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Retail Radar: Madden se habla español

By Brendan Sinclair, GameSpotPosted Aug 29, 2007 4:34 pm PT

GameStop lists Spanish-language versions of Electronic Arts' latest gridiron game for PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360.

While NFL Football doesn't have the massive international appeal of actual football (some call it soccer), it's far from an English-only pursuit. The NFL itself clearly recognizes this, as evidenced by the league's Spanish-language NFL Mexico and NFLatino Web sites.

If new listings on Amazon.com and GameStop.com are any indication, some of the NFL's licensing partners are getting the message as well. Both online stores are now listing Madden NFL 08 en Español for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360, with copies of the game expected to arrive on November 13. (GameStop has since pulled its listings.) Given Madden NFL 08's lack of foreign-language options in the US, such a product would allow Spanish-speaking NFL fans to enjoy a game with menus they can actually read, and perhaps new play-by-play commentary as well.

US publishers haven't made a habit of releasing separate Spanish-language versions of their games domestically in the past, so the games would carry some measure of risk for EA. Given that the game is only being listed on the PS2 and Xbox 360, it suggests that EA is taking a cautious approach to a possible Madden NFL 08 en Español release. Picking the two active consoles with the largest installed user bases maximizes the potential market without committing the resources needed to prepare Español counterparts for systems where they might not make their money back.

As of press time, Electronic Arts had not returned GameSpot's request for comment.

Please note, while retailer listings frequently jump the gun on publishers' product announcements, they should not be taken as final confirmation of a game's existence; nor should the absence of a listing be considered as proof that a game isn't coming to a given platform.

177 Comments

  • Juanse23

    Posted Feb 14, 2008 2:29 pm PT

    Q bien

  • Mattietyke

    Posted Dec 11, 2007 4:48 pm PT

    Well, I am actually very excited that this is coming out in Spanish with Spanish audio. I know some people would like to be able to select an option that allows Spanish/English audio, but this would have a lot of unused files on a game, especially if it ever gets released as a PC game. While I am not a Latin American, I still love the Spanish language and I would like to see how the sport would be broadcast and played in Spanish. Link to the official Spanish site for the game: http://www.easports.com/maddennfl/es/

    (edited to remove Spanish, as I forgot it was not allowed. Sorry)

  • Shiftus

    Posted Oct 20, 2007 12:42 pm PT

    I wonder if the Madden curse will strike Castillo too...

  • Unholy_Smite

    Posted Sep 6, 2007 3:38 pm PT

    OmegaNemesis28 you hit the nail on the head with both comments! Osxgp you seem to miss why so many are angry over this, you need to look beyond profits.

    danielobscuro you are not allowed to post in any language but english on this site.

  • osxgp

    Posted Sep 5, 2007 12:22 am PT

    Unholy_Smite and lamprey263 seem to be on a quest to argue about everything beyond this article. Don't let this turn into a political debate people. This is just a way for EA to make more money by extending to a larger audience. Don't get so upset.

  • osxgp

    Posted Sep 5, 2007 12:12 am PT

    Would the announcers yell "GOOOAAALLLL" with every touchdown like they do in Soccer?

  • OmegaNemesis28

    Posted Sep 4, 2007 8:27 pm PT

    Seriously, EA is total **** They release beta crap to us that seriously arent even fun any more. I want to be able to control my players first off, and then be able to actually play without any glitches.

    What video haven't I seen where you can change the language in the options? All the time, but now they are going to make separate versions? You're pathetic EA, simple pathetic.

  • ZetaBlanco

    Posted Sep 3, 2007 2:38 pm PT

    I am mexican, but for american sports like football I prefer english spoken play-by-play comments, It is better to hear the original words for the football terms that the mexican custom made words (like "mariscal de campo" instead of "quarterback")

  • Unholy_Smite

    Posted Sep 2, 2007 11:05 pm PT

    latinqueen they could easily have added that option into the english version without having to go thru the hassle of re-releasing the game. And unlike popular belief most hispanics do understand english.

  • latinqueen221

    Posted Sep 2, 2007 4:40 pm PT

    While I dont play any sports games whatsoever, I think it's great that they are releasing a spanish version of the game for those who might not understand english so well. Though I'm sure this is all a ploy to increase profits for themselves by marketing to the spanish speaking gamers in the USA.

  • Unholy_Smite

    Posted Sep 1, 2007 2:45 pm PT

    Mordamir I think EA has more misunderstood the american market, I am sick of this view that all Hispanics don't speak english and the only way to get them is to do it in spanish, somebody may want to set them straight on that. Hispanics in large parts speak english and have no issue getting their stuff in english IF you direct it at them in english, thing is most don't. This is for hispanics living in the USA! Mexico is another story.

    se habla espanol? I think that You speak spanish or do you speak spanish...I think they mean Madden Do you speak spanish or Madden you speak spanish.

  • Mordamir

    Posted Sep 1, 2007 3:50 am PT

    I don't mind playing games in English, in fact, I rather play them in their original language, that's why sometimes I play some of them in Japanese (which I almost completely understand as well), but if EA brings games spoken in Spanish from Spain they would have completely misunderstood the market... in Latinamerica we don't feel comfortable with that particular accent... BTW, could anybody at Gamespot at least get it right? what's "Madden se habla español" supposed to mean?

  • playstation_wii

    Posted Aug 31, 2007 5:19 pm PT

    Good for them.

  • Unholy_Smite

    Posted Aug 31, 2007 4:13 pm PT

    @lamprey263 National unity isn't something that can be done easily, it would take time. With america becoming more diverse and having seen more than a few racial fueled issues between mexicans and blacks it is clear there is a problem here very few are willing to admitt. With america so diverse it is important we understand each other, english is they best way for this. Also don't diss spain, afterall spainish is their language.

  • lamprey263

    Posted Aug 31, 2007 11:24 am PT

    @dransquo - yeah, those Spaniards sound like they speak with a lisp, @unholy_smite - national unity isn't an absolute that can be qualified

  • dransquo

    Posted Aug 31, 2007 10:14 am PT

    In Mexico many gamers prefer a video game in English, not because they like to hear English and not Spanish but because some video games companies send to Mexico video games in Spain Spanish (Spanish spoken in Spain) not Latinamerican or Mexican Spanish, I mean the accent, Spaniards don't feel comfortable hearing Mexican Spanish and vice versa. Now, things seems to change, some video games (especially those from MS) are in Mexican Spanish, like Gears of War who uses very well-spoken Spanish . When a video game is not in Latinamerican or Mexican Spanish gamers here prefer English version instead of Spain version. btw, most Mexican gamers at least read English. [I'm not good writing in English ;-)]

  • Unholy_Smite

    Posted Aug 30, 2007 9:52 pm PT

    As for national unity, that's a pipe dream there buddy. Language is probably one of many things we can ignore as there's lots of other really hot topics on the table;
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    National untiy is a pipe dream? Scary. Lets just let racism and hatred run wild. United we stand divided we fall, remember that. We can't ignore people being divided by language.

  • Unholy_Smite

    Posted Aug 30, 2007 9:44 pm PT

    Not sure if Unholy_Smite is actually saying that people prefer English over another language if said people are multi-lingual, however I can see where his/her argument can be construed that way.
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    I never said that, that other guy just chose to interpet it that way to attack me. Everything I said is true, 92% of americans speak english, 1.8 billion speak it, 53 countries have it as their official language and is enjoyed in many others. These are facts not baseless claims.

    @lamprey263 First of all you need to STOP putting words in people's mouths and actually understand what they said before you comment on it! Your post was WAAAAAYYYYY off and at best showed you didn't actually read a word I said.

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