John Madden’s legacy has impacted not only the world of professional football but video games as well. While the Hall of Fame coach never got his opportunity to play in a professional game he is regarded as one of the most influential coaches to ever be involved in football. His determination to see the game change for the better through things like the NFL Competition Committee and his endorsement of the Madden NFL football video game franchise showed his interest in having both professional and fan engagement with the game at different levels. Following the recent passing of John Madden, the world of football reflected on his lifelong commitment to the game.
This lifelong commitment has had profound influences on players, fans, and other coaches alike with everyone being able to learn from the video game series that John Madden endorsed. While not the first option to endorse the Madden NFL franchise, he was likely the best choice. People like first-pick Joe Montana have star power, but the longevity of the franchise largely comes from how engaged John Madden remained with football well after his initial coaching career. From fan to player, to coach, to sportscaster, to video games he was connected to football for his entire life working to try and make the game the best it could be.
John Madden's Impact on Video Games
In the years since its inception, the Madden NFL franchise has taken over as the most prominent video game when it comes to football and is the only one officially licensed by the National Football League. The Madden NFL franchise is directly tied to the founding of EA and as a result, has led to other sports titles as well as a myriad of games in other genres. In the grand scheme of things, the success of the Madden NFL franchise might not seem so important to some, given that the studio has grown and EA is responsible for developing and publishing other games like Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, but its continued success has helped to create one of the largest titans in the video game industry.
Part of the success that Madden NFL has experienced is directly tied to its endorsement by John Madden himself. His decades-long career in the public eye and football-oriented persona helped influence Madden NFL to become what it is today. As a coach John Madden helped to craft some of the best offensive linemen the NFL would see during his career and his attention to detail is transposed into how Madden NFL games are designed. The use of real plays and coaching strategies along with player skill values have created a sports sim that fans can use as a test of their personal skills or predictor for games throughout the real-life season.
While a teabag celebration following a sack might not be how John Madden would like to see video games interact with the real-life sport that he loved so much there’s no denying the overall impact that he had when bringing the two worlds together. At a time when eSports weren’t even a consideration and video games and sports were often viewed as opposite ends of the spectrum, John Madden saw the potential in getting behind the franchise. His commitment to seeing eleven players when making the first John Madden Football game helped to push both video games and sports sims, specifically, in a better direction.
Over 30 years later, the Madden NFL franchise continues to do this by updating every year with new players and stats continuing with the most recent installment, Madden NFL 22. While the technology used now far outpaces that of the original John Madden Football it’s a testament to how both games have grown. John Madden worked to see the NFL and the game of football become the best it could be and Madden NFL continues this legacy by keeping fans engaged year-round and teaching them all they can know about the game its name’s sake loved.
Madden NFL 22 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.