College Freshman Earns Tetris Grand Master Status
The University of Washington's Kevin Birrell, a freshman computer science major, recently achieved Grand Master status on Tetris. Yes, there is such a thing.
It's rarefied air, too. According to GeekWire, the 18-year-old Birrell "is one of just 5 people - 2 outside Japan - to have achieved the [Grand Master title]."
Watch him play at INSANE speed below and you'll see why.
NOTE: If watching some dude play Tetris for 10 minutes doesn't float your boat, we've also posted the Kate Upton "Cat Daddy" video. Gotcha covered.
Calvin Johnson Wins Madden '13 Cover Vote
We're very sorry, Detroit Lions fans. But Calvin Johnson will suffer a debilitating injury any day now.
Indeed, the superstar wideout known as "Megatron" was voted by fans as the new cover star for wildly popular video game Madden '13, knocking off Carolina quarterback Cam Newton in the finals, despite Newton's funny appeal to sports fans.
It's been years, however, since the football player who appeared on this cover actually went on to enjoy a successful season.
"Man, it's great," Johnson said upon being named the winner, shaking off any notion of a cover jinx. "Just to see yourself on this Madden [cover] and seeing all the guys that have been on Madden? C'mon, man."
Over 20 million fans voted in the contest, with with Johnson beating out Dwayne Bowe, Arian Foster, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Rodgers on his way to the championship.
Madden '13 Cover Clash: Cam Newton vs. Calvin Johnson!
Cam Newton won the NFL's Rookie of the Year Award last year, but the prolific passer is now after something far more important.
An ongoing fan vote to determine who should grace the cover of wildly-poplar video game Madden '13 is down to the Carolina Panthers quarterback and Calvin Johnson of the Detroit Lions.
And in an attempt to win over the masses, Newton has released a lengthy video, pleading to boys, girls, cat and dogs that he deserves the honor. On what grounds?
Well, he's quite adept at the game, that's for certain, giving fans a tour here of his multi-screen setup. His nicknames also include "Mr. Swagman" and "Mr. Goes H.A.M." So he has that going for him.
Last season, Peyton Hillis of the Browns covered Madden... and proceeded to produce the worst season of his career. Careful of what you wish for, Cam.
Who do you want to see on the cover of Madden '13?
View Poll »
Diablo 3 Launch Date Announced: May 15
The launch date for the next iteration of one of the biggest gaming franchises of all time, Diablo III, has been announced. The heavens shall tremble May 15.
Blizzard, the company releasing the product, says all gamers who digitally pre-order it will be able to play Diablo III "the minute the servers go live."
Also on May 15, the much-anticipated game will be available at retailers throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Asia.
The digital version will be available in the regions above as well as in Mexico, Argentina, Chile, and Brazil, making this truly a global gaming event.
The release of Diablo III will once again have players returning en masse to the village of Tristram on a quest to save the world from a demonic invasion.
Players will be able to play as a barbarian, monk, demon hunter, witch doctor, or wizard in an experience driven by fast-paced action RPG gameplay.
Kate Upton Shows Off "Finger Mechanics" in MLB 2K12 Ad
SI cover model Kate Upton lends her good looks and apparent video game expertise to help a quartet of major leaguers learn the ropes in an ad for the new game MLB 2K12.
Titled “Finger Mechanics with Kate Upton,” the ad shows the curvaceous blonde teaching the baseball stars to an unhittable circle changeup ... virtually of course.
“Take your thumb, go up and then around, and that’s a circle change,” says Upton, who graces the cover of Sports Illustrated‘s swimsuit edition, to her audience.
Best. Pitching. Coach. Ever.
The ballplayers getting their learn on from the 19-year-old stunner are Detroit's Justin Verlander, Tampa's David Price, Cincinnati's Jay Bruce and L.A.'s C.J. Wilson.
MLB 2K12 comes out on March 6, and Upton's lesson may pay off: A user who pitches a perfect game will be entered into a contest for a chance to win $1 million.
Date with Kate not included.
Katy Perry Sims Collector's Edition Game: Coming Soon!
A new collaboration between Katy Perry and virtual reality computer program "The Sims" to create a Collector's Edition game with content and exclusives featuring the newly-single blue-haired hit-maker was announced today by Electronic Arts.
The company plans to develop multiple "Sims" games featuring special Perry-themed virtual goods and in-game content. The partnership launches in March.
Perry, showing off her new hairstyle, will also be featured in accompanying advertising and marketing campaigns for "The Sims" such as this one:
"It's cool to see the Sims' stage performances in 'The Sims 3: Showtime' decked out just like my California Dreams Tour," Perry said in a statement.
The 27-year-old adds: "Even my cotton candy video screens are in there! I always say I like to think of myself and my life as a cartoon, and now I'm a Sim!"
Perry worked with the Sims Studio to create accessories, clothing, hairstyles, furniture and props for the Sims game, available for pre-order today.
Star Wars: The Old Republic Released; Can it Complete With World of Warcraft?
Star Wars: The Old Republic, the multi-player RPG, has just been launched, and represents an ambitious effort to provide an online gaming alternative to World of Warcraft.
Can it succeed?
The game comes from BioWare, a company with experience crafting galactic space operas, and of course Lucasfilm, with an estimated production cost of $135-150 million.
Easily one of the most expensive in history, it has the largest voice cast of any game, and Storm Troopers even rang the NASDAQ bell Tuesday to promote the launch.
World of Warcraft has dominated the genre for seven years and counting, but Star Wars saga remains one of the most viable pop-culture franchises after 35 years.
Plenty of geek cred, to say the very least.
It’s possible that the two can co-exist with equal popularity, or that SW:TOR will be completely overshadowed ... or Farmville and Angry Birds will dominate both.
Tell us, will you be picking up Star Wars: The Old Republic?
Modern Warfare 3 Reaches $1 Billion in Sales in Just 16 Days
Modern Warfare 3, the latest spinoff of the popular Call of Duty video game series, has officially beaten the quickest-to-a-billion-dollars record previously set by Avatar.
James Cameron's epic effort took 17 days to hit that mark; Modern Warfare 3 took 16.
It’s an incredible benchmark for the series, and it’s evidence that video games have become one of the most economically vibrant corners of the media marketplace.
According to Variety, aggregate video game sales in November were up 15 percent thanks to high-profile sequels: Modern Warfare 3, Elder Scroll V: Skyrim, Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.
However, overall revenue was flat, due in part to discounted hardware costs.
Will that change in 2012 with new consoles being rolled out? Stay tuned.
Aubrey Plaza Loves World of Warcraft
If you aren't familiar with Aubrey Plaza and the tremendous Parks and Recreation quotes she produces every Thursday as apathetic intern April ... we pity you.
You're really missing out. Just saying.
Fortunately, you can get to know a little bit about her in this new ad for the epic gaming addiction World of Warcraft, in which the actress basically plays the same character.
Which is basically her in real life.
She rules. We'd feel sorry for the guy she dumped in favor of WoW, but he sort of asked for it by turning her on to the nationwide obsession in the first place:
