It’s times like these when sports and social media come together to make something awesome happen. Pro Golfer, rapper and avid Twitter user Ben Crane is participating in the HP Byron Nelson Championship and decided to give his regular caddy a day off and look for a replacement on Twitter:

Thinking of giving my caddy @joelstock the day off tomorrow at the HP Byron Nelson Champ ProAm. Anyone want to carry my bag for the day?

— Ben Crane (@bencranegolf) May 14, 2013

He got some good responses, but in the end, Twitter user Morgan Johnson, a former ACU golfer who was celebrating his birthday won.

@bencranegolf former acu golfer. Just graduated from college and live in Rowlett. Oh and my birthday is tomorrow. #caddyforcrane

— Morgan Johnson (@MojoGolfNG360) May 14, 2013

The pic and the tweet to prove it.

New tagline for @twitter: “Instantly connect to what’s most important to you…& hire a ProAm caddy” @mojogolfng360 twitter.com/bencranegolf/s…

— Ben Crane (@bencranegolf) May 15, 2013

When you think World Cup, you usually think about the moments on the field: Zidane’s headbutt, Baggio’s shootout kick over the net against Brazil, and so forth. But there’s a ton of stuff happening behind the scenes, especially ensuring that the tournament goes off without a hitch. FIFA is making sure that the 2014 World Cup in Brazil will be extra safe by enlisting military robots for security.

If you watch TV, you’re probably familiar with the new iRobot commercials, which are part weird and part cool. FIFA and iRobot are teaming up to provide the World Cup with 30 PackBot robots (MSRP: roughly $150,000), the type used in the field in Afghanistan and Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant. These badboys will be used via remote control to pick out suspicious objects and navigate through unsafe situations, fingers crossed there won’t be.

Not only will there be robots, but Brazilian police officers will be rocking camera glasses, capturing 400 facial images per second, then uploaded to a database of 13 million faces.

A bit extreme? Maybe, but better safe than sorry. Here’s a look at how the military uses iRobot:

One Touch Dekes
Experience what it feels like to be a superstar through a new, more responsive deking system controlled with only the left stick and one-button. From beginner to advanced gamer, this system allows for quicker reactive dekes and intuitive combination dekes, allowing for more moves than ever before. Be careful who you’re controlling with the one touch dekes though, not everyone has hands like Datsyuk. Getting too fancy with the wrong player is the quick and easy way to lose the puck.

True Performance Skating
This year, we’ve improved upon the breakthrough innovation that introduced physics-based skating and over 1,000 new skating animations to the EA SPORTS NHL franchise. In its second year, True Performance Skating features greater player responsiveness and unprecedented control through improved balance between speed and momentum, quicker pivots and enhanced lateral skating.

Defensive Strafing
NHL14 is all about gameplay balance, so we’ve improved True Performance Skating by adding lateral strafing, giving players the tools they need to play strong defense. Defensive strafing gives you the ability to move your player laterally across the ice while still facing up towards the puck carrier. This improves player body positioning; defenders in NHL 14 will have a better opportunity to make a play by forcing the attacking player wide and then using a poke check, a stick lift or a well-timed hit to separate them from the puck.

Quicker Pivots
A big part of hockey is using quick changes in speed and direction to outmaneuver an opponent. Being able to defend those movements is key, and to that end we’ve improved the speed of pivots in NHL 14 to ensure that a player feels more responsive as they skate. Players will no longer appear flat-footed when they attempt to stay aligned with a streaking forward.

Improved High Speed Turning
True Performance Skating introduced physics-based skating to the EA SPORTS NHL Franchise and this year, it has been further tuned to produce improved balance between speed and momentum. The result is that players will be able to make quicker cuts and sharper turns at high speeds, creating greater player responsiveness and control.

Linking 45-degree cuts
Introduced in NHL 13 with the addition of True Performance Skating, 45-degree cuts allow you to quickly change direction and evade the checks of defenders. Now in NHL 14, you’re able to combine 45-degree cuts smoothly in succession to evade defenders. There’s no longer a delay between each move.

