TOWSON, Md. - Last week, Gameloft and Baltimore Ravens middle linebacker [Ray Lewis teamed up for a memorable event that helped raise the profile for a recently-released iPhone application: NFL 2010.
Convening in the luxurious field house at Towson University, not far from the Ravens' facility, Lewis attended the event to discuss why NFL 2010 is an application that gamers—both casual and hard-core—could not be without.
Discussing his first experiences playing the game, Lewis praised its simplicity and functionality. "It's personal, it is way more personal," he said. "Long plane rides aren't really that long anymore. You can play one or two good games and before you know it, you are there."
Gameloft spokeswoman Sanette Chao was effusive in her praise of the ability to team up with Lewis, one of the NFL's most recognizable faces and players since he entered the league.
"Ray Lewis is the perfect player to represent Gameloft's NFL 2010 game," Chao said. "Having the opportunity to partner with Ray to celebrate the launch of our game gave us a chance to witness his talent on and off the field."
Released in mid-August, NFL 2010 has catapulted itself amongst the iTunes bestsellers, becoming the third-ranked application. The game utilizes intuitive controls that allow users an innate feel for operating the game on the portable and popular iPhone. Featuring every active NFL player, the game offers an authenticity and realism that the iStore, despite its massive collection of more than 75,000 "app" offerings, was still looking to capture.
In addition to meeting with the media, Lewis and Gameloft partnered with the Ray Lewis 52 Foundation, a charitable foundation created by Lewis 11 years ago to foster the development of underprivileged youth in the Baltimore area. Youth ranging from 8 to 12 years old were able to partake in activities such as a touchdown celebration dance-off, on-field football drills and opening packs of football trading cards.
"The dedication he (Lewis) has toward the kids and his charity has given us all the more pleasure in donating $2,000 to the Ray Lewis Foundation," Chao said.
Lewis, sporting a cheek-to-cheek grin that belies his aggressive on-field demeanor, reinforced the importance of helping the kids touched by his foundation.
"It's the best thing in my life and the biggest play I'll ever make," Lewis said. "You're going to inspire someone, and that's why we live. I'll hopefully encourage someone to be a better person, and there is really no better reward."
