MADDEN NFL 13’S MEGA COVER VOTE WINNER REVEALED IN NEW YORK CITY
In an exciting announcement made live in the middle of Times Square, EA SPORTS and ESPN revealed that Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson will appear on the cover of Madden NFL 13 after defeating top-seeded Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton during the final round of the Madden NFL 13 Cover Vote contest.
The announcement, made on location in the streets of Manhattan during a live broadcast of ESPN’sSportsNation hosted by Colin Cowherd and Michelle Beadle, wrapped up a record-breaking 64-player online tournament in which NFL fans were able to select the winner during a seven-week, nationwide voting campaign.
With the victory, the 6th-seeded Johnson will be the first Detroit Lions player to appear on the cover since a shaded image of running back Barry Sanders shared the cover with Coach John Madden in 1999 (Madden NFL 2000), and the first wide receiver in Madden NFL franchise history to appear solo on the cover.
“Knowing that millions of fans took part in the campaign, and to be the one they selected to appear on the cover of the game they play every day is an honor,” said an ecstatic Johnson. “To make it this far, and to beat out guys like Cam and Aaron Rodgers, a Super Bowl winning quarterback, it’s surreal to say the least. Much love to all the fans who voted for me.”
But before news spread that Johnson would be the next cover athlete of the award-winning sports video game franchise, both finalists entertained the New York City crowd with Cowherd and Beadle by sharing some thoughts and insights of their run through the campaign, trading friendly barbs with one another, and throwing food through a carnival-style cardboard cutout during the one-hour program.
At the conclusion of the event, Johnson took a victory lap of sorts by staying on stage and conducting a 90-minute photo shoot as the capacity crowd looked on. A select photo of Johnson taken during his Times Square shoot will appear on the game’s cover when Madden NFL 13 hits stores nationwide on August 28.
Madden NFL 13 is developed in Orlando, Florida by EA Tiburon and will be available for the Xbox 360® video game system from Microsoft, Kinect, PlayStation®3, Wii™, and PS Vita (PlayStation®Vita) handheld entertainment system. For more information about Madden NFL 13 please visithttp://www.ea.com/madden-nfl. To download assets pertaining to the Madden NFL 13 cover photo shoot please visit http://maddennfl13.newslinevine.com or www.info.ea.com.
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