So you buy a used EA Sports game, and you want to go online to download updates or play with friends. All of a sudden, you’re hit with a $14.99 charge to access these features. Introduced in 2010, the EA online pass system is now no longer. Why was the service initially launched? They thought it was going to be a way to make money to combat used game sales, and people who pirate their games.

“Initially launched as an effort to package a full menu of online content and services, many players didn’t respond to the format,” said EA corporate communications director John Reseburg said. “We’ve listened to the feedback and decided to do away with it moving forward.”

If you’re a gamer who buys used games, or a pirater who downloads your games, REJOICE.

Madden released this playbook video today, highlighting the defensive control in the upcoming game. The last video was focused more on the running game, now you can see what it’s like on the other side of the ball. GIFs and some info directly from the Madden presser to follow:

MAKE YOUR PRESENCE FELT
Last year, the major focus of the Infinity Engine was figuring out the basics of speed, momentum and other factors. With the introduction of Force Impact and a year of additional tuning, the dev team can now bring the power of Infinity to the Hit Stick. This allows for the biggest, most impressive hits yet, creating moments you’ll want to recreate over and over.

Furthermore, if you manage to pop a ball carrier with the Hit Stick while he’s performing one of the special precision modifier moves, the chances of causing a fumble increase. So if you’re up against an opponent who loves flashy moves, line him up with the Hit Stick and see if he doesn’t get a bit more conservative. This concept carries over into the passing game as well, as cornerbacks and safeties who trigger the Hit Stick as a receiver makes a catch have a higher chance of jarring the ball loose.

HEAT-SEEKER TACKLING
Those who opt for a more conventional approach this year have the option to enable heat-seeker tackling to help square up and bring down the ball carrier. Heat-seeker is enabled anytime you hold down the Hit Stick, defensive assist or wrap tackle buttons, and essentially guides your defender on the proper angle to intercept the ball carrier and bring him down. Heat-seeker tackles can also act as a counter to precision modifier moves when employed by defenders with high agility or awareness ratings.

The ultimate goal of heat-seeker is to provide assistance without taking control away from the user, as well as eliminating small errors like oversteers. Also, there’s a bit of risk/reward with heat-seeker, as defenders with lower awareness or agility ratings are more susceptible to a fake-out by the ball carrier. Players will have to find the balance between going for the big hit or using heat-seeker for a helping hand. For those who prefer to play without assists, heat-seeker tackling can be turned off entirely for both online and offline games.

RECOVER AND GET BACK IN THERE
Another way we’re balancing the defense is with a new defensive recovery mechanic. Often times in the NFL you’ll see a player overrun a play or miss a tackle, but immediately take steps to get back in the action. In Madden NFL 25, defenders can make the same hard cuts as ball carriers to quickly change direction and renew their pursuit. Speedy defensive ends and other high-agility defenders are even more valuable, as they can recover on plays and chase down runners on the backside. Defenders can also utilize the acceleration burst to close the gap on ball carriers and make a play before the runner gets into space.

TAKING A DIVE
There are times when you just can’t get in position to either deliver the big hit or wrap up the ball carrier, and those are the moments when a dive tackle can be the difference between a short gain and a touchdown. Dive tackles have been tuned in Madden NFL 25 to utilize more momentum so that defenders have a better chance of catching runners from behind and tripping them up. Also, new lunge tackles let defenders dive past the lead blockers to take out the legs of the ball carrier.

ALWAYS BE IN POSITION TO MAKE THE PLAY
Last but not least are a few under-the-hood improvements that affect a defender’s reactions in various situations. For instance, defensive awareness plays a big role this year, as defenders with a higher awareness rating are less likely to bite on fake-outs. So when a ball carrier attempts a juke on a high-awareness defender, that player is likely to make an appropriate reaction and still make the tackle.

Another example is retuned pursuit angles, where defenders take smarter routes to the ball in order to track down ball carriers and make plays. In addition, defenders will now “break down” and prepare for a tackle as they get close to the ball carrier. This controls their momentum and puts them into the best position to make a play.

As you can see, the defense in Madden NFL 25 is more than ready to meet the challenge posed by offense. Ball carriers may be able to Run Free, but the defense has some powerful weapons of its own.

