In recent years many online media outlets, as well as a select few hardcore gamers, have made it fairly routine to stop by the ESRB’s website to inadvertendly catch new game reveals. Looking to amend the situation and help keep publisher’s marketing schedules intact, the organization is rolling out a new policy that will help [...]

The Entertainment Software Association spent more than $714,000 in the first quarter of 2008 for federal government lobbying, according to a report today by the Associated Press.
Among the issues that were lobbied by the group were First Amendment issues, video game piracy, parental control measures, and patent reform.
The ESA also lobbied several other organizations including [...]

GameStop will retain Stanton Crenshaw Communications as their PR firm and will engage them as an agency of record, as confirmed by the company this morning.

“The partnership is an excellent fit for both parties as it capitalizes on Stanton Crenshaw’s experience in building brands and also leverages our knowledge of the video game industry. We [...]

A Virginian Baptist preacher has decided to follow up on a plan last year in which he bought back guns from the community for cash. His intentions were clear and simple: to lower a growing youth crime problem in the city.
This year, Richard Patrick has another plan. Instead of guns, he’ll collect violent rap CDs [...]

After going years with only one distribution center to its name, GameFly announced this morning that it has officially opened its third distribution center today in Austin, Texas. Joining the Pittsburgh, Tampa, and original Los Angeles locations, users of the service living in the mid-western part of the country should expect to see the turnaround [...]

Seven people are dead after a stabbing spree in the Akihabara district of Tokyo, Japan, according to a report this morning by the Associated Press.
Claiming he was “tired of life”, 25-year old Tomohiro Kato drove a rented truck into the popular video game district and, via public broadcaster NHK, ran over three people. He [...]

Online game developer Trion World Network announced ths morning that it has acquired a third-party license to develop and publish games on the PlayStation 3.
“Announcing this publishing partnership with SCEA is the latest step in Trion’s strategic growth plans,” said Dr. Lars Buttler, CEO and co-founder, Trion. “The PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system is the [...]

One internet video game show that I’ve recently made it a habit to check out weekly is Players Only with Scott Steinberg. The show, which has covered everything from casual gaming to MMOs up to this point, usually talks to a ton of people in the industry (press included) and is remarkably thorough for the [...]

Lisa Bell-Cabrera has been promoted to Vice President of Sales at NCSoft, via a statement released today by the company. Previously a national sales manager at the company. Cabrera will now oversee strategic sales initiatives across multiple sales channels in North/South America.
“This is my dream job,” said Bell-Cabrera. “The online gaming industry is moving at [...]

Three separate studies profiled at today’s 55th Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine showed that active video games appeared to be helpful in encouraging young people to exercise.
The first of the studies, done by Gregory Brown, Ph. D., FACSM and his study team, examined energy expenditure for active games compared to sedentary [...]

Despite not even being up for a year to this point, Turner Broadcasting System has decided to terminate GameTap’s editoral and video branches. In doing so, staff from both branches have been laid off.
“We have had a lot of successes over the last year and the move to the web has been a good one [...]

Aiming to provide a network for like-minded gamers in their respective areas of the country, the Entertainment Consumers Association unveiled today their support of chapter organizations. The chapters, that can be created by ECA members, can partake in a variety of activities from fundraisers to ECA-sponsored LAN parties and looks to broaden the non-profit’s mission [...]

A new bipartisan bill recently introduced would require retailers to check identification for all customers buying video games.
Last week, Congressman Jim Matheson (D-Utah) and Lee Terry (R-Nebraska) announced the “Video Game Ratings Enforcement Act.” The bill, as to be expected, has received strong responses from supporters and detractors alike.

According to the results of a recent study released by the Center for an Urban Future, New York City is missing out on a big chance to have more of an impact in the video game industry.
The study, entitled Getting in the Game, goes on to show that while the city has an abundance of [...]