Flesh-and-blood football players may be locked out by owners, endangering the next NFL season, but have no fear, gamers: Virtual football players don’t get hurt and don’t need salaries, so there’s no possibility of labor unrest there! As Kotaku reports, “Madden 12” will still be released, football or no football.
EA Sports spokesman Rob Semsey took to Twitter today to assuage gamers’ fears that a canceled real football season would mean a canceled virtual football season. “‘Madden NFL 12’ will be released in August as always — all the NFL teams, all the NFL players.”
Friday’s decertification has not changed EA’s license with the former NFLPA to use players’ names and likenesses. As the 2011 draft will go on as scheduled, rookies will (as always) be in the game as well, leading to the possibility of them playing in thousands of virtual games before they ever step onto an pro field in real life.