We won’t be hearing a lot of gaming news this week as gaming companies wait for E3 next week to show off their stuff. Best Buy however, listed some new features for FIFA 14 that EA Sports doesn’t have on their site. Here’s what they have:

• Capture the thrill of a well-executed goal with Pure Shot technology, which mimics the moves your favorite striker performs during games when he scores awe-inspiring goals
• Watch as your player adjusts the approach angle to a more suitable direction for optimal positioning while taking a shot on goal
• Experience players’ expanded understanding of the phases of shooting, which enables them to adjust their stride and pace to precisely hit the ball
• Contend with realistic situations, in which players may need to take off-balanced or rushed shots that can hinder the accuracy and strength of their attempt based on where they are on the pitch and how the ball is delivered to their feet
• Enjoy new animations that eliminate the foot-sliding, skipping and scissor legs that occurred in FIFA 13
• Test your skill with Real Ball Physics that enables the ball to act as it would in the real world, based on new formulas that dictate the flight path and trajectory of a shot
• Strike the ball with force from a distance, drill low-rising shots with accuracy and blast dipping or swerving shots with realistic turbulence effects and utilize Curling Lofted Through Balls to curl the ball around opponents for precise passes
• Navigate the intricacies of ball possession, mastered by FC Barcelona, which dictates the tempo of the match with the Protect the Ball gameplay feature
• Fend off and block opponents from the ball while running at any speed, countering defensive pulling by stepping in front of the defender and using your body to shield the ball and stepping into the opposition to maintain possession and make a pass
• Fight for position prior to receiving the ball, so you are in the optimal location at the opportune moment
• Move in any direction to preserve your natural momentum and utilize quick, explosive cuts and turns to beat defenders one-on-one while sprinting with the Sprint Dribble Turns feature
• Show your dribbling with optimal touch and control that minimizes opportunities for defenders to regain possession with Variable Dribble Touches
• Combine different types of tackles, recover from missed tackles quickly and have another opportunity to compete for the ball in any tackling situation with Second Chance Tackles
• Come together as a team with improved teammate intelligence that delivers tighter, smarter marking and better run tracking
• Rely on your defenders to recognize opportunities to improve support and win back possessions, and depend on attacking players to break down intelligent defenses by creating space, running along the back line and checking their pace
• Learn and master the fundamental skills needed to be a star football player in Skill Games, a competitive practice mode helps you become a better player, faster
• Develop and refine a personalized scouting network as you search for talent around the world — you can evaluate players who may bolster your squad during the transfer windows with a new hub that provides live scouting reports in Career Mode
• Connect to the heartbeat of the sport and to other football fans through EA SPORTS Football Club, FIFA 14′s social network, where you can compete and share with millions of others around the world

We’re now down to the final 8 players in the NHL 14 Cover Vote campaign. Remaining are Pavel Datsyuk, Joffrey Lupul, James Van Riemsdyk, Martin Brodeur, John Tavares, Wayne Simmonds, Taylor Hall, Sergei Bobrovsky. Voting for this round is now live, and runs until May 19th at 11:59pm ET.

The winner of the cover vote campaign will be announced during the Stanley Cup finals. You can vote as much as you want by clicking here.

Who do you want to see on the cover?

The San Francisco Giants have beat out the Los Angeles Dodgers to hold on to their title of the kings of Instagram.  While the New York Yankees dominate both Twitter (893k) and Facebook (6.3m), the Giants have successfully conquered the popular photo-based app. Not only are the Giants the most popular team on the platform, but their stadium consistently has the most activity during game day.

“Instagram allows fans to share their experience through artistic photos,” said Bryan Srabian, social media director for the Giants. “AT&T Park is one of the most beautiful settings for baseball, and it is always great to see the different perspectives through the eyes of our fans. Each picture tells a different story. It has been a blast to connect with fans.”

Here’s your final report of the Instagram numbers:

Be sure to update your NHL 13 rosters, as they just released an update for the NHL Playoffs. The update returns each team’s best players to their lineups, regardless of injuries, and a ton of players got upgraded and downgraded.

