After reaching a certain level of progress — the theory is cumulative laps driven, as it's struck gamers at differing points in their careers — the profile becomes corrupted and freezes the game right at the load screen. There is no other way to play the game except to delete the file and start all over. You can see a video of it here — but it takes 7 minutes to explain what was just said above. There is, however, a swell parakeet whistling in the background.

Of course, using a memory stick and disabling auto-save is one workaround. That doesn't help anyone who had no idea he'd bought a defective game and finds out about this after putting 20 or 30 hours worth of effort into it.

Reader S.H. (who tipped us here) says EA Sports is not responding to forum posts, emails or any calls for help (which the video helpfully points out). No wonder they're putting Peter Moore's face into a boxing game. That'll probably crash, too.

Seriously, EA Sports, why is it amateur hour all of a sudden? What the fuck is the matter with you people?

Addendum: If you're gonna hate on me for the headline, I grew up in Elkin, N.C., 20 minutes from North Wilkesboro, where they used to race twice a year, and on a clear Saturday night I could hear Friendship Speedway from my house. I come by this honestly, friend.

*NASCAR 09 Warning for 360* Back Up Your Saved Profile [Operation Sports forums]

"I'm confident it will surpass Wave Race 64 in depth," said the game's producer, Katsuya Eguchi. We'll give him the benefit of the doubt, considering he's credited with director duties on the Nintendo 64 classic.

Even if it's not as fully featured or "deep" as the original watercraft racer, it's going to have to suffice for now. Eguchi opted not to comment on plans for a sequel, something we shan't hold our breath for.

At E3, Nintendo announced its first title that would make use of the new precision-enhancing add-ons for the Wii remote — it's called Wii Sports Resort, and Nintendo's Cammie Dunaway said it was "literally a day at the beach."

They demonstrated water-skiing and disc dog minigames — that's Frisbee with a pooch. Dunaway demonstrated that when she rotated her wrist, the movement is mimicked in the game in real-time thanks to the Motion Plus addition. Meanwhile, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime played with the jet ski by "revving" the engine with a turn of his wrist.

They also chopped wood with their hands karate-style, and fought one another.

"It's kinda cute," said Fils-Aime.

For roster editors, this is a setback in a niche that has prided itself on near-instantaneous turnaround of complete roster files by the date the game drops. EA, we’re told, is working feverishly on a patch to resolve this problem. But for now, anyone who downloads any roster file should avoid editing it; and those who do choose to edit it should do so offline, as doing so online risks corruption and can crash the game, according to our source.

Conversations with that source tell of an entire, crucial weekend of work essentially lost. One early-bird editor, working off of a devkit and not a final copy of the game, already got a file out through EA Locker. Other roster editors used it as source for their own files, and discovered the glitch. Even though the original author removed that file, there is still some residual viral spread that could affect unwitting others. It and anything going around right now should be considered suspect until the game is patched.

“I was assured that when I release my rosters on Friday there shouldn’t be any problems wth them,” one editor, who demanded anonymity because of a close, unofficial relationship with EA, told Kotaku. A day-three release of a custom roster file was, to now, considered very late. Now it’s the earliest that a reliable file can be produced.

The corruption — and this could be a total shot in the dark — appears to involve nonstandard ASCII characters in certain players’ names in the roster file, such as the infamous A’Mod Ned of Florida International, who memorably waded into a melee between FIU and Miami in 2006 on a pair of crutches. Indeed FIU is one of several teams that go missing, for inexplicable reasons, after changes are made to a roster file that was already created and shared by one editor. While that editor has already removed the file from EA locker, others who downloaded it continue to send it to friends unwittingly.

If you intend to game with custom roster files on NCAA Football, you probably should not use them until you see that the game has downloaded a patch from Electronic Arts.

NCAA 09 Bugs [YouTube]

"Professional football has long sought to gloss over the often brutal realities that surround the game and its players," said Mona Hamilton, vice president of marketing, Midway Home Entertainment. "Blitz: The League II embraces the most compelling storylines behind America's favorite sport and allows fans to experience them in a bold, interactive way."

The game is set to hit the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 this fall.

CHICAGO, IL – July 8, 2008 - Midway Games Inc. (NYSE: MWY), a leading interactive entertainment software publisher and developer, announced today the development of Blitz: The League® II. Back for another season of heart-pumping, bone-crushing, no-holds-barred football action, Blitz: The League II strips the rules and regulations from traditional football to enhance the fun by bringing the pain. Complete with an all-new story mode penned by former ESPN “Playmakers” writer, Peter Egan, and the return of football legend, Lawrence Taylor, Blitz: The League II builds on the success of the previous release with new features and enhanced gameplay. Blitz: The League II is scheduled for release this fall for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PLAYSTATION® 3 computer entertainment system.

“Professional football has long sought to gloss over the often brutal realities that surround the game and its players,” said Mona Hamilton, vice president of marketing, Midway Home Entertainment. “Blitz: The League II embraces the most compelling storylines behind America’s favorite sport and allows fans to experience them in a bold, interactive way.”

For additional information about Blitz: The League II visit www.blitzleague.com.

EA apologises over football anthem blunder [MCV][Pic=BBC]

But Brian Kaldenberg, in a way, defies that altruistic mode. He sees NCAA rosters also as a very profitable business, and that makes him one of the most despised figures in a community where reputation and motive have as much currency as the accuracy of one’s work. In message boards and private conversation, Kaldenberg is routinely accused of plagiarism, arrogance, and deceitful practices. But with a combination of thick skin, patience and guile, he has become probably the most successful of anyone who sells NCAA rosters for more than a suggested donation. And Wednesday, sending more shockwaves through a jittery community, he acquired another leading NCAA roster domain, thus unifying the top three URLs returned for a search of “NCAA rosters” on Google.

