纽约（美国有线电视新闻网）前名人堂教练约翰·马登去世。但他的名字仍然存在于世界上最受欢迎的电子游戏之一。
这位足球教练兼广播员在过去的三十多年里一直是 Madden NFL 的代言人。职业足球视频游戏继续畅销，并且是历史上最成功的特许经营权之一。
这款电子游戏始于 1988 年，当时电子艺界创始人 Trip Hawkins 想要一款足球电子游戏。据 ESPN 报道，他希望乔蒙塔纳成为它的代言人，但由于之前与 Atari 的代言协议，这位前 49 人队四分卫拒绝了。
该游戏最初是在 Apple II 上发布的，由于其操作系统薄弱，限制了屏幕上的玩家数量，因此遇到了问题。麦登签约后，著名广播公司立即开始工作，要求程序员将 7 对 7 格式更改为“真正的” 11 对 11 足球。
在 NFL 于 1993 年将其名称添加到该名称之前的前五年，“约翰·马登足球”是其原始名称，允许 EA 使用球队名称和徽标。这是第一个以“EA Sports——它在游戏中”为特色的版本。
视频游戏最终从 2000 年的封面上不再使用 Madden 的脸，而是专注于流行的 NFL 球员。 Madden 的声音仍然在游戏中占据突出地位。
马登在 2012 年告诉格兰特兰，他没有想到他在电子游戏中留下的遗产。 “这是人们学习游戏并以相当复杂的水平参与游戏的一种方式，”马登说。
游戏的受欢迎程度不断提高，可用于的游戏机数量也在增加——包括 1996 年发布的索尼 PlayStation 兼容版本。到 2001 年，该游戏已在所有主要游戏机上运行，例如 XBox 和 GameCube。2005 年，它成为具有 NFL 属性的独家视频游戏，击败了类似的 ESPN 游戏。
“Madden NFL”是 EA 价值数十亿美元的特许经营权。根据 NPD 的数据，该发行商迄今为止已售出超过 1.3 亿份 Madden 游戏，总收入至少为 40 亿美元。 《巴伦周刊》估计，《劲爆》特许经营权对 EA 的年收入将超过 6 亿美元。
据 Bleacher Report 报道，2020 年，NFL 及其球员工会已同意延长五年，以继续出现在比赛中。据报道，这笔交易在此期间为 NFL 提供了 10 亿美元，为球员提供了 5 亿美元，另外还有 5 亿美元的营销承诺。
在EA发布的一份声明中，该公司表示他们失去了一位“英雄”。
“50 多年来，约翰·马登一直是足球运动的代名词。他对这项运动的了解仅次于他对这项运动的热爱，以及他对每一个踏上烤架的人的感激之情。一个谦逊的冠军，一个乐于助人的老师，永远是一名教练，”EA 在 Twitter 上发表的一份声明中说。
How John Madden became the biggest name in video games
New York (CNN Business)John Madden, the former Hall of Fame NFL coach, has died. But his name lives on in one of the world's most popular video games.
The football coach and broadcaster has been the face of Madden NFL for more than three decades. The pro football video game continues to be a top-seller and is among the most successful franchises in history.
The video game got its start in 1988 when Electronic Arts Founder Trip Hawkins wanted a football video game. He wanted Joe Montana to be the face of it, but the former 49ers quarterback turned it down because of a previous endorsement deal with Atari, according to ESPN.
Originally released on the Apple II, the game play encountered issues because of its weak operating system that limited the amount of players present on the screen. After Madden signed on, the famous broadcaster immediately went to work, demanding the programmers change the 7-on-7 format to "real" 11-on-11 football.
"John Madden Football" was its original title for the first five years before the NFL added its name to it in 1993, allowing EA to use team names and logos. It was the first version to feature the slogan "EA Sports — It's in the game."
The video game eventually shifted away from featuring Madden's face on the cover in 2000 and instead focused on popular NFL players. Madden's voice was still featured prominently in the game.
Madden told Grantland in 2012 he didn't think about the legacy he left on the video game. "It's a way for people to learn the game and participate in the game at a pretty sophisticated level," Madden said.
The game's popularity grew, as did the number of consoles it was available for -- including a Sony PlayStation compatible version, which was released in 1996. By 2001, the game was on all major consoles such as the XBox and GameCube.In 2005, it became the exclusive video game to feature NFL property, beating out a similar ESPN game.
"Madden NFL" is a multi-billion dollar franchise for EA. The publisher has sold over 130 million copies of Madden games to date, generating at least $4 billion in total revenue, according to NPD. Barron's estimates that the Madden franchise's annual revenue for EA to is north of $600 million.
In 2020, the NFL and its players union have agreed to a five-year extension to continue to be featured on the games, according to Bleacher Report. The deal reportedly provides $1 billion to the NFL and $500 million to the players during this time, with another $500 million in marketing commitments.
In a statement released by EA, the company said they lost a "hero."
"John Madden was synonymous with the sport of football for more than 50 years. His knowledge of the game was second only to his love for it, and his appreciation for everyone that ever stepped on the gridiron. A humble champion, a willing teacher, and forever a coach," EA said in a statement posted on Twitter.
