Madden may be coming out a bit later than usual this year, though there will still be a way to get some new Madden action in during early August. EA Sports today announced that the Madden NFL 12 demo will be available for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on Tuesday, August 9.
Whereas last year’s demo featured the two teams from the AFC Championship Game (the New York Jets and Indianapolis Colts), this year will feature the NFC side. That means players will get to play out a full-length game (by default settings, at least) between the Chicago Bears and Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers on the Bears’ Soldier Field. Quarters will last five minutes each, so there should be a chance to actually get more than a single possession or two.
The NFL lockout lifted earlier this week, ensuring that the upcoming NFL season will proceed as planned. Madden’s Franchise mode won’t reflect the changes to the new collective bargaining agreement, which are too complex to be patched in later, according to the game’s official Twitter (via Kotaku). Thankfully, a roster update will be available at launch that includes any roster moves that happen in the coming weeks. (An update I hope includes Nnamdi Asomugha going to the Jets.)