Madden Bowl 2009
Q & A



Posted Jan 28, 2008 11:29 AM By Ken Spalasso

Will Ravens RB Willis McGahee return to defend his title, as the 2008 Madden Bowl Champion? This burning question and others will be answered, when stars and athletes converge at Tampa's Honey Pot Nightclub on Thursday, February 29th, 2009.

The 15th annual invite-only Madden Bowl competition will have the NFL's elite video gamers battling it out on the flat-screens in front of a jam-packed crowd. The prize is a cool Madden Bowl Trophy, along with bragging rights and the athlete's name etched in EA Sports history.

Last year, attendees included Joe Montana, Chad Johnson, Shawne Merriman, Laurence Moroney, Antonio Gates, Jason Witten, and others.

Here is a Q & A with Anthony Stevenson, Sr. Product Manager on Madden.

1. Given the state of the economy, has the Madden Bowl this year faced any unique challenges in continuing its Super Bowl tradition?

Absolutely.  Everyone is feeling the state of the economy, and it’s already become evident at the Super Bowl, as many annual parties have taken the year off.  For us, the challenge this year was maintaining Madden Bowl’s tradition of being a premier Super Bowl week event, while also being fiscally responsible.    

2. How has the Madden Bowl evolved over the years, and what are the significant changes, if any to the tournament?

Over the past 15 years, Madden Bowl has continued to grow, in both size and cultural relevance.  It really has become the ultimate bragging right amongst players in the NFL who love to play Madden.  In the early years, we experimented with having athletes from different sports and celebrities in the tourney, but as Madden Bowl grew in popularity, we decided to allow only NFL players to participate.

3. How are the participants decided? Will Willis McGahee defend his crown?

Most of the players actually come to us wanting to play, so the toughest part is actually filtering it down to 8 players.  Each guy is the self-proclaimed Madden Champ of their locker room, so it’s our job to try and separate the contenders from the pretenders.  Willis wanted the Madden Bowl title bad last year, and now that he has it, I think like any good heavyweight champion, he’ll retire on top.

4. What are some memorable moments from Madden Bowls from years past?

My favorite moment so far was watching Donovan McNabb break out every Michael Jackson move he could remember during last year’s after party.  His Thriller was stellar, but his moonwalk needs work.

5. The 09 version has so many new features.What new features in the game are you excited to see players interact with?

This year’s animations are incredibly fluid, so you really feel like you have control over your players on the field.  It will be fun to watch the NFL players try and translate their on-field instincts to their in-game counterparts.