An idea on a railway car in 1984 between Trip Hawkins, Joe Ybarra and John Madden gave birth to a billion dollar gaming franchise known as “Madden.” It wasn’t until 1988 when the first Madden game, “John Madden Football,” hit the shelves and was available for game play on the Apple II. Since then, there have been new Madden games and new formats with significantly greater improvements to each one, which give players a better football experience. Aug. 10 was the release of their new “Madden 11,” available at most electronic stores in the formats of Xbox 360, PlayStation 2 and 3, PSP and Nintendo Wii. The average price for the game is $60.

Before the game even hit the shelves, there were 580,000 copies pre-ordered for the Xbox 360 and PS3. PS3 teamed up with “Madden 11” to offer an exclusive bundle to get the game and console for the price of $350. Madden’s revenues are expected to be high since they have an exclusive NFL license agreement that other games don’t have. The developer of “Madden 11,” EA Sports, relies on Madden for over 10 percent of its yearly revenues.

At the peak of HD Graphics, life-like gaming and the beginning of football season underway, it’s prime time to go buy a copy of “Madden 11.” It’s an easy game to play and a blast to play with friends locally or online. The most noticeable attribute to “Madden 11” is the use of GameFlow. GameFlow allows the game to pick the offensive/defensive plays without ever opening a playbook. This new feature cuts the amount of time it takes to play a game from an hour to only 30 minutes.

Players can rate their favorite plays highly to increase their chances of showing up when using GameFlow. “Madden 11” no longer uses turbo for runners; instead, they started the Locomotion feature (used with the right joystick) for jukes and special running moves. The creators also made online play more enjoyable by allowing 3-on-3 game play for players and their friends.

Best Buy employee David Pitt gave his thoughts on the new “Madden 11” by stating, “This year was somewhat of a disappointment. Audibles are more complicated to call than they used to be and it’s less fun playing without the turbo feature of previous games.” On the opposite end of the spectrum, ECU junior business major Kenny Bennett said, “I’ve been following Madden for about three years and Madden basically stays the same game-wise, but the graphics have been gradually getting better. The game still stays fun but it seems the only real differences are team rosters and players’ stats.”

So for those who are both videogame and NFL fans, treat yourself by buying a copy of this hit videogame. Equip that with pizza, wings and a group of friends and it’s sure to be a great time.