While your humming your favourite Tom Jones song from the FIFA 09 soundtrack you can take a look at these new 360/PS3 screenshots in all of their glory. I love what EA has done with the crowd in particular, creating a huge sense of scale in an impressive stadium. The game will be hitting stores on all consoles and PC October 14th.

Being able to upload someones face on a character in Rainbow Six: Vegas was disturbingly satisfying. In this video we take a look at EA Canada's similar facial recognition feature, Photo Game Face. Watch how Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt (MTV's The Hills) kick the living crap out of each other. The game will be out for Xbox 360 and PS3 September 5th.

It's always nice to see a game take the soccer formula and put a twist on it. Mario Strikers does this very well and we seem to have a new contender in the mix. In this first trailer for Kickster Online Street Soccer we get a brief glimpse of some of the character creation and gameplay you can expect from the game. The best part is that there will be no retail version of the game. That's right, the game will be free-to-play. Expect it in the near future for PC.

Ah, the game of golf. Some consider the sport to be nothing more than badly dressed men walking through the park with sticks, but for hundreds of thousands of gamers it's actually about controlling badly dressed men walking through the park with sticks. I've actually always been attracted to the sport, but my particular build doesn't lend itself well to putting my hands together in front of my body and then moving them with any sort of grace, so video games are all I have. For years now EA's Tiger Woods series has been the go-to franchise for realistic golf, and now that the 2009 version of the game is upon us it's time for the critics to chime in on Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09. Is it a hole in one, or does it get lost in the deep rough? Softly whispered verdicts after the jump.

Time for a new NHL 09 video! Whether it's NHL 09 or NHL 2K9 we hockey fans just can't get enough. In this new video we get a look at the new "Be A Pro Mode" and the 4 different player types that you can be in the game.

I'm speechless, really, I don't even know what to say. With what might be one of the greatest and most controversial EA Sports viral marketing videos ever, it is indeed true that Tiger Woods can walk on water. About a year ago a YouTube poster uploaded a video of a glitch in Tiger Woods 08. He was able to get Tiger to stand on top of a lake and drive the ball into the hole. In response, EA just came out with this viral video to show that what the poster had claimed, is indeed true in real life.

NBA 2K9 is still looking pretty fresh. In this latest trailer we see some slow motion basketball goodness. The game hits shelves on October 7th.

It's from the Leipzig showroom floor, so don't expect fancy camera angles. Plus, it's two Average Joes playing it, so don't expect to see any kind of fancy goalmouth action. In fact, if you were hoping to see the game's "radical aesthetic upgrade" don't expect to see much of anything at all, because if it weren't for the new font on the bottom of the screen we'd have had a hard time telling you this wasn't Pro Evo 2008. Or Pro Evo 6, even.

EA Sports' Fifa Soccer 09 will get an optional realism boost in the form of weekly stat updates to reflect player's real world performance.

The Adidas Live Season add-on will use a network of real-world fact finders and stat-grinders to compile performance reports on all the players in Britain's Barclay's Premier League, Spain's La Liga BBVA, France's Ligue 1, the German Bundesliga, Italy's Serie A and the Mexican Primera Division.

Phew. That's a lot of stats. EA's Andrew Wilson claims that

"The game will feel and play differently each week. With Adidas Live Season if Ronaldinho has a great match on the weekend you'll feel the difference when you pick up the controller as his in-game attributes increase."

Contrariwise, it might be a bit galling to be playing your favourite team only to find that real-world injuries rob you of your virtual dreams as well. So much for escapism.

Take a look at the full details after the jump.

The 20th edition of gaming's signature sports simulation sells us a big-tent philosophy -- dueling difficulty settings that will level the playing field between lifelong players of Madden football and more casual gamers who just want in on the fun without reading a playbook the size of an encyclopedia. As a business strategy, a more inclusive Madden makes a ton of sense. But that innovation underachieves in single-player mode and, online, it's not much use to advanced players and it seems more to drag out competitions between the equally bad ones.

That's not to say Madden NFL 09 is a failure or a warmed-over roster update. It is by any objective measure the best version of the game since Madden '05, which was the game's apotheosis on 2nd-generation consoles. Madden 09's outstanding presentation will please lifelong adherents, and its remarkably accurate replay analysis will educate newcomers and encourage those returning to the series. Foundationally, this version begins the title's next generation. But in gameplay, it takes safe but incremental steps toward the classic, impossible goal of a sports title: Creating realistic competition that is challenging yet winnable. If you are not an experienced player, Madden '09 skews toward winnable, but it doesn't leave you feeling like you played your best.

Peter Moore announced that EA Sports would be adding tennis to its line-up of games in 2009, with rights for the Wimbledon tennis tournament exclusively going to EA. Although Moore didn't provide a name for the EA created tennis game — unless it's simply EA Sports Tennis — he did say that development on the EA Sports addition would be leading on the Wii, with the game supporting the Wii MotionPlus peripheral.

EA Reps also namedropped professionals like Chris Everett, Pete Sampras and Boris Becker, hinting but not confirming that Grand Slammers throughout the years would be featured.

