New player??

[Hogskin]

I have never even SEEN Madden played. Sounds like I should get it. What is the learning curve? I have a home theater/game room, with several pinballs, shuffleboard table, foosball, darts, 4-player NFL Blitz, tiered seating, 2 driving wheels/pedals, a 10-foot (120 inch) screen, and projector with DSS and computer hooked into it. With the computer, I play a lot of older driving games, classic arcade games using a 4-player controller I built, and other computer games.

I like games that don't take tooooo long to get proficient at, and love multi-player games. So my questions are: Should I get the latest Madden? What other games are must-own games? What is the best driving game, strategy game, shootemup game? Your answers will definitely influence my next purchases! Thanks.