If you're watching Belton's channel ABGotGame The only thing Belton is more roasted than madden 22 coins his adversaries? Madden itself. Common refrains "This game is rubbish" as well as "this game is so awful." Every time a video is shown, Belton is cursing the game's creator, EA Sports, like it's some demon. An errant throw? "EA!" Taking a sack? "EA! !" Missing an easy interception?
In January 2022, he shared his video entitled "I've had this video never before...You have won EA...I'm never playing Madden again ..." However, a week further on, Belton posted another Madden video. If you'd been following his channel for some time, as I had, you knew Belton was never going to end his journey.
The thing that is funny concerning Madden which is the only NFL licensed video game franchise that's after 34 years of existence is that despite its immense popularity, there is nothing you ever hear is complaints about it.
The primary complaint, which is reechoed frequently, is that each year's update is an upgrade from the last. Because EA Sports has the exclusive license, it is the sole company to develop an "simulation-style" NFL game. This suggests that EA Sports is in no obligation to make significant improvements to the game each year. In the year 2020, a massive campaign on Twitter urged the league to launch EA as its partner #NFLDropEA. However, despite the outrage over social media as well as the coordinated review-bombing of Madden's Metacritic webpage, Madden 21 sales were at a record high. This year's Madden 22 did well, as well, and the series continues to be the top-selling sports franchise ever.
The critics hail from an extremely vocal minority, but an entire group whose role is to be very vocal. We're talking about YouTubers, who earn their living through streaming and recording themselves playing a game they claim to hate.
The diversity of YouTubers' focus areas reveals how big the game today. There are YouTubers such as Belton who upload video of their own games in various games; there's an array of people uploading strategies and tips; and then there are those that are dedicated to slamming on Madden.
Last fall, one channel named SOFTDRINKTV released a video of 14 minutes that was titled "The Worst Madden of All Time," which was followed with a 19-minute version titled "Madden NFL 22 is NOT Good - Review." They re-enter an identical well last week by releasing a video called "Everything Wrong with Madden NFL 22 (in 16 minutes)." The narration of this one begins memorably or even a bit dramatically: "This is the kind of game that will make you want to stick a a thumbtack in your eyeballs. If it comes to playing Madden 22, the blessing of life becomes one of the worst curses. You'll no longer want to be alive. It creates existential dread."
Like every subculture, Madden is no exception. It has its own terms of speech. The precise throws are "lasers" (self-explanatory). Often a good throw is an "dot" which means you'll be "dotted up" -- which in turn evolved from "dart" (less than self-explanatory). Similar to strong defensive coverage, good defensive coverage was previously "bagged," though recently, I've heard YouTubers calling themselves "booked." The most logical one to me is "mossing" somebody that is when a receiver leaps over a corner to snatch the ball from the air, influenced by Randy Moss.
But , in reality, hate for Madden seems to be as much part of the popular culture, even though it seems somewhat invasive at times. The subreddit r/Madden is almost exclusively "rants" about the reasons why Madden doesn't work, which is usually is a video of a bug or glitch. The tag #Madden22 that is on TikTok is equal parts highlights, equally part calling players who have failed to play and that EA could fix.
But, of course, if you dislike a video game this often, why do you continue to play it, every year?
In the case of Andrew Belton, Madden earns him his money. Since the 2005 Madden however, and more importantly that was the time he joined YouTubing, which began in last year's Madden. The channel has increased to the point that it earns a profit from it. It's enough to afford to move out of his parents' house and into an apartment in Brooklyn. (He also sells ebooks containing Madden tips through his Patreon account, which, he estimates, will account for a third of his earnings.)
The idea of trash-talking was not born with Belton. Though he's probably the most famous person doing the same thing via YouTube for Madden the trash-talking videos are quite popular in other sporting games, such as NBA 2K. (Another one that Belton dislikes is: "I thought Madden was an absolute scream however, 2K actually frustrates me... I'm not able to mut 22 coins play it; that's because of how it upsets the hell out of me.")
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