Here we are, the first trailer for the latest version of EA's footballing juggernaut, FIFA 09. Hope it's not based off the in-game models and engine, because if the ball moves around in the air like that while you're playing, you'll get a better game of football playing NHL 09.

We gave you an early look at Skate 2 a few weeks ago, now we look at the controls for Skate It. I am really excited to see how the Wii remote works as a skateboard. It sounds like they are going the same route SSX Blur took on the Wii. Expect it this holiday on Wii and Nintendo DS.

Since we gave NBA 2K9 some video coverage, we felt it was about time we gave NBA Live 09 a shot. In this video Gameplay Producer Jeff Antwi shows us how the new Signature Play Calling mechanics will work in the game. Actually, this is a pretty nifty addition to the franchise. We will see when the game comes out in October.

Ah, and by that I mean association football, not "throwball" as soccer enthusiasts call American football. Seems that one of the coverboys for FIFA 09, Maurice Edu (at right in the cover shot) of Major League Soccer's Toronto FC, is close to signing with Glasgow Rangers of the Scottish Premier League. That would make two football cover boys changing shirts in as many months for Electronic Arts.

Players changing teams in the European domestic leagues is common, and Edu is nowhere near as iconic a player for TFC as Favre was for the Packers. But if Edu does end up with Rangers, will EA update their cover art with a downloadable/printable replacement? Will we see guerrilla shoops a week after he changes teams? It's one thing to second-class the sport over in the U.S. How would it be taken in Europe? Or since it involves an MLS player, would anyone even care ...

Another Cover Change for EA? [XeNonX, thanks Ben]

(Ulterior motive: A football post allows me to boast about San Jose dismantling Revolution 4-nil last night. We are absolutely the best last place team in anything on the face of the earth right now.)

I was bitterly disappointed with Pro Evo 2008. Like Konami had dropped off a basket full of soccer-ball-shaped lemons, and I'd eaten every last one. And I wasn't the only one; the game sold well enough, but there was a general feeling that Konami hadn't taken advantage of the next generation of hardware like they could/should have. Heck, they even made some parts of the game worse, crippling the team edit suite. So they've got a lot to prove with the upcoming Pro Evo 2009! Let's see if they're doing enough, by taking a look at the new/improved features this year.

Winter is almost around the corner everyone and that means tons of skiing and snowboarding for us Colorado residents. Fear not though, if you feel like hitting the slopes, then Shaun White is coming to the rescue. In this new trailer we get to see some of the awesome mountain landscapes that we'll be able to grind fresh powder in.

Let's face it, Basketball games have come a long way since NBA Jam. Speaking of which NBA 2K9 is shaping up pretty nicely. In this quick teaser we get a look at what we can expect in terms of visuals. The game will hit store shelves on October 7th for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 2.

Nike? Ha! Adidas? Whatever! EA's Peter Moore is rarin' to turn his company into a sporting brand that eclipses all. Says Moore:

EA has had an extremely successful sports brand for years, but we're evolving with new experiences targeting new consumers in our space... There's a hunger that fuels our teams to challenge to be the leading sports brand in the world... We need to knock down the barriers to those who find the learning curve of our games too steep, and find new areas in sports - and health and wellness — that our brand can truly make a difference.

Well, there ya go, Peter Moore lays out his plans for EA to conquer.

EA sets sights on becoming leading sports brand [MCVUK]

Sam's Club? You don't need Sam's Club to print your Madden covers off. Or EA, for that matter, because we know you're lazy, and have trouble navigating the homepages of monolithic publishers. So we're giving you the option of getting them right here, with these watermark-free, printable copies of the new Packers-less, Jets-orientated box art. There's one for each version - 360, PS3, PSP and PS2 - and they should be big enough that, when printed, they'll look indistinguishable from the copies of Madden 08, Madden 07 and Madden 06 next to it on the shelf. Oh, except Wii owners, there's no cover for you. Don't take it as a sign EA don't think you care, take it as a sign EA know you don't care.

"Brett" is easy to spell. B-r-e-t-t. "Favre", not so easily. But to review: F-a-v-r-e-. Not "Farve". If you're a football fan, you should know that. And if you're EA, you damn well should know that — especially because he's the coverboy! Reader Devon points out that Brett Favre's name is mispelled in the collector's edition menu in Madden 09. That's a pic of it right up there. Well, at least EA didn't put "Brett Favour".

Thanks, Devon for the tip!

And you thought I had forgotten. That's right ladies and gents - today is August 12th - and that means a new Madden 09 launch trailer. I hope you grabbed the chips and salsa because in this trailer we get a look at some of the gameplay you can expect if you head over to your local retailer and pick up a copy.

If you live in Colourado like me, you are likely a hockey fan. It's just a shame - and I am sure some of you can relate to this - that there aren't more hockey games out there. To fuel this missing void in our lives we turn to 2K Sports every year with the newest rendition of the NHL2K franchise. In this trailer, we see some of the gameplay from NHL 2K9. Visually, I am pretty impressed with how this is coming along. The game will be hitting store shelves September 8th.

