Madden NFL Arcade?

　　Think Madden NFL 10 is the only football from EA Sports this year? Think again. The publisher has just lifted the curtain on Madden NFL Arcade, a five-on-five downloadable arcade football game for XBL Arcade and PSN Store. It will be available in December and will run you 1,200 MS points or $14.99, respectively. Here's a description of the game from the EA Sports Web site:

　　Choose one of your favorite 32 NFL teams and distinctive home stadium for a battle with the best five players on each side of the ball, and let the excitement begin! Each team is given four downs to march 60 yards to pay dirt--no penalties or field goals allowed here, pal! Get your Madden NFL fix in a completely new way, with fast-paced games where the first team to 30 wins. Want to mix it up? Madden NFL Arcade can be tailored to fit your liking by changing options, such as skill level, points to win, and more--making each game unlike the one before. Take advantage of 13 unique "Game Changers" to break the game wide open on a single play. Add an entourage of lineman to get the sack, freeze an opposing player, turn off your opponent's passing icons, and much more. No lead is safe in Madden NFL Arcade.

　　This is the latest in a line of download-only games from EA Sports this year--including 3-on-3 NHL Arcade and NCAA Basketball 09: March Madness Edition. EA reps will be coming by next week to show us Madden NFL Arcade, so I'll have impressions up sometime after that. I have no idea how this game will play, but if the past is any indication, arcade football has a tough time holding my attention for long. Of course, at $15, there's a better chance of the price matching the content, something that definitely could not be said about 2008's mediocre NFL Tour.

　　Look for more on the game next week.