The just in (or not) – Madden predictions and Angry Birds

Are you ready for some FOOTBALL!!!1! Yes, yes you are, and so am I. The Superbowl is only a few days away and even a hardcore gamer like myself must shut off all my consoles and take part in watching. Not because of the game, but because of the awesome a million dollar apiece commercials (and TBL analysis on Armada soon after *wink-wink, nudge-nudge, say no more-say no more*); this year however is different because the Steelers, America’s Team, are once again going to the Superbowl. Their vic- I mean opponents are the Green Bay Packers, which, according to TBL, are pretty good; however I believe the Steelers are going to bring home their 7^th (lucky number) ring and not because I say so (although that’s good enough in my opinion) but because EA’s Madden 2011 has deemed it so. Go ahead, call me crazy, but numbers rarely lie; it has been eight years since they started this experiment and except for Super Bowl XLII it has always predicted the winners (so far). Which is awesome and scares me a little, because the Madden series is known for taking out players (not permanently) who are on that year’s cover (see ‘Madden curse’) and now predicting the future. Madden is slowly become a combination of the Mayans and Skynet so watch out sports fans they maybe becoming for us next.

Anywho, great news everyone! The next chapter of the Angry Birds is coming in twofold: first Angry Birds Valentines (not it’s actually title) will feature a softer, kinder, gentler, way of viciously maiming green pigs. Look forward to heart shaped backgrounds and barriers, lighter color tones, and maybe even female birds (hey those eggs they keep losing have to come from somewhere). I’m not sure if this is going to be a stand-alone game or part of Angry Birds Seasons (although that’s likely), it will be due out by the 14^th. The other game (although I’m not quite sure that’s part of cannon, even if Angry Birds actually has cannon) is Angry Birds Rio which is a tie in to both the birds we know and love and the animated movie Rio by 20th Century Fox coming out this spring. Leave it to Rovio to keep things interesting, I have no idea how this will work out but given their track record we have nothing to worry about. Oh yeah, Rovio is also putting out a Superbowl commercial of their own, promoting Angry Birds Rio. At the end it has a code to unlock a secret level in a Angry Birds’ game (not sure which one), so use lesser Superbowl commercial (and you know which ones) for bathroom breaks – just don’t miss this commercial.