Apparently, EA Sports, the creators of the Madden NFL franchise, wanted to make some huge changes to the latest version of their game. For more than a decade, the Madden NFL game has been linked with a “curse,” seemingly causing players on the cover to get injured in the following season. This year, Madden has cursed itself by making some awful changes to the game.

The Madden series, named after Hall of Fame coach, John Madden, originated in 1988 and ever since has been one of the best selling games in history. Sports fans fly off the couch the day it comes out to get the latest version. There are many factors as to why the game is loved so much by all, such as the accurate player ratings, the improved graphics, and the game play that makes fans across the country feel like they are part of the game. However, even as Madden continues to please NFL followers and gamers alike, the latest version, Madden 13, is highly surrounded with controversy.

Personally, I am a huge football fan, and have been purchasing Madden for about seven years. That is why, on Aug. 28, I was stoked to go out and purchase Madden 13 as soon as I could. I purchased it the day of its release, and have been disappointed ever since. Since the 1988 version of Madden, the “franchise” game mode has been a fan favorite, and I was shocked to see Madden do away with it. Madden continued to add on to its “Superstar” mode, in which you can create a player in the league and play with him. I personally think this game mode is great, and I love playing as Austin Starczewski and dominating the league, but it does not compare to franchise mode.