“It’s hard for me to understand why they care so much that I sell it,” says Kaldenberg, 25, who since the last release of NCAA Football has managed to make acquisitions of his top two, hostile competitors — fkrosters.com and DT Linder’s PSXSports. “I think it’s because I was not the pioneer. The pioneers definitely are DT and FK. Then I came along and did it differently and made a lot more money.”

Kaldenberg’s replacement of PSXSports’ front with an image of a Monopoly board, for the time being, may also illustrate the acid relationships he has with others. He insists that was a wink-and-nod to Linder, who had likened PSXSports and Kaldenberg’s original Gamerosters.com to keystone properties in the popular boardgame. But others see it as a message that Kaldenberg is coming to drive out any roster editor, for profit or otherwise. And they care about Kaldenberg’s profit motive because for them, NCAA Football is a goose whose golden egg is not money, but the ability to freely change any or all of the names in sports gaming’s deepest universe.

“We’re concerned that if sites keep charging for rosters, the NCAA may ask EA to pull the editing feature,” says Chris Jacobs, a site admin for freeNCAA09rosters.com, a free counter-site to Kaldenberg’s for-profit empire. “The game would be ruined if we were stuck with HB #15 all year.”

On that sentiment, all agree. No college sports title releases with any current player’s name or likeness, thanks to NCAA bylaws. In professional sports simulations, where superstars opted out of collective deals and refused to allow their likenesses to be used, a few absences are nettlesome. To have not just an entire league, but the largest league of any (and March Madness’ 341 teams is even larger) makes gaming with and without complete roster files a night-and-day experience.

Thus sprouted the community of roster editing, with Linder among its progenitors. (Kotaku attempted to reach Linder before the sale of PSXSports but he did not reply. Efforts through others didn’t return a comment before this article was originally posted.) And despite well sourced ventures such as Kaldenberg’s and his closest competitor, Nick Cain’s Sportrosters.com, the free roster community could only be beaten if editing were killed altogether. They make their product first for themselves, then share it to others, and are apathetic about its profitability or market potential.

“I’ve had people volunteer to help me and say that we could work nonstop on the roster file,” said Victor Vasquez, who owned fkrosters.com before selling it to Kaldenberg in December, then reconstituted his efforts on fairdale-kings.com.“But I know only how accurate my work is. I know the homework that I put into this file every year.”

Kaldenberg began with Gamerosters.com in 2004 while a junior at Iowa State University, and approaches it as much as a businessman as he does a fan. He appreciates the value added by a strong roster file (gaming with rival Iowa — he lives in Iowa City — when he plays online) but also foresees the potential in the business and an end-game. “My ultimate idea is to grow the Gamerosters portfolio to the point a gaming site or gaming e-tailer makes me an offer I can’t turn down,” Kaldenberg says, claiming he received a six-figure bid last spring but “I just didn’t feel like it was the right time yet.”

Some might think the right time has come and gone. The addition of the EA Locker feature to this year’s NCAA football game, depending on your point of view, is either pro- or con-roster editing. Through the EA Locker, Xbox 360 and PS3 gamers may share roster files freely across the network. That sets up a competing viral spread of three roster types, none of which can be monetized:

• Fully researched and edited rosters bought by the community (Kaldenberg’s)

• Rosters which are the same in content, but distributed for free or a donation (Fairdale-Kings and freeNCAA09rosters)

• or incomplete, fan-oriented rosters built by individual players which are tailored to specific schools or conferences and contain inaccuracies or wholesale omissions elsewhere.

Working in Kaldenberg’s favor is the number of offline-only players who want rosters. Custom rosters were only available for use online beginning with last year’s title, meaning a large group of players who only game in offline modes, like dynasty or campus legend, care only for accurate rosters and neither need them online nor seek them out there. Also, EA Locker is available for free on PS3, but only through XBox Live Gold on that platform, representing a separate barrier. Vasquez, his adversary, himself agrees that there are more offline gamers than online.

Also, Kaldenberg trusts in a consumer instinct built on the notion that someone offering a product in a free market has a business motivation to provide an accurate and superior, product. It’s the same reason you wouldn’t buy discount meat off the back of a truck. “People are willing to pay for what we offer and pay for the peace of mind knowing they are getting a quality product,” Kaldenberg says. “Similar to how people are willing to shell out $60 for a steak at Ruth’s Chris.”

Kaldenberg won’t divulge specifics, but says he has served close to 10,000 customers since 2004, seeing his year-over-year demand double in each of the last three years. (Vasquez boasted he had more than 20,000 registered users when he ran the site, some of whom have migrated to fairdale-kings.com)

Kaldenberg’s operation requires seasonal employees — working on a PS3, PS2 and Xbox set up in an office — and a full-time business operations manager (the business also manages rosters for March Madness and other titles). But such growth has yet to attract the notice of the NCAA. “No one from the NCAA or EA sports has ever contacted me regarding roster editing,” says Kaldenberg, who has sought legal opinions regarding his exposure in his current venture.

Truth is, EA may not need to sue anyone out of existence, especially if that risks destroying a feature the majority of its installation base adores. If it can tip the balance so that works that are both complete and free win out on its network, that returns roster editing to the community of nonprofit enthusiasts and eliminates those making money off the NCAA or its amateurs’ likenesses. Jacobs and others see such an advantage being tacitly swayed to nonprofit editors.

“Our site is part of the EA Community Leaders program, and privately, we were told that they don’t like people charging for rosters,” Jacobs said. “Hence the EA Locker feature in NCAA 09.”

For its part, EA did not respond to an emailed request seeking comment. Roster editors say this is not a surprise: the ability to edit a roster is a content feature any publisher would, reasonably, not want to give up. In this case, discussing it inevitably acknowledges the cottage industry, for profit or otherwise, that provides gamers with full rosters against NCAA wishes. The less EA reacts, the less the situation is under its control, and the less it is accountable to its licensing partner.

Kaldenberg, if nothing else, is resilient and adaptable. His own record with his rivals proves that. In December, he won fkrosters.com through a third-party offering process. Vasquez, the site’s owner, says he didn’t know who was buying the site until the offer (made through GoDaddy) was accepted. Kaldenberg says Vasquez had every opportunity to reject the sale after learning of his bid.

Kaldenberg said Linder reached out to him late last year, offering him control of both the “Park Place and Boardwalk,” of roster mod domains, and hence the reason for the Monopoly board on PSXSports on Wednesday. An original package price of $16,000 in December eventually winnowed to $7,000 in June, said Kaldenberg. Linder, reached Thursday, said he offered the site because he was competing in a saturated broader market serving sports gamers, and wanted to rebrand his efforts in the roster-only space. To that end he launched EArosters.com on Thursday, his fourth URL since beginning his roster efforts in 2001. Linder said both sides reached an agreeable settlement.
"Brian and I are both competitors and I certainly appreciated his sense of humor," about the Monopoly board on his old URL, Linder said. "Brian purchased Park Place and Boardwalk, but he has to worry about people landing on Marvin Gardens or Pennsylvania Ave first. I just placed hotels on my green and yellow monopolies."
But if anything, Kaldenberg's survival in a cutthroat business environment has taught him valuable business lessons that many 25-year-olds don’t experience firsthand.

“I’ve learned to turn a deaf ear,” Kaldenberg said. “People say bad things about you, and I used to fight it and get upset, and then I'd just see it make matters worse. I’ve matured since my younger days, and I stay away from internet message board controversies. Customer service is more important. If a customer has a question or needs assistance, it’s much more important for me to spend my time responding to customers than to respond to someone criticizing me on another website.”

Kaldenberg’s largest for-profit competitor, Nick Cain’s sportrosters.com, remains somewhat above the fray and agnostic about the fate of for-profit roster editing. Cain, who only became interested in NCAA football because he found the gameplay more engaging than EA’s Madden series, said roster editing represents only 2 percent of a business portfolio that has included poker applications and adult business ventures.

Cain says Kaldenberg also approached him about buying sportrosters.com, but refused after being put off by the negotiating style.

“He bragged about his revenue,” said Cain, himself a coder who outsources his roster work to Indian writers working on console development kits. “We’ll I don’t bank on this money. This is funny money to me. I spend an hour a day maintaining my web sales. He can put up monopoly boards all day. But if EA Sports closes the door, well, it was fun while it lasted.”

Top Spin [Official Site]

GUILDFORD, UK. – July 1, 2008 – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today revealed it has created platform specific experiences for its popular FIFA 09 football franchise from EA SPORTS™. FIFA 09 has been designed and customized to deliver a unique gameplay experience that takes advantage of the hardware specifications of each available platform— the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system, Wii™ home video game system, PC, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Nintendo DS™, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system and mobile—when it is released worldwide this autumn.

“We have listened and responded to gamers and football fans around the world by building customized gameplay experiences for FIFA 09 on each platform,” said Andrew Wilson, Vice President & Executive Producer for the franchise. “Everyone wants to play a football game that is customized to their system and delivers a unique and enjoyable experience. We understand that and have innovated features, created new modes and designed controls that are tailored to each specific platform.”

With over 250 additions and enhancements to core gameplay, FIFA 09 on the PLAYSTATION 3 system and Xbox 360 deliver an authentic football simulation that enables you to customize the game to suit your style and ability. New animation technology creates more responsive first-time shooting and passing, faster and more controlled dribbling, and improved trapping. New player momentum physics, which exploits the power of these platform engines, delivers realistic player collisions, authentic jostling for the ball, and more variation in tackling.

“We listened to our consumers to make the changes that they wanted,” said David Rutter, Producer of FIFA 09 on the PLAYSTATION 3 system and Xbox 360. “No other game has over 250 feature changes and additions focused on improving core gameplay. We have an absolutely authentic recreation of the real sport through attention to detail.”

For the first time, go inside the game engine to customize the strategy and positioning of your teammates to decide exactly how your team will play in any situation. With new Custom Team Tactics you have all the tools to become a first-team coach. Adjust and customize tactical settings so CPU players and your team perform just like the real-world team plays and make strategic decisions to exploit your opponent’s weaknesses, all on-the-fly. The popular feature innovation Be A Pro has expanded to a career mode called Be A Pro: Seasons where you can choose or create a professional player and then develop his skills at a single outfield position over four years with the ultimate goal of becoming a national legend. The matchday experience is now true-to-life with a referee and linesmen on the pitch. Plus, crowds, stadium atmosphere and commentary have all been regionalized in exact detail.

On the Wii, enjoy FIFA 09 All-Play one of two ways—a Wii-specific take on the authentic ‘11 vs. 11’ simulation or over-the-top ‘8 vs. 8’ arcade action within a stylized environment with Mii™ versions of your favorite superstars, like Ronaldinho and Wayne Rooney. Refined motion and point-and-play controls make playing FIFA 09 All-Play even more intuitive and perfectly balanced for gamers of any ability to enjoy fun, football action. Choose to play the style that best suits your skills from advanced controls for experienced players to new EA SPORTS™ All-Play controls that enables novice players to focus on fun using simplified controls with AI assistance.

