The cover athlete for Madden 11 will be chosen by voters for the first time ever. EA has teamed up with Doritos for the voting. Among the choices? Vikings defensive end Jared Allen, Saints quarterback Drew Brees, and Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne.

To vote, just head over to the Doritos Change the Game website. You can vote once a day.

So, who will be the next to receive the Madden curse? Let's just say Saints fans better hope their team wins this Sunday.

Legendary rockers The Who will be performing at this year's Super Bowl halftime show, and MTV announced today that the entire performance will be made available on Rock Band right after the game to purchase and play. Called "The Who Super Bowl S-mashup," it will sell for 160 Microsoft Points or $1.99. It will be available "immediately" on Xbox 360 and Wii, but it's coming shortly after on PS3.

The band has recorded a special version of the performance in prior to the big game, which is what will be available for download.

EA dropped about $3 million on a Super Bowl ad spot for the upcoming release of Dante's Inferno. Industry Gamers has got a hold of the 30-second advertisement. Check it out!

Earlier today, we learned more about the Dante's Inferno Super Bow ad. It appears that the game's tagline, "Go to hell," could be stricken from the commercial due to its provocative nature. In it's place? A much friendlier "Hell awaits."

"It was deemed too provocative," said Paulo Ribeiro, account director at Wieden, Portland, Ore. "The final verdict has yet to be rendered, but it is unlikely that we will get [it on the game.]"

[via Adweek]

On Super Bowl Sunday, two days before the game hits store shelves, EA will introduce football fans to Dante’s Inferno with the company’s first-ever Super Bowl commercial. The 30-second spot, entitled “Hell Awaits”, premieres during the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XLIV broadcast on CBS on Sunday, Feb. 7.

As traditional advertisers withdraw from this year’s big game, EA will use the Super Bowl as a platform to expose nearly 100 million viewers to Dante’s Inferno within the coveted 18-34 year old male demographic. EA joins perennial advertisers Anheuser-Busch and Mazda as well as other newcomers to the Super Bowl advertising scene such as Time Warner cable channel TruTV, Sprint Nextel's Boost Mobile and Kia Motors.

“Even within the spectrum of live sports events, the Super Bowl stands apart, almost as a national holiday,” said Frank Gibeau, president at EA. “The Super Bowl is a bull’s-eye in terms of cross-over to our core demographic and the reach is outstanding. Not only does it draw 100 million viewers, but most people watch the Super Bowl live, a rarity in the world of DVRs. While digital outreach to Facebook, Twitter, and online bloggers is a core part of our marketing strategy, we felt that advertising during the Super Bowl is an excellent way to introduce this new IP to a massive cross-section of people who are likely already familiar with the dark and twisted “Divine Comedy.”

On Friday, it was confirmed that EA would be having at least one TV spot during Super Bowl XLIV. What wasn't confirmed, was what game the commercial would be for, although speculation suggested the upcoming action-adventure, hell-venturing game Dante's Inferno. It appears that speculation proved correct because sources confirm that the Super Bowl commercial will indeed be for Dante's Inferno. That said, EA has not made an official announcement.

Considering ad spots for this year's Super Bowl are roughly $2.5 million, does it make sense for EA to invest so much money into a game that, arguably, won't be a huge hit? I guess it just goes to show how much EA is really supporting its new IP.

[via Industry Gamers]

EA's not exactly a company that has cash falling out of its pockets, yet it will have "at least one spot" during the most-viewed television program of the year, the Super Bowl. Pricing for this year's round of Super Bowl ads falls between $2.5 million and $2.8 million, so what game could possibly be worth that much cash? Dante's Inferno ships two days after the big game, but if EA is dropping that much dough on a game like that, I'll be damned.

No matter what game it is, it's a strange way for EA to spend marketing dollars when many of its IP's are struggling. The publisher also revealed it will be showing the new Mass Effect 2 gameplay trailer "in its full two-minute glory" during the 4th quarter of the NFC Championship game, but at least that's a game that's deserving.

And for the record, skol Vikings!

[via Industry Gamers]