Here’s the full list, as well as instructions on how to edit your rosters manually:

• Alex Galchenyuk (MTL): +2, (81 OVR)
• Alexander Killorn (TB): +3, (78 OVR)
• Alexei Emelin (MTL): +4, (82 OVR)
• Anton Khudobin (BOS): +7, (77 OVR)
• Antti Niemi (SJ): +3, (85 OVR)
• Ben Bishop (TB): +3, (76 OVR)
• Ben Scrivens (TOR): +5, (76 OVR)
• Braden Holtby (WAS): +9, (82 OVR)
• Brandon Saad (CHI): +3, (79 OVR)
• Brendan Gallagher (MTL): +2, (81 OVR)
• Brian Elliott (STL): +1, (81 OVR)
• Carl Hagelin (NYR): +3, (80 OVR)
• Charlie Coyle (MIN): +9, (78 OVR)
• Chris Pronger (PHI): -3, (82 OVR)
• Cody Hodgson (BUF): +3, (81 OVR)
• Cory Conacher (OTT): +2, (79 OVR)
• Cory Schneider (VAN): +4, (87 OVR)
• Craig Anderson (OTT): +3, (85 OVR)
• Daniel Taylor (CGY): +4, (69 OVR)
• David Booth (VAN): -4, (80 OVR)
• Derek Stepan (NYR): +2, (84 OVR)
• Derick Brassard (NYR): +2, (81 OVR)
• Devan Dubnyk (EDM): +2, (82 OVR)
• Dougie Hamilton (BOS): +3, (79 OVR)
• Eric Gryba (OTT): +3, (73 OVR)
• Erik Johnson (COL): -1, (84 OVR)
• Ilya Bryzgalov (PHI): -3, (83 OVR)
• Jakob Silfverberg (OTT): +5, (73 OVR)
• James Reimer (TOR): +4, (82 OVR)
• Jaroslav Halak (STL): -2, (83 OVR)
• Jhonas Enroth (BUF): +3, (80 OVR)
• Jiri Tlusty (CAR): +3, (80 OVR)
• Joey MacDonald (CGY): +4, (75 OVR)
• John Tavares (NYI): +3, (88 OVR)
• Jonas Brodin (MIN): +3, (78 OVR)
• Jonathan Bernier (LA): +2, (82 OVR)
• Jonathan Huberdeau (FLA): +2, (79 OVR)
• Jonathan Quick (LA): -2, (88 OVR)
• Lars Eller (MTL): +2, (82 OVR)
• Leo Komarov (TOR): +4, (74 OVR)
• Mathieu Perreault (WAS): +3, (74 OVR)
• Mats Zuccarello (NYR): +4, (79 OVR)
• Matt Frattin (TOR): +4, (76 OVR)
• Matt Hackett (BUF): +4, (75 OVR)
• Matt Read (PHI): +2, (80 OVR)
• Miikka Kiprusoff (CGY): -3, (84 OVR)
• Mika Zibanejad (OTT): +5, (78 OVR)
• Mike Kostka (TOR): +3, (74 OVR)
• Nail Yakupov (EDM): +2, (81 OVR)
• Nazem Kadri (TOR): +1, (82 OVR)
• Niklas Backstrom (MIN): -2, (85 OVR)
• Patrick Kane (CHI): +1, (87 OVR)
• Patrick Wiercioch (OTT): +4, (71 OVR)
• Ray Emery (CHI): +4, (80 OVR)
• Robin Lehner (OTT): +3, (77 OVR)
• Ryan Miller (BUF): -4, (88 OVR)
• Ryan Smyth (EDM): -3, (78 OVR)
• Saku Koivu (ANA): +1, (79 OVR)
• Sergei Bobrovsky (COL): +5, (84 OVR)
• Shawn Horcoff (EDM): -2, (80 OVR)
• Simon Gagne (PHI): -4, (82 OVR)
• Steve Oleksy (WAS): +17, (73 OVR)
• Taylor Hall (EDM): +2, (86 OVR)
• Tim Thomas (NYI): -6, (80 OVR)
• Tomas Kaberle (MTL): -3, (77 OVR)
• Tuukka Rask (BOS): +3, (86 OVR)
• Tyler Myers (BUF): -2, (85 OVR)
• Viktor Fasth (ANA): +3, (82 OVR)
• Zach Redmond (WIN): +4, (72 OVR)

How to change your rosters manually (offline):

• From the Main Menu, select ‘My NHL®13’. Next click ‘Roster Management’.
• Select ‘Player Movement’.
• On the left side of the ‘Player Movement’ menu, cycle to the team that has the player you want to move and then add him to the ‘Moving Block’ by pressing either (A – Xbox) or (X – PS3). Toggle over to the right side of the menu and cycle to the team that you want to move that player to. Hit (X – Xbox) or (Square – PS3) to ‘Execute Move’.
• Note: You can add multiple players on the same team to the ‘Moving Block’ to speed up the process.
• If you’d like to reset your rosters to default, head back to the ‘Roster Management’ section of ‘My NHL®13’ and then select ‘Set Default Rosters’.

Last night during Electronic Arts’ quarterly earnings call, EA Labels president Frank Gibeau said that his company was planning a “full reveal” of their games at the upcoming E3 conference. He also said that “this will include breakthroughs in graphics and gameplay for some of our biggest franchises including Battlefield, FIFA, Madden, NBA Live, and Need for Speed.”

The last few years have not been good for the NBA Live franchise. Their last release was in October of 2009 (NBA Live 10). They then retitled the franchise to NBA Elite. NBA Elite 11 was delayed for “concerns of gameplay polish”, but was later cancelled. The same story repeated for the next couple years. Because of the delays, 2K Sports has taken and ran with the NBA series, so it’s going to be interesting to see how gamers react to NBA Live coming back.

Look for the game to be released on the next generation consoles (PS4 and XBOX whateveritsnameis). We’ll know more information during E3 so follow us on Twitter for updates.

EA Sports is set to hold down its exclusive license with FIFA until December 31, 2022, the two outlets announced earlier this morning. For EA Sports, this means that they’ll retain exclusive rights to produce a soccer video game under the FIFA banner.

The FIFA offers benefits to both sides, with EA Sports watching revenues grow on the strength of 14.5 million copies of FIFA 13 sold this year.

FIFA General Secretary Jérôme Valcke on the parternship:

“The FIFA games are an essential part of our communication efforts around the FIFA brand and its values. To measure the strength of our partnership with EA, it is enough to remember that more than 2.5 million football fans took part in the FIFA Interactive World Cup this year.”

Arguably the best in sports gaming, FIFA and EA Sports will continue to pump out the popular title for the next decade and probably beyond.

We’re into the second round of the playoffs, and another NBA 2K13 roster update is out. It’s not a big one, with just three players being affected. Huge surprises that Steph Curry and Nate Robinson haven’t been upgraded, despite their performance so far in the playoffs.

• Luol Deng (CHI): Injured, -9 (74 OVR)
• Marc Gasol (MEM): +2 (85 OVR)
• David Lee (GS): Returns from injury, (84 OVR)

Players still missing: Aron Baynes (SA), Ben Hansbrough (IND), Chris Johnson (MIN), Diante Garrett  (PHX), Dwayne Jones (GS), Jarvis Varnado (MIA), Jerel McNeal (UTA), Josh Akognon (DAL), Julyan Stone (DEN) Justin Holiday (PHI), Kent Bazemore (GS), Kevin Jones (CLE), Kevin Murphy (UTA), Malcolm Thomas (CHI), Mickael Gelabale (MIN), Scott Machado (GS), Shavlik Randolph (BOS), Terrel Harris (NWO), Tim Ohlbrecht (HOU), Willie Reed (MEM)

The NHL 14 Cover Vote is quickly eliminating the field, announcing their final 16 candidates for the chance to grave the cover of their upcoming hockey game. Starting today, the vote shifts to a 16-player bracket format as players compete in head-to-head matchups for a spot in the quarterfinals. Over 12 million votes have been cast, up 70% from last year’s campaign.

Here’s the final 16, along with how the bracket is looking. Gotta love the Toronto/Boston rivalry is alive and well even in the cover vote:

Click here to vote.