“You’ve never played football like this before,” said Kaz Makita, Line Producer of FIFA 09 All-Play. “Our new ‘8 vs. 8’ Footii Match enables you to play an exaggerated style of football where the personality of your Mii comes to life. You can play with your Mii characters against or alongside some of the biggest stars in a truly unique football experience tailored specifically for the Wii version of FIFA 09.”

FIFA 09 on PC now features leading-edge visuals that deliver graphics that exploit the power of hi-spec gaming PCs, as requested by PC gamers. Star players are featured in photorealistic quality with remodeled likenesses for ultra-realistic gameplay. FIFA 09 on PC also features customizable mouse gameplay controls that deliver deeper, more intuitive command over your squad. Plus, customizable widgets are now integrated into the menu system to connect you to the FIFA community and real-world football so you stay connected while playing FIFA 09.

“We are committed to investing and innovating to create a PC specific experience,” said Producer Paul Hossack. “Gamers want a gameplay experience exclusively for PC and FIFA 09 on PC delivers this.”

With 500 new animation sequences and all-new collision and shielding systems—representing the biggest innovations to the multiplatform EA SPORTS football engine in four years— FIFA 09 delivers more responsive, intelligent and realistic physical action on the PlayStation 2 system. The new collision detection system with 360 degree coverage enables players to behave according to their physical attributes where player speed, direction and strength determine everything from the severity of the collision to the outcome of possession. Changes to the animation system reward the skillful gamer during one-on-one situations between attackers and defenders. Tuned acceleration attributes enable swifter virtual players to possess quicker first steps and gain advantage in sprints. Plus, four new skill moves—scoop turns, rainbow flicks, heel-to-heel knocks and ball rolls—give you a total of 32 tricks in your arsenal to perform just like Ronaldinho.

FIFA 09 on the PSP system and Nintendo DS now include the innovative Be A Pro feature, including the unique Be A Pro camera that re-creates the rush and excitement of racing in on goal, designed exclusively for each system.

Madden Cover Stars Reveal Their Madden Betting Habits, Deny Curse At EA Event [Das Gamers]

"Anything we put out for sports would enhance the experience. I can tease you a little bit. One of the things we're doing is looking at just playing with the Wii remote in a different way, using a whole new peripheral that's out there, kind of thing. So, basically enabling control for the user in a much different way."

He teased some more: "We are prototyping stuff that really does allow us to play with the Wii remote differently."

So far it seems like the main focus here is the Wii, as no other consoles are mentioned in the story, though with both Microsoft and Sony rumored to be working on motion-controllers I certainly wouldn't rule them out.

I will be extremely disappointed if this doesn't result in a tether ball controller for the Wii.

EA Sports Peripherals May Debut at E3 [Next-Generation]

The video runs best in Firefox or Safari, or if you'd like to see it in all its HD glory, you can hit up Times Square, where the video is set to debut today at the corner of Broadway and 47th above the W Hotel on a 40 foot by 30 foot screen.

"My mom is going to call me 'Pacman.' That is what it is. I can't change that," Jones said. "I'm not saying that my teammates won't call me 'Pacman' on the field. But for the most part, I want to be Adam or Mr. Jones."

So what he is saying there is that everyone is still going to call him Pacman, but he doesn't like it.

We tried to reach the actual Pac-Man for comment on the situation but were informed by sources that he is not real, which made me cry.

No more Pacman? Embattled Cowboys CB Jones drops nickname [ESPN]

Smash Court Tennis 3 differs from many other sports titles in that it runs on an "RPG Lite" system of play, allowing your player to gain experience and add to their collection of skills as they improve their games. It all starts with the character customization area where you can adjust everything form height, weight and facial features to your characters emotional level. Will you accept your failures with grace or will you throw a McEnroe tantrum and pitch your racket across the court? The choice is yours! But be careful, throw too many tantrums and sponsors won't want to represent you. And unlike some games, the skills and characteristics with which you imbue your character have an effect on how they play they game.

Once your character is created you can enter into a four year career mode that has over 60 different tournaments you can enter into. Throughout your career, real and fictional sponsors will provide you with special rackets and accessories that will add to your skill levels and thus make your character a force to be reckoned with. Sixteen licensed tennis pros also populate the game, giving you an opportunity to play against skilled opponents. These pros are also available as playable characters so you can see what it's like to play as a professional.

The variety of courts to play on are as varied as the characters with fifteen different courts. Some are real places, some are fictionalized versions of real courts and yet even others are completely made up, like the Deep Woods Court. Each one has it's own court surface ranging from dirt to grass. By far my favorite was the Sky Court in Dubai which is suspended by bridges between the tops of three skyscrapers.

I tried out a bit of a two player game and found the controls to be quite easy to master in a short amount of time. simple button presses combined with the directional stick will send your ball flying wherever you want it to go. With a variety of special serves and shots, you'll never find yourself without the right move for the occasion. The graphics looked incredibly sharp and the interface for choosing players was cleverly put together and easy to navigate.

Smash Court tennis 3 looks to be a great game and those into sports games will no doubt find it a stunning entry into the Tennis sim genre. It will be arriving on Xbox 360 later this summer, ready for you to take to the courts and climb your way to the top of the Pro tennis heap.

