Though the Madden NFL brand has been around for over two decades, many can look to the very first iteration as the foundation for the innovations gamers see today. With that thought in mind, one of the original creators for the game has stepped forward to say that he is owed a hefty sum of money in both royalties and profits from his development work.

Robin Antonick, this week, filed a lawsuit claiming that Electronic Arts failed to provide adequate compensation for his work on Madden back in 1986 when he realized they are still using some of the software he created.

Over the years the Madden franchise has continued to evolve with each iteration. Last year's brought with it a more streamlined play calling system known as Game Flow, but, at its core, it was still the same Madden experience. Echoing that sentiment, Antonick feels that EA did not do enough to step away from his original software, and would like to be justly compensated.

As it stands now, Antonick has not received any royalties or profits since back in 1992 when Madden was looking at a new console generation. It wasn’t until Antonick saw the publicity for the 20th Anniversary of Madden that he realized the company has been using development software based on the one he created all those years ago.

Whether Antonick has any grounds in this case has yet to be determined (Electronic Arts has not commented on the lawsuit), but if Antonick does it could spell trouble for the Madden franchise. Of course, gamers needn’t worry that the Madden 12 release will be pre-empted like the ’11-’12 NFL season might be, as Electronic Arts should work something out rather quickly.

Gamers who want to make an impact on the next iteration can participate in the ongoing bracket tournament to decide the game’s cover athlete. Currently in its second round, the tournament is heating up with favorites like Aaron Rodgers and Philip Rivers advancing, and last year’s cover star Drew Brees still in the hunt.

Whatever happens with Antonick’s case, gamers can stay hopeful that it doesn’t drastically impact such a consistent gaming force. If Madden 12 is NFL fans only way of getting their football fix, know that EA is going to work hard to settle this lawsuit as quickly as possible.

Do you think that Electronic Arts should justly compensate Antonick for his work on creating the foundation for the Madden franchise? How do you think this will impact Madden 12?

Source: Reuters

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