Thanks to Anthony for putting this together:

Games Round-Up

Well hello everyone, Anthony here for this week's round up on Super Bowl Sunday. Go commercials!

TOPIC OF THE WEEK
What version of Madden is your favorite?

THE WEEK IN GAMING

MICROSOFT NEWS

-According to earnings reports, the Xbox 360 is now the top-selling console in the world. Over 8.2 million units were sold in the last quarter, beating out Sony's 6.5 million and Nintendo's 5.6 million. However, Nintendo still holds the title for lifetime sales with the Wii, with 95 million sold compared to the 66 million Xbox 360's sold.

-Speaking of consoles, don't hold your breath for an announcement of a new Xbox this year. Microsoft announced Monday that there's still life in the system and will not make any announcements about a new console at this year's E3. There's always next year....

-You wish you could use the Kinect on your PC? Well, now you can! Microsoft released Kinect for Windows this past week, with the aim of it being used in various industries such as healthcare and manufacturing. The unit is available for $250.

SONY NEWS

-The Last Of Us, the upcoming Sony exclusive from Naughty Dog, will grace the cover of the upcoming issue of Game Informer. With the announcement comes a few screenshots of the title, which can be seen in the link. The issue should arrive this week for subscribers.

-Longtime SCEA president Kaz Hirai got a big promotion this week. Hirai will be replacing Howard Stringer as the president and CEO of Sony Corp., with Stringer taking up the spot as chairman of the company's board of directors. Congrats Hirai!

-With that bit of good news, comes some bad news for Sony. The company has announced that they are planning to take a 2.9 billion dollar loss for the year. Fingers have been pointed towards the company's TV, camera, and PC divisions, which the products have not been doing so well lately sale-wise.

-If you're planning on getting a Vita and you don't want to spend a lot of money, it looks like downloading titles is much cheaper then buying a physical copy.

PC NEWS

-Good news for you modders out there, as the Skyrim Creation Kit will be available on Steam this Tuesday. The mod tools will be free of charge and will feature "a surprise"

GENERAL GAME NEWS

-Since it's Super Bowl Sunday, it's fitting to mention that the voting for the Madden NFL 13 cover star will begin on March 7th. This year, there will 64 candidates vying for a spot on the cover, with 2 candidates from each of the 32 NFL teams. The winner will get his mug on the cover and become yet another part of the Madden Curse.

-Speaking of Madden, the annual Super Bowl simulation declared that the Giants will take home the victory. The yearly tradition has had a solid track record of successfully predicting the winners, with six out of eight Super Bowls being correct. The only time it's been wrong was, funny enough, when the Giants dashed the Patriots perfect season in 2008, when the simulation declared the Patriots would be the victor.

-In some shocking news, EA has announced that the upcoming remake of Syndicate will NOT have an online pass.

-Do you love The Evil Dead? Do you love girls running around and killing zombies with a giant chainsaw? Well you're in luck, as the Gamestop preorder for the upcoming Lollipop Chainsaw will feature two exclusive outfits, one of which is that of Ash from the Evil Dead series. The other outfit will be that of Jimmy Urine from Mindless Self Indulgence and is exclusive to PowerUp Rewards members.

-Ever wonder to whom will be voicing characters in the upcoming Mass Effect 3? Well, the mystery is now over.

Well that's it for this week, I'm off to go stuff my face and laugh at funny commercials. See you all next week!

This week's round-up had been brought to you by Joystiq and Destructoid.
Contributor: anthonydarko

Nice round up, and I recommend the PS Vita to anyone that loves games. It's the best handheld ever

My favorite version of Madden is the one where they lose the NFL rights and 2K is allowed to sell a superior game again.

Originally Posted by deezee

Nice round up, and I recommend the PS Vita to anyone that loves games. It's the best handheld ever

Just got around to pre-ordering this week, can't wait! Got the first edition bundle with Uncharted pre-ordered as well, still unsure what other launch titles I'm going to pick up.

I can't wait for the Portstation vita.

Originally Posted by deezee

Nice round up, and I recommend the PS Vita to anyone that loves games. It's the best handheld ever

I want a PS Vita but after how many versions of the PSP they had I'm very hesitant to get one right of the bat. Is it that good though? It looks impressive.

Originally Posted by Raarzipan

I want a PS Vita but after how many versions of the PSP they had I'm very hesitant to get one right of the bat. Is it that good though? It looks impressive.

Yeah, I've had mine since the Japanese launch and I love it:

http://geekrevolt.com/2012/01/28/pro...-a-few-tweaks/

Not in the round up, but I'm so stoked for Tuesday. Kingdoms of Amalur! The Jak and Daxter Collection and Resident Evil Revelations...it's gonna be a hard week for my wallet.

Originally Posted by blimpcityhero11

My favorite version of Madden is the one where they lose the NFL rights and 2K is allowed to sell a superior game again.

exactly. If only

Originally Posted by blimpcityhero11

My favorite version of Madden is the one where they lose the NFL rights and 2K is allowed to sell a superior game again.

I would love to see this happen, that series has been on a serious decline for sometime. Having competition would do EA a lot of good, as it would motivate them to get off their ass and make a better product.

Originally Posted by anthonydarko

I would love to see this happen, that series has been on a serious decline for sometime. Having competition would do EA a lot of good, as it would motivate them to get off their ass and make a better product.

EA only has it through next season, so they really have to put forth a good effort with the next title.

Originally Posted by blimpcityhero11

EA only has it through next season, so they really have to put forth a good effort with the next title.

Knowing EA, they'd probably just throw a shit ton of money at the NFL to regain the license and try to weasel their way out of actually having to put effort into developing a decent game.

Originally Posted by blimpcityhero11

EA only has it through next season, so they really have to put forth a good effort with the next title.

I'm looking for a physics based tackling engine. Like backbreaker only a little more realistic

I just want a game that actually plays well and doesn't rely on the name and being the only official NFL game.