One frustrating thing in the FIFA games is when you have a great opportunity for a pass and your teammate just isn’t in the right position to receive this. This is now a thing of the past with Teammate Intelligence. New for FIFA 14, your computer controlled teammates can now to make better and smarter decisions on both the attack and on defense.

Some notes from EA:

• FIFA 14 introduces new run types to make goal-scoring opportunities even more exciting. Players will have the intelligence to break down defenses by creating space for themselves and separation from defenders.
• You will notice that attacking players will watch the backline to avoid being caught offside before breaking free for a pass or through ball. Attackers will also now perform checked runs to confuse defenders.
• Additionally, the center-forward will back into a defender to hold position and receive the ball, creating space to gain possession. Afterward, he will either release to another player or turn and shoot on goal.
• Defenders will be better at tracking runs without over-committing. They will recognize opportunities to support and apply pressure from anywhere on the pitch. Rather than always covering the player closest to them, AI defenders will better position themselves to reduce the chance of someone being left wide-open:
  
• Defensive decision-making will be based on multiple frames enabling defenders to continually analyze the play to search for the most dangerous player. This will improve run tracking and man marking. Smarter, tighter marking will change the way games unfold as more action is driven to the middle of the field, leading to tighter passes and a greater emphasis on strategy.
• Also introduced this year is defensive pressure—teammates will recognize good opportunities to win back possession and support with tighter marking and more pressure. Previously, once a team had a lead late into a match, they would begin to slow the pace to run down the clock. Now, Defenders will recognize this and press the attacking players in an attempt to win back possession.

Racing fan or not, this is pretty cool. If you’ve ever wondered what it was like driving 195+ MPH (that’s 314 KPH for the Canadians) in a car, Budweiser is here to help out. The Bud 360° Interactive Racing App is new app for your iOS device, showing you all angles of a race car as it makes the rounds.

The technology behind the app used footage from five cameras mounted onto Harvick’s car, then pieced together for one video. If you don’t have an iOS device, head over to Budweiser’s site, or click the link below.

The big thing being touted in this year’s Madden game is the “Run Free” feature, giving you much more free control over your offensive ground game. If you’re a fan of the Madden franchise, this next piece should be a little concerning: EA Sports is also introducing a “Precision Modifier”, giving you the option of 30 different moves as a running back. You can string together these moves to create “devastating combos” (EA Sports’ words, not mine).

The “devastating combo” makes the game sound super arcade-y, reminiscent of arcade fighting games where combining combos gets you more XP. Also, while these moves look great, they really aren’t all that realistic. Here’s the video, and we’ll show you some GIFs after the vid to further illustrated the unrealistic animation.

And now for the GIFs. some of these moves are unrealistic, especially Chris Johnson’s spin.

Remember when he was on the cover of Madden NFL 2004? IMO, one of the best Madden’s of all-time, but I’m going off-topic. The Michael Vick comeback story isn’t going so great in the NFL, but he’s still somewhat of a household name (maybe not for all of the right reasons).

Vick has come out with a mobile game called “Mike Vick: GameTime”, an offense only 4-on-4 touch based football game. I tried it out today, and while the graphics aren’t great, it’s still a fun and quick way to pass the time.

Basically you’re the QB, and have 3 wide receivers to pass to. The more touchdowns the score, the more money you get. The more money you get, the more you can upgrade your players and become a better team. The one thing that I found annoying about the game was the fact that you had to pay for more plays in the playbook, but in this era of gamification, it’s expected.

Here are some screenshots:

The first of three NHL 14 Developer Diaries came out this morning, highlighting NHL 14’s new Collision Physics. If you’re a fan of the FIFA series, you’ll know about the Player Impact Engine, which provides more realistic contact between players. In NHL 14, there’ll be a new left-stick control scheme to make hitting much simpler. Check out the video from EA Sports’ producer Sean Ramjagsingh:

Plus, some GIFs showing off the Collision Physics. LET THE BODIES HIT THE FLOOR:

One thing that’s annoying about football games is the lack of camera angles you can choose. Whether you’re on offense or defense, sometimes you want to see your entire team (or the opposing team) on the field at once. Madden recently fixed this issue by adding in “zoomed” and “wide” angles, but now,  NCAA 14 is helping fix this problem with another angle: “coordinator” view. Here are the three differences.

