The announcement today that Cleveland Browns running back Peyton Hillis had been voted to the cover of Madden NFL 12 came somewhat as a shock. He’s not considered to be a top-tier player and is hardly among the league’s most recognizable players. I personally voted for him in every round but I didn’t for a second ever believe that he could actually win the whole thing. EA Sports avoided having to deal with the backlash that would have inevitably come as a part of having Michael Vick on the cover. But with the potential for having to sell the game without an NFL season taking place — which is sure to cost EA sales of the game — this could make it a more difficult sell. There is also the possibility that the cover athlete doesn’t matter at all and the game will sell no matter who is on the cover. In that case this lands Hillis a nice payday and Cleveland sports fans get something to be excited about for once beyond The Miz becoming WWE Champion.
Today’s highlights:
- The latest on the PlayStation Network breach.
- Beware Modern Warfare 2 phishing attempts on Xbox Live.
- Details on the first lawsuit stemming from the PSN fiasco.
- Japan sizes up the earthquake’s damage to the games industry.
- Hulu Plus members are being credited for their lost PS3 access.
- Sega development head discusses the past and future.
- Yakuza staff reflect on the series.
- Telltale Games will begin publishing games on Xbox 360.
- Developer sues Beyonce after she pulls out of a videogame project.
- Chaos Rings sequels announced.
- A return visit to Binary Domain.
- New Shining Game announcement coming soon.
- Tri-Ace and Konami reveal two new portable RPGs.
- Retronauts: Which RPG Rerelease is Right For You?
- When Gamers Give Back
And here’s what else happened today:
FEAR 3 Delayed Until June
