With the lockout lingering, the folks at EA are feeling the effects of the labor impasse. And so will the rest of us.
Eric Fisher of SportsBusiness Journal reports that the release date for the latest version of the Madden franchise has been pushed back three weeks, from August 9 to August 30.
There are several possible reasons for the move. The delay gives the folks at EA some extra time in the event the dispute is resolved before the start of training camp, which would give them an opportunity to shuffle free agents to their new teams.
Also, if the dispute hasn’t been resolved, EA can market a game that’s released on the Tuesday before Labor Day weekend as the next best thing to real football.
And if the powers-that-be wake up and get a deal done in late August, fans can celebrate the end of the lockout by purchasing the Madden game.