Recently, EA Sports and ESPN started a competition where fans could vote which player would star on Madden 12's cover. That competition has finally drawn to a close, and the winner is Peyton Hillis, running back for the Cleveland Browns. This is the first year fans were able to vote on the cover.

Hillis defeated other finalist Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback, by an overwhelming margin. However, Vick remained positive, saying, "My fans, they stuck in there. I made it this far and that’s a plus for me." Over 13 million votes were cast during this competition, about one-million of them during the finals. If nothing else, it shows how much support the games and players have.

Also interesting is the supposed "Madden Curse." Several players who have featured on the cover of Madden games have ended up injured or having down years immediately following the game's release. "“For people to believe in this so-called curse, I can't wait to prove people wrong,” Hillis said.

Madden NFL 12 releases August 30th, and will be available for the PS3, Xbox 360, PSP, Playstation 2, and Wii. There is also a 3DS version of the Madden games that has already been released.

About the Author

Skyler Bunderson

Skyler Bunderson has been covering video games for roughly two years. He started Gamepad Dojo as a source for long-form reviews with humor, and has also contributed to the feminist game site The Border House. When he isn't playing games or writing about them, he spends his spare time designing his own titles.