Those of you planning to pick up your copy of Madden NFL 09 at your local Sam's Club may be in for a bit more value than the usual discounted prices. An official for the warehouse store dropped us a line this morning to let us know that Sam's Club locations with photo centres will print out a high-quality version of the updated packaging featuring Brett Favre in his dashing New York Jets uniform, which we revealed to you last night, right inside the store upon purchase of the game. Sure, you could head over to EA's Madden 09 site and download your own, but getting other people to do things for us is one of the principles that America was founded on.

We checked out Sam's prices for the games after receiving the news, and they do offer a nice little discount. The PS3 and Xbox 360 version are going for $US 55.55 ($US 83.22 for the collector's edition), with the PS2 and PSP versions marked at $US 36.33, the Wii version at $US 46.66, and the DS version a bargain at $US 26.66. All this plus a free cover replacement while you wait? None too shabby.

Update - Just got word from Walmart that they'll be printing covers on-site as well, though the games are regular price and you don't get a Walmart card with your picture on it - that's reserved for managers.

Late last night people crowded into stores and at least one Rose Bowl to snatch up a copy of Madden NFL 09. This marking the 20th anniversary of the game, Madden has been getting even more hype than usual this year round with mainstream press pointing to the game's successes as proof that video gaming has gone mainstream.

And of course, Electronic Arts is quick to point out that this Madden is a keeper.

When Madden 09 coverboy Brett Favre announced his retirement from retirement and was traded to the Jets in early August, EA was left in a pickle! See, because Madden 09 had Favre in a Packers uniform. But, as we posted earlier, football fans who desire 100 percent accuracy in their Madden box art will be able to download a Favre-in-Jets-uniform cover. See that right up there? That is your Jets Favre cover!

Thanks Rye for the tip!

No, not in THAT WAY. Pwn or Die (the Funny or Die network's venture into gaming) talked to everybody's favourite Cybergirl Gamer. She's insistent that Madden 09 widows/girlfriends will be able to play the game with their significant others and have just as much fun. In fact, Jo's gonna grab it, and she never thought she'd enjoy a sports title. But the training mode and the dual-difficulty levels for cooperative play sold her.

And for you pervs, there's nothing provocative in this, unless you count the glimpses of the covers of Playboy in the background. Oh yeah, you know you're looking. I call that the 7-Eleven Eyeball, the scanning "Where is that thing I need" look on your face while you check out the covers of the girlie magazines. Actually, I use that when I'm at the grocery store and looking at Glamour. And Cosmo. And Woman's World. Dude, the cake on last month's cover was unreal. Where was I anyway ...

Jo Garcia Talks Madden 09 [Pwn or Die]

The list of what was fixed is a doozy, but hopefully it puts an end to the shamefully embarrassing problems that plagued the release of NCAA Football 09 -- nearly a month after its release.

My favourite fix? "Ball carrier will no longer run out of bounds when changing hands and heading towards the sidelines". Also "WR screen routes improved". That's good, because your shithead coach in Campus Legend mode loves to call it on third-and-long. Xbox 360 Fanboy, among other sites, has the full list of what was fixed. This also means that roster files are working. I got mine last night via EA Locker.

Being a punter, Minnesota Vikings specialist Chris Kluwe has a lot of spare time on his hands. Sure, he could spend that time practising extra hard, or going over his playbook, but that's boring. Instead, Kluwe plays Guitar Hero. A lot of Guitar Hero. To the point where he "estimates that he is one of the top 100 Guitar Hero players in the world", a feat he backs up with claims of victory over the "Guinness World Record holder" in a versus match. And while some of his burlier teammates are prone to give him a little shit over his obsession, he gets nothing but praise from Vikings kicker Ryan Longwell. Kluwe is Longwell's holder, and the kicker says:

He works hard at it, that's for sure. He never lets a moment pass where he's not either thinking about it or working on it. I think it actually helps his holding (on field-goal and point-after attempts) because his hand-eye coordination's got to be phenomenal to do that on expert level.

Professional football player, expert GH player, million dollar smile...truly, a renaissance man.

Punt Rocker: Vikings punter Kluwe is a Guitar Hero [TwinCities, thanks Tom!]

Growing up in the mid-80's, I was such a big pro wrestling fan that I had everything, including my styrofoam Hacksaw Jim Duggan 2X4 and my Brett Hart sunglasses. I thought I was such a badass. I eventually grew out if it, but like most, came back during the renaissance in the late 90's. I was totally nWo 4 life brotha'. But I once more lost interest and haven't watched wrestling seriously in about 10 years, so I had no idea what TNA was when I went to check out TNA iMPACT! today.

I've played most of the wrestling games from the Playstation/N64 era, so I think I can tell the good wrestling games from the bad ones. Like with the rest of the Midway games from today, I didn't have a lot of time and go over every feature, so consider this some sort of lightning preview.

For me, what makes or breaks a wrestling game is the grapple system. It was great in the Nintendo 64 games, but not so much in, say, WCW/nWo Thunder for PSone (remember that game?). But luckily, the developers for TNA iMPACT! patterned their game after WWF No Mercy for N64, which is often considered one of the best wrestling game ever made, so that's good to hear.