Electronic Arts drops Ray Rice from Madden game

Video game publisher Electronic Arts is removing former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice from its recently released Madden NFL 15 title, the latest company to pull its support for the player.

EA Sports says Rice will be removed from the game's roster Friday through an online update. EA Sports cited Rice's indefinite suspension from the NFL as the reason for his removal.

EA's Madden is, by far, the oldest and most popular football video game franchise. Its origins date back to the late 1980s, when the industry was in its infancy. It was one of the first games to be updated each year, a business model that would eventually be copied by other publishers.