Madden NFL 2005 ships

Today Electronic Arts announced that Madden NFL 2005, the latest edition of its perennial gridiron heavyweight, has shipped to stores. The PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, and Game Boy Advance versions of the game will be available in retail outlets tomorrow. The console versions of the E-rated game will sell for $49.95, and the GBA version will be available for $29.95. Electronic Arts will release PC and PlayStation versions in September.

Madden NFL 2005 builds on last year's edition, which was the best-selling game of 2004, by revamping the defensive AI and adding a "hit stick" feature to allow for momentum-stopping defensive plays. The game also includes a feature called "storyline central" in the franchise mode, and Madden is once again joined by Al Michaels and sideline reporter Jill Arrington.

The Xbox and PS2 versions both support online play and will include a free subscription to the EA Sports Premium Pass, a first for the Madden series. The service will provide a bevy of features for Madden NFL 2005 multiplay, the most significant being user-created leagues, and it will be rolled out later this year.

The Madden franchise is North America's best-selling series with more than 37 million copies sold, and Electronic Arts has reported that preorders for Madden NFL 2005 are double last year's numbers. For more information, check out GameSpot's reviews of the PS2, Xbox, and GC versions of the game.