For years, 2K Sports maintained server support for the final edition of its defunct series, like All-Pro Football 2K8, NHL 2K10, and, most importantly, College Hoops 2K8, where a robust user community was updating, re-rating and sharing rosters well into this year.

It now appears online support for all of these titles was quietly pulled at the beginning of this month.

The only 2K Sports titles with confirmed online support today are 2011's Top Spin 4, Major League Baseball 2K12, and, of course, NBA 2K13. I booted into College Hoops 2K8, All-Pro Football 2K8, and even NBA 2K12 and got messages saying 2K Sports servers were offline in each one. Kotaku has reached out to 2K Sports representatives for clarification.

The server shutdowns are significant because it effectively means the end of College Hoops 2K8's roster sharing community. Though the game was canceled in early 2008, its online support—and the ability to share edited rosters with real-world, re-rated performers—continued through this autumn. All Pro Football 2K8, the spiritual heir to the beloved NFL 2K5, no longer has online multiplayer. NBA 2K12 likewise has no online support, at last check.

In 2011 EA Sports shut down online support, including roster sharing, for its NCAA Basketball series, which as a physical release outlived College Hoops by a year and was canceled after its November 2009 release. Theoretically, rosters may still be shared among PC gamers playing College Hoops 2K8 or playing college mods of 2K Sports' NBA series, but this is effectively the death of college basketball in console video gaming.

NBA 2K12 gamers first noticed the outage, according to this thread, begun three weeks ago. They pointed to this message on 2K Sports' Forums, saying the servers for everything but MLB 2K12 and NBA 2K13 went dark on Nov. 1. I checked and was still able to create matches and connect to other players in Top Spin 4, 2K Sports' acclaimed tennis simulation released in 2011.

College basketball has long been a problematic license for sports publishers. Though the NCAA has a billion-dollar television contract for its championship tournament and summons millions of viewers in North America in March, titles under its license released in November, typically at the end of the simulation sports publishing cycle, and were cannibalized by the professional basketball games. College sports simulations also face the threat of litigation; a lawsuit currently in U.S. federal court claims the NCAA and its licensed games publishers—i.e. EA Sports—unlawfully used actual amateur players' likenesses.

EA Sports developed a roster-sharing feature through its console games in response to the NCAA's unwillingness to license the use of its athletes' real names. 2K Sports' "roster share" feature, which arrived later in its College Hoops title, was similar in structure.

With respect and admiration for, if not apologies to, the late Ernie Harwell, here's something adapted from his famous Induction Day speech at the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Aug. 2, 1981, which itself was adapted from this 1955 essay.

Stick Jockey has published this annually on the weekend after Thanksgiving weekend. I've updated it for this year, and I'd like for it to remain a tradition.

Sports video games are the very first video games: a glowing ball bouncing back across an oscilloscope in a atomic research laboratory. Tennis for Two. They're there with the first coin-operated video games, at a bar in Sunnyvale, Calif., in a crude machine stuffed with so many quarters that it broke down. Pong. That's a sports video game.

They are the original fighters and the original racers. Turbo and Punch-Out!!, Pole Position and Ring King, Ready 2 Rumble, UFC Undisputed and Fight Night. Sports video games were there at the beginning of console multiplayer gaming, on a dialup and a Dreamcast.

The Greek rhetorician Athenaeus once wrote, "No one has yet calculated how many imaginary triumphs are celebrated by people each year to keep up their courage." I do not know either, but I suspect the answer is in the millions of sports video games sold every year the world over. Maybe sports games don't make the cover of Game Informer. Maybe their rumors aren't spread throughout the industry with breathless speculation. But sports video games don't take seven years to develop, either. Without fail, on opening day, your favorite team, its players and the entire league will be on a disc in your tray.

From Green Bay to Manchester City, every failing can be reversed, every triumph can be reimagined in a sports video game. Every year, a Heisman Trophy winner sits down, controller in hand, and enrolls at a completely different school to recreate his career there. That's a sports video game. So is the Phillies fan who took Roy Halladay on a journey through 13 perfect innings, gave up a hit, and had the character to accept the outcome. Sports games extend the passion of rivalries and nourish the expression of a competitive spirit that, for millions, began a long starvation on their last day in shoulderpads or stirruped hose.

