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Twenty-somethings everywhere owe a debt to IMDB for helping solve countless drunken pop-cultural arguments but game info is still often the domain of Wikis, if you can find the information you're looking for at all.

Well 'GameBase' hopes to solve all those issues, by producing a IMDB for Video Games, just like IMDB has become the must-goto-source when researching about any info regarding 'movies', the designers of 'GameBase' believe they can do the same with their website project, and are reaching out to you as 'gamer' to help fund their startup idea.

Vaai, a Dutch internet company, hopes to change all that with Gamebase. The $100,000 crowd-funded project over at Indiegogo would house a comprehensive database including everything from game developers and titles to the works of the countless developers making games today, plus a whole slew of Wiki-esque user-driven features and integration for gamertags and such.

If they hit their funding goal, Vaai says Gamebase will be ad-free, have separate Android and iOS apps and generally be the best source of video game information it can be. If you're interested in contributing ($50 nets you a lifetime ad-free membership).

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A study of the gaming habits of 13 to 17-year-olds by the University of Adelaide found more than a quarter of teens have played gambling-style video games, while nearly one in 10 have played gambling games on social media, and about one in 20 had played them on mobile phones.

A smaller number, about 2 per cent, said they had tried to gamble with real money on the internet.

Dr Daniel King from the university's school of psychology led the research and said young people who engaged in the non-financial gambling online were three times more likely to report also gambling with money - ''you see this association between the two''.

About 40 per cent of teenagers who played online or digital gambling games reported a future intention to gamble with money, he said.

He said one of the problems with non-financial gambling games was they could give young people the wrong impression about gambling.

He said he downloaded three poker machine apps that did not require real money to play.

''I tried to lose money and it's impossible. That is one of the concerns about these types of games - they misrepresent the odds of gambling.''

Many free gambling games have appeal for a youth audience and include advertisements for real gambling sites, and there are often no barriers to entry, Dr King said.

''There's no age verification, there is no data coming out [from the] industry on whether young people are using these apps.''

The research found males were twice as likely to play gambling games than females.

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Do you remember how vulnerable we felt hearing about the murder of 26 children and teachers at Sandy Hook? The Elmhurst Police Department immediately dispatched armed officers to our schools to calm parents' safety concerns for their children. Later that night, President Obama denounced the tide of escalating violence and challenged us to take action when he said, "If there is even one thing that we can do to prevent any of these events, we have a deep obligation, all of us, to try."

This is when a group of concerned citizens took action on "one thing" we believe will reduce violence and improve public safety - the violent video games carried by our library. The Elmhurst Public Library carries 129 of these games, including six of the 10 most-violent games.

We do not believe it is sufficient to select video games based upon popularity. We asked the library to implement improved evaluation procedures for violent video games to ensure thoughtful selection decisions. We presented research to support our request and had the support of numerous citizens and several aldermen.

At the April board meeting, the library rejected our request and then modified its policy to prevent anyone from pursuing the matter for three years. The very next day, Obama called it a shameful day in Washington when the U.S. Senate rejected improved background checks on gun sales. We believe it was a shameful day in Elmhurst when our library rejected improved "background checks" on violent video games.

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"Yes, we're discontinuing Online Pass," EA senior director of corporate communications John Reseburg confirmed to GamesBeat in an e-mail. "None of our new EA titles will include that feature."

"Initially launched as an effort to package a full menu of online content and services, many players didn't respond to the format," Reseburg said. "We've listened to the feedback and decided to do away with it moving forward."

Online Pass is seen by publishers as a bulwark against the second-hand market, which retailer GameStop dominates. Publishers were worried that consumers were buying games used instead of new - especially big games with popular multiplayer modes. So the online pass became a way that publishers forced consumers to either buy a game new - or pay extra for online.

But from this point forward, you won't need an Online Pass for any of EA's games online.

"We're still committed to creating content and services that enhance the game experience well beyond the day you first start playing," Reseburg said.

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In a letter Loeb personally delivered to CEO Kazuo Hirai at Sony's headquarters, the fund manager said Third Point was willing to put up another ¥200-billion ($1.97-billion U.S.) to support an initial public offering of up to a fifth of the entertainment arm, which includes one of Hollywood's top film studios and a leading music label.

In his letter, Loeb endorsed Hirai's attempts to revive Sony, but said the problems of the company's electronics business distracted from the value of U.S.-based Sony Entertainment, an asset he called a "hidden gem".

Loeb said the proposed spinoff of a unit that is home to artists such as Beyonce and Adele and produced movie franchises like Iron Man and Spider-Man could add another 60 per cent to Sony's stock price.

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"The entertainment businesses are important contributors to Sony's growth and are not for sale," Sony said in response to Loeb's proposal. "We look forward to continuing constructive dialogue with our shareholders as we pursue our strategy."

Hirai, a 52-year-old Sony veteran who started his career in the music business, is due to give an update on his strategy for the company at a briefing in Tokyo on May 22.

"Sony stands at the crossroads of compelling corporate opportunity and massive Japanese economic reform," Loeb wrote in the letter, which was made available to media. Corporate leaders like Hirai, he added, "can spearhead this important growth."

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Harris is accused of murdering Rick and Ruth Gee and three of their children with a tire iron in the family's Beason home in late September 2009. One of the children, a three-year-old girl, survived the attack.

Prosecutors laid out what happened after brothers Chris and Jason Harris, intoxicated from a night of drinking and doing cocaine visited the Gee home in search of marijuana.

The defense plans to call an expert witness to testify on the effects of violent video games. The defense claims that Chris Harris did not commit the crime, but instead walked in on one of the victims - 14-year-old Dillen Gee - as he was murdering his own family. Defense attorney Peter Naylor said in opening remarks at the start of the trial earlier this month that Chris Harris was forced to kill Dillen in self-defense.

The defense will call an "expert witness" that will discuss the effects that violent video games can have on people, and plan to try and paint Dillen as an antisocial teen with low grades and a history of violent tendencies.

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During a meeting on immigration reform, the Vice President met with religious leaders when the subject of violent video games was brought up. Reverend Franklin Graham asked if the taxation of violent media was something that was within the rights of the executive branch.

"Graham told Biden the government should consider taxing media companies that broadcast violent images and produce violent video games."

"He floated the idea that media and entertainment that portray violence should be subject to a special tax, with the proceeds going to help victims and their families."

Biden told Graham that there was "no restriction on the ability to do that, there's no legal reason why they couldn't tax violent images."

Biden told the religious leaders that he would like to see a comprehensive study of the impact that violent video games and movies has on developing brains.

"He said they really need a good scientific study, which they've done on things like smoking."

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"There are still many unknown factors, such as pricing, launch dates and quantities, the level of first-party support and, importantly, consumer purchase intent in a world where consoles are no longer just competing with each other, but also with new platforms, such as smartphones and tablets."

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The stage is set for the greatest battle in video game history... the battle for market share! The PC Master Race has enslaved the citizens of Earth and declared the one console future is upon us... the question is which console will it be?

Enter THE EXPO, a gathering of champions from the many splintered factions of the console market. Battling for the honor and survival of their company these fighters must use anything and everything to secure ultimate victory. All peripherals are allowed!

EXPO FIGHTER is a free to play web browser fighting game pitting video game industry inspired characters against one another. EXPO FIGHTER is planned for launch June 1st 2013.

Key Features

• Play as characters inspired by your favorite game industry personalities as you battle to decide the fate of the console wars!
• Online play featuring solo and faction based rankings
• Fighting system with strongly defined character match-ups yet still giving the player freedom to freestyle within those boundaries. Think SSF2T meets SF3:3S.
• Re-Imagined parry system and chainable ex attacks
• Arcade stick/Controller support
• Many other E3 Inspired references and Easter eggs

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Under a new contest format that awarded 30 players $25,000 each, Young cashed in by throwing the contest's top-rated perfect game with the Chicago White Sox.

"It almost felt to me like they were compensating for last year, even though I know that's not what happened," Young told Kotaku.

"I told myself this year that if they hadn't fixed the exploit, then I was going to take it right back," Young said. "I wasn't going to deal with that, because it did not involve any skill, whatsoever."

2K Sports did fix the exploit this year, and the contest's new format-which split up the prize pool over many more winners-was enough to bring Young back to something that had been so embittering the year before.

"The biggest thing for me coming back was I know I could do it," Young said. "I knew I had that shot to win some cash, just playing a game." Young had, after all, thrown a perfect game with MLB 2K12 in the contest, and this year's game changed only minimally, and is almost identical in gameplay.

"I'd come home from work, and my girlfriend has been so cool about this," Young said, "I have a daughter, she would take my daughter to the park and give me the living room. Every day she gave me that.

"With about two weeks left, I really thought about quitting," Young said. "She said, 'You know what, take the day off, settle down, and see how you feel." He came back that night and threw a perfect game with Blake Beavan of the Seattle Mariners, putting him atop that team's leaderboard.

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Young, who finished 10th in the race, says he was told of an exploit during the startup phase in MLB 2K12, allowing a gamer to make substitutions in the opposing team's lineup while still maintaining the watermark that certifies the game's eligibility for the contest.

Young provided me screenshots of text messages with Haff that indicate Haff's knowledge of the exploit and his use of it in perfect game attempts, beginning with its discovery on April 21, in a game with Colorado against the Milwaukee Brewers.

"bro ... i just took braun/ramirez/hart out of game lol," Haff says to Young late that night. He was referring to the heart of the Milwaukee Brewers' order-Ryan Braun, Aramis Ramirez and Corey Hart-in a game played against Colorado that day.

"Lol what," texted Young.

"Call me," Haff said.

"I did not break any of the official rules," says the accused gamer. That may not be the point.

'Of course I'm pissed off,' says Young. 'I lost my spot because someone used a loophole when I played my game correctly.'

"Any person who lost their spot to somebody who used an exploit would be doing the same thing," Young said, "It's a million dollars. It is a lot of money. Anybody who participated in this put a lot of hours into it."

Reached for comment, 2K Sports said only this:

"The contest was run properly. We look forward to awarding someone a million dollars on May 10 in New York."

That's not good enough for Young.

"Apparently it wasn't run properly, because I have evidence that basically proves otherwise," Young said. "It's a million dollars on the line, they don't want to tarnish their reputation. I'm trying to help make their contest legitimate and help weed out players who played their contest against the rules."

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"When my son plays games, he collects coins. He learns lessons about money and commerce as he trades rewards for resources that bring him closer to his objective. He's slowly internalizing confidence around saving, investing, and financial priorities."

Alternatively, the apps aimed at my daughter, with their pink princess icons, are all about baking cupcakes, shopping, or playing dress up.

No wonder money is an awkward subject for women.

"Let's condition our little princesses to know that they don't need to be rescued. They can buy their own tiaras."

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The majority of lost users were in the East, despite the company making efforts to appeal to those markets, with recent upgrades.

Activision told investors to expect subscriber figures to dip further.

Shares in the publisher fell by about 5% on Wednesday, following the news.

The California-based company blamed the rise of free-to-play games.

Uncertainty around new consoles due from Microsoft and Sony - and the "very slow start" of Nintendo's newest offering, the Wii U - had contributed to what will be a challenging 2013 for the company as a whole, chief executive Bobby Kotick said.Martial arts pandas

He told investors on Wednesday: "It's important to note that the nature of online games has changed, and with the environment becoming far more competitive.

"To address this, we're working to release new content more frequently to keep our players engaged longer and make it easier for lapsed players to come back into the game."

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The inclusion of olfactory output in a game is just one possible level of immersion that is being bandied about during discussions of the future of gaming under the umbrella term "neurogaming." While it might not be all that appealing to be able to take a deep whiff of your character that has been running and fighting for days at a time, there are certain gameplay elements that would benefit from this technology in incredible and unique ways.

Imagine playing a game as Wolverine, a character that has feral abilities and can smell scents. We've seen this play out in movies, including the first X-Men film where Wolvie smelled that Mystique was impersonating Jean Grey. What if you were playing a game and you caught a scent that was wrong for the person, something distinctive and unique like gunpowder instead of the expected smell of flowers? Even characters without special powers could use smells as a cue. Maybe you are lost in a dungeon when you smell fresh air pointing the way out, or you catch a scent of gas and know to get out of there quickly. The possibilities are limited only by the imagination.

The sense of smell has been linked to memory, so it could also be used for puzzles and to associate concepts. It could also go beyond gaming into things like advertising. One day you may turn on your futuristic TV equipped with olfactory output and an ad for a restaurant comes on accompanied by the smell of cooking food.

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Two5six will focus on pairing someone from inside the gaming world with a counterpart from another industry like education, design, social media or technology.

"Game designers are some of the most thoughtful people on the planet, and nobody listens," Warren said. "So I thought there has got to be a way to get more people interested into the design process of these games. Instead of structuring it around bringing a designer on stage, let's show the world why these games matter."

The pairings are of big names from every industry. Jeffrey Yohalem, writer for blockbuster games like Assassin's Creed Brotherhood and Far Cry 3, will be talking on "Storytelling For the Next 100 Years" with Andy Hunter, cofounder of Electric Literature, a quarterly literary magazine for the digital generation. There will be discussion of online communities between 4chan founder Chris Poole and Jeffrey Lin, the lead social systems designer at Riot Games, who make the ridiculously popular free-to-play League of Legends.

There will also be a session between Foursquare founder Dennis Crowley and Yancey Strickler, one of the cofounders of Kickstarter on gaming mechanics as inspiration, taken from their experiences in their respective jobs.

"We looked at other conferences for inspiration, TED being a big one. We see more of these ideas conferences pop up around tech. It's a great way to extend the brand into the real world, interact with our readers, expand on the thoughts we've been talking about for the last few years," Warren said.

He said they took a lot of pointers from TED's programming when creating Two5six - named for the level in Pac-Man when a kill screen occurs.

Warren said he'll act as a moderator for most of the day during the two-speaker sessions, but "it's pretty easy and enjoyable because you get to ask questions and just let people be brilliant."

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Problem is, they're so conditioned to non-stop action while playing games that they're prone to boredom in real-life scenarios, said associate Prof. Missy Cummings, who has studied how to improve drone pilots' performance at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

"When the workload is high the best drone operators are those that are video gamers because they know how to handle all of the multitasking," said Cummings, pointing to studies that have shown the adeptness of video gamers as drone operators.

"So you want people who really perform under a high workload, which are gamers -but 90 per cent of the time nothing is happening and you need a completely different skill set to (handle) that."

Cummings said her research team found that in order to do their jobs, drone operators needed some distractions to manage boredom in down time, including playing with their smartphones, using laptops, reading magazines, eating or sleeping.

"When you distract yourself, you're basically revving up your brain," Cummings said.

"We need to figure out is it possible to let people have some level of distraction but still keep them engaged enough so that when an alarm goes, for example, or when that plane does enter the sector they respond appropriately."

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Pacific Rim will be directed by Guillermo Del Toro, who steps behind the camera for the first time since 2008's Hellboy 2: The Golden Army.

The monster movie centres on giant robots dubbed 'Jaegers' who do battle with invading aliens called 'Kaiju'.

Charlie Hunnam leads the cast of the film, with Rinko Kikuchi, Idris Elba, Ron Perlman and Charlie Day among the supporting stars. The script comes from Clash of the Titans scribe Travis Beacham.

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"The acquisition of THQ Montréal in January allowed Ubisoft to welcome 170 experienced developers, including Patrice Désilets, to our existing and renowned workforce," a Ubisoft representative said in a statement to Kotaku this afternoon.

"Unfortunately, since the acquisition, the good faith discussions between Patrice and Ubisoft aimed at aligning Patrice's and the studio's visions have been inconclusive. As a result, Patrice has left the studio. Our priorities remain with the teams already hard at work on projects in development. They are at the root of Ubisoft Montréal's past and future successes."

At THQ Montreal, Desilets was working on a game called 1666. Ubisoft won't comment on the fate of that game, but we've heard from a couple of different people that it's been suspended.

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Contrary to any statements made earlier today, this morning I was terminated by Ubisoft. I was notified of this termination in person, handed a termination notice and was unceremoniously escorted out of the building by two guards without being able to say goodbye to my team or collect my personal belongings.

This was not my decision.

Ubisoft's actions are baseless and without merit. I intend to fight Ubisoft vigorously for my rights, for my team and for my game.

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The gaming industry depends on violence to drive sales more and more every year.

Given the amount of public scrutiny gaming has been under since the Newtown shooting last year, that might be an uncomfortable truth for many in the industry. But it is a truth.

As the graph below makes clear, there's a growing disparity between the number of games that receive an M-for-Mature rating and the amount of US retail software sales they make up. In 2005, 12 percent of the games rated were mature, compared to 15 percent of games sold. But as the generation went on, the gap between those two numbers became a small chasm. In 2011, the M rating was responsible for more than one of every four dollars spent on games, but fewer than one of every 10 new games.

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"I'm certain that the number of violent games isn't materially greater than in the past, but the number of overall games is lower," Wedbush's Michael Pachter said. "Violent games sell better than kids' titles generally, so more E-rated game projects are cancelled, and the same number of M-rated projects are approved when publishers decide to cut back on the number of titles published."

EEDAR's Jesse Divnich agreed, saying, "It does not mean that the quantity of violent games, or the exposure of violent games to our audience is increasing; however, it represents a continued balancing act to match the game content with the preferences of the active audience of a platform. The consumers who made the Wii such a success from 2007 to 2010 haven't disappeared, they've simply migrated their gaming habits to other platforms (mobile, social, Xbox 360 Kinect, etc.), and as such the content shifts with consumer demand."

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Violent "first-person shooter" games such as "Call of Duty" are the bread and butter of leading video game publishers, and authenticity all but requires that they feature brand-name weapons.

Electronic Arts licensed weapons from companies like McMillan Group International as part of a marketing collaboration for "Medal of Honor: Warfighter." Activision Blizzard gives "special thanks" to Colt, Barrett and Remington in the credits for its "Call of Duty" titles.

Rifles by Bushmaster, which made the gun used in the Newtown, Connecticut school shooting last December, have appeared in the hugely popular "Call of Duty."

Yet, in the wake of the Newtown shooting, the biggest advocate for gun ownership, the National Rifle Association, took aim at video games to explain gun violence. One week after 20 schoolchildren and six adults were killed in the shooting, NRA chief executive Wayne LaPierre called the video game industry "a callous, corrupt and corrupting shadow industry that sells, and sows, violence against its own people."

Now at least one game maker, the second largest by revenue in the United States, is publicly distancing itself from the gun industry, even as it finds ways to keep the branded guns in the games. Electronic Arts says it is severing its licensing ties to gun manufacturers - and simultaneously asserting that it has the right, and the intention, to continue to feature branded guns without a license.

For the gunmakers, having their products in games is "free marketing, just like having Coca-Cola" in a movie, said Roxanne Christ, a partner at Latham & Watkins LLP in Los Angeles, who works with video game companies on licensing, but has not personally done a gun deal.

Yet it is also a virtual double-edged sword. "It gives publicity to the particular brand of gun being used in the video game," said Brad J. Bushman, a professor at Ohio State University who has studied video game violence. "On the other hand, it's linking that gun with violent and aggressive behavior."

Gun makers, including the Freedom Group that owns brands like Remington and Bushmaster, and the NRA, did not respond to repeated requests for comment from Reuters.

'ENHANCED AUTHENTICITY'

First-person shooter games let players blast their way through battlefields while looking down the barrel of a virtual gun, taking aim with the flick of a controller.

Some of those guns - like the Colt M1911 pistol in "Call of Duty" - turn sideways to face the screen during reloading, revealing the brand name. Games also offer lists of branded weapons to choose from.

Licensed images of weapons in "Medal of Honor: Warfighter" - a game that simulates military missions like fighting pirates in Somalia - offer what EA spokesman Jeff Brown calls "enhanced authenticity."

Back in the late 90's, video game makers initially approached gun companies for licenses to inoculate themselves from potential lawsuits, video game industry lawyers say. Over the years, legal clearances were granted for little or no money by gunmakers, these lawyers said.

Yet overt signs of cooperation between the video game and gun industries had begun to draw criticism even before the December school shooting in Connecticut.

In August, game fans and some video game news outlets vehemently objected to EA putting links to weapons companies like the McMillan Group and gun magazine maker Magpul, where gamers could check out real versions of weapons featured in the game, on its "Medal of Honor: Warfighter" game website.

"What kind of message is a video game publisher like EA sending when it encourages its players to buy weapons?" asked Laura Parker, the associate editor of gaming site GameSpot Australia in a post in August.

EA immediately removed the links and dropped the marketing tie-up, which it said was part of a charity project to raise money for military veterans. The company said it received no money from its gun company partners.

"We won't do that again," said Brown. "The action games we will release this year will not include licensed images of weapons."

EA said politics and NRA comments critical of game makers had nothing to do with its decision. "The response from our audience was pretty clear: they feel the comments from the NRA were a simple attempt to change the subject," Brown said.

EA also says video game makers can have branded guns in their games without getting licenses, meaning the industry could drop the gun companies and keep their guns.

Activision, the industry leader, declined to comment on whether it licenses gun designs from gun manufacturers or if it would stop doing so. Branded guns have consistently been featured in its blockbuster shooter games like the decade-old "Call of Duty."

"We're telling a story and we have a point of view," EA's President of Labels Frank Gibeau, who leads product development of EA's biggest franchises, said in an interview. "A book doesn't pay for saying the word 'Colt,' for example."

Put another way, EA is asserting a constitutional free speech right to use trademarks without permission in its ever-more-realistic games.

Legal experts say there isn't a single case so far where gun companies have sued video game companies for using branded guns without a license.

But EA's legal theory is now being tested in court. Aircraft maker Bell Helicopter, a unit of Textron Inc, has argued that Electronic Arts' depiction of its helicopters in "Battlefield" was beyond fair use and amounted to a trademark infringement. EA preemptively went to court, suing Bell Helicopter to settle the issue.

The U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, has set a jury trial for the case in June.

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Electronic Arts will develop and a publish a series of new "Star Wars" video games under a new multi-year licensing agreement signed with Disney, the companies announced on Monday.

EA, one of the largest video game publishers in the world, will develop games for "a core gaming audience," according to the release, and will publish said games for all gaming platforms. Disney will maintain the rights to develop games for mobile devices and social networks. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"This agreement demonstrates our commitment to creating quality game experiences that drive the popularity of the Star Wars franchise for years to come", John Pleasants, Co-President of Disney Interactive, said in a statement. "Collaborating with one of the world's premier game developers will allow us to bring an amazing portfolio of new Star Wars titles to our fans around the world."

The deal comes a month after Disney announced dramatic cuts at LucasArts, the longtime home for all "Star Wars" game. The company had to lay off more than 200 people as it transitions from making games to licensing its wealth of intellectual property. Disney, which acquired LucasArts parent company Lucasfilm last October, wanted to remove LucasArts from the expensive busness of developing and publishing games for consoles and the aforementioned core audience.

Electronic Arts already has experience with "Star Wars" games, publishing "Star Wars: The Old Republic" in 2011.

"Every developer dreams of creating games for the Star Wars universe," EA Labels President Frank Gibeau said in a statement. "Three of our top studios will fulfill that dream, crafting epic adventures for Star Wars fans. DICE and Visceral will produce new games, joining the BioWare team which continues to develop for the Star Wars franchise."

