Rumor Control: Region-free PSP defects and EA dumps Madden - PC News at GameSpot

In yet another "strategic" move to raise their stock price, EA may release Madden 2006 without Madden to save on the licensing cost. Yes John's commentary can be monotonous, but he is the reason that Madden is a football sim and not NFL Blitz. It has been John Madden from the start who has demanded that a game bearing his name be authentic football and I think he has succeeded. Well, so far it is only a rumour but I wouldn't be surprised. I guess they over extended themselves with their NFL license purchase. *sigh*

Rumor Control: Region-free PSP defects and EA dumps Madden - PC News at GameSpot

Take-Two helps Microsoft get out of sports game - Xbox News at GameSpot

Take-Two helps Microsoft get out of sports game - Xbox News at GameSpot

Football options for Sega

I really like the first two of these ideas and I would buy either one sight unseen.

Sports: Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood

Technology Helps Singers Hit the Right Note

Just in case there was a tiny shred of belief that most pop stars can sing, read this article "Technology Helps Singers Hit the Right Note" and be free of doubt.

Now will they finally give back the Grammy to Milli Vanilli? Or at least to the dudes who actually sang the songs.

How times change

This article on advertisers paying for ads in video games takes me back to when EA had to pay to get trademarks into the games. Now with television viewership fracturing like so much broken china, the search is on for a captive market. And gamers fit the bill.

Halo 2 sales eclipse 5 million - Xbox News at GameSpot

Wowzers.
Halo 2 sales eclipse 5 million - Xbox News at GameSpot

DVD: Buck Rogers in the 25th Century: The Complete Series

The photo captions in this scathing review are hilarious.

DVD: Buck Rogers in the 25th Century: The Complete Series

Wait, theres more desperate, dirty deals in the works

Sports: Only Game in Town

Big Deal: EA and NFL ink exclusive licensing agreement - PlayStation 2 News at GameSpot

Wow, wow, wow. You dirty buggers. Instead of trying to make their games better to compete fairly, EA does an end-around and shuts out the competition. Obviously the triple pass rendering and other technological triumphs of NFL 2K5 are far beyond the capabilities of EA's coders. I guess that 23 percent drop in sales (brought on by Sega) was too much to bear.

They pulled the same stunt with Nascar. They secured the license and then released a horrible, horrible game. I expect that Madden 2006 will be worse than this year. 2K5 we hardly knew 'ye.
Big Deal: EA and NFL ink exclusive licensing agreement - PlayStation 2 News at GameSpot