Pete Moye’
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The popular “Madden” football franchise is back for its annual installment of the highly anticipated video game.

Year after year, “Madden” video games try to surpass the previous year’s additions and upgrades in an effort to make the newest version the benchmark for all football games.

“Madden 12”, the newest addition to the franchise fails to set that benchmark, and in fact takes significant strides backward in the process.

Considering the state of our financial constraints as a country, it is of the utmost importance that consumers be extremely smart about our financial spending.

“Madden 12” simply does not have enough “bells and whistles” to warrant spending sixty dollars plus tax.

Sure, it is a decent video game. There is no question that it will entertain and provide hours of enjoyment, but even hours have to come to an end eventually.

This game is the type of that a gamer would use to store credit to purchase, not hard earned cash.

In all honesty, this game is the grocery shopping equivalent of a store employee slapping a new label on an expired carton of milk.

It is literally “Madden 11” with a few tweaks and updated roster additions.

What were the people at “EA Sports” thinking?

There is nothing about this game that screams “Hey, go out and spend over sixty bucks because this game will do more than pay for itself.”

For the gamers that already have “Madden 11,” you could literally “create players” in the likeness and image of the rookie class that is depicted in this latest game and receives the same exact experience.

For the gamers that purchased “NCAA 12” which is “Madden 12’s” collegiate version of the same game, you can save your money and stick with “NCAA 12.”

It is exactly the same game with the exception of one being a collegiate game with collegiate players and stadiums, and the other being a “professional” game with professional players and stadiums.

The same exact new features found in “Madden 12” are found in “NCAA 12,” so there is no need to pay more money for the same exact game in a different package.

Generally speaking, sports games tend to periodically offer a few specific upgraded features, but usually the main significant difference from year to year is the updated roster. That is the same for the 2012 editions.

This game is simply boring! The amount of time that is spent playing this game is time that will never be returned regardless how hard we try.

Don’t waste your time buying this game. Don’t waste your energy buying this game, and most importantly, please, PLEASE don’t waste your money buying this game.

There is something about human nature and our desire to covet the newest “fad” regardless of its quality level that constantly drives our decisions and keeps retailers with smiles on their faces, but trust and believe that you will be disappointed.

If you buy this game, you will be sitting in a state of shock if you expect severe changes from that of “Madden 11,” or even “Madden 10” for that matter.

“EA Sports” continues to miss the mark year after year when it comes to putting out quality football games, but it is very possible that this is because they are the only show in town.

“Madden” can afford to be horrible year after year because there is no competition to force it to be better.

As is, this game is nowhere close to being worth sixty dollars. At most, it is worth a consumer spending forty-five dollars, and that is for the most diehard “Madden” fans.

There needs to be a viable contender to challenge The “Madden” franchise, and hopefully they will get it together and put out games that are worth the amount that is being charged.

“EA Sports” needs to either make significant changes to its overall game play, or dramatically lower the cost for its “Madden” games in the future.