The first game to appear under the Play Zone label is Sports Party, which features nine different mini-games with varying difficulty levels. Included are three variations on basketball, croquet, lawn darts, badminton, volley-ball, horse shoes, and mini-golf. Sounds perfect for parents who've grown jaded over this whole fresh-air and sunshine nonsense.

UBISOFT LAUNCHES NEW PLAY ZONE LABEL
Sports Party, first PLAY ZONE game for friends and family to enjoy exclusively on WiiTM

London, UK– June 19th, 2008– Today Ubisoft announced that it will launch a new Wii exclusive party-games range under the label PLAY ZONE. The PLAY ZONE titles will provide immediate entertainment&recreation thanks to original and numerous mini-games to be shared by all family members and friends.

“With our new PLAY ZONE party titles, the Wii gamers who like to spend time with friends and family will have fun with the Wii through innovative and involving mini-games. The PLAY ZONE label will provide them with the best games to mingle and compete together in a fun and friendly atmosphere” said John Parkes, Ubisoft’s EMEA Marketing Director.

Sports Party: become the summer sports champion!

Sports Party will be the first game to be released within the PLAY ZONE label. Located in a tropical paradise Island, Sports Party proposes 9 sports mini-games that can be played head-to-head or cooperatively. With 3 different difficulty levels and using intuitive gestures with the Wii Remote the games can be enjoyed again and again.

Key features:

• 9 different disciplines: Challenge family and friends to basketball (3 different mini-games), croquet, lawn darts, badminton, volley-ball, horse shoes and mini-golf.

• Short gaming sessions: Have a break and change sport as often as desired. Practice a few minutes and challenge whoever is around!

• For the whole family: 3 different difficulty levels that fit with the skills of all family members and friends.

• Wii Remote based gameplay: Thanks to intuitive motions, instantaneously enjoy any sport!

Sports Party will be available on July 11th 2008.

"That's a great question. Right now, again, that is driven by the fact that the game was made by Black Box, and the Black Box team is near the Need for Speed team, and those guys work together in Vancouver. That's just where we put it."

But what Quigley calls the game's "core nucleus" also had a role in the decision.

"But in that case specifically, we are kind of going "anti-everything" with that game. It's more about getting back to the roots of skating, and it's just trying to be more of a real... having the style and tone and feel of actually getting on the board and getting out in the streets. In that case, it's not about the leagues, the points, or the standings. It's just about, "Hey, how does it feel to go out on the board and see what you can do?

"Ultimately, that kind of core nucleus of the game drove the fact of whether it should be an EA Sports or an EA Games game, at the end of the day. That and the fact that the Black Box team is part of us."

In-Depth: Electronic Arts' Quigley On The State Of EA Games [Gamasutra]

The web-based service of Fantasy Football, which will be free, and the paid applications for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 for fantasy football are expected to hit later this summer.

“EA SPORTS Fantasy Football this year takes fantasy football leagues to the next level,” said EA SPORTS Fantasy Football Executive Producer Jeremy Strauser. “Through our draft day and live scoring applications we have made fantasy football a truly interactive and innovative experience. In addition, we have created integration between our EA SPORTS Fantasy Football product and Madden NFL 09 which gives the football gamer the complete football gaming experience.”

Gamers will be able to download a Fantasy Football Live Draft Tracker to the 360 or PS3 which will give them the ability to view video clips and hear EA expert commentary. The Live Score Tracker, another download, will track fantasy football scores, delivering them either in full screen mode with rosters and details or a more compact picture-in-picture mode.

Hit up the jump for more screens, the full release and to speculate on what exactly the price tag will be.

EA Sports Fantasy Football [EA Sports]

EA SPORTS™ FANTASY FOOTBALL DELIVERS INNOVATIVE CONSOLE-BASED TOOLS AND IN-GAME INTEGRATION WITH MADDEN NFL 09

EA SPORTS™ Fantasy Football is the Complete Fantasy Football Experience

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., - June 16, 2008 – Electronic Arts Inc., (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced today that EA SPORTS™ Fantasy Football will be launching a new website, fantasy.EASPORTS.com and will have fantasy football applications specific to the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system later this summer. The web-based service of EA SPORTS Fantasy Football is free, while members of Xbox LIVE or PLAYSTATION 3 Network will have the opportunity to download the innovative fantasy football applications for a fee. In addition, for the first time ever, gamers will have the ability to play their fantasy football squad in Madden NFL 09. EA Experts, a team of internal fantasy football gurus, returns and serves as a go-to source for all fantasy football information.

“EA SPORTS Fantasy Football this year takes fantasy football leagues to the next level,” said EA SPORTS Fantasy Football Executive Producer Jeremy Strauser. “Through our draft day and live scoring applications we have made fantasy football a truly interactive and innovative experience. In addition, we have created integration between our EA SPORTS Fantasy Football product and Madden NFL 09 which gives the football gamer the complete football gaming experience.”

Exclusive to EA SPORTS Fantasy Football customers, gamers will have the ability to download the EA SPORTS Fantasy Football Live Draft Tracker application and experience a fantasy draft that includes all of the fanfare and presentation of an authentic professional football draft on their Xbox 360 or PLAYSTATION 3. The days of paper draft boards are over and gamers can view video clips and hear the EA Experts team provide commentary on top players. Moreover, gamers will be able to track their EA SPORTS Fantasy Football teams and leagues through the EA SPORTS Fantasy Football Live Score Tracker application, which is also available via download from Xbox LIVE or PLAYSTATION 3 Network. The fantasy scores can be viewed in two ways: full screen mode with complete rosters and details or picture-in-picture mode which allows gamers to keep an eye on scoring updates while watching live football action.