Coordinator:

Zoomed:

Wide:

Hopefully we’ll see all 3 in the Madden franchise as well.

The field of 64 just got cut down in half, leaving 32 NHLers vying for your votes to be on the cover of NHL 14. Each team had one candidate advance, plus two wild card candidates (Joe Thornton and James van Riemsdyk) were added to the mix. If you want to place your vote, click here to cast your ballot. The top 16 vote-getters will advance to the next round.

The rest of the schedule:

• 32-Player Leaderboard (April 29 – May 5): Fans vote for their favorite 16 candidates; top 16 vote-getters advance.
• 16-player Bracket (May 6 – May 26): Weekly round-by-round, single-elimination playoff bracket decides finalists.
• The Finals (May 27- June 2): Winner takes the NHL 14 Cover.

Alright so the playoffs are set to begin tomorrow night, so we put all 16 teams through the ringer in NHL 13 and here’s how it fared:

Round 1: In the Western Conference, Chicago over Minnesota 4-2, Detroit over Anaheim 4-2, Kings over the Blues 4-2 and it took 7 games for San Jose to finish off Vancouver, 4-3. In the East, Pittsburgh over the Islanders 4-2, Canadiens over the Sens 4-2, Rangers over the Capitals 4-1 and apologizes to all the Leafs fans, but Boston handled the Leafs 4-2.

Round 2: The second round saw some sweeps, with the Blackhawks shutting out the Redwings and the Penguins sweeping the Rangers. Montreal beat Boston 4-1, and the Kings beat the Sharks in 7.

Semi-finals: In another 7-game Western series, the Kings defeated the Blackhawks, and in the East, the Penguins handled the Canadiens with ease 4-2.

Stanley Cup: It came down to the Pittsburgh Penguins and the L.A. Kings, and Pittsburgh had a 2-1 lead, when all of a sudden Sidney Crosby got a fractured ankle and was shelved for the rest of the Stanley Cup finals. Could Pittsburgh overcome and still win the Stanley Cup?

Indeed. The Pittsburgh Penguins are your Stanley Cup Champs, and here are your final stats:

Goalie stats:

The final playoff tree (click to enlarge):

This comes as a bit of a surprise, seeing how good of a game Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14 is, but there will be no game next year. Not to worry, the title hasn’t been cancelled completely, but Kotaku reports that Electronic Arts has canned next year’s iteration so they can focus on their upcoming game for the next-gen consoles (PlayStation 4 and XBOX whateveritsbeingcalled).

While some golf fans may be upset, it’s better that they focus on developing better games for the future and not release half-ass games for the present.

If you didn’t hear, Electronic Arts had a tough week last week, cutting 10% of its workforce on Thursday. One other thing to note is that EA’s Tiburon studios, which was working on their failed NBA Live series were also affected by the personnel cuts, putting that franchise in jeopardy.

We’re well underway into the first round of the NBA Playoffs, so why not simulate the entire thing via NBA 2K13? We inputted all the teams, and after the first round, OKC beat Houston 4-0, Memphis upset the Clippers 4-2, Golden State swept the Nuggets 4-0, Lakers and Spurs went to game 7, but Lakers pulled through 4-3. On the Eastern side, it’s all sweeps: Heat over Bucks, Nets over Bulls, Hawks over Pacers, and Knicks over the Celtics. Here are your stats:

Let’s check out Round 2. OKC swept Memphis, Warriors over Lakers, Heat over the Nets and the Knicks over the Hawks 4-1.

And for the semi-finals. OKC beat the Warriors and Heat over the Knicks, so it’s an OKC/Heat rematch in the Finals.

Now for the finals between OKC and the Miami Heat, and it reaches a 7th game. So who wins?

Your finals stats:

Madden 25 announced last night that Barry Sanders would grace the cover, beating Adrian Peterson for the honor. They also released a new video with actual gameplay footage, highlighting their new “Run Free” feature, using the Infinity Engine 2 (we previously explained what it’s all about).

Screenshots: