Chicago Bear Greg Olsen Talks Madden Bowl
For 16 years EA Sports has been giving NFL players a chance at the ultimate bragging rights with the Madden Bowl
MIAMI, Florida – Sure, there was Super Bowl XLIV in Miami February 7. But the hot spot in South Beach on February 4 was The Clevelander Hotel, where EA Sports and Xbox 360 took over the joint for Madden Bowl XVI. The place was packed with current and past NFL players who were on hand to watch a new victor crowned, as well as to enjoy the free drinks and outdoor environment on Ocean Drive. Greg Olsen of the Chicago Bears was on hand to talk about his own videogame background in this exclusive interview.
What role does Madden Bowl play during Super Bowl week?
It's unreal. You know, it just shows how big of a game Madden is and kind of everyone our age has grown up playing it. I can remember playing it on Sega and all those old consoles and it's just been a staple in videogames in the sport market, especially forever.
What are your thoughts on the Madden Bowl competition?
It's fun. I'm probably not going to even play because I am not as good as some of these guys are, but it's going to be a good night just to watch it and enjoy the night.
What are your thoughts about how the game has progressed since those old Genesis games?
Oh, my God. It's not even close. I mean in the old days you had the one view and that was it. You had about five plays to pick from. So just the technology and how far they have come with it is unreal.
Back in the day it was Madden on the cover every year. Now it's you guys.
Yep. Yep.
How big a deal is it to be on the cover of this game?
Oh, if you can be on the cover, it's a pretty good compliment. Usually the guys that are on the cover are pretty big time guys. So it's pretty neat. It's a special honor.
Since Madden has been upgraded to the new Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 controllers, how good are you at the game?
I'm not great. You know, I can play and manage, but I'm not as good as some of these guys are.
Does your on-field knowledge translate at all to the videogames?
You think it does. When you have a good play you think it is because you are smart, but you probably just got lucky.
How big a deal is it when the new Madden comes out with your player ratings?
That's the biggest deal out of it all, for sure.
And how happy with where you have been in the game?
You always think you can be a little higher, right? I mean, that's just human nature. No one is ever satisfied.
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About the Author
John Gaudiosi
Editor-in-Chief
John Gaudiosi has been covering videogames for the past 20 years for outlets like The Washington Post, CNET, Wired Magazine and CBS.com. He has focused on the convergence of entertainment and videogames for outlets like Video Business, Home Media Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, The Hollywood Reporter and Variety. He currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of Gamerlive.TV and is also a freelance game columnist for Reuters and writes for outlets like Forbes.com, NVISION, Official PlayStation Magazine, EGM Now, Geek Monthly, PrimaGames.com, and Yahoo! Games. John also serves as the video game expert for NBC in Washington D.C. and has produced videogame documentaries for The History Channel and Starz Entertainment. John was named one of the Top 50 Game Journalists in the world by Next-Gen.biz in 2007. He is the co-author of Scholastic Books' How to Get into Videogames, Prima Publishing's Madden: Twenty Years of Videogame Football and Electronic Arts: The Official History.
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