If you’ve ever wanted to test your fantasy team against others in the Madden NFL franchise, EA SPORTS Fantasy Football now gives you the opportunity. Through the website, players designate which fantasy team will be imported into Madden NFL 09. This fantasy team is a fully-functional created team and can be played in all areas available to created teams, including online head-to-head games, providing the ultimate football gaming experience.

EA SPORTS Fantasy Football is an officially licensed product of NFL PLAYERS, the licensing and marketing subsidiary of the NFL Players Association.

EA SPORTS Fantasy Football is developed in Orlando, Florida by the award-winning EA Tiburon studio, which also produces Madden NFL 09, NCAA® Football, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® and NASCAR® racing.

EA SPORTS™ is the leading interactive sports software brand in the world, with top-selling titles and franchises including Madden NFL football, FIFA Soccer, NHL®, NBA LIVE, NCAA® Football, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® and NASCAR® racing.

EA Sports head Peter Moore is not a man to mince words. That's why we loved him so when he was at Microsoft, he cuts through the BS and gets straight to the point.

In a recent post on his blog over at It's In The Game, Moore talked up his new studio alluding that EA Sports is primed to have one of the best years in its history. In particular Moore sings the praises of NASCAR, NBA LIVE, Madden and NCAA Football. He's so sure that this season is going to be unrivaled, in fact, that he's promising to get a new tattoo if they don't deliver.

Big talk Moore, but lets put a little reality into this pie-in-the-sky promise. Why not say that if you don't have an overall Metacritic increase (yes I hate review scores) on all four of those games you've failed to deliver and it's time to ink up? We've even found this swell logo for your possible future use. Let us know.

Not Resting on our Laurels [Peter Moore's Official Blog]

We’re never satisfied. There’s always more we can do. It’s what we love about our business. I hate to sound like a cheerleader, but the facts are the facts. And I don’t expect them to change any time soon. We’re hitting this season in terms of quality and innovation stronger than we ever have at EA SPORTS. If I’m wrong, you’ll see me sporting a new tattoo - maybe a competitor’s logo?

No, no more tattoos. Please, Peter. Elsewhere in his corporate locker room peptalk, Moore talks about the bright future FIFA and NHL have and hints at a new "groundbreaking feature" for NBA LIVE to be announced at E3.

Not Resting [Peter Moore Blog via videogaming247]

Gamers sue EA over football exclusivity [GameSpot]

When we go head-to-head with 'Brand X' we out-rate them significantly...We outsell them when we go head-to-head. It's sort of an unheralded achievement. This is a tough business.

On one hand, he's right! 2K's basketball and hockey games are normally top-shelf, and they've got baseball to themselves. But the "head-to-head" bit...yeah, it's dancing around that elephant in the room. 2K don't have an NFL game in the US. They don't have a football game in Europe/Asia. That's like saying my 92 Corolla can take on a Ferrari head-to-head, so long as we're...both sticking to the speed limit. And the speed limit's 30.

2K Sports unheralded against EA Sports, says Zelnick [GI.biz]

The graphics whore within wishes that Madden NFL 09 looked like this all the time (and that a holographic John Madden could be called upon for advice at any moment, should we need to know the barbeque time on sausages or find out if Ace hardware had something in stock). We think the "Madden IQ Test" revealed last month is a fantastic introduction for people who are terrible at virtual football, as I am, so that they can have a good measure of their skill level before playing. Maybe it's just so easy to place John in an AT-AT or Death Star transmission with that bluish interlaced look he's got. It's slimming!

Madden NFL 09 - IQ Test: Rushing Offense HD [GameTrailers]

The first 50 local gamers who sign up for the tournament will get a chance to play in front of a panel of "celebrity judges" on June 21 at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, before the day's soccer game, versus the Houston Dynamo, kick off.

The top two contestants will then get a chance to take the field at the half time of the Rapids game and try to melt each other's faces on the stadium's 52-foot RapidsVision screen. The audience will then select the winner, who will get some goodies from the Rapids and Comcast Cable.

Rapids to Host 'Guitar Hero' Tournament at Next Home Game [Colorado Rapids, thanks Warg]

Luckily for the viewing public, the Olympics have come a long way since their revival in the late 1800's. Now they recognize both non-Greek speaking males and females as humans, they've added a fair bit of clothing, which tends to put the focus back on the actual sports...themselves expanded far beyond the initial foot-racing and wrestling of the original.

Over the past several decades, however, we've seen the emergence of an entirely new type of gaming - video gaming - and while it may not be an official event, the pastime we all know and love is alive and well at the Olympic games.

Let me introduce you to just a few of the gamers that will be representing the United States at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing...if we can pry them away from their consoles long enough.

Kevin Tan
Hometown: Fremont, CA
Birthdate: September 24th, 1981
Event: Gymnastics (Lord Of The Still Rings)
Favorite Games: Halo 3, Rainbow Six Vegas 2, Super Mario Galaxy, Guitar Hero Kevin Tan, who acts as the assistant Gymnastics coach at Penn State when he isn't busy dominating the still rings, started gaming around the same time his interest in gymnastics began, between the ages of 6 and 7. Sure, he was playing his older brother's NES - but as you know, it was no small feat keeping a child in the late '80s away from Super Mario Bros. on a Nintendo.

