MMOGs and sports video games combine for over $15 billion in sales in the US alone. So why have we seen comparatively little cross-pollination between the two powerhouse categories? In honor of the Super Bowl and Vancouver Olympics, that's the question we'll pose to one of the Western pioneers in the sports MMOG category, GamesCampus's David Chang. Is the Madden model past its peak? Could online sports be the next emergent category in video games?

From the article:

"But licenses and endorsements only go so far. Says Chang: "You need to get [the players] to connect with the content pretty quickly or you will lose their attention. Having professional players or licensed leagues help, but after the hundredth game, even hardcore players are looking to do something more with the content." That more is one of the biggest challenges of the sports MMOG, since sports fans are accustomed to enjoying their games especially at a remove, what with the trades, the deals, the second-guessing on radio and TV talk shows, the highlight reels, etc. "

To help answer those questions and more, we have the facts and figures to make an MLB statistician blush in Far from the Madden Crowd: A Look at Sports MMOGs Past, Present, and Future.