Calendars have been marked and somewhere there may be a gamer in line, because the official ship date for Madden NFL 09 has been released as August 12. For the series that holds the all-time record for most sales by a franchise at some 70 million copies sold, Madden will release its 20th installment this August.

"The Madden NFL 09 20th Anniversary Collector's Edition will be the ultimate interactive NFL experience - featuring full versions of both Madden NFL 09 and the all-new NFL Head Coach 09, exclusive classic Madden NFL gameplay, and an extensive library of exclusive bonus video content."

"The Madden NFL franchise has a rich history, and we're proud to be celebrating it with this definitive video game package," says Peter Moore, president of EA Sports. "Featuring two deep and innovative new standalone games, as well as a host of exclusive bonus content, the Madden NFL 09 20th Anniversary Collector's Edition is the ultimate interactive offering for both long-time Madden NFL fans and anyone who enjoys football on Sundays. I can't think of a better way to get your NFL fix than to enjoy everything that's unique about both Madden NFL 09 and NFL Head Coach 09, and then connecting and sharing content from both."

The 20th Anniversary Collector's Edition will cost $89.99.

Madden NFL 09 will be available on Xbox 360, Playstaiton 2, PS3, Playstation Portable, Nintendo DS and Nintendo Wii.

Official Press Release