Total Dominance

Located in Canton, OH, the National Football League Hall of Fame honors all of the legends of the game. Montana. Thorpe. Largent. Unitas. Brown. Payton. Madden.

No, not John Madden, the legendary Raiders coach and broadcaster�� he still has yet to get his much-deserved personal due. Rather, sitting in the Hall is a nice, shiny copy of Madden NFL 2004. A videogame.

Actually, it��s more than a videogame.

Madden NFL 2005 marks the 15th year of the venerable franchise, and in that time, the series truly has grown��much like the man himself��larger than life. Nearly 37 million copies have been sold since 1989, and in recent years, very few titles (if any) challenge the latest edition of Madden as the best-selling game of the year.

And it��s only getting bigger.

Madden has become such a force, in fact, it��s not uncommon to see television specials about it. Or to hear it mentioned in a movie. Or to read how a breakthrough band attributes its success to having a song in the game.

For anyone who can��t remember a time before videogames, Madden has solidified itself as a staple of American culture. Whether you call yourself a gamer or not.

Copyright © 2004 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine.