Hollywood and Gaming, combined?

by Zachary Slobig Wed Jun 28, 2:48 AM ET

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - The US entertainment industry will be increasingly convergent, with original storylines packaged and released across several media concurrently, said video game and film developers in Hollywood.

"This sort of synergy is a vast untapped resource waiting to explode," said film director Paul W. S. Anderson, whose titles include "Mortal Kombat," and the "Resident Evil" series, at the first annual Hollywood and Games Summit. "We'll begin to see intellectual property designed to be released as video games, feature films, and television spin-offs all at the same time," said Anderson, who is currently shooting the upcoming film "Dead or Alive," based on a popular video game.

More Americans play video games regularly than go to the movies, and the average age of gamers has climbed to 33, according to the founder of the video game department at the International Creative Management, Keith Boesky.

Hollywood is looking for more lucrative ways to exploit this trend in US entertainment consumption with a satuturation approach to marketing. The film industry wants to insure that the expansion of gaming does not come at the expense of box office receipts.

Industry insiders like Seamus Blackley, who handles gaming and film cross-over at Creative Artists Agency, believes Hollywood and the gaming industry have passed the awkward honeymoon phase and are entering a familiar partnership.

"Someday even the president of the United States will be a gamer," said Blackley. "Then our industry will really be different."

Finally, Final Fantasy.

US Final Fantasy XII Launch Set For Halloween

Square-Enix confirms the North American release date for the twelfth Final Fantasy...

Posted: 10:28 on 29 Jun 2006

By: Jon Wilcox

Having received exceptionally high scores when it launched across Japan back in Spring, Square-Enix has confirmed a date for when North America will be able to get their hands on Final Fantasy XII.

Set for release across the territory on October 31st 2006, the PlayStation2 exclusive will be launched in both a Standard and Collector's Edition for $49.99 (£27.50) and $59.99 (£33.00) respectively.

The game follows the story of how two characters from the besieged country of Dalmasca, Vaan and Princess Ashe, attempt to uncover the origins of an invading force from the Archadian Empire, across the land of Ivalice.

Wes Craven and video games.

San Jose Mercury News writer Dean Takahashi says in his blog that the horror-film director is in talks to create an original game.

By Brendan Sinclair, GameSpot

Posted Jun 29, 2006 2:08 pm PT

When Wes Craven was given the final speaking slot at the inaugural MI6 game-marketing conference this week in San Francisco, the choice likely raised a few eyebrows. Previously, the director's most visible tie to the world of games was the 1989 Nintendo Entertainment System game based on his film, Nightmare on Elm Street.

Craven was booked to speak about fostering customer loyalty, marketing, and creating anticipation for a product from his perspective as a film director. However, after the conference was over, he spoke with San Jose Mercury News writer Dean Takahashi about his possible work as a game designer. After discussing the director's presentation and attitudes toward gaming in general, Takahashi writes on his blog that the director "said he was in talks to create an original game, but wouldn't elaborate."

Film directors getting into game development is a growing trend. Hong Kong action director John Woo is overseeing the development of Midway's Stranglehold, King Kong director Peter Jackson was hands-on with Ubisoft's interactive adaptation of his big-budget remake, and Steven Spielberg last year signed on to create three next-generation games based on original properties with Electronic Arts.

As for horror directors getting into film, Craven will have some company on that front, too. Halloween helmer John Carpenter is working with Titan Productions on Psychopath, a game that he already has plans to adapt into a movie. Hellraiser director Clive Barker has also dabbled in games, finding critical success with 2001's Undying and falling short with the canceled Demonik.

Yeay! More ads!

Tue Jun 27, 8:04 AM ET

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - South Korean video game company Webzen Inc. on Tuesday said it struck a deal in which Microsoft Corp.'s newly acquired Massive Inc. advertising unit will place promotions in two of its upcoming titles.

The ad deal, which is a first for online game maker Webzen, marks Massive's entry into the Asian market, the companies said. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Games included in the deal are "Huxley," set for release next year, and "All Points Bulletin," due in 2008. Those titles, which are set in virtual urban environments, are so-called massively multiplayer online games that can support thousands of players at once.

Massive sells advertising to companies such as Coca-Cola Co. and Honda Motor Co. Ltd and helps them place their online promotions in slots created by game makers.

The company's technology allows advertisers to run their online campaigns in specific geographic areas and for specific periods of time, rather than buying a spot that is written into the game software.

The new advertising medium -- which some forecasts predict could grow into a $3 billion-plus global market by 2010 -- promises to connect advertisers with the sought-after young male audience that tends to favor the Internet and video games over television and other traditional media.

Online advertising has fueled growth at major Internet companies like Yahoo Inc. (Nasdaq:YHOO - news) and Google Inc. and video game makers are hoping that revenue from online advertising also will help transform their industry, where the cost of making ever-more sophisticated games is climbing fast.

"For us, it's a revenue stream but it also offers some realism for the game," Cindy Armstrong, chief executive of Webzen America, told Reuters in a telephone interview.

What I've been playing:

Brain Age

Top Spin 2

Uno!

Convention Corner:

AFO!!! Come to my panels or something. Doing a panel about Western vs. Japanese RPGs.

Sony talks recoup.

Thu Jun 22, 7:31 AM ET

TOKYO (AFP) - The top brass of Sony Corp (NYSE:SNE - news). have told shareholders that the electronics giant was firmly on the path to recovery and set a goal of selling 100 million PlayStation 3 machines.

"We will continuously execute structural reform to improve earnings and to fully carry out growth strategies," chairman Howard Stringer and president Ryoji Chubachi said in a joint statement.

Stringer, a Welsh-born former television journalist who is the iconic Japanese company's first foreign chief, marked one year in the job with Thursday's shareholder meeting.

His effort was rewarded with better-than-expected earnings for the full year to March although the botton line remains weighed down by painful restructuring costs.

"The management has been thinking how we can revitalize the company," Stringer and Chubachi said Thursday.

"In the year to March 2006, we were able to make steady progress at the appropriate speed toward our goals. We will continue this effort ... by proactively monitoring our progress," they said.

Over the next several years, the company hopes to sell as many as 100 million PlayStation 3 (PS3) game consoles, which will hit the market in November, said Sony Computer Entertainment president and chief executive Ken Kutaragi.

The PlayStation 3 is one of Sony's core products and its success is considered vital to the group's revival.

Sony has long dominated the home video-game market and in November the group said its shipments of the

PlayStation 2 console had topped 100 million since March 2000, including 22.2 million in Asia alone.

Gary: Of course that was before E3 this year. Arrogance brought down one giant in the industry about ten years ago or so...

New Mario huge hit.

Popular DS title sells more than 500,000 copies in the US in just over a month; Nintendo estimates 20 copies sold every minute.

By Tim Surette, GameSpot

Posted Jun 22, 2006 10:07 am PT

We've all heard about the success of the DS Lite and how it sold 136,500 units in its first two days on sale. Naturally, with that many more pieces of hardware in gamers' hands, software sales are bound to spike.

Today, Nintendo announced that its current hot handheld game, New Super Mario Bros., has sold more than half a million copies in the US since it was released on May 15. Putting that in perspective, Nintendo claims those figures translate into 20 copies being sold every minute since its launch. The game has consistently been in the top two on US console sales charts, and reclaimed the top spot last week.

The game has also been a hit in Mario's hometown of Japan. Released in the country 10 days after the US version, New Super Mario Bros. has also topped the charts there, where the DS and DS Lite are nothing short of a sales phenomenon.

New Super Mario Bros. appears to be well on its way to busting through the 1 million sold mark, with the European region launch set for late next week.

More Legalese

Tue Jun 20, 1:36 PM ET

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A federal judge has granted a request by video-game industry groups for a temporary restraining order preventing the state of Louisiana from enforcing a new law that would ban sales of violent games to minors, according to court records obtained on Tuesday.

The ruling, issued by U.S District Court Judge James Brady on Friday, is the latest salvo in a heated battle over content turned out by the $13 billion U.S. video-game industry.

Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco last week signed legislation banning the sale or rental of violent video games to children under the age of 18. Under the law, which was to take effect immediately, violators would face fines of up to $2,000, or one year in prison, or both.

A hearing of the request by the Entertainment Software Association and the Entertainment Merchants Association for a preliminary injunction is scheduled for June 27 before the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana in Baton Rouge.

The industry groups sued to overturn Louisiana's new law, saying similar laws have been struck down by six courts in five years.

Federal judges in California, Illinois and Michigan have found that laws passed by those states violated free-speech guarantees.

GRAW chapter 2 on Live

GRAW Chapter 2 Released On Marketplace

Ubisoft confirms that the continuing co-operative story of the Ghosts in Nicaragua has now gone live...

Posted: 19:12 on 22 Jun 2006

By: Jon Wilcox

Ubisoft has today announced that Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 'Chapter 2' Downloadable Content has now gone live on Xbox Live Marketplace for 1200 Microsoft Points (£10.20).

Bringing four new co-operative missions, eight 're-visited' multiplayer maps, two new gametypes and game mode "Team Battle", two new camouflage patterns, four character customisation faces, and five new weapons, the content is one of larger pieces of downloads available on Marketplace - and one of the most expensive with it. That said, the prospect of continuing the story of a second Ghosts team in Nicaragua is sure to appeal to GRAW gamers on Xbox 360, with the DLC perhaps better considered as an expansion pack for the title.

What I've been Playing:

COD 2

Uno

Brain Age

Anime News:

Naruto returns to PS2

Rumours from the Far East suggest that the ninja anime series may be returning to PlayStation2 later in 2006...

Posted: 11:29 on 19 Jun 2006

By: Jon Wilcox

With Ubisoft confirming back in April that they are to publish Naruto on Xbox 360, rumours from Japan are emerging that suggest the franchise may be making a return to the PlayStation2.

According to the reports (by way of French publication Jeux-France), Bandai Namco are developing Naruto: Konoha Spirits for Sony's current-gen hardware, with a possible Japanese release in Autumn 2006. Confirmation of the title is yet to be made by the Japanese company.

Con Corner:

AFO in little more than a month.

Tightasses demand more info...

By Peter Kaplan Wed Jun 14, 6:59 PM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican lawmakers said on Wednesday that parents need to know more about sexual content and violence in video games and criticized the FTC's handling of a complaint about a top-selling game, "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas."

The industry's voluntary ratings system and game makers have been under fire since last summer, when Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. (Nasdaq:TTWO - news) pulled the blockbuster title from store shelves following complaints about hidden sex scenes that could be viewed with a downloaded program.

Congress asked the FTC to investigate. Last week, the agency reached a settlement with Take-Two that bars the company from misrepresenting rating or content descriptions.

At a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing on violent video games, Michigan Republican Fred Upton complained the settlement terms "aren't even a slap on the wrist."

"I guess I thought the FTC had a few more teeth," Upton added.

Texas Republican Joe Barton, chairman of the entire committee, said the FTC had yet to formally submit a report to Congress on its investigation.

"Given the sensitivity of the issue, it's not acceptable practice by the FTC to respond in such a tardy fashion," Barton said.

Another Republican, Cliff Stearns of Florida, compared violent video games to hate speech and urged the FTC to "get tough" with companies like Take-Two.

"They flout the law and continue to exploit our kids with violence and hate," Stearns said.

But the FTC did not have the authority to impose civil penalties against Take-Two as part of the settlement, Lydia Parnes, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, told the lawmakers.

New DS Lite sells well.

Patrick Seitz Fri Jun 9, 7:00 PM ET

Nintendo is anything but a lightweight in the portable video game market, but its new product is.

The Japanese company was set to release in the U.S. on Sunday a new version of its dual-screen handheld game machine that's smaller and lighter than the original. The Nintendo DS Lite is less than two-thirds the size of the original Nintendo DS, more than 20% lighter and features a brighter screen.

Nintendo officials hope the new DS will help the firm stay ahead of rival Sony (NYSE:SNE - News), which entered the mobile gaming market in March 2005 with its PlayStation Portable, or PSP. And some analysts say Microsoft (NasdaqNM:MSFT - News) looms as a likely rival.

"Nintendo has been very strong in the portable system market," said David Cole, an analyst with DFC Intelligence. "One thing they've been very good at is redesigning and retooling their systems. In the portable market, it's a lot about the style and look of the system. In many ways, it can be a fashion accessory."

Like the original DS, the DS Lite features a touch-screen interface, built-in wireless connectivity and an embedded microphone for spoken commands. It will sell for as low as $129. The DS Lite has been sold in Japan since March 2.

Nintendo has 90% of the portable video game devices market, mostly thanks to its ubiquitous, low-cost Game Boy gadgets. Sony has taken about 10% market share in just over a year, Cole says.

Funny Picture

Soundtracks...weird.

New FlatOut lays out soundtrack

Tunes will rock, cars will roll in Bugbear's wreck-happy racer; soundtrack includes Wolfmother, Mötley Crüe, Audioslave.

By Tim Surette, GameSpot

Posted Jun 15, 2006 2:33 pm PT

Heavy metal meets twisted metal in FlatOut 2, the follow-up to last year's FlatOut, from developer Bugbear. Today, Empire Interactive announced the soundtrack for the demolition derby disguised as a racer, and it's full of rockers from the past and present.

The sound of grinding car parts and shattering glass will be accompanied by the riffs of Australian trio Wolfmother, the new sound of Apple's iPod commercials and rock group du jour. Fellow youngsters Fall Out Boy will contribute "7 Minutes in Heaven" and "Snitches and Talkers Get Stitches and Walkers.," and Yellowcard will also pitch in with "Rough Landing Holly" and "Breathing."

The soundtrack will also offer classic tunes from the days of trashed hotel rooms and denim jackets. Megadeth ("Symphony of Destruction") and Mötley Crüe ("Dr. Feelgood") provide nostalgia, and vet-rocker Rob Zombie also adds two tracks.

FlatOut 2 is scheduled for release on the Xbox, PlayStation 2, and PC this August. For more information, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.

The full soundtrack is listed below.

Artist / Song

Alkaline Trio / Fall Victim

Alkaline Trio / Mercy Me

Audioslave / Man or Animal

Audioslave / Your Time has Come

Fall Out Boy / 7 Minutes in Heaven

Fall Out Boy / Snitches and Talkers Get Stitches and Walkers

Megadeth / Symphony of Destruction

Mötley Crüe / Dr. Feelgood

Nickelback / Believe it or Not

Nickelback / Flat On the Floor

Papa Roach / Blood Brothers

Papa Roach / Not Listening

Rise Against / Give it All

Rob Zombie / Demon Speeding

Rob Zombie / Feel So Numb

Supergrass / Richard III

Supergrass / Road to Rouen

The Chelsea Smiles / Nowhere Ride

Underneath / Reinventing Your Exit

Wolfmother / Dimension

Wolfmother / Pyramid

Yellowcard / Breathing

Yellowcard / Rough Landing Holly

Zebrahead / Gimme Some More

No one I haven't heard from. Is the rumor true? In order to re-fuel CD sales bands want to be on Video Game soundtracks?

HAHAHA! Video Game Addiction Rehab!  I shouldn't laugh...

By FIA CURLEY, Associated Press Writer Fri Jun 9, 7:57 AM ET

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands - An addiction center is opening Europe's first detox clinic for video game addicts, offering in-house treatment for people who can't leave their joysticks alone.

Video games may look innocent, but they can be as addictive as gambling or drugs — and just as hard to kick, says Keith Bakker, director of Amsterdam-based Smith & Jones Addiction Consultants.

Bakker already has treated 20 video game addicts, aged 13 to 30, since January. Some show withdrawal symptoms, such as shaking and sweating, when they look at a computer console.

His detox program begins in July. It will run four to eight weeks, and will include therapy sessions, wilderness excursions, healthy lifestyle workshops and possibly medication.

Research into video gaming is still in its infancy, and researchers haven't agreed on how to define addiction. But many experts say it's clear many of the young people who show dependency on video games are in trouble.

"We have kids who don't know how to communicate with people face-to-face because they've spent the last three years talking to somebody in Korea through a computer," Bakker said. "Their social network has completely disappeared."

It can start with a Game Boy, perhaps given by parents hoping to keep their children occupied but away from the television. From there, it can progress to multilevel games that aren't made to be won.

Bakker said he has seen signs of addiction in children as young as 8.

About a dozen clinics already exist in the United States and Canada, and even one in China, as excessive gaming increasingly is being recognized worldwide as an ailment requiring treatment.

What I've been playing:

Vision issues.

Anime News:

ANIME EXPLOSION: Parasite Dolls

When: Midnight, Friday, June 16

Where: The AMC Universal Cineplex at Universal City Walk Orlando

We will begin wristbanding at 10:30 pm at the table just inside the lobby.

Parasite Dolls

Beauty is only skin deep, but when you can't see beneath the skin, how can you know what you're really dealing with? In a world where perfect androids called Boomers have infiltrated every aspect of society, it's the job of Branch to maintain peace between the people and the plastic. Unfortunately, not all boomers are created perfect, and when boomers go bad, people die. The thin blue line that separates man from machine is about to meet its most horrifying test in Parasite Dolls.

Running Time: 95 minutes

Con Corner:

Gaming Event!

July 17th, 2006

Orange County Convention Center

West Building Hall F

9am to 8pm.

AFO

Welcome to the official Anime Festival Orlando site! Here's where you can get all the questions you have answered. Starting with When Is AFO7? Circle July 28, 29, 30, 2006 on your calendar and write "AFO7" in big letters across those days.

If you have attended AFO in the past three years you are already familiar with our location, the Wyndham Orlando Resort. If you are joining us for the first time you will find it conveniently located and loaded with terrific amenities. Equally as appealing is the easy access to a variety of eateries and attractions. Please visit the Hotel & Travel page for reservation details.

Get your Sex on...line.

By Lisa Baertlein 58 minutes ago

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The adult entertainment industry is on the verge of making online gaming sexier at a time when mainstream publishers are fighting a political and cultural war over erotic content.

The controversial topic will be the subject of a conference in San Francisco on Thursday, where many of the growing industry's big names will gather.

"This is the newest industry and the oldest industry in the world coming together," said Jezebel, a telephone sex business owner and operator of the virtual Bareback Bordello in RedLightCenter.com, an online game inspired by Amsterdam's famed Red Light District and now in test.

Like popular games such as "World of Warcraft" and "Second Life," Utherverse Inc.'s RedLightCenter is an online universe that can support thousands of players. Unlike the mainstream games, where virtual sex happens in areas apart from the main thrust of play, RedLightCenter starts with sex.

"Our product is adult-themed and it's only for adult users," said Utherverse Chief Executive Brian Shuster.

The majority of video game sales in the United States come from console and hand-held game sales. Hardware makers Sony Corp. (6758.T), Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq:MSFT - news) and Nintendo Co. Ltd (7974.OS) have long declined to license development software to game makers whose titles include sexual content.

Still, sex has been the hot-button issue for the $12.6 billion U.S. video game industry since its ratings board last summer slapped an "Adults Only 18+" label on Take-Two Interactive Software Inc.'s (Nasdaq:TTWO - news) best-selling "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" game. That move followed the discovery of an explicit sex scene known as "Hot Coffee," which could only be unlocked and viewed with a computer download.

Retailers, who do not carry adult-rated games, pulled the title from shelves, costing Take-Two millions of dollars and putting a chill on an industry accustomed to self-censorship.

The incident inflamed critics of video game makers -- whose average U.S. customers is an adult man over the age of 25 -- and spawned crusades by lawmakers who want to impose fines on retailers who sell sexually explicit or violent games to minors, despite several court rulings that have blocked such laws on First Amendment grounds.

"I'm not interested in playing the political game of getting a game out in a box and getting it rated. Games have been sickeningly violent over the last decade. Now that they start to show breasts, the government is up in arms," said Shuster.

RedLightCenter is only available via online download.

Howard wants an XBOX.

Sir Howard gaffs at the D: All Things Digital conference during an interview with the Wall Street Journal...

Posted: 12:42 on 08 Jun 2006

By: Jon Wilcox

For all of Sony's perceived confidence ahead of the launch of PlayStation3, it seems that the company's boss Sir Howard Stringer has just one thing on his mind. During an interview with the Wall Street Journal at the D: All Things Digital conference, the Welshman revealed how pleased he was with the box office performance of The Da Vinci Code, commenting, "...It also beat Xbox 3 in Europe in its second weekend."

Corrected by the WSJ journalist that he actually meant "X-Men 3", Stringer replied, "There's an obsession!"

So is the Sony boss having sleepless nights over Xbox 360, or was he just caught up in the forthcoming next-gen console war? We'll put it down as a simple mistake...

Man bites Dog 

By Laurie Sullivan

TechWeb.com Wed Jun 7, 8:36 PM ET

The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has sued the state of Minnesota in Federal District Court seeking to overturn state legislation that tightens restrictions on children and teens buying games with adult themes.

Under Republican Representative Jeff Johnson's measure, minors who purchase games rated M for mature or AO for adults only would be fined $25. Minnesota's Republican governor Tim Pawlenty has signed the bill into law.

The new state law also requires video game retail outlets to erect signs that explain the rating system.

"The complaint was filed on June 6, and we plan to file a motion for a preliminary injunction preventing the statue from going into effect on Aug. 1," Gail Markels, ESA's senior vice president and general counsel said on Wednesday.

The ESA calls the bill unconstitutional and seeks to dismiss it through the lawsuit. The industry organization believes parents and retailers are doing a good job in monitoring the games kids purchase.

Parents are involved in the purchase or rental of games 89 percent of the time, and 87 percent of the time children receive their parents' permission before purchasing or renting a video game, according to the ESA.

Real or Fake? Kevin explains...

By Charlie Demerjian in Taipei: Monday 05 June 2006, 03:35

AFTER BREAKING THE news to me about PS3 RSX speeds earlier on the flight to Japan, my row-mate said 'if you think that's interesting, wait till you see this. Cell is hurting, badly'.

For those of you that believe in religions with karmic tendencies, scoops like this meant one of two things, the wings of the plane are about to fall off and I am going to die in a fiery ball, or worse yet, the movie selection will be worrisome. Cell memory access appears to be broken, RSX has half the triangle setup rate of the ATI chip in XBox360, and the true horror, Big Momma's House 2 and a Queen Latifa movie.

With the movie selection still making my brain throb from the glances I caught, I furiously took notes on what the source was saying. He started out saying that the RSX can only write about half as much vertex data as it can fetch, not an ideal situation by any stretch, but survivable.

Then came the horrible news, RSX appears to be limited to setting up 275 Million triangles/second, anemic compared to the 500+ million in XBox360. When asked about this apparent thumping dished out by MS, the reply from one notable ISV relations boffin was a terse 'What a Piece of Junk'. Talk about a steak in the heart.

Half the triangle setup capability in the PS3, could things get worse? Yes, far far worse, how about another disparity of three orders of magnitude? No, I am not joking, looking at Sony's own figures, Cell appears to be pretty badly broken.

Virtual Arcade News

Posted: 19:17 on 07 Jun 2006

By: Chris Leyton

In a day of Wii revelations - although the all important price and date comes later - Nintendo's Satoru Iwata today talked openly about the Virtual Console, well, discussing the price that gamers can expect to pay for independent games at least.

Following a similar model to Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade service, Nintendo hopes to slow down the current trend of escalating prices, based around increasingly sophisticated videogames. Such "Compact Games" will likely cost "between 500 and 1000 yen" (£2.37 and £4.75) according to Iwata-san, a figure that compares favourably to the likes of Marble Blast Ultra and Outpost Kaloki for 800 Microsoft Points/£6.80 on Xbox Live Arcade.

In traditional Nintendo fashion, Iwata failed to talk about "classic" titles from previous Nintendo formats, along with the MegaDrive and PC Engine; leaving the question of whether gamers will own or rent such desirable titles until another time.

VGN follow up--Major League Gaming

Sixto Ortiz Jr., newsfactor.com Tue Jun 6, 10:05 AM ET

The Super Bowl. The World Cup. The Masters. The Video Game

World Series. Yes, you heard that right: USA Network, which reaches about 90 million cable subscribers in the U.S., announced in April that it will broadcast the entire season of tournaments produced by Major League Gaming (MLG), the four-year-old professional video game league.

The network isn't saying how much it paid for the coverage, but it seems safe to say that MLG's deal doesn't come close to the multibillion-dollar contracts the National Football League has inked with CBS, Fox, NBC, and ESPN. For a fledgling video-game league that wants the same name recognition as

NASCAR or the World Poker Tour, however, it's a huge step forward.

Parents despairing over the countless hours spent by their kids playing video games now have a glimmer of hope that, yes, gaming skills might have a payoff. And who knows? In a few years, the next Tiger Woods might not even have to get up from his chair to dazzle us with his prowess.

What I've been playing:

Oblivion

Ultra Marble Blast

Uno...still.:)

 COD2

Anime News:

Anime Explosion

When: Midnight, Friday, June 16

Where: The

We will begin wristbanding at 10:30 pm at the table just inside the lobby.

Nintendo amusement park?

Patrick Klepek - 1UP Thu Jun 1, 6:21 AM ET

Nintendo fans are known for their obsessive nature; it's part of their lifeblood. Who knew such an infatuation with a fat, Italian plumber who can't score with the chick he keeps saving would manifest itself into the conceptualization of an amusement park based on the principles of the platforming series: jumping, hitting blocks and destroying Goombas.

That's exactly what Dan Albritton, Noah Shibley and Quanya Chen have envisioned with the Nintendo Amusement Park, though; an idea that plans to harness mechanical technologies (how else will you jump so high?) to "give a player super powers which they must learn to control as they bound through a massive obstacle course in three-dimensional space."

This can't be true?!?!

Video games push for Olympic recognition

Global Gaming League talking with China to bring competitive gaming to the Beijing 2008 games

Game Over is a weekly column by Chris Morris

May 31, 2006: 11:50 AM EDT

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - A mouse, keyboard and/or Xbox controller don't seem like the standard gear of an Olympic athlete, but Ted Owen wants to change that.

Owen, who runs the Global Gaming League (GGL), a media company focused on the lifestyle and culture of gaming, is currently talking with the Chinese government in hopes of bringing competitive video gaming to the 2008 Games as a demonstration sport.

Admittedly, it's an uphill battle. Even if you can look past the lack of physical skills necessary to play video games, the Olympics haven't had any sort of demonstration sport since 1992 - and Olympic experts say there has been no movement to bring them back.

Owen, though, said he believes gaming's worldwide appeal - especially to a younger audience - could be the biggest boost to the Games since snowboarding.

"People aren't watching [the Olympics] as much anymore," he argued. "You need to bring younger viewers back if you want to keep making money. To do that, you need to embrace non-traditional sports. They did it with snowboarding - and look how the popularity of that has surged in the Games. Video games deserve to be seen as a non-traditional sport. ... They would bring something to the Games that [that age group] engages in and everyone understands."

Though gaming doesn't take much physical prowess (a quick glance at many of the most talented competitive gamers is confirmation enough), it does demand incredible hand-eye coordination - arguably as much as golf and tennis.

Wii by October?

Posted: 17:59 on 30 May 2006

By: Chris Leyton

Although Nintendo won't tell anybody about when the Wii will arrive, it seems GameStop may have inadvertently given a hint at when we can expect to be waving our arms around, discovering all-new gameplay techniques.

A leaked listing from the US retailer has a provisional line-up of titles, with Rayman Raving Rabbids, Avatar: The Last Airbender and SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab all listed for release on October 2nd - perhaps the same date that the Wii goes on sale across North America.

Madden NFL 2007, Need for Speed: Carbon, Red Steel, Marvel Ultimate Alliance, Call of Duty 3 and Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam are all scheduled to follow shortly after in November if the list is accurate, with confirmation that EA's Medal of Honor: Airbourne will arrive on the Wii during February 2007.

Corporate mouth pieces that need to shut up:

SONY INVENTED 3D!!

Translated from German:

Originally Posted by Phil Harrison

We invented realtime 3D graphic 1994 with Playstation. Nintendo 64 came out 1996 and had Realtime 3D graphics too. But we didn't blame Nintendo and said: "Nintendo, you stole our idea!"

He expects that every PS3 game will use the motion sensor technology.

I and the consumers don't care about Live Anywhere.

Sony has some plans with MySpace but Harrison can't talk about it.

He believes that PS3 is the place where consumers will use the internet, watch movies and play games. "The Playstation 3 is a computer. We don't need the PC"

Infinium becomes Phantom for all the right reasons.

Developer of Phantom gaming service and Lapboard peripheral to change name pending stockholder approval; former CEO sues company.

By Brendan Sinclair, GameSpot

Posted May 26, 2006 1:11 pm PT

Infinium Labs has endured no small amount of criticism for its choice of "Phantom" as the name of its yet-to-materialize gaming console. Originally announced in 2002, the Phantom has been subject to endless delays, false starts, numerous changes to Infinium Labs' executive roster, and even a scandal or two.

But now the company has told investors that it plans to change its name...to Phantom Entertainment, Inc. Infinium has called a special stockholders' meeting for July 13 in Tampa, Florida, where the company hopes they will vote in favor of the name change. In the SEC filing detailing the meeting, the company gave the following reasoning for the switch:

"The Board of Directors believes that the name change would be in the best interests of the Company because the new name better reflects the long-term growth strategy of the Company."

What I've Been Playing:

Oblivion

Uno

Ultra Marble Blast

Con Corner:

MetroCon