Filed under: Sports

Score one for the old guys! A U.S. District Court jury in San Francisco has ruled in favor of a group of retired NFL players who filed a class-action lawsuit against the National Football League Players Association for the underhanded use of their likenesses in various Madden games. Basically, the guys were owed some dues, and the jury set the outstanding tab at $28 million ... or, split 2,062 ways, $13,000 per former player. Not surprisingly, the defense called the ruling "unjust as a matter of law" and will no doubt appeal the decision, despite some pretty scummy emails penned by NFLPA execs out on the evidence table; look no further than: "their identity must be altered so that it cannot be recognized" [NFLPA exec LaShun Lawson to Madden producer Jeremy Strauser].

A joyful and teary-eyed Herb Adderley told the L.A. Times, "If you look at the 1967 Green Bay Packers in [Madden], you'll know that the only left cornerback that year had to be Herb Adderley, but they scrambled my face and took the number off of my jersey. Yet, they had my correct height, weight and years of experience."

The Top Global Markets sales data from NPD, Chart-Track and Enterbrain (via GameDaily) reveals that Madden NFL 09 blitzed the global charts to become the best selling game in the third quarter of '08 (that's July to September). Trailing Madden were Wii Fit and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. Also, showing that the franchise still has some Pikachu-charged power behind it, Pokémon Platinum battled in fourth place with 1.4 million units sold, despite being only available in Japan. Mario Kart Wii rounded out the top five.

Certainly the most interesting question about the sales figures is: Where would Wii Fit be if it was actually meeting demand? Madden's sales were (obviously) US heavy, while Wii Fit had a regional sales spread based on Wii's install base. Find the full sales figures after the break.

For players who wrestle with the virtual greens, Electronic Arts has announced a way to better your game while on the go. The newly launched mobile version of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 includes a feature called Console Boost, which (as you might have guessed from the all-too-descriptive title) gives Xbox 360 and PS3 players a stat hike in EA's annual trip to the links.

Explains EA Mobile exec Adam Sussman, Console Boost "enables players to improve the skill level of their console character" by storing their mobile triumphs to their online EA account. Depending on the skill level completed in the mobile version, players will see their home version's stats likewise improved, hopefully ensuring a little more time on the fairway and a little less time fishing balls out of water hazards.

Tucked away in a newly released Nintendo software schedule PDF is the first confirmation that the "Play on Wii" series of GameCube Wiimakes is US-bound. Re-tooled versions of Pikmin and Mario Power Tennis are listed among other titles due in North America during 2009, although no specific dates accompany them.

'Play on Wii' Pikmin hits Japan on Dec. 5 for ¥3800 ($38). If Nintendo can bring it and other GCN ports Stateside for $29.99, will you bite?

[Siliconera via Nintendo Wii Fanboy]

Those looking to roll down the streets of San Vanelona and perform some flips, ollies and [error: skateboarding lexicon gap] via nontraditional controllers should be pleased to note the release date of EA's Skate It for Wii and DS. Both versions are slated to arrive on November 19th in North America and November 20th in Europe.

Skate It, which offers optional Balance Board control on the Wii, allows players to "make skate spots their own by moving objects like ramps, rails, and benches to fit their individual skating styles" and partake in several multiplayer challenges, including Best Trick and Best Line. There's also the ominous-sounding chance of "getting worked in Hall of Meat." Pennywise, are you in this after all?

Pacman Jones on the cover of Madden NFL 2010? It could happen ... if "Adam" makes it rain on United Way. EA Sports head coach Peter Moore has been pitching the idea of a cover athlete auction to the Madden marketing team, reports Bloomberg.com. The decision won't be made "anytime soon," according to Moore, but the proposal suggests offering up the Madden curse, er, cover to the highest bidding NFL player. All proceeds would go to United Way, the NFL's charity partner. "Our research tells us we don't see a huge up-tick or down-tick depending on who's on the cover -- they're buying Madden," says Moore.

Update: Oops! We were going for Pacman during his TNA Wrestling debut and wound up with his tag team partner, Ron "the Truth" Killings, instead (above). Thanks for pointing this out, folks -- needless to say, we don't watch much TNA nor have we ever seen Pacman with his helmet off. (And yes, we place full blame on Google Images.) Rest assured, we've rectified this careless error after the break!)

[Thanks, John]

Electronic Arts and Midway have shelved their competing arcade-style basketball franchises, as ESPN reports that both NBA Street and NBA Ballers have been benched.

Regarding NBA Street, EA Sports boss Peter Moore explains to ESPN that the division is reevaluating its mixture of licensed and original IP, adding that "we need to develop some new things." But don't go expecting anything particularly edgy to come out of this moment of clarity. "If Wii Sports has taught us anything," adds Moore, "it's that people will sit there and play big head tennis all day long. We need to be able to tap into that audience."

As for Midway, the company likely counts Ballers among the underperforming projects Interim CEO Matt Booty recently vowed to keep at arm's length. According to ESPN, the financially strapped publisher is currently digging under cushions in the office couch in order to "buy its way out of the licensing deal" it has with the NBA.

