SSX™ and Fight Night boxing.

For more information about EA SPORTS, including news, video, blogs, forums and game apps, please visit www.easports.com to connect, share and compete.

About Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) is a global leader in digital interactive entertainment. The Company delivers games, content and online services for Internet-connected consoles, personal computers, mobile phones, tablets and social networks. EA has more than 275 million registered players and operates in 75 countries.

In fiscal 2012, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $4.1 billion. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, EA is recognized for a portfolio of critically acclaimed, high-quality blockbuster brands such as The Sims™, Madden NFL, FIFA Soccer, Need for Speed™, Battlefield™ and Mass Effect™. More information about EA is available at http://info.ea.com.

The Sims and Need for Speed are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. Mass Effect is a trademark of EA International (Studio and Publishing) Ltd. Battlefield is a trademark of EA Digital Illusions CE AB. John Madden, NFL and FIFA are the property of their respective owners and used with permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.