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01./01. [3DS] Friend Collection: New Life # (Nintendo) {2013.04.18} (¥4.800) - 144.903 / 549.761 (-64%)
02./00. [PS3] Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen (Capcom) {2013.04.25} (¥4.990) - 125.363 / NEW
03./04. [3DS] Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon (Nintendo) {2013.03.20} (¥4.800) - 38.884 / 596.155 (-6%)
04./00. [PS3] Tomb Raider (Square Enix) {2013.04.25} (¥7.980) - 35.250 / NEW
05./00. [PS3] Steins;Gate: Senkei Kousoku no Phonogram # (5pb.) {2013.04.25} (¥7.140) - 34.292 / NEW
06./05. [3DS] Animal Crossing: New Leaf # (Nintendo) {2012.11.08} (¥4.800) - 31.711 / 3.128.270 (-8%)
07./00. [PSV] PhotoKano Kiss (Kadokawa Games) {2013.04.25} (¥7.140) - 30.172 / NEW
08./00. [PSP] Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon Portable # (Kadokawa Games) {2013.04.25} (¥6.279) - 26.030 / NEW
09./02. [PS3] Naruto Shippuden: Narutimate Storm 3 (Bandai Namco Games) {2013.04.18} (¥7.480) - 17.836 / 105.496 (-80%)
10./00. [PS3] Bioshock Infinite (Take-Two Interactive Japan) {2013.04.25} (¥7.700) - 15.747 / NEW
11./03. [PSP] 7th Dragon 2020-II (Sega) {2013.04.18} (¥6.279) - 15.180 / 88.877 (-79%)
12./00. [PS3] Mugen Souls Z # (Compile Heart) {2013.04.25} (¥7.329) - 13.121 / NEW
13./00. [360] Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen (Capcom) {2013.04.25} (¥4.990) - 9.483 / NEW
14./00. [3DS] Detective Conan: Marionette Symphony (Bandai Namco Games) {2013.04.25} (¥5.480) - 9.265 / NEW
15./00. [PSV] Meikyuu Cross Blood: Infinity (CyberFront) {2013.04.25} (¥6.090) - 9.006 / NEW
16./00. [360] Steins;Gate: Senkei Kousoku no Phonogram # (5pb.) {2013.04.25} (¥7.140) - 8.821 / NEW
17./00. [360] Bioshock Infinite (Take-Two Interactive Japan) {2013.04.25} (¥7.700) - 7.838 / NEW
18./00. [PS3] The Legend of Heroes: Sora no Kiseki SC Kai HD Edition (Nihon Falcom) {2013.04.25} (¥4.830) - 6.847 / NEW
19./20. [WII] Taiko no Tatsujin Wii: Super Deluxe Edition # (Bandai Namco Games) {2012.11.29} (¥5.040) - 6.197 / 459.453 (+57%)
20./11. [3DS] New Super Mario Bros. 2 # (Nintendo) {2012.07.28} (¥4.800) - 6.098 / 2.008.494 (+4%)

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1. 3DS LL – 37,536 (57,089)
2. PlayStation Vita – 21,399 (15,011)
3. 3DS – 17,897 (18,833)
4. PlayStation 3 – 14,682 (13,915)
5. Wii U – 8,262 (8,798)
6. PSP – 7,536 (7,816)
7. Wii – 1,660 (1,379)
8. Xbox 360 – 490 (515)

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The suit claims that by sending out review code to the press under an embargo that lifted in the early morning of Aliens: Colonial Marines' launch date of Feb. 12, the game's pre-orderers and early adopters would have no knowledge of the discrepancies between the demo and final game. As such, it seeks damages for anyone who purchased the game on or before its release date.

"Each of the 'actual gameplay' demonstrations purported to show consumers exactly what they would be buying: a cutting edge video game with very specific features and qualities," the claim reads. "Unfortunately for their fans, Defendants never told anyone — consumers, industry critics, reviewers, or reporters — that their 'actual gameplay' demonstration advertising campaign bore little resemblance to the retail product that would eventually be sold to a large community of unwitting purchasers."

The suit also cites a tweet from Pitchford, published a week after the game's launch, as acknowledgement of the differences between the demo and game.

"That is understood and fair and we are looking at that," Pitchford said in response to a tweet asking about the press demo discrepancies. "Lots of info to parse, lots of stake holders to respect."

[...]

"The gaming community had a strong reaction to the release of Aliens: Colonial Marines," Edelson LLC's Ben Thomassen told Polygon. "We think the video game industry is no different than any other that deals with consumers: if companies like Sega and Gearbox promise their customers one thing but deliver something else, then they should be held accountable for that decision."

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"We are reviewing our business in Europe to ensure we have the right structure, content and skills for the changing entertainment landscape," the publisher said in a statement issued to MCV.

"We do expect changes to the UK office, which will affect personnel. We will update you when the time is right, but our priority right now is for the people within the business."

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For if a series like Tiger Woods PGA Tour is put on hiatus, even for a year, then everything is on the table. I have learned, from persons with knowledge of the series' development, that Tiger Woods PGA Tour 15 is not happening. On any platform. EA's plan was to outsource that edition of the game, to give the in-house team two years to make Tiger Woods 16, taking advantage of all the PS4 and the next Xbox would have to offer. When CEO John Riccitiello gave his resignation last