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Madden NFL 15 near perfect in Super Bowl 49 predictions

Simulation played on Madden NFL 15 accurately predicts the Super Bowl's final score and how the Patriots scored the last touchdown. It also comes close on Tom Brady's passing yards.

Don Reisinger
CNET contributor Don Reisinger is a technology columnist who has covered everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Besides his work with CNET, Don's work has been featured in a variety of other publications including PC World and a host of Ziff-Davis publications.
Don Reisinger
2 min read

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Madden NFL has been awfully accurate predicting Super Bowls over the years. Electronic Arts

If there's anything a football fan can learn from video games, perhaps it's to not bet against Madden NFL simulators.

Last week, Madden franchise publisher Electronic Arts posted a video to YouTube showing a simulation played in its latest release, Madden NFL 15, between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks. The simulation was set up to predict the outcome of Super Bowl 49, and as in the past, Madden was spot-on with its predictions.

The Madden NFL 15 simulator accurately predicted that the Patriots would win the Super Bowl 28-24 and even showed Patriots quarterback Tom Brady throwing a game-winning touchdown pass to wide receiver Julian Edelman. The simulator was off by just 27 for Brady's number of passing yards but was right on with number of touchdown passes he would throw.

For more than a decade, Electronic Arts has played simulators to predict the year's Super Bowl results. The simulator runs on artificial intelligence built into the game. It's accurately predicted 9 of the last 12 Super Bowl outcomes. None, however, have been as accurate as Super Bowl 49.

For more than two decades, the Madden franchise has been a staple on game consoles, and has historically sold exceedingly well. Each year, Electronic Arts updates its game's artificial intelligence to more accurately depict a real-life game. While it's by no means perfect, it tends to get better with each new installment.

Still, it's entirely possible that Madden would have been off significantly had the Seahawks not made a last-minute blunder, calling a passing play with mere seconds to go on the goal line. Had the team rushed the ball with running back Marshawn Lynch and scored, Madden's prediction would have been off, just as it was last year when the game predicted that the Denver Broncos would beat the Seahawks by three points. The Seahawks actually won that game by 35 points.

Electronic Arts did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

(Via Yahoo Tech)