If you’re the sort who keeps a calendar marked with the release date for each iteration of EA Sports’ Madden NFL football games, NHL hockey games, or FIFA soccer games, take note: your obsession could win you some big bucks.
Virgin Gaming has teamed up with EA for an online tournament boasting $1 million in cash prizes, with players competing in the PlayStation 3 versions of Madden NFL 12, FIFA 12, and NHL 12 to win a share of the loot. The top 256 players in each title’s tournament will win cash prizes, though the total payout varies by game. The grand prize in both the Madden and FIFA tournaments is $140,000, while the NHL champion stands to win $70,000.
Before you sign up, make sure you note the entry fee — it will cost you $10 to enter the online tournament for each title, and you’ll have to win six games in a row against other entrants to be one of the 1,000 finalists invited to New York City for the money round. Lose a game during your streak and you have to pay another $10 to try again.
You can also pay $448 to just skip the entrance tournament altogether and go straight to the finals (which seems a little crazy, but hey, maybe you’re that confident in your skills).
Oh, and be warned: If you do make it to the finals, you need to pay your own way to New York City.
You can get more details about the tournament (including payouts and rules), and sign yourself up (make sure to read the fine print) over at the Virgin Gaming website.
