Madden NFL Arcade kicks off in December

In an August Electronic Arts earnings call, EA Sports president Peter Moore revealed that the company was working on a downloadable pick-up-and-play version of its Madden NFL series, something along the lines of this year's 3-on-3 NHL Arcade. Today the publisher provided additional details on the project, saying it would arrive in December on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 online stores, priced at $15 (1,200 Microsoft points).

Developed by EA Tiburon, Madden NFL Arcade will include some enhancements over its rink-bound predecessor. Where NHL Arcade included 40 of the league's best hockey players, it included zero actual licensed teams, forcing players to form makeshift three-man squads with generic red-and-blue jerseys. Madden NFL Arcade will feature all 32 teams in the league along with their stadiums and just enough stars from either side of the ball to allow for 5-on-5 gameplay.

Other nods to the game's arcade emphasis include "Game Changer" power-ups, a lack of penalties and field goals, and a shortened 60-yard field that players must traverse in a single set of four downs. And with no clock, the first team to score a preset number of points wins the game. Madden NFL Arcade will also support four-player local cooperative play, as well as online head-to-head games.

For more on EA's first foray into downloadable arcade-style sports games, check out GameSpot's review of 3-on-3 NHL Arcade.