Grown men skipping a Tuesday of work to stay home playing football all day, that's a sports video game. So are the legions of sore-thumbed editors, the clutter of spent Mountain Dew bottles and Athlon magazines at their feet, working feverishly into a hot July night to rename football rosters. Every year, 128 fathers, husbands, lawyers, accountants and otherwise will go to a bar in Wisconsin to settle a claim made in rec rooms, dorms and frat houses for more than 20 years: No one can beat me at Tecmo Super Bowl.

Sports video games are speed, jumping, performance in the clutch, righthanded power and stamina. Every skill is measured, up to the coveted 99 and the rarefied 100. And you can give yourself all of them in every attribute, if you wish, in a sports game. Sports video games are the greatest performers returned to life. A child born after 1992 today may behold the brilliance and dominance of The Dream Team—the greatest assembly of talent in any sport in the world—thanks to a sports video game. And above even that, sports video games provide their own class of heroes: Jon Dowd, QB Eagles, Ken Griffey Jr., Jeremy Roenick of NHL ‘94, and the incomparable Tecmo Bo Jackson.

Where our fathers and grandfathers had the Sports Illustrated jinx and the Wheaties box, today we have the Madden Curse and the cover star. Making the packshot of a sports video game is the new certification of superstar status; the first generation of athletes to grow up dreaming of such an honor takes the field now.

Sports games are a wide receiver for the Denver Broncos hauling in a miracle catch and then running parallel to the goal line to bleed out the clock—because he saw that in a sports video game. They're a rookie, his experience no bigger than the lump in his throat, making two debuts—one in real life, and another in the mid-season roster update. And they're a veteran too, a tired old man of thirty-five calling up Sandy Sandoval to fix his speed rating, saying he's still got his wheels.

Sports video games supply their own play-by-play calls. They're "Boomshakalaka!" TOUCH DOWN! THURMAN THOMAS, and going inside the mind of a Greg Jennings, putting da team on your back, doe. Pat Summerall exclaiming "Oh no, there's a man down!" while an ambulance snowplows the healthy bodies out of the way—that's a sports video game. They're Andrew Anthony, for the better part of two decades, declaring "It's in the game," a slogan that has outlived "fly the friendly skies," "be all you can be," Mr. Goodwrench and the Energizer Bunny.

You may never shake hands at the net at Wimbledon's Centre Court, or rub Howard's Rock at Death Valley. You may never play a single hole of Augusta National Golf Course. The Polo Grounds and Eddie Grant's memorial are long gone. But you can go to all of these sacred places in a sports video game.

And there, your favorite athlete will never leave your favorite team. There, "next year" is this year and every year. In there is the time for the Maple Leafs, the Detroit Lions, the Chicago Cubs, the city of Cleveland and the nation of England—to win it all. And then win it all over again.

These are games for all of us, still games for all of us, these sports video games. Thank you.

Happy holidays, everyone. Tape this to your locker door, get out there and play like a champion today.

Assuming three lives per quarter, you can die 720 times in Dark Souls before you'd have to spend more than its original retail price of $59.99. Yet, I think 720 deaths might be on the low side for most folks in this game.

deviantART user semsei imagined Dark Souls as a 1980s arcade cabinet promo flyer in this brilliant poster. It proclaims "10 different classes, 27 amazing locations, 26 bosses, 0 hand-holding." Also, remember to use these buttons to not die.

Dark Souls Arcade Cabinet Magazine Spoof [semsei of deviantART via Game Informer.]

Nolan Bushnell, the man behind Pong and Atari's first home video game console, says he doesn't get the attraction of the Wii U. "I actually am baffled by it," he told The New York Times for a weekend feature. "I don't think it's going to be a big success."

What's more, Bushnell doesn't think the Wii U dawns a new gaming console generation as much as it closes down an era in which consoles are video gaming's dominant force. "It feels like the end of an era to me."

