North America’s longest-running sports video game franchise celebrates its 25^th anniversary this year, as Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) has officially announced Madden NFL 25, launching on August 27. This year’s game will feature the Madden NFL 25 name when it launches in August, plus a new fan Cover Vote will pit the NFL’s greatest legends against today’s hottest stars.

“There’s no better way to celebrate and mark the culmination of 25 years of innovation than by naming this year’s game Madden NFL 25,” said Cam Weber, General Manager of American Football for EA SPORTS. “This year’s game will push the boundaries with gameplay and feature innovations that will lay a very strong foundation for the next 25 years of this storied franchise.”

The past and the future collide in the newest Madden NFL Cover Vote across ESPN platforms and SportsNation, which will see the old school take on the new school for the historically-significant cover. A bracket of 32 all-time NFL greats will go head-to-head against one another, as will 32 modern NFL superstars, with the winners of each bracket facing off in the final round. Voting will start on Monday, March 11 on ESPN.com/MaddenVote, and fans can tune into a special edition of SportsNation at 6:00pm EST on ESPN2 for the live unveil of the brackets. Last year, fans cast 20 million votes to name Calvin Johnson, Jr. as the cover athlete of Madden NFL 13 during a special reveal show of SportsNation live from Times Square in New York City.

“It’s great to be back with another year of the award-winning Madden NFL Cover Vote for a brand-new game that will be the deepest and most innovative in the history of the franchise when it launches in August,” said Anthony Stevenson, Senior Director of Marketing at EA SPORTS. “This year we’re posing the ultimate question of who’s more deserving; one of the NFL’s all-time greats or one of today’s hottest players?”

“This is the third consecutive year EA SPORTS and ESPN have collaborated on the Madden NFL Cover Vote in its current iteration,” added Raphael Poplock, Vice President of Games and Partnerships for ESPN. “Each year has brought record-setting results as NFL fans come out in droves to support their favorite players and teams, and by going big this year with legends facing off against the league’s current leaders, needless to say it will be an interesting vote with much debate and discussion.”

“SportsNation is built around social engagement and topics our young audience cares about, so the Madden NFL Cover Vote is a great fit for us,” said Jamie Horowitz, Vice President of Original Programming and Production for ESPN. “Our new host, Marcellus Wiley, played with the old school guys and Charissa Thompson is a new school fan, so I expect them to find fun ways to push this vote in social and on TV.”

Embraced by fans and honored by critics for 25 years, Madden NFL is known as the NFL’s “33^rd Franchise” due to its authentic gameplay, the development team’s unparalleled access to NFL resources and its prominent place in NFL culture. Since its beginning as “John Madden Football,” the franchise has sold through approximately 99 million units and generated more than $3.7 billion in net revenue.

Madden NFL 25 is developed in Orlando, Florida by EA Tiburon and will be available for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system for $59.99. To learn more about Madden NFL 25, visit http://www.easports.com/madden-nfl. Fans are also invited to become a Madden Insider for exclusive information on Facebook including the latest news, original content and more for Madden NFL 25.

All player participation has been facilitated by National Football League Players Incorporated, the licensing and marketing subsidiary of the NFL Players Association (NFLPA).

EA SPORTS is one of the leading sports entertainment brands in the world, with top-selling videogame franchises, award-winning interactive technology, fan programs and cross-platform digital experiences. EA SPORTS creates connected experiences that ignite the emotion of sports through industry-leading sports videogames, including Madden NFL football, FIFA Soccer, NHL® hockey, NBA LIVE basketball, NCAA® Football, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® golf, SSX™ and Fight Night boxing.

For more information about EA SPORTS, including news, video, blogs, forums and game apps, please visit www.easports.com to connect, share and compete.

About Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) is a global leader in digital interactive entertainment. The Company delivers games, content and online services for Internet-connected consoles, personal computers, mobile phones, tablets and social networks. EA has more than 275 million registered players and operates in 75 countries.

In fiscal 2012, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $4.1 billion. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, EA is recognized for a portfolio of critically acclaimed, high-quality blockbuster brands such as The Sims™, Madden NFL, FIFA Soccer, Need for Speed™, Battlefield™ and Mass Effect™. More information about EA is available at http://info.ea.com.

The Sims and Need for Speed are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. Mass Effect is a trademark of EA International (Studio and Publishing) Ltd. Battlefield is a trademark of EA Digital Illusions CE AB. John Madden, NFL and FIFA are the property of their respective owners and used with permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.