[Thanks, Sean]

Turns out there are greater hurdles to face than having to stare down a charging Yao Ming -- like manifesting a CD key out of thin air. That's just the challenge faced by those who purchased NBA 2K9 for PC. According to a thread at the 2K forums, many who purchased the title and were prompted for an authentication code were out of luck, as none appeared anywhere in or on the packaging.

In a statement to Shacknews, Valve said that Steam will fix the issue and allow installation without the need for the key, provided the CD is in the drive.

Deca Sports, Wii Sports, Carnival Games and all the other minigame collections on Wii had better watch their backs ... or at least join together, forming some kind of bargain bin Voltron to do battle against Big League Sports. Activision is bringing the new minigame collection to the Wii "this holiday season."

The collection will include 22 of the most "thrilling situations" from tennis, basketball, football, soccer, lacrosse, and hockey. Also, there's character creation so (as we're sure they expected by now) it seems your Miis will miss out on the fun.

Some interesting statistics about Electronic Arts' recently launched FIFA09 in the U.K. (via Chart Track):

• It is currently beating the sales rate of FIFA08 -- itself a bestselling UK game last year -- by 37.5%.
• It debuted at the top of the PlayStation 2, PS3, PSP and Xbox 360 charts.
• Of those sales, 42% were on Xbox 360, making it the 3rd fastest selling game on Microsoft's format (behind GTA IV and Halo 3), while 40% were on PS3 where it is the 2nd fastest selling game (behind GTA IV). 11% go to PS2, 3% to PSP and the rest for PC, Wii and DS.

Just goes to show you that no matter the culture or continent, EA owns football. See the full top 10 list of All Formats software sales after the break.

Game companies must find old IP profitable, with yet another retro remake on the way in Tecmo Bowl Kickoff. This DS diversion plunges into the nostalgia glands within our hypothalamus; we fondly associate the NES original with grade-school sleep-overs. Maybe there's a direct connection between our memories and Visa card after all.

And on that level, Tecmo Bowl wins. It's hokey, clunky, and fun. We think gamers who missed the NES or SNES versions won't enjoy it nearly as much as their John Maddens. But the Tecmo Bowl simplicity can even be elegant. You're limited to just a few runs and passes. There's no play clock. Team names and players are fictitious. Cut-scene interludes show the biggest graphical effects, with on-field play just clear enough to make out what's happening.

It's October and many of you are still reeling from late-season collapses (hey Mets!) or more recent ones (was it the curse?). But a few of us have waited fifteen years to feel this high heading into the league championship series (and happily distracted from the Eagles' sinking record), and what better way to align our collective karma than to play a game of stickball? No, no, not actual stickball (by all means, stay seated), but 2K Sports new Xbox Live Arcade game-cum-reliable-prediction-simulator MLB Stickball (800 / $10), featuring 120 players from all 30 teams.

So head out to the back-alley ballpark, Dodgers vs. Phillies, and see to it the right team wins. Seriously people: Don't. Jinx. Anything!

Update: Two additional games coming this Wednesday!

EA Sports announced today that Madden NFL 09 Pink will be sold at Target, with a portion of the proceeds from the sale going to the Deanna Favre HOPE Foundation. The box will be available during the month of October (National Breast Cancer Awareness Month) and can also be purchased at Target.com and NFLShop.com.

We called EA Sports to find out how this "new" art still has Favre in his Packers uniform. Turns out the pink ribbon design is actually part of a clear overlay inside the cover. Meaning, consumers can completely remove it if they want, or place the Favre Jets cover in behind it. Behold, the freedom of choice.

At a press conference in Japan, Nintendo announced that a new Punch-Out!! game will be coming to the Wii. No other related news is currently available, but we're guessing it'll share some similarities with the boxing stage from Wii Fit.

Update: Check out videos right here, where Punch-Out!! is shown as a 2009 release.

We're been excited for Pure since E3, when we first got our hands on the ATV racer. Built by Blackrock Studios (formerly known as Climax Racing) Pure is gorgeous, with a Burnout-esque structure and a "why has no one thought of this" boosting risk/reward system that's just brilliant. Here's what the rest of the internet thought:

• GameDaily (90/100): "When it comes right down to it, though, Pure has some of the best racing action we've seen all year. The throttling gameplay, gorgeous presentation and sweet multiplayer options make it a ride you cannot miss."
• IGN (86/100): "Pure delivers an outrageous, arcadey off-road racing experience with style and slickness. The controls are intuitive, the tracks are pure eye candy and the tricks are so crazy and over-the-top that you'll find yourself gasping with glee when you land your first Lazy Girl."
• 1UP (83/100): "Thrilling on the ground, downright heart-stopping in the air, and beautiful throughout, Pure's a blast from start to finish. A career mode would've gone further than the game's 'World Tour' in fully eliminating repetitiveness, but Black Rock has otherwise built a real winner here."
• Gameplanet (85/100): "This is a great example of what can be achieved if fun is the primary aim. Massive tricks, amazing scenery, hugely modifiable bikes - what more do you want?"