Madden NFL’s technical problems were on full display in ESPN championship ~ USA Latest Games

Enlarge (credit: Aurich Lawson / EA Sports)

As sports fans clamor for something—anything—to watch in the wake of public safety closures, video game publishers like EA Sports have enjoyed increased exposure on cable stations like ESPN—where virtual sports are better than no sports at all. This weekend, that didn't necessarily work out in EA's favor.

Madden Bowl 20, the latest "world championship" for players of the annualized Madden NFL game series, hinged so much on a massive, unpatched issue in the game that its winner sported an in-game username that seemed to spit in EA Sports' face: "iRUNyouPASSiWIN." The winner, Raidel "Joke" Brito, played the entire week-long tournament without running a single pass play—this despite Madden being a series that traditionally features quarterbacks on its covers. This all culminated in a Saturday broadcast on ESPN2 of Brito cruising to victory in the tournament's semifinals and finals.

How could an American football simulator be so exploited that its winner forgoes half of the sport's options? Did Brito discover a tiny loophole that caught EA Sports unaware until the last minute? Not even close.

Read 5 remaining paragraphs | Comments