You can't keep a good player down, and Madden NFL 12 is going to launch as planned this year no matter what the actual National Football League is doing. EA Sports president Peter Moore addressed the lockout concerns at a recent event in San Francisco, promising the next installment of the series will launch in August, Joystiq reports.

"We'll be shipping this year, regardless of what the labor issues are, whether they're resolved or not," he said. "Madden 12 will be shipping on August 30, 2011, regardless of what happens with the league itself." So while we may see a delayed or even a canceled football season, you can at least gather your friends with some beer and nachos to watch a simulation match.

It seemed that EA Sports planned to go ahead with Madden this year, since it was hosting a bracketed contest to determine the new cover athlete. Speaking of which, that bracket is down to its four finalists: Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers), Peyton Hillis (Cleveland Browns), Michael Vick (Philadelphia Eagles), and Adrian Peterson (Minnesota Vikings). You might notice that only one is a recent Super Bowl champion, a number equal to the representation from former dog-fighting enthusiasts. So there's that.

[Image from Madden NFL 11.]