The Times, in an attempt to capture the news of the Wii U's debut week, goes off on a stretch of futurecasting that positions mobile gaming as the doom-bringer to console hardware. Anecdotes present lids with console hardware in the living room, yet fooling around on iPads because the games load more quickly. Nintendo's abstinence from developing for smartphones and tablets is portrayed as potentially fatal not just to that company, but to the console business it has defined for more than 25 years. Traditional games' prices are presented as too steep next to mobile games', even considering the cheapness of free-to-play modes.

I don't think the Wii U heralds a renaissance for Nintendo or for console gaming; the company simply waited too long to deliver a high-definition alternative but, to its credit, didn't create one just for the sake of cannibalizing its own product line. Nor do I think it's too late to the party. The GamePad and the Miiverse may look like copies of tablet hardware and social networking but it's not to say they don't have potential to deliver new experiences.

But saying the Wii U shuts the door on an era of video gaming, when we're all but assured of a new console—perhaps two, in the coming calendar year—seems a bit of a stretch. Mobile may be pinching console gaming with its ridiculously low price points, but the 99-cent expectation it sets also crimps developers are willing to make and publishers are willing to fund, too. Facebook gaming is a tremendously disposable experience. Nintendo may have recently posted its first loss ever as a video games company, but it's not like Zynga is tonning it right now.

Nintendo Confronts a Changed Video Game World [The New York Times]

At no point during its E3 2012 keynote did Electronic Arts mention what it would be delivering when the Wii U arrived later in the year. There could be any of number of good reasons for this, but a major publisher's total silence on a new console was enough that I had to double-check with Madden NFL's general manager that, yes, a version was still being built for Wii U.

"I'm actually really excited about what the Wii U team is doing," Cam Weber said back in June. "That control device unlocks some really cool potential things that the team is working on. I'm excited about it. I think it's a dark horse."

Weber's right that the Wii U's GamePad does unlock some cool, and useful features in Madden NFL 13. But it doesn't unlock enough to make its Wii U debut much more than a plant-the-flag entry for a brand obligated to launch with new hardware.

When EA Sports' then-president Peter Moore announced Madden as a launch title during the Wii U's unveiling in 2011, of course he noted the ability to draw receiver routes at the line of scrimmage, using your finger like you would in sandlot dirt. It's the most obvious application of the touchscreen. But where Madden NFL 13 really adds value is in the defensive pre-snap adjustments.

As the opposing offense comes to the line in Madden NFL 13, the GamePad screen shows a circles-and-triangles schematic. On offense, you can touch any receiver or running back and assign him a new route. (I recommend using your finger instead of the stylus, which frequently failed to register.) You can't, however, change a running back from a passing route to a blocking assignment, that still must be done with button controls. On running plays, you can't change receivers' blocking or route instructions either.

The game still employs the new feature of receivers knowing when to look for the ball—with their passing icons grayed out until they'd reasonably be ready for it. For custom-drawn routes it appears the receivers' icons are lit after they get five yards from the line of scrimmage, regardless of whatever complicated path you've drawn.

On defense, someone with enough muscle memory (and the Madden 10 button shortcuts enabled) can easily pull off three adjustments before a standard snap—repositioning the secondary, dropping a blitzing linebacker into a zone, putting a cornerback in man coverage on a specific receiver. On the Xbox 360 or PS3, all of these changes would require multiple button presses, with innate knowledge of the menus. For those who prefer to call plays and move chess pieces and let the CPU play things out on defense (like me), the presnap capabilities offered by the GamePad could one day make this the preferred mode of play.

What stands in the way of this version being preferred now is the jarring framerate skip that seems to happen in every transition, from post-play cutscene to huddle and back. It definitely marks Madden NFL 13 on the Wii U as a port, regardless of whether these troubles are with the Wii U's hardware or EA's code. Frameskip in the pre-game cutscenes even seemed to put Jim Nantz and Phil Simms out of lip-synch with their audio. You'll get used to it, and if you're studying your GamePad as teams break the huddle you'll see it less. But it's still a drawback.

