My goal for next year is to be in the Guinness World Records 2012 Gamer's Edition as the person with the longest on-toilet gaming marathon. That is going to be a serious case of pins and needles. 

News Blips:

EA CEO John Riccitiello talks a big game about Star Wars: The Old Republic, claiming his company is going "right at" World of Warcraft. You know when a geeky high-school sophomore says that he's had sex seven times, that's really code for "I'm still a virgin"? It's the same with CEOs talking about their products. Riccitiello's job is to impress investors, and that means building up hype for The Old Republic. "I'm not expecting to sort of knock [WOW] over, but...we're gonna get a big chunk of [their market]," Riccitiello said at a Goldman Sachs conference according to Industrygamers.com. I don't know...sounds like a virgin to me. 

Guinness World Records has performed science and revealed their list of the top 50 video-game characters of all time. 13,000 gamers voted for their favorite characters in a poll conducted by Guinness. The list, which will be printed in Guinness World Records 2011 Gamer's Edition, includes Mario, Link, and Master Chief in the top spots. I'm surprised that Sonic didn't make the list. (Actually, I just wanted to see if that last sentence would cause enraged Sonic fans to storm the Guinness headquarters.)

Crysis 2 PC demo arrives March 1. Like the Xbox 360 demo, it will focus on multiplayer, including two maps and two modes. Players can earn enough XP to access all of the game's preset loadouts. The full Crysis 2 game will hit store shelves and digital distributors on March 22.

Sega classics coming to the PlayStation Network for $4.99, or free to PS Plus subscribers. More good news for gamers who subscribe to Sony's premium download service: You're getting more free games. The classic titles include Sonic the Hedgehog, Streets of Rage 2, and Altered Beast. Not only will Plus users get the games as part of their subscription, but they will also receive access to them earlier than their non-paying comrades. Keep in mind that these games will only be free for a limited time, and if you cancel your Plus membership, they'll be gone. So don't even think about signing up for the service in August and downloading all of the titles at once. 

Got any hot news tips? Send 'em over to tips@bitmob.com