Hasta La Gadget!

Every year, the Madden NFL video game conducts a simulation between the two teams fighting for the Super Bowl crown. This year it’s the Baltimore Ravens matched up against the San Francisco 49ers. In the game’s simulated matchup, the Baltimore Ravens won 27-24. And if you think it’s merely just a simulation and a prediction, take note that this annual Madden simulation has correctly predicted the Super Bowl winner seven out of the last nine Super Bowls.

The two incorrect predictions came in 2008 when the New York Giants defeated the heavily-favored New England Patriots, and in 2011 when the favored Pittsburgh Steelers lost to the Green Bay Packers. According to this year’s simulation, Super Bowl XLVII will come down to a last-minute attempt by the 49ers to win the game, but they fall short, giving the Ravens the win, thanks to an interception made by safety Ed Reed.

Throughout the game, though, it was a back and forth battle between the two teams until the Ravens were up by 24-10 at the end of the third quarter. The fourth quarter saw the 49ers gain some ground and get to within four points of Baltimore, but it wasn’t enough, and the valiant effort from the 49ers offense were no match to the Ravens defense.

The simulation took place by developer EA Tiburon, and they conducted on an Xbox 360 using the most up-to-date rosters, and full 15-minute quarters. Both teams were computer-controlled, and artificial intelligence and penalty sliders were not adjusted, but injuries were enabled in order to make the simulation as realistic as possible.

Madden NFL 13 predicts Baltimore Ravens as Super Bowl XLVII champions is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

While we can’t speak for everyone, SimCity‘s urban construction triggers fond memories for more than one of us — mostly the small thrills of building our first arcologies or getting statues in our honor. A chance to feed our nostalgia (and megalomania) is coming quickly with the advent of EA’s beta for the SimCity reboot. Windows users who register before January 20th will get one hour’s worth of game time to use between January 25th and 28th, along with an opportunity to provide feedback on bugs and play balancing. It’s an almost cruel tease when we know we’ll have to wait until the final version’s March 5th launch to play more, or to play on a Mac, but we’ll take the beta offer when many of us haven’t seen a ‘pure’ SimCity game for a decade.

[Thanks, David]

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Via: EA (Facebook)

Source: SimCity

Today at CES, Monster announced a partnership with EA Sports and revealed the MVP Carbon headset. We ended up getting our hands on the new product at Monster’s booth at Pepcom, and got a close up look of the new design. The headset features 5.1 channel surround sound processing that Monster refers to as HDHS, or “High Definition Headphone Surround.”

The gaming headset is compatible with PC, Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, and the Wii U. Monster says the MVP Carbon represent the company’s introduction into gaming accessories, so we’ll no doubt see them move further and further into that realm. Aside from the HDHS, the new headset contain powerful 30mm drivers.

There’s an integrated microphone that’s also detachable via 3.5mm headphone jack, and can be used for voice chat naturally. Much like offerings from Turtle Beach and Astro, the Monster headset also includes a standalone headphone amplifier, which the company is calling the Gamebox. As you can see from the photos, the headset is plastered with the EA Sports logo on either side.

And as the name suggests, the headset is lined with a carbon fiber vinyl around the outside of the headset, and the ear cushions are surprisingly soft, suggesting that hardcore gamers won’t have a problem with them during marathons. The MVP Carbon headset is slated to be available in both black and white starting in February 2013 for a steep $269.

Monster MVP Carbon headset hands-on is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

If you’ve been dying to get your hands on the latest Dead Space installment, you’ll be treated to a little bit of play time with the game earlier than the release date. A demo for Dead Space 3 is set to arrive on January 22 and will be available for downloading on the Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Network.

The full game is still set for an official release on February 5 (February 8 in Europe), and will be available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. There was no mention of a PC demo — only Xbox 360 and the PS3 were mentioned, so PC gamers are sadly out of luck and will have to wait until February to experience Dead Space 3‘s gameplay.

If you’re an Xbox 360 owner, you can actually sign up for a week of early access. If you’re interested, you can head to the game’s website and register your Origin ID to receive a code that will allow you to download the demo starting on January 15. However, EA says that quantities of the code are limited, so sign up now if you want to get early access.

According to EA, Dead Space 3 will take the franchise’s “core elements of suspense, horror, action and sound and introduces them to all-new elements.” The game will feature co-op gameplay, which will allows players to work together to tackle “the most ambitious Dead Space experience yet.”

Dead Space 3 demo arriving on January 22 is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The NHL lockout has forced most hockey writers to cover boardroom negotiations and players’ prospects overseas instead of actual games, but Pat Hickey of The Montreal Gazette has found something a little different to write about. As noted by Bloomberg Businessweek, Hickey has been covering a virtual season for the Montreal Canadiens just as he would the real one, with EA’s NHL 13 providing simulated games in the absence of any actual action on the ice. Coincidentally, the Habs are currently tied for first in the league. As Hickey tells Bloomberg, covering a virtual season comes with some benefits — the games only take about an hour each and he’s able to make up quotes — and it’s also proven to be surprisingly popular. Last week, one of his write-ups was reportedly the most-read sports story on the paper’s website. You can catch up with the season to date, and for at least a few weeks to come, at the source link.

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Via: Toronto Standard

Source: Bloomberg Businessweek, Montreal Gazette