Meaningful -- as in it'll mean Sony would finally bow to ubiquitous suggestions, predictions and occasional threats that see the PlayStation 3 being lowered in price please please oh please. Sterne Agee analyst Arvind Bhatia is the latest to join the frugal chorus, telling Industry Gamers, "We continue to believe a $100 price cut on PS3 will occur around the launch of EA's Madden NFL 2010, which is scheduled for release on 8/18."

Agee claims to have encountered similar sentiment at a recent GameStop executive meeting, overhearing talk of a "highly likely" and "meaningful" near-term price drop even over the clinking of diamond-encrusted chalices and relentless pre-order thrusting.

It's Sony's decision, ultimately, but if it's alright with you, we'd rather just get this price drop over with. A lower price means more people get in on the fun ... especially when they also get to stop reading these things.

Pre-order either the PS3 or Xbox 360 version of Madden 10 and you'll get a sneak peak at the upcoming football game. GameStop is issuing an "exclusive" 20-minute demo that lets you relive the Super Bowl yet again with the Cardinals and the Steelers, while, according to Kotaku, everyone else will be able to download a shorter 8-minute demo between the Giants and the Cowboys.

We're not exactly sure how a free demo is meant to appease those that are already committed to buying the game, but at the very least, it's a far more compelling offer than, say, a free sample of Madden's short-lived recording career.

Source - GameStop pre-order announcement
Source - EA demo clarification

Say what you will about the American legal system, at least the thing is speedy. After all, in late April EA was denying it knew anything about a lawsuit between the NFL Players Association and retired players, and now said players have been awarded $26 million dollars a judge decided they were owed from the sale of games like Madden.

Oh, and sorry if you thought we were talking about that other Madden suit, that one is still in the courts. Man, how do the players keep getting suits on over all their pads?

We feel like we're in some kind of topsy-turvy bizarro dimension this morning. Not only did a couple of guys sue EA for having a monopoly on football games, but a U.S. District Court Judge in San Francisco has said the case can move forward, denying the company's request to dismiss it. In the process, the judge recognized that "interactive video football software" is a distinct enough market for antitrust consideration.

Next up on Joystiq: Valve reads anti-Left 4 Dead 2 petition, totally cancels it. At least the Madden guys have a fair argument, which GP lays out for you right here.

The Left 4 Dead 2 announcement at the Microsoft press conference gobsmacked us this morning (didn't they just release Left 4 Dead like last November? What is this, Madden?), but apparently the sneaky folks at Rock Paper Shotgun weren't surprised: they've already seen the game in action. We're hoping to see it this week ourselves, but until then, here's a few juicy zombie tidbits to hold you over: the game takes place in the Southern United States, and the five campaigns will take you on a Southern odyssey from Savannah to New Orleans. There are four new characters also: a rough high school coach who's used to taking charge, a female cable news reporter, a rustic Southern mechanic type, and a Sawyer-style con man. The characters keep the snappy dialogue, and the campaigns will tell an overarching story as you move through them.

If there's one thing football games lack nowadays, it's the feeling of comradery that comes from playing with teammates. When it's one person versus another person, the whole teamwork thing kind of gets thrown out the window. Well, no longer will you be forced to play online all alone, as EA has revealed that Madden NFL 10 will include online co-op gameplay for the first time on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.

Head past the break for a trailer where some of the folks behind the game explain the new feature and what they hope it will mean for the future of Madden.

Senior producer Phil Frazier calls Madden NFL 10 a "reset." That's a tough buzzword to sell, especially for Madden, which is reappearing this August as its twenty-something-ith iteration. Despite its massive following, Joystiq has largely treated the series as uninteresting. Year in, year out, the process has grown mechanical: the annual announcement, followed by details of game enhancements, and then, of course, a look at those supposedly cursed cover athletes. Then, silence. The game's released. A few months later, news of its sales dominance. Rinse. Repeat. Reset.

It's difficult not to trivialize a game franchise that follows such a formulaic path from concept to destined bestseller. On the surface, it appears as if there are no surprises. There's nothing to be inspired by. Maybe there's a twinge of aliveness in seeing the first screenshot of the new season, in admiring the game's gradual transformation into lifelike football, in our brief exaggeration of that image as actually lifelike, before scrutiny sets in, and we identify it as just the new Madden.

Somewhere, certainly, there are discussion forums geeking out over the new look and tweaks and promises -- or passionately lamenting the next "QB Vision Cone." But here, we have not been moved beyond the mundane and have not trusted that an exclusive NFL license, a one-year development cycle and, dare we suggest, a "simple" sports game are keys to gaming innovation. An inner troll is nagging: Guys, you know it's just another "roster update."