Playing the game on the GamePad itself seems to avoid the frameskip, though you lose whatever functionality distinguishes Madden on the Wii U and end up with something like Madden 13 on the PS Vita, although you can still play an online Connected Careers game. You just have to make the switch before you enter a game.

The Wii U version of Madden NFL 13 also lacks the "Infinity Engine" delivering real-time physics in each play. Stumbling runs and runs-after-the-catch are, like the Vita, gone from this game, but you'll still see some of the new base animations Madden NFL 13 introduced. Without the physics, though, you also see the deficiencies of the game's oblivious run blocking, and some contact after the whistle will see a receiver or runner sprinting off out of bounds, presumably because that momentum was supposed to carry into a more authentic fall or stumble. With the exception of the poor run blocking, this is largely cosmetic. Play from snap to whistle is not noticeably affected.

Where I was most disappointed is in the Wii U GamePad's uselessness during Madden's most time-consuming mode: franchise management. Drafting, scouting, trading, roster management, through all of this the GamePad's screen is dark (well, it displays a title card.) The GamePad is a secondary screen where it could be a powerful adjunct to the main screen of a game given to menu sludge. To see that the GamePad's only application is in playcalling and pre-snap adjustments tells me that Madden NFL 13's Wii U version may have gotten a dedicated team, but it wasn't very large.

All other components of the game, including online play (except for Online Team Play) and the new Connected Careers mode, are present in Madden NFL 13. For Nintendo fans or those who only have a Wii U as a high-definition console, it will be refreshing to have EA Sports' full NFL experience back in the living room. Of note, there is no Online Pass restriction for online play; if you buy Madden NFL 13 used for the Wii U, you get everything.

Yet those with another high-definition console shouldn't feel much compulsion to run out and get Madden NFL 13 on Wii U; the current Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 version will suffice, particularly as it has the real-time physics engine. While it is good to see EA Sports committed to supporting this title (its roster was updated last week, something never seen on the wretched All-Play series for Wii) it'll need to take big steps by next August to make this series on this console a full partner.

Fixing the frameskip, making greater use of the GamePad—especially in team management menus—and the inclusion of the physics engine are mandatory come August 2013. The absence of any of those will result in lower marks for Madden 14 on Wii U than on its older high-definition rivals.

Father and son sharing a happy moment before purchasing the Wii U at a GameStop on Black Friday. Not pictured: Police barriers, trampled bodies.

Here's an image supplied to us by Nintendo of America, under the heading "Photos of Black Friday Shoppers Purchasing Must-Have Nintendo Products." While their expressions don't speak of combat-weary triumph seen all over America on Friday, they are definitely more exploitable than the misery and mayhem seen elsewhere, principally Walmart. Here's this week's Photoshop contest image. Have at it:

Source Image: Photo of Black Friday Shoppers Purchasing Must-Have Nintendo Products. [Nintendo of America]

Feel free to use all other callbacks and external memes in this week's contest.

Here are the rest of the guidelines for entering.

1. Create your 'Shop and save it to your desktop.
2. Go to the comments beneath this post and click "reply."
3. Click "Add Image" in the comment window.
4. Click "Upload an Image Instead." Then click the "Choose File" button. Browse your desktop, find the image, and click "open."
5. If you prefer, you can upload the 'Shop to a free image hosting service. I suggest imgur. Then click "Add image" in the upper right above the comment window. Paste the image URL into the field that says "Image URL."
6. Add editorial commentary (you can't post an image without some kind of text in the comment field), then just hit submit and your image will load. If it doesn't, upload the image to imgur and paste the image URL as a comment. I promise I will look at it.
7. This is important: Keep your image size under 1 MB. If you're still having trouble uploading the image, try to keep its longest dimension (horizontal or vertical) under 1000 pixels.

All set? Great. Now, Gentlemen, start your 'shopping!

The Brony Reconquista claimed another significant beachhead with this mod for Wargaming.net's World of Tanks. The mod is 5GB large, stuffed with glitter and rainbows and throat-gagging irony. See for yourself in the video above.