The Competitive Spirit Works In Mysterious Ways

When I first started working on this story I fully expected to talk to athletes who had discovered video gaming late in their careers as a way to let off steam between intense training sessions and competitions. I expected stories of Olympians suddenly discovering the joy of pixellated pursuits after a particularly painful loss, or something to that effect. Honestly my only exposure to Olympic athletes before now had been seeing them on television and inspirational movies on cable, which always portray them as people with a singular driving purpose with no time for more frivolous pursuits. It turns out that what you see on television isn't always true. Who knew?

As it turns out, just about all of the Olympic athletes I profiled started playing video games around the same time they started showing interest in their more physical pursuits. Take Kevin Tan, a champion of the still rings and assistant gymnastics coach for Penn State, who got started gaming at the age of six, playing Super Mario Bros. on his brother's Nintendo Entertainment System. Or Diana Lopez, the taekwondo champion from a family of taekwondo champions, who inherited more than her fighting spirit from her older brothers.

"I remember watching my brothers always playing Tecmo Bowl, mid 80's. I really didn't know how to play, I just pressed buttons."

Oddly enough, this is the same technique I use while performing taekwondo.

When you really think about it, physical sports and video games compliment each other quite nicely. Once the body is spent from pushing it to the limit of human performance the fingers, eyes, and mind can carry on the fight in a more digital medium, and of course there's the extra added benefit of learning important map-reading skills.

Sean Townsend
Hometown: Temple, TX
Birthdate: January 20th, 1979
Event: Gymnastics (Vault and Parallel Bars)
Favorite Game: Call Of Duty 4: Modern WarfareSean Townsend began practicing gymnastics at the age of 9, picking up his video game habit a year later at the age of 10, presumably while hanging around (parallel) bars. Like so many youngsters, Super Mario Bros. drew him in, though he's since graduated to the harder stuff.

Fun Fact: His dad is named Frost Townsend. Frost has now jumped to the top of the list of aliases I will assume should I ever commit the perfect crime, beating out Steel Dagger, Death Thompson, and Pablo Menendez.

Escaping The Everyday

Like all video game players, Olympic athletes use their consoles and handhelds to escape the every day grind. The only real difference is that while our everyday grind might involve filling out TPS report cover sheets or...I dunno, writing video game news, their every day involves competing in sports at an international level.

Texas-born gymnast Sean Townsend finds time to let off a little steam in the evenings during breaks in his busy practice schedule by playing Call of Duty 4 (like about a million other people), finding that it not only helps him relax but also helps him feel comfortable when competing in exotic locations.

"It's good because you feel like you're at home and it keeps your mind off of gymnastics for a little bit."

Kevin Tan echoes Townsend's sentiments exactly.

If I didn't have games, I would be thinking about gymnastics all of the time. It is a good way to rest as well as socialize.

This of course makes me wonder if the opposite is true. Perhaps I should take up gymnastics so I'm not thinking about video games all of the time. I'll pause so anyone who has met me in person can finish laughing.

All done? Moving right along...

Diana Lopez
Home Town: Sugar Land, TX
Birthdate: January 7th, 1984
Event: Taekwondo
Favorite Game: The Simpsons Game Diana comes from a family of Taekwondo champions, her three older brothers Jean, Mark, and Steven already having filled the family mantle with various gold and silver trinkets. In 1995 at the World Taekwondo Championships Diana, Steven, and Mark all took home World Championship titles. You really don't want to tick this family off.

Diana has fond memories of her brothers playing Tecmo Bowl in the late 80's, which eventually lead to her love of both Duck Hunt and Mike Tyson's Punch Out.

Fun Fact: The World Taekwondo Federation has the best abbreviation ever.

In The Game
There are no truly great gymnastics video games. This is the consensus from among the gymnasts when asked if they have ever found a game that was an accurate representation of their sport. This strikes me as odd. Whenever the Summer Olympics is on television, the first thing my family will tune to is the gymnastics portions. There's something about the combination of strength, dexterity, and simple grace that make the various gymnastic events almost hypnotic to watch. When the games were in Atlanta in 1996, tickets to these events were the hardest to come by.

So why is there no truly great gymnastics video game? Kevin Tan suggests that the sport is just too complicated to craft a good game out of it. If I were a major developer, I'd take that as a challenge. Anyone from EA or 2K Sports listening? I'd buy the hell out of a good gymnastics title.

Taekwondo master Diana of course had a much easier time finding games that reflected her particular passion.

I remember playing Street Fighter at an early age. I always picked Chung Lee.

Okay, so she might not be able to spell Chun Li, but she could more than likely kick her ass and make her change the spelling, so it balances out.

Video Games And Fitness In Perfect Harmony

When I was a young lad you could be a gamer, or you could be a jock. There really wasn't much crossover between the two. The football players played football and dated while those of us who disappointed the hell out of the coaching staff as 6'5" 14 year-olds by quitting practice because it conflicted with the original Transformers cartoon played video games.

If it weren't already obvious with the rise of sports games and new products like Wii Fit, those lines have become more blurred with each passing year, to the point where people who represent the pinnacle of physical perfection play the same games as the people who represent the pinnacle of Cheetos consumption. Gaming is for everyone now, and there is no reason a gamer can't be just as healthy and fit as anybody else. As Miss Lopez says, the key is moderation.

"Too much of anything is bad for you..such as food, gaming, or sleep. You have to do everything within a reasonable balance. "

And Townsend's response to anyone who who label gamers as lazy or out of shape?

"Come take a look at my six pack!"

“NBA 2K is where it’s AT! End of story,” said Garnett, who is currently playing in the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers. “It’s the game I play, the game my friends play, and the game anyone in the league serious about videogames plays. NBA 2K is the real deal, and until 2K Sports find a way to plant an elbow in your chest, it’s the closest thing to actually being there on the court. I can’t tell you how pumped I am to be on the cover of NBA 2K9 – it’s a real honor. Now watch out! Because this fall 2K Sports and I are going to deliver the best basketball video game out there, period.“

OKAY! I get it. If I play any basketball game besides NBA 2K9 I am a total pussy.

