Madden NFL 2005

Depending on the platform, the game was met with mixed reviews to universal acclaim according to Metacritic, while frequently being compared to its competitor ESPN NFL 2K5. The game has also been heavily criticized for its questionable soundtrack, which was a common recurrence throughout the series. GameRankings and Metacritic gave it a score of 90.33% and 91 out of 100 for the PlayStation 2 version; 90% and 90 out of 100 for the GameCube version; 89.50% and 91 out of 100 for the Xbox version; 83.73% and 85 out of 100 for the PC version; 80% and 79 out of 100 for the Game Boy Advance version; and 69.07% and 68 out of 100 for the DS version. GameSpot named it the best Xbox and PlayStation 2 game of August 2004. IGN called the PS2 version the 98th best PlayStation 2 game due to its AI quality and graphics. Many NFL players voiced their opinions on their in-game representation. Both David Bowens and Larry Chester thought their characters should be better to be more faithful to reality. During the 8th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated Madden NFL 2005 for "Console Sports Simulation Game of the Year", which was ultimately awarded to ESPN NFL 2K5. ESPN NFL 2K5 was the first in the 2K series priced at $19.99 the day it shipped, much lower than market leader Madden NFL at $49.99. This greatly reduced Madden sales that year; one EA Sports developer recalled that "[i]t scared the hell out of us". EA reduced Madden NFL 2005's price to $29.95. In December 2004 EA Sports acquired an exclusive rights agreement with the NFL and NFLPA to be the sole creator of NFL video games a deal that has since been renewed multiple times and is still active as of the 2024 NFL season. The game sold more than 4 million copies the year it was released.