Ubisoft 
is opening up its closed gate community to other publishers. Effective immediately, Uplay, the company’s digital distribution service, will begin selling games from competing publishers – including Electronic Arts and Warner Bros.
The cooperative deal, which will also see Ubisoft games appear on EA’s Origin distribution service, is meant to broaden the avenues for players to find games and expand points of sale for game makers.
Okay, 
EA, this is getting a little bit creepy.
The Madden franchise added to its impressive Super Bowl prediction track record by not only correctly picking the Ravens over the 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII, but even managing to nail the point spread.
Hip-hop 
and videogames might seem like a logical combination, but the first stab at blending the two didn’t go well — to put it mildly.
Icons in the industry are taking another run at gaming glory these days, however — and the results are proving much better.
The 
Sims has long been one of the strongest brands in Electronic Arts’ video game catalog. Millions of players form a vibrant, active community whose loyalty to the game hasn’t wavered in the franchise’s 12-year history.
Among those fans is pop sensation Katy Perry, who has had a long working relationship with EA — and spent the better part of 2012 as an ambassador for the game.
The 
tragic school shooting in Newtown, CT has once again revived the debate about the impact of violent video games in the media. Senators are calling for hearings. Groups like the NRA are pointing a finger of blame at the industry. And parents are confused and scared.
Aside from a couple of statements from the Entertainment Software Association and Entertainment Consumers Association, the industry has kept its mouth shut about the shooting — and it’s likely to do so for some time. There is, after all, no upside in walking into the fray.
But December wasn’t the first time the issue of video game violence came up. At E3 in June, show goers debated whether the level of violence in demos was over the top. I had a chance to discuss the issue with several CEOs of major publishers.
In 
the aftermath of the school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Electronic Arts has removed links to a collection of weapons manufacturers from the official website of Medal of Honor: Warfighter.
The links, which were pointed out in a New York Times story that ran on Christmas Eve, appeared on a “Partners” page for the game and showcased many of the real-world weapons featured in Warfighter.
President 
Barack Obama’s got game. Video game, that is.
In a discussion with Barbara Walters right before the holiday, the POTUS (along with First Lady Michelle Obama) broke away from the issues of the day and discussed what they like to do during their downtime. Turns out, they use the iPad to play a game.
The 
Madden video game franchise has always prided itself on its realistic play. Now the NFL is looking to ratchet up that realism by several degrees.
Over the past few years, the NFL has been exploring ways to gather all sorts of new data points from players during games. But this season it’s getting serious about it — and that could dramatically impact the biggest football video game franchise on the planet.
While 
the videogame industry relies heavily on the holiday period to help boost publisher profits, some companies may find coal in their stocking this year.
Some titles are sure to be certain hits, but the evolving nature of players and some less-than-stellar lineups could leave some publishers who are typically strong holiday performers out in the cold.
Electronic 
Arts has been building up this year’s Medal of Honor: Warfighter as not only a game that would finally unseat Call of Duty from its king-of-the-hill position, but as one that would strike an emotional chord with players.
Judging by the critical reception the game is getting, however, Call of Duty has nothing to worry about — and the only emotion players are feeling is a sense of disappointment.
Chris Morris: Journalist 