The Global Challenge results are now in, with The World team taking the title! It was an extremely close battle with The World team winning by .18 of a stroke. The final score was North America with an average of 16 -under par and The World at 16.18 -under par. Thank you to everyone that participated in the Global challenge and a special thanks to the team captains for keeping everything organized.  World team, you are now the official Tiger Woods PGA TOUR Global Champions! I'm sure the North America team will be looking for a rematch in the near future...

On that note, we would like to announce the beginning of the Champions of Gaming tournament sponsored by Gillette. The Second Annual "Gillette - EA SPORTS Champions of Gaming Tournament on Xbox 360," the world's largest multi-sport online gaming competition pits gamers from around the globe against each other. The winners will get to compete against some of the biggest names in the world of sports, including Gillette Champion Tiger Woods. The event starts on 11/18/2009 and concludes in March 2010 where the Regional Champions from North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific will compete against each other for the chance to play Tiger Woods! Check here for rules and more information - http://www.easports.com/gillette/game/tiger

Final Global Challenge Statistics

North America

Xbox 360 Average Score = -15.99

PS3 Average Score = -16.02

Overall Average Score = -16.0

Best Score

NYBLAKE1 = -25

Dendo = -25

World

Xbox 360 Average Score = -16.32

PS3 Average Score = -16.04

Overall Average Score = -16.18

Best Score

ASTRONUT = -25

Leaderboards

Thanks again for participating in the Global Challenge. Now get ready for the Xbox 360 Champions of Gaming event starting this week. Amazing prizes with the chance to play against Tiger Woods himself! Good Luck to all!

-Christian Brandt

Everyone is a little bit competitive in their own way.  Whether you play real life sports or sports video games, competition is what determines the best above the rest.  For years EA SPORTS has set the benchmark in sports video games.  And year after year gamers around the world connect to settle differences between foes, team-up to defeat rivals, and play their favorite sports with as much passion as the athletes that grace the real-life stage.  This year is no different and with a stable of titles on the shelves, EA SPORTS fans are busier than ever competing FTW in their favorite sports games.  

EA SPORTS Challenge Hits Anaheim
Alongside the guys at the Major League of Gaming, we've got our next round of Live gaming battles in Anaheim, CA, where some of the best sports-gamers in the nation will put their PS3 skills to the test.  All the Madden Spectator passes have been sold out, though there still are some remaining for FIGHT NIGHT Round 4 and NBA LIVE 10 gamers for this weekend's live tournament.  With some serious prizing, the competition is tough and it's no wonder the best from the entire nation find their way to compete at these live events.

Title Update and DLC Brings New Battles to FIGHT NIGHT Round 4
On the topic of tough, there are none tougher than the chins on Brizzo and Mahar (the 'Mike' variety) as the FIGHT NIGHT Round 4 producers will be fielding community questions about the upcoming title update, with game adjustments that the fans have hoped would be changed and haven't been shy voicing about on the forums.  Well, just as they were critically vocal about what they wanted changed, it's these guys that have done a 180 themselves singing the praises as the team looks to deliver improvements that will enhance online play and further make the game even more realistic than it already  has been.  Check out what the title update consists of here. 

If you're on the Playstation Network, Brizzo and Mahar will be hanging out Club Fight Night in the EA SPORTS Complex wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving on November 25th between 3-4PM PST.  Catch the producers there if you have any questions or feedback for the guys.  Or even just challenge them to one of the games in the EA SPORTS Complex. 

For those that have a few bucks saved up come December, the next set of downloadable content will also include three new boxers and two new Game Modes, including Ring Rivalries and Old School Rules.  Community members are chompin' at the bit for a chance to box with Evander Holyfield, Sonny Liston, and Bernard Hopkins and I can't wait to see some of the battles that'll come out of these new additions to the game. 

If you haven't yet stepped into the ring, there's no better time than now as gamers can pick up the game for only 40 bucks.  Get your buddy a copy so you can get online and beat the s!@# out of each other this holiday season.  I wonder if I should copyright that...it could end up on a Hallmark card.

Compete and Chat with the Game Producers
Especially if you have an XBOX 360, you'll want to grab a copy as we'll be hosting another Community Playdate, FIGHT NIGHT style, after the title update and DLC drops.  Look for more details to come on the December 9th playdate and live chat soon.

