20 Years Ago: The Day Madden, MS Hosted the Biggest Launch Party in Football

MADDEN, Miss. — As gamers across the country grab their copies of Madden NFL 27 this week, we’re looking back on the time EA Sports brought the launch party right here to central Mississippi.

Twenty years ago this month, the tiny Leake County community of Madden briefly became the center of the football world when Microsoft and Electronic Arts staged a one-of-a-kind celebration for the launch of Madden NFL 07 on Xbox 360.

On August 22, 2006, NFL royalty Jerry Rice, Warren Moon, and Marshall Faulk all headed to rural Mississippi for what  studio executives called “Maddenoliday.”

EA and Microsoft picked Madden for the massive launch party for one simple reason: it’s the only town in the country with the franchise’s legendary name.

When the initial call came in to set up the massive event, Leake Academy head football coach Brian Pickens admitted he was skeptical.

“If you really want to know the truth, I thought somebody was prank calling me,” Pickens laughed. “I got a phone call on my office phone, and I really thought somebody was joking when they said they wanted to kickoff the Madden game in a town called Madden. I said ‘yeah, okay,’ waiting for the punchline, but next thing I know, they set up a meeting and showed up; it was the real deal.”

The star-studded event featured live performances from local high school bands, including the Kosciusko Big Red Band, and appearances from the Leake Academy football team and cheerleaders, giving the big national launch party a more hometown feel.

For Kosciusko Big Red Band member Jeffery Arnold, who was a junior at the time, mingling with NFL stars was a highlight of the event.

“….Jerry Rice came over to the Big Red Band members and started signing autographs and letting us take pictures with him,” Arnold recalled. “I snapped a couple of photos and had a free Xbox hat that I had him sign.”

A Celebration for the Community

A major highlight of the event was that anyone with a Madden address received a free Xbox 360 console and a copy of Madden NFL 07, delivered in part through the U.S. Postal Service, while thousands of visitors from surrounding areas packed a nearby pasture to witness the celebration firsthand.

Boswell Media’s Eric Matthews served as master of ceremonies, joining the football stars and U.S. Rep. Bennie G. Thompson on stage as crowd members got to try out the Xbox 360 gaming stations set up in the field.

“I remember being on stage introducing them, the crowd going crazy,” Matthews recalled. “Of course, everybody in Madden, Mississippi, got a free Xbox 360 and game, which was really cool. I’ve still got mine in the original wrapper, and I had all three players sign mine… it’s in a little trophy room. It was a very cool day for Madden, Mississippi, and I was proud to be a part of it.”

“Madden, Mississippi., may be a small town, but today we feel like we’re the center of the football universe with Microsoft and Electronic Arts visiting our community,” Thompson said. “The entire state of Mississippi is thrilled to be part of the festivities for ‘Maddenoliday’ on a day that will put Madden, Miss., on the map forever.”

At the time, Microsoft and EA Sports said choosing Madden wasn’t just a gimmick, it was a nod to how much the game meant to real football fans.

Microsoft executive Peter Moore said Madden was chosen because of its unique connection to the game and the town’s love for football:

“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.”

EA marketing director Chris Erb added that the series had turned into a massive part of pop culture:

“The ‘Madden NFL’ franchise continues to be the most authentic and best-selling sports game on the market and is a cultural phenomenon.”

At the time, more than 51 million copies of Madden had been sold, and Madden NFL 07 introduced new gameplay features including the “Run to Daylight” system, improved blocking mechanics, player-specific running styles, and expanded Xbox Live integration.

For NFL legend and Mississippi native Jerry Rice, coming to Madden felt personal.

“It’s just like coming back home for me,” Rice said at the time. “To introduce the game Madden ’07 is great. It’s so real that it’s scary. The way the players run and look on the field is unbelievable.”

Rice also noted how deeply the game had already become part of football culture:

“During training camp, these guys are playing games. When they’re not out practicing, they are in their room playing the game.”

Being from the small Mississippi town of Crawford, Rice said the setting felt familiar:

“There’s great hospitality here in Madden. This is great for this town with all the publicity they got from this. On my way here, it brought back a lot of memories from how I grew up. The turnout today is unbelievable. I came from a very small town. It’s like we’re all family. I think it’s great that everybody in this town is going to get the Madden ’07.”

Archived Audio: Jerry Rice speaking to local media 

While Madden residents were gifted the free Xbox 360 consoles, attendees who traveled in from surrounding communities didn’t walk away empty-handed either. The event offered plenty of giveaways, autographs, and one-of-a-kind memorabilia for the crowd packed into the field.

Justin Arnold, who was serving as a youth minister in Carthage at the time, attended the event alongside local students and families from his church. He walked away with a rare Xbox 360 promotional hat that he managed to get signed right on site by Hall of Famers Warren Moon and Marshall Faulk.

What began as a publicity stunt turned into an unbelievable day for central Mississippi, pulling in thousands of people and making headlines across the country.

Now, 20 years later, the 2006 “Maddenoliday” remains one of the most creative and unusual video game launch promotions ever.

And for Coach Pickens and the town of Madden, it remains an unforgettable moment when a small Leake County community beat out two of the country’s biggest entertainment capitals for the ultimate prize.

“They told me it was between Madden, Las Vegas, and Times Square,” Pickens said. “We were in pretty good company with those other two places. No other community can claim they were a kickoff spot for EA Sports. It was a very unique experience, and something the kids and the community will always remember.”

*Unless otherwise noted, event photographs featured in this article are part of the Boswell Media / BreezyNews archives. Additional event photography provided by Greg Campbell / Gamerscore Blog via Flickr.