Frank-ProvoEA Sports announced today that purchasers of the upcoming Madden NFL 2005 football game will receive a free subscription to EA Sports' Premium Pass.
Right out of the box, the PlayStation 2 version of the game allows all players to participate in online exhibitions, download updated rosters, and view ranking ladders. Premium Pass subscribers recieve the added benefit of custom leagues (with playoffs and Superbowls) and custom tournaments. Also, PP subscribers will receive several bonus benefits, such as highlighted message board names, personalized career pages, and the ability to register early for the upcoming 2004 Madden Challenge–a 32-city competition that will crown the country's best Madden player.
The freebie came about thanks to a sponsorship deal with Dodge. In exchange, the Dodge brand will appear on many of the Premium Pass' various features. "This is a new business model," said Chip Lange, the head of EA Sports Nation, "and that model is a sponsorship model."
[As long as we don't have to pay for it, we don't care what car company's logo we see… right?]
Madden NFL 2005 ships August 9th.