Man, he's got some powerful advertising mojo right there. That's some old-school sports game hype. Hit the jump for the full press release, which Garnett completely carries...much like the Celtics.

2K Sports Announces Superstar Kevin Garnett of the Boston Celtics as Cover Athlete for NBA® 2K9

The most popular and top-rated basketball game seven years in a row* gets even better this year

New York, NY – June 6, 2008 – 2K Sports, the sports publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), today announced that 11-time NBA All-Star and 2008 Defensive Player of the Year Kevin Garnett of the Boston Celtics will be featured as the cover athlete and spokesman for this year’s most highly anticipated basketball video game, NBA 2K9. After leading the Boston Celtics to the greatest single-season turnaround in NBA franchise history, Garnett will lend his unmatched passion and on-court intensity to provide dedicated fans with the most fun and riveting basketball simulation experience available.

“NBA 2K is where it’s AT! End of story,” said Garnett, who is currently playing in the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers. “It’s the game I play, the game my friends play, and the game anyone in the league serious about videogames plays. NBA 2K is the real deal, and until 2K Sports find a way to plant an elbow in your chest, it’s the closest thing to actually being there on the court. I can’t tell you how pumped I am to be on the cover of NBA 2K9 – it’s a real honor. Now watch out! Because this fall 2K Sports and I are going to deliver the best basketball video game out there, period.“

Garnett was drafted out of high school in 1995 from Farragut Academy (IL) and has redefined the forward position as one of the most talented and versatile players in NBA history. Known to fans by nicknames such as “The Kid”, “The Big Ticket”, or “KG”, Garnett is the only player in NBA history to average at least 20 points, ten rebounds, and five assists per game for six consecutive seasons. He has also been voted MVP (2003-04); named to 11 All-Star teams, nine All-NBA Teams and nine NBA All-Defensive Teams; and, this past season, named NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

“Kevin Garnett is one of the most popular and skilled players in the NBA today, and he represents everything we love about basketball. He’s a charismatic leader who is truly passionate about the game, and plays his heart out every time he steps on the court,” said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. “With KG’s ongoing support and invaluable input during the development process of NBA 2K9, dedicated 2K Sports fans will be treated to a host of exciting new gameplay features and upgrades this year for an even deeper and more realistic basketball experience than ever before.”

Developed by 2K Sports’ Visual Concepts studio, NBA 2K9 is not yet rated by the ESRB and will be available this fall for Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, and PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system. For more information, please visit www.2ksports.com.

NBA 2K9 taps KG for cover [GameSpot]

Evil Red Wings Owner Wario [The Onion]

The 30 second spot will air sometime after the start of the Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers 8:30 p.m. ET game on ABC.

There was a time when cover athletes for sports titles were a big deal, but they don't seem to get as much buzz as they used to. Maybe it's me, and I'm not a sports fan really, but do people who play sports video games really care who's on the cover of the title they're going to by? More importantly, if you buy sports games, has it ever effected your decision?

Either way, if you're into sports games you should probably hop over to the official 2K site and try to predict who the cover athlete will be. If you get it right you could win a copy of the game as well as the athlete's autographed NBA jersey.

Tune in Tomorrow for the Revealing of the Cover Athlete for 2K Sports’ NBA® 2K9 during the NBA Pre-Game Show at 8:30 pm ET on ABC

June 4, 2008 – Tomorrow, 2K Sports will reveal the cover athlete for the highly anticipated basketball video game, NBA 2K9, in a 30 second TV spot scheduled to air during the NBA Countdown pre-game show for Game One of the 2008 NBA Finals, Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers, June 5th at 8:30 pm ET on ABC.

As part of revealing the new cover athlete, 2K Sports has launched a new community web site, www.2ksports.com/nba2k9, where registered participants can predict the cover athlete for NBA 2K9 from a selection of 16 NBA players. Fans have until 11:59 p.m. ET tonight to make their predictions, and participants who select correctly will be entered into a special drawing for the opportunity to win exclusive prizes. One grand prize winner will receive the NBA 2K9 cover athlete’s authentic, autographed NBA jersey, along with a copy of NBA 2K9 on the platform of their choice. Ten other first prize winners will also receive a copy of NBA 2K9. All winners will receive their copy of NBA 2K9 upon release of the game.

NBA 2K9, which is being developed by Visual Concepts, is not yet rated by the ESRB and will be available this fall for Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, and PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system. For more information, please visit www.2ksports.com.

How The Wii Is Doing [GameShot.net Thanks, Torokun for the tip and translation!]

That feature and the "Backtrack" function—which illustrates how you blew a play with on field graphics and voiceovers—look like they're going to go a long way to help relapsed Madden players and noobs figure out the intricacies of the venerable football series. GameSpot's preview of Madden NFL 09 is far more enlightening, should you be interested in seeing what this year's entry has to offer.

Madden NFL 09 First Hands-On [GameSpot]

We think it's actually a neat little feature, if only for its strategic shutting down of big plays (and big flubs) and allowing for scores to be settled over and over again. Personally, I think EA should add it to the online mode. Oh, wait. There's Madden NFL 2010 to consider. Maybe next year!

Do Over! Madden Mondays Week 6: EA SPORTS REWIND [GameStop Blog]

EA Sports' Peter Moore [Gamesindustry.biz]