Sports

ESPN's Jon "Jonny Ballgame" Robinson interviewed WWE's Ted DiBiase and some of the conversation drifted towards gaming. Some of you might be familiar with his father, the legendary "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase. During the interview, the younger Ted spoke about the Nintendo binges he enjoyed when his father came back from the road. He said:

"My dad would come home and we'd pick him up at the airport and head straight to Toys R Us and he'd buy me like five or six Nintendo games at a time. So I had just stacks of Nintendo games everywhere … that's all I used to do. I'd play my dad … it's cool to remember those times."

DiBiase also spoke about his dream match in the upcoming SmackDown vs. Raw 2010:

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San Diego Padres' pitcher Heath Bell's off-season fitness regime includes liberal doses of Wii Fit. Bell originally bought the game to appease his 11-year-old daughter. But when console measured his weight and body mass index it proclaimed his avatar obese. Bell weighed 275 and says: "I wanted to make my character smaller...I didn't do it to lose weight." Geez, man, it's pretty easy to fake out the balance board. 

According to The Wall Street Journal, Bell lost 25 pounds in five month through a combination of The Wii, his regular exercise program of an hour a day cardio+weights and a proper diet. The Wii was the only change from previous off-season training plans.

Mr. Bell says his on-field performance has also improved since he started playing with his Wii. "My balance is so much better than it used to be," he says. "It shows on the mound."

This is a nice story and all, but I gotta ask: What the hell is wrong with the Padres' trainer? Pitchers should spend the off season locked in high tech space gyms, throwing 90 mile-per-hour curve-balls 27 hours a day while avoiding specially trained attack dogs and eating scoops of Human Growth Hormone, not playing the Wii. Where is the grueling, torturous training regimen? Where is the steroid abuse? If I were a Padre's fan, I'd be pissed! How can you compete in today's MLB without proper fitness training?

Do you know anyone who has used Wii Fit to stay in shape? Seems to me it's like every other exercise program: People start out fired up, and then quickly lose interest.

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One of the biggest complaints leveled against some of Konami's most popular online-driven PlayStation 3 games, including Metal Gear Solid Online and Pro Evolution Soccer 2009, is the additional Konami ID system required to play. It's an extra level of security that proved a major headache for gamers and it's being dropped for Pro Evolution Soccer 2010.

At GamesCom 2009, Billy Berghammer spoke with Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 producer Shingo "Seabass" Takatsuka about his poor experience with the Konami ID system.

"We got so many feedback from the users saying the same thing as you said," said Takatsuka. "So, we gave up the Konami ID system."

There you go.

Updated: Teaser Trailer Live

Electronic Arts revealed the next title in the Skate franchise: Skate 3. The game is set to ship in May 2010, and aims to "take all of the camaraderie and competitive excitement of real-life skateboarding and brings it to the hands of gamers." Players will be able to team up in a co-op sense to build a skate crew, then take part in team-based challenges, compete against rival crews and "leave their mark on the all-new skater’s paradise, Port Carverton."

“The social and community aspects of the Skate franchise are something we’ve always embraced, but we’ve never done anything to the scale you’re going to see in Skate 3,” said Senior Producer, Jason DeLong in a press release. “We’re giving gamers a very unique experience by providing them with the tools they need to build their ultimate team or to create a team comprised entirely of their online friends. From there, it’s all about proving yourself – teaming up, and throwing down.”

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It seems that the upcoming reboot of The A-Team has finally found its BA Baracus. It will be none other than MMA superstar, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (pictured left.) Ending months of speculation that included top candidates as rappers, Ice Cube, Common, and The Game, Jackson, who is untested in film, has landed the coveted role made famous by Mr. T (And possibly the signature character of the franchise.)

The casting actually throws a wrench into the cogs of the UFC's plans. Jackson actually just completed filming of the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter as a competing coach against rival, Rashad Evans. (In which former Internet Fight King, Kimbo Slice is participating as a contestant in an attempt to regain his credibility.) The traditional "coaches fight" between the two (Jackson and Evans) was heavily hyped for some time now, and will now no longer take place, as the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion will be called away to begin shooting the film.

This could be a mixed bag for the fighter. On one hand, Rampage was always the guy that seemed absolutely perfect for the role. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for him, and not taking advantage of this could be costly. The man is extremely charismatic and cuts some of the best promos of any fighter in the sport. Even if it turns out that he can't act (which I doubt), he will be able to get by on personality alone. He will be a great BA Baracus, and director Joe Carnahan's film (ungodly reboot aside) just got THAT much better because of this. 

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I'm having a full-on existential crisis. I've been confronted with incontrovertible evidence of the inevitability of my own mortality by the below video from Fight Night Round 4.

The video depicts young George Foreman facing off against Old George Foreman in some kind of nightmarish boxing ring of the damned. It's like my internal life in video game form.

Alternative George Foreman is coming soon as DLC. (I'll be spending the rest of my day under the desk, shaking.)

The NBA's greatest Closer, Kobe Bryant shows off his signature style in this trailer for NBA 2K10. For those of you who want your NBA 2K10 fix early hit up the NBA 2K10: Draft Combine trailer and notes after the jump to check out the downloadable companion game to 2K10.

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A recently revealed patent application reveals that Nintendo is working on a football controller for the Wii. It works like this: You snap your Wiimote into a squishy football, the attach it to your hand, and the Wii's accelerometers and gyroscopis motion sensors determine how you control the onscreen action. So if you want to throw a bullet, just make a bullet motion, etc.

The "ball" will also sense your body motion, so it will read a quick move to the side as a juke to avoid a tackler. There's a place for the Wiimote's brother, the control stick, as well, so other options can be executed during your Wii football game.

I predict this will be a big hit, if it comes out. But I also predict that TVs and expensive lamps near TVs have a reason to be very fearful of these innovations. You know people are going to forget to put the straps on and wreck everything in the living room.

What do you think? Thumbs up or thumbs down on the Nintendo football controller?

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NHL 10, the latest installment of the critically-acclaimed hockey franchise, would like to remind everyone of the meaty demo (that was made available exclusively last week to XBL Gold members) is now available for silver members and will be hitting the PSN store this thursday.

Also, it's packing some catchy tunes.

Olé...Olé, Olé, Olé!

Like with all sports franchises, gamers have to question what new features are in this year's installment would warrant a purchase. Thankfully, trailers like this one for EA Sports' FIFA 10, makes the process a much more painless one. However, is it enough to make you break out the bills?

I'm a huge nerd. I have no idea who any of these skaters are in this "new school" trailer for Tony Hawk: Ride. However, they're young and edgy enough to be able to chime in on the peripheral-focused skating game. Mr. Hawk and company, take it away:

Summer is nearing it's end and no doubt, some of you are breaking out your real, motorized snow vehicles. For the rest of us, (at least PSP and PS2 owners), rest assured that Sony and developer BIgBig Studios has you covered for some ice-treading all your own in MotorStorm: Arctic Edge.

EA Sports Active is a top-selling Wii game that aims to get video gamers healthy through exercise. Good luck with that, EA! But anyway, if you've already done every workout in the original game, you'll need to buy the expansion pack that's coming out this November.

EA Sports' Peter Moore

As was announced at EA's GamesCom 2009 press conference, "EA Sports Active: More Workouts" provides, well, more workouts -- 35 new exercises and stretches including running, rafting, squats, and stride jumps. The game will also set up a schedule tailored to your fitness needs.

Ice skating sensation Katarina Witt helping Peter Moore jump for joy!

You will totally stick to a workout schedule a video game sets for you, too. I mean, why wouldn't you?

It seems that the UFC is finally (finally?) making its presence known in an institution behind which all of America can get behind: Dancing with the Stars. UFC Hall of Famer, Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell will compete on the show in the upcoming Fall season to premiere September 21.

Here on G4 we're ALL about Dancing with the Stars, right?!  We get all giddy and DVR it for all the spectacular displays of "doncing" (as Len Goodman would say) from the pro's and celebs, as well as Carrie Ann Inaba's tendency to get catty with the season's "hot chick," and Bruno Tonioli's "too gay to be gay" words of wisdom for the contestants. Right?!

As you may recall, last season seemed to be relevant to "us" as they carted-out "The Woz" himself, Steve Wozniak for some good old-fashioned comedy relief. (Spoiler: HE DIDN'T WIN.) This season, it seems that besides the season's obligatory NFL star (Michael Irvin), Chuck Liddell will follow in the footsteps of his beau, Willa Ford (who compteted on the show in a previous season) as he will be the contestant "for us" again. (Well, somewhat.)

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EA Sports has announced that Randy "The Natural" Couture has been signed for its upcoming EA Sports MMA. Couture will be "co-headlining" the game, along with the previously signed Fedor Emelianenko. In today's press release, Couture said: