Still On Top: Latest Edition Of "Madden NFL" Remains Top-Selling Sports Video Game

EA Sports' "Madden NFL" franchise last year retained its annual mark as the top-selling sports video game in the U.S., with "Madden NFL 12" ranking fifth overall among all titles regardless of genre, according to new data released by retail tracking outfit NPD Group. Overall video game retail sales of hardware, physical software and accessories fell 8% during '11 to $17.02B. "Madden NFL 12" was also the only sports title to rank among the top 10 in the NPD year-end list of top-selling games (Eric Fisher, SportsBusiness Journal).

ALL-OUT BLITZ: The N.Y. DAILY NEWS reviewed the new edition of EA Sports' "NFL Blitz," which is available as a "downloadable title" on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and gave the game three out of five stars. The former arcade game is now a "piece of coin-op nostalgia that holds up well, even if the gameplay isn't quite as over-the-top as you recall." The game that "once glamorized the big hits and Santonio Holmes-esque celebrations, tones it back to hold its license." However, what remains is a "surprisingly deep core experience that belies its simple controls" (NYDAILYNEWS.com, 1/9).