OMG!!!

GamePro Family

Parent's Guide to Shadow of the Colossus

FEATURED GAME

Mystery PI - The Vegas Heist

QUICK POLL

What's the next big game coming this year?

THE GAMEPROS

FREE NEWSLETTERS

International | Feature

Feature: The 52 Most Important Video Games of All Time (page 7 of 8)

Feature by Boba Fatt and the GamePros | 04/25/2007 | 09:21:22 AM PST

John Madden NFL Football*

2. John Madden NFL Football

Electronic Arts has established an empire as the most successful third party games publisher of all time, and they've done it squarely on the shoulders of their infinitely successful Madden NFL franchise -- the top-selling series in gaming history and most important weapon in the console wars for more than a decade. Last year alone, Madden was the top-selling video game of the year, and fueled EA's power moves to secure the exclusive rights to the NFL while granting a gigantic boon to the Xbox 360 by agreeing to work with Microsoft's Xbox's Live service (thereby forcing the mighty Microsoft, or allowing them, to cease their own sports line).

Ironically, the title owes very little of its success to its namesake. In fact, association with the game (which first launched for the Apple II in 1989, and moved into console domination in 1992) has made the actual John Madden far more known and respected than he ever was within the world of pro football. But John Madden's fame and the video game's influence rose together through generations of technology, and a cultural touchstone was created in the fusion. John Madden indelibly became the voice of video game sports the game incorporated his actual voice in 1996. Now, those vague comments, questionable insights and bizarre thought processes are a beloved part of millions of armchair quarterback's favorite moments every year.

Revenue and respect from Madden has allowed EA to dominate the video game market share and elbow their way into some of the most valuable rights on the market, including Harry Potter, James Bond and those nigh priceless exclusive pro sports rights. No game in history has sold as many consoles as Madden, and the end of this franchise's domination is nowhere in sight.