Playing on a big TV? Nice. Playing on a big screen? Outstanding. Playing on a building facade? World record! EA Sports and the NFL broke it at the Madden 22 Virtual Pro Bowl.
The NFL season is coming to a climax. Only a few days left until one of the biggest sporting events in the world: the Super Bowl. But before the biggest title in American football is up for grabs on 14 February, here’s a taste of what’s to come a week earlier.
Today, the Pro Bowl kicks off the football festivities. At Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, the question is which conference is better. The American Football Conference (AFC) or the National Football Conference (AFC)? Two All-Stars teams will answer this question.
But another highlight of the Pro Bowl has already been a night before. To get in the mood for the event in Las Vegas, the NFL (National Football League) played out the title virtually. In Madden 22, Derwin James of the Los Angeles Chargers and Nick Chubb of the Cleveland Browns competed against Micah Parsons of the Dallas Cowboys and Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings.
Inspire with wit and action
But the event is not just a pure eSports event. Instead of exclusively grind and concentration, it’s all about fun and action. Last year, more than 3.5 million live viewers made it the most-watched event in the history of Madden NFL on digital platforms. And saw Marshawn Lynch, for example, break a chair in anger.
The chairs remained intact this year, but the players still didn’t miss the chance to shake a leg or tease their opponents. The game was played in an outdoor studio on the Las Vegas Strip. The setting resembled a living room and – the later it got – with empty paper cups and food bowls on the floor, it was hardly any different from the real thing.
Holding out in the cold for the world record
But why reach for the controller in the cold? There was a specific reason. This year, the Guinness World Record for the largest projected video game screen was to fall. The organisers didn’t build an oversized screen, they simply used a wall of a building.
A total of 4397.82 square metres were illuminated – a new world record! The certificate was almost more important than the final result. With 31 to 19, the NFC selection clearly prevailed.
Once again, the organisers showed wit and originality. Something that EA Sports has been lacking in the football/FIFA sector for a long time.
