Football season came early for some fans with the Aug. 9 release of the video game “Madden NFL 2006.” Students, however, may be preoccupied with the game instead of their classes.

Freshman accountancy major Joe Stuckel bought the game the day it was released. He even missed work to get it and he stayed up until 3 a.m. playing it the first night.

The game did so well in its first week in stores that EA Sports, the game’s manufacturer, said the first week sales of the game represented, “the biggest week-one launch of a Madden NFL Football game in the franchise’s sixteen-year history.”

Stuckel said part of the popularity of the game is its realism, which is what makes it most fun for him. Stuckel said he has bought every edition of the game for the last 10 years.

“Each year’s game is always better and no other football game beats it,” Stuckel said.

Sophomore management major Tony Leifert hopes to work in an NFL office one day, and he likes simulating those type of management decisions in the game’s 30-season franchise mode.

“It lets you play for 30 seasons, so the awesomeness never stops,” Leifert said.

Classes, however, may be taking a back seat to the game for some gamers. Leifert said he will finish his homework at a certain time to play a few games.

“I cut my homework short so I can have my Madden time,” Leifert said. “It’s something I have to do.”

Stuckel said he plays the game for two to three hours per day and admitted focusing more on the game than on class work.

“Playing Madden can take over your life,” Stuckel said.

Madden 2006 represents the 16th edition of EA Sports’ top-selling pro-football video game. The game is so popular, some stores carrying the game opened doors at midnight Aug. 9 to accommodate the rush of customers.

In Dec. 2004, EA Sports acquired an exclusive licensing agreement with the NFL and Players, Inc. The deal gives Electronic Arts the exclusive rights to NFL teams, stadiums and players for use in its video games for the next five years.

For gamers, this means EA football games, such as Madden and “NFL Street,” are the only games available to consumers. This agreement covers games on consoles such as PlayStation2 and Xbox, as well as PC and handheld systems and online console features. The agreement does not cover games on cell phones or the Internet.