Are you ready for some football, even though though we're still a few months away from the start of the season? EA has made it no secret at all that they're ready for you. This year's development blog has offered up the most transparent production of a Madden game ever ... but does it make a difference? Are you willing to gamble with your hard-earned dollars in the hopes that they got it right?

With its lock on the NFL licensing for video games, Madden NFL 10 could come out with the players wearing frilly tutus and ballet shoes, and it would still sell a kajillion copies, although that's easily chalked up to the name recognition of the game, and the fact that EA has gotten it right more often than it's gotten it wrong. So why does it feel like every year Madden adds more modes and features, without taking a look at the core gameplay to see what they can change?

We took a look at the Xbox 360 version recently at an EA preview event, and the game certainly looks a lot prettier than ever before (and much sharper than it's cartoonish Wii cousin), but is the gameplay any better? Find out beyond the break after you peep the new images below.

Madden NFL 10 for the Wii decided to go a much more cartoonish, "genre defining" route than its PS3/360 cousin in order to "stay true to its core audience." So, if you're looking for a more realistic footballing experience, you won't find it here. But if you're looking some something fine-tuned to the Wii's motion controls and aimed at the more casual player, look no further. And by casual we mean you can apparently tackle someone... without even touching them.

There's a gallery full of new Wii images below, and two videos after the break. You have three more months to get ready for some football, which really seems like a lot of time. Don't strain yourself.

If EA Sports head honcho Peter Moore knows one thing really well, it's handling controversy surrounding his particular division of EA and the PC games market. After getting in trouble last year with PC gaming football fans for choosing not to produce Madden '09 on PC, he's back in it this year, telling Edge Magazine, "The business model right now, shipping a physical disc for the PC, simply isn't working for us."

He's explained in the past his company's reasons for choosing as such, citing low sales numbers and PC gamers trending towards console sports gaming, and this time is no different. "I've got to find innovative ways to bring our content to life on the PC and online is the way that that's going to happen," he claims. Sounds like EA Sports has some digital distribution ideas up it's collective sleeve then, eh?

Seriously, EA? Inside your long press release about the Wii version of Madden NFL 10, you point out the new, cartoon looks? Don't play up the fact that this year's edition is entirely new and built from the ground up on the Wii. Don't elaborate on how the game will "deliver a social, dynamic experience for the entire living room" or anything. Nope, just tell us how great it looks, sit back, and prepare to count all the money.

Madden NFL 10 sacks retail on August 14, 2009.

EA just passed along some new screens and details for Madden NFL 10, and it looks like Tiburon is really working hard to make this year's edition stand out. One of the biggest improvements to the game is the Pro-Tak feature, which provides more dynamic tackling on the defense, better evasion maneuvers for the Quarterback, and allows players to fight for fumbles at the bottom of the pile. Defenders can even gang up on an offensive player, allowing up to 9-man gang tackles.

There will also be a new way for you to decrease the length of a game through the Madden NFL Your Way feature. This is a customizable version of the game that will support a new, revamped play calling system, along with faster clocks, and streamlined presentation.

Madden NFL 10 will tackle retail on August 14, 2009.

Responding to questions regarding allegations made by retired NFL player Bernie Parrish, perennial Madden publisher, EA, told GamesIndustry.biz that it is, "Not aware of any legal action." Parrish wrote an open letter recently to the 2,062 retired NFLers who won $28 million in a lawsuit with the NFL last January, asking that they each put $1,000 of their stake from the last victory into a "litigation War Chest."

Considering the tenacity of the folks involved (the $28 million was won in appeals court, mind you), we think it may be worth pointing out that they may just not be organized yet -- after all, the statements made by Parrish were published just over one week ago. Either way, EA seems to contest the allegations, stating, "This is a dispute between the retired players and their union." Another lawsuit it is then!

EA continues reinventing the Madden cover. This year's cover features not one, but two players, in a stylized cover that's reminiscent of Street Fighter IV. The Cardinals' wide receiver, Larry Fitzgerald, and the Steelers' safety, Troy Polamalu, will share the spotlight on EA Sports' annual NFL game when it goes on sale on August 14th. The two teams should be familiar to anyone who watched last year's Super Bowl -- y'know, people that play Madden.

In addition to debuting the cover athlete, EA Sports released more screenshots, which you can peruse in our gallery.

It was not so very long ago that we were floored by the novelty of plugging a phone line into our Dreamcast and playing real games of NFL 2K1 with real other people over the internet. It's with no small amount of wonder, then, that we report EA Sports claims 500 million games of the company's titles have been played online since the '09 selection launched in June.

You've come a long way, online sports games, and we couldn't be more proud. *Dumps virtual Gatorade on head*