Skip to main content

Baltimore beats San Francisco to win Super Bowl XLVII (according to Madden 13)

Madden '13 Super Bowl simulation
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Since 2004, in the days leading up the Super Bowl EA has run a simulated match, in which the latest version of the publisher’s fan-favorite Madden NFL football franchise attempts to predict the outcome of the big game. Normally this would be seen as merely an effort to drum up latter-day interest in a product, but over the past nine years Madden NFL has proven surprisingly accurate in calling out the winner of the upcoming Super Bowl. In nine attempts to date, the video game was able to correctly predict the victor seven times, including picking the New York Giants to win the last Super Bowl over the heavily favored New England Patriots.

With Super Bowl XLVII scheduled for February 3, we’re now less than a week from the biggest football game of the year. As such, EA has announced the results of its latest Super Bowl simulation. According to the game, the Baltimore Ravens will beat the San Francisco 49ers with a final score of 27-24, thanks to a late-game field goal by rookie kicker Justin Tucker. As time ran down in the faux Bowl the 49ers attempted to mount a quick comeback, but that was rapidly ended when Ravens safety Ed Reed intercepted a pass thrown by 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

Along with its press release heralding the simulated results, EA also issued a highlight reel which you can find embedded below. As you’d expect, that aforementioned interception receives a lot of focus, but there’s also a very solid hit from Ray Lewis at the 46-second mark. It’s almost enough to make you forget about that one time he was accused of killing two guys

Editors' Recommendations

Earnest Cavalli
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Earnest Cavalli has been writing about games, tech and digital culture since 2005 for outlets including Wired, Joystiq…
The most common PSVR 2 problems and how to fix them
A PSVR2 headset on a sky-blue background.

The hype around PSVR 2 has largely died off just a year after its launch, though there's no denying it’s a cool piece of tech. Making big strides from the original PSVR, the latest headset from Sony offers better graphics, improved tracking capabilities, and introduced the world to the sleek new Sense controllers, which make it easier than ever to interact with your virtual world.

But, like all new pieces of tech, PSVR 2 isn't without its issues. From faulty Sense controllers to blurry images, here's a look at the most common PSVR 2 issues and how to fix them. Many of these steps will also work with PSVR, though note the menu navigation might be slightly different.
Your Sense controller isn't working properly

Read more
Weekend deal: Save $350 on this Alienware gaming PC with RTX 4070
Alienware Aurora R16 sitting on a desk.

The Alienware brand is Dell’s dive into the gaming world, and Dell is coming up big today when it comes to gaming PC deals. The super popular Alienware Aurora R16 gaming desktop with some serious specs is currently discounted at Dell. It’s marked down from $2,050 to $1,700 and amounts to $350 in savings. This is one of the better Alienware deals you’ll find today and we don’t know how long it will last, so click over to Dell to claim the savings while yo can.

Why you should buy the Alienware Aurora R16 gaming desktop
There are a lot of great options when trying to ensure you’re getting one of the best gaming PCs, and with Alienware you know you’ll be getting something you can take seriously. The Alienware Aurora R16 is a gaming desktop that offers ultimate expansion and customization options, and it’s where a lot of gamers turn when they’re looking to take on the best PC games. As built for this deal the Aurora R16 has 32GB of RAM and an Intel i9 processor with 24 cores. This is a lot of power even by gaming standards, and the powerful NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card with 12GB of its own RAM is part of the package as well.

Read more
TopSpin 2K25 serves up a fun, but safe tennis simulation revival
Serena Williams plays Tennis in TopSpin 2K25.

The first video game console I ever owned was an original Xbox that came bundled with two games: NCAA Football 2005 and Top Spin. My appreciation for both Madden and tennis games can be traced back to those being two of my first-ever console gaming experiences.

That’s why I was very excited to hear that Mafia 3 developer Hanger 13 and publisher 2K were bringing the Top Spin tennis series back with TopSpin 2K25 after a 13-year dormancy. Unfortunately, I'm disappointed with how underwhelming the overall product is. Even though it’s the series’ grand return after over a decade, it feels like an extremely iterative sequel to Top Spin 4. It’s certainly approachable, thanks to great tutorials and new meter systems to help players learn proper timing, but TopSpin 2K25's light content offering doesn't make for the strongest opening serve.
Top Spin returns
Developer Hanger 13 hasn’t been coy about the fact that it used 2011's Top Spin 4 as the base to build TopSpin 2K25. Top Spin 4 is a fantastic tennis game that people still play to this day, as it perfected the series’ timing-based gameplay. This isn’t like Mario Tennis Aces, where a special ability can shoot you across the court and hit timing doesn’t matter. TopSpin 2K25 is a true simulation, so learning proper positioning on the court, when to release a button to swing your racket, and how to aim your shot properly are all critical to success.

Read more