For many NFL players, their careers may not last long enough to see them secure a second contract. Former NFL offensive lineman Clint Oldenburg is one such athlete; however, he found a new career in a different type of football. Drafted by the Patriots in 2007, Oldenburg is now the production director of Madden NFL and has become the face of EA’s team that builds the popular NFL simulation game. He was the first NFL player to transition into Madden game development and has since been followed by other NFL veterans joining the team.
Quick Facts
- Clint Oldenburg is a former NFL player who is now the production director of Madden NFL.
- He is the first NFL player to make the jump into Madden game development.
- Since Oldenburg’s involvement, more emphasis has been placed within EA to bring in other NFL veterans to help build the Madden games.
Oldenburg began his journey with EA by working on the company’s college football game as a design intern in 2012. He eventually transitioned to the Madden team and was entrusted with improving the game’s blocking system, a task he was well-suited for given his background as an offensive lineman. Since Oldenburg joined the team, six other former NFL players have contributed to the development of Madden, either through contract work or as full-time employees.
One of the guiding principles of the Madden team at EA Tiburon is authenticity, as sports fans want their video game simulations to closely resemble the real product they watch on television. However, there are some aspects of the game that need to be gamified in order for it to be enjoyable. Oldenburg and his team carefully balance these elements to create a game that is both authentic and fun to play.
Despite his success in the world of video game development, Oldenburg admits that he still faces scrutiny from the Madden fanbase. However, he takes this criticism in stride, believing that if something in the game is causing a player to feel friction, it is a problem that the team needs to address. He credits his former NFL head coach, Bill Belichick, for teaching him how to deal with media scrutiny and public pressure, lessons that have served him well in his current role.
As Oldenburg continues to build on his successful post-football career, Madden NFL 24 is set to launch on August 18 for Xbox, PlayStation, and PC. Fans can still preorder the game to play it three days early.
