Electronic Arts' wildly successful Madden NFL franchise has made the leap from the Xbox to Facebook.
The gaming giant has launched Madden NFL Superstars, the company's second social game since it acquired social game maker Playfish. The company's first social game, FIFA Superstars, is one of Facebook's most popular apps with nearly 4 million monthly active users.
Madden NFL Superstars isn't a port of the popular console games; it's a completely new experience that utilizes the Madden NFL brand and leverages social gaming's strengths for a unique Madden experience. Users build a team from 1,500+ available player cards and then pit their rosters against their friends for domination of the football field. Players can even purchase player cards through Playfish's virtual currency.
Instead of focusing on the micromanagement and play tactics that have made Madden NFL so popular on the console, Madden NFL Superstars focuses on team management by collecting player cards. It's fantasy football meets Mafia Wars.
EA acquired Playfish to make sure it wasn't left behind in the social gaming boom. Fifty-six million Americans are playing social games, and that number keeps rising. Zynga, the creators of FarmVille, is already worth more than $4 billion and is making millions from virtual goods and online offers.