Microsoft Corp. and Electronic Arts Inc. today declared “Maddenoliday” in Madden, Miss. (pop. 74), joining forces to celebrate the launch of “Madden NFL™ 07” on Xbox 360™, the only next-generation console available at the beginning of the football season for fans to experience the new and exciting features of the most popular sports game in the country. As part of the celebration, NFL greats Jerry Rice, Warren Moon and Marshall Faulk surprised the town by giving away free Xbox 360 units to all Madden residents in a small-town ceremony, while hundreds of families from surrounding communities were among the first in the country to play “Madden NFL 07” on Xbox 360 kiosks.

“After 16 years of fanaticism for the ‘Madden NFL’ franchise, Xbox 360 felt that Madden, Miss., was the perfect place to memorialize the annual pigskin tradition of fans rushing to get the latest version of ‘Madden NFL’ before football season starts,” said Peter Moore, corporate vice president of the Interactive Entertainment Business in the Entertainment and Devices Division of Microsoft. “Madden, Miss., has enormous enthusiasm for enjoying football with friends and family, and now all the residents of Madden can enjoy ‘Madden NFL 07’ as it was meant to be played: on Xbox 360.”

“The ‘Madden NFL’ franchise continues to be the most authentic and best-selling sports game on the market and is a cultural phenomenon,” added Chris Erb, marketing director at Electronic Arts. “With more than 51 million copies of ‘Madden’ sold to date, fans are eager to experience the significantly enhanced gameplay and new running game features of ‘Madden NFL 07,’ providing them the closest in-game experience possible beyond actually playing in the NFL.”