Madden NFL 25 will be out on PS3 and Xbox 360 on August 27, well before the launch of any next-gen version. So what's a fella gotta do if he wants to play Madden as soon as the season starts, and wants to continue that experience on next-gen? Well, you buy two copies of the game, of course.

EA Sports has announced that Madden NFL 25 data from Xbox 360 and PS3 will carry over to Xbox One and PS4, respectively. But, don't get too excited. Your save data won't transfer--instead, items for use in Madden Ultimate Team will.

By connecting your current-gen game to Origin, you'll be able to "bring over 100 active items" and "up to 1000 reserve items" from current-gen games to next-gen games. In addition, if you get both versions of the game, you'll get six Ultimate Team All Pro packs for use on PS4 and Xbox One.

Given how profitable the Ultimate Team series has been for EA Sports, it's unsurprising the company will want to ensure a seamless experience for players of that mode. But it's a bit disappointing to see that the company isn't ensuring that the entire experience transfers from one gen to the next.

Update: FIFA 14 will also support similar transfers. "All changes made in FIFA 14 Ultimate Team will be reflected in both consoles so fans will be able to compete with their squads on either console throughout the season," EA Sports announced.