NHL 10 fans had their chance to match up against me and some of the devs last week.  For about six hours members of the community got a chance to talk to the producers and give some game feedback while testing their stick-handling skills and going FTW against some the team's best.  Check out the recap of the NHL 10 Community Playdate here.

Compete for a Chance to Play the Best in the Gillette Champions of Gaming
Back to the topic of competitions while the PS3 gamers battle it out in Anaheim this weekend, you XBOX 360 owners better brush up on your online skills as the Gillette Champions of Gaming makes a return for another year.  Earn a shot at playing the world's best athletes including none other than Tiger Woods, Derek Jeter, or even Rodger Federer.  The qualifying rounds start soon so if you play Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10, FIFA Soccer 10, NHL 10, FIGHT NIGHT Round 4, or Madden NFL 10 bring your game online for a chance at some ultimate glory. 

So as I said, there's a lot of competition going on.  With all the competing going on though, the one thing that remains is the sportsmanship; the "Good-Game's" after the battles and the nods to your opponents for their nice play.  Let's not forget that even the pro's meet at the on the middle of the battle field for a handshake after a game. 

It is the competition, after all, that brings the best out of us and pushes us to be better every day. 

Now that, I did read on a greeting card. 

In yesterday's Gillette-EA SPORTS Champions of Gaming Finals, the pro gamer finalists came on strong and won four out of five match ups against their real life athlete opponents.  Here's a look at the results:

Tiger Woods vs. Steven Ward: Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 09

Tiger Woods performed better than any of his fellow athletes by tying 52 year old Australian gamer Steven Ward with a birdie on the one hole they played.  Their match was quick but pretty intense, and you could tell both were serious competitors.

Derek Jeter vs. Joe Miguel Morales Herrera: EA SPORTS Soccer 09

Jose and Derek Jeter went head to head in a shootout and it was Jose's early lead that propelled him to victory.  At one point Jeter did make two straight penalty shots but it wasn't enough to come back from behind.  Jose used Real Madrid while Jeter took Manchester United.

Denny Hamlin vs. Michael Loyd: NASCAR 09

NASCAR fan Michael Loyd used Jeff Gordon while Denny Hamlin chose his own car to go head to head for 6 laps in NASCAR 09.  This race was one of the closest competitions of the day as Hamlin and Loyd took turns as leader several times.  In the end it was Loyd who came out on top, surging ahead of Hamlin in the final lop for the win.

Jameer Nelson vs. Steffon Dunlop: NBA Live 09

Jameer Nelson was fresh off a real life injury but showed his toughness by showing up to play pro gamer finalist Steffon Dunlop.  Steffon took the Knicks against Jameer's Magic and while the outcome was never really in question, both players had their moments.  Final score: Knicks 32, Magic 20.

Reggie Bush vs. Paul Glasgow: Madden NFL 09

Pro gamer Paul Glasgow allowed Reggie Bush to select the team he'd used and ended up with the Detroit Lions, while Reggie used his own New Orleans Saints in their match-up.  Bush kept it relatively close but it was clear that Glasgow was in control.  Madden NFL 09 producer Phil Frazier gave Bush a hard time because he kept trying to get the ball to his virtual likeness during the game.  Although he failed on two 2 point conversation attempts after scoring, Glasgow won by a final score of 12-7.

Thanks for following our coverage of the Gillette-EA SPORTS Champions of Gaming Finals.  Keep an eye out for more videos and coverage here on the blog, as well as EA SPORTS World.

After a day full of competition, the Gillette - EA SPORTS Champions of Gaming have been crowned. The athletes put up a valid effort, but they were no match for the EA SPORTS gaming community. Tiger Woods was the only athlete not to lose his showdown with the gamers.

As you can tell from the pictures above and below, all parties involved had a good time competing in the Gillette - EA SPORTS Champions of Gaming Finals.

Check back here throughout the week and on www.easportsworld.com for all of the video highlights as well as blog posts from the gamer's showdown with the athletes. 

The final rounds are nearing and the Gillette - EA SPORTS Champions of Gaming finalists have been determined. As the athletes get ready for their showdown, they decided to get a quick shave in with the Gillette Fusion Gamer Razor.