Following mods for Minecraft and other games, this one perverts WoT with more than 90 audio tracks, new pony-themed tank skins, renamed nations and achievements. The mod is the work of one RelicShadow, and is an amalgamation of mods he and others have created.

The mod evidently has some issues with running properly, and that it's recommended all other mods to World of Tanks be uninstalled before using.

My Little Pony mod compilation brings true horror of war to World of Tanks [PCGamesN via Massively.]

My Little Pony World of Tanks Megamod [World of Tanks Forums]

Welcome to your Sunday read of the week's best in web comics. Make sure to click on the expand button in the bottom right to enlarge each comic.

ActionTrip by Borislav Grabovic and Ure Paul published Nov. 17.—Read more of ActionTrip
Awkward Zombie by Katie Tiedrich published Nov. 19.—Read more of Awkward Zombie
Nerf NOW!! by Josué Pereira published Nov. 22.—Read more of Nerf NOW!!
Penny Arcade by Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik published Nov. 21.—Read more of Penny Arcade
Manly Guys Doing Manly Things by Kelly Turnbull published Nov. 17.—Read more of Manly Guys Doing Manly Things
Virtual Shackles by Jeremy Vinar and Mike Fahmie published Nov. 21.—Read more of Virtual Shackles
Another Videogame Webcomic by Phil Chan and Joe Dunn published Nov. 17.—Read more of Another Videogame Webcomic
Legacy Control by Javis Ray published Nov. 17.—Read more of Legacy Control

Samuel L. Jackson is the host of this year's Video Game Awards, and even though the man has hosted it three times before, for some reason this glassy expression communicates everything I expect from a movie star handing out this particular trophy.

So, we handed the publicity stills to you folks to see if you could come up with something a little more exciting for him to hold. And y'all sure did, with 15 finalists, including overall No. 1 and repeat all-star uscg_pa, above.

arniejolt (3) has Nick Fury contemplating the fate of Iron Man. ykc (15) offers a classic subject swap. I don't know what sciteach (12) was going for, but it's an adult diaper joke, so I'll allow it. Toilet humor also gets SKtwentysix (13) in the roundup.

kaploy9 (7) is ... well I have no idea what the hell this is, but President Obama impersonating McKayla Moroney cropped up in a few submissions like iconoclast24's (6) (plus McKayla imitating McKayla in Angryrider's (2) work), so feel free to use his face going forward. Considering who's behind the VGA's I knew someone would go there, and boy did bovURVN (4) do it.

Nathalie (10) came through with probably the best subject swap. dsa88's (5) comes with the caption: "What he's really thinking." And though we had a ton of Pulp Fiction references, my favorite was uscg_pa's (14), good for overall No. 1

Thanks again to everyone who entered. We'll have a new contest for you tomorrow.

AirCairo
Angryrider
arniejolt
bovURVN
dsa88
iconoclast24
kaploy 9
Misterlukeherb
musickkid43
NAthalie
r1ggs
sciteach
SKtwentysix
uscg_pa
ykc

Many of us would consider a long console lifespan to be a good thing, but Yves Guillemot, the CEO at Ubisoft, says it's bad for the industry.

Bemoaning a "very long" transition to new hardware, Guillemot told Polygon that "we are used to changing machines every five years." At the end of a hardware cycle, the market dips because publishers are unwilling to invest in new properties if new machines are on the way.

Guillemot added that the transition to new hardware is typically when studios and publishers try to make a fresh start of things. "When a console is out for a long time ... you don't take as much risks on totally new IPs because even if they are good, they don't sell as well."

While I'm not keen on buying a new console every three or four years, what he's saying does have some merit, particularly from where I observe things in sports. Annual sports titles are a great example of a product whose owners won't take risks with at the end of a console cycle—NCAA Football 13, criticized as a bland follow-up to 12, is a prime example. Scuttlebutt holds that developers aren't inclined to push through new concepts because they'd either have to re-engineer them on new hardware.

Ubisoft: Long console life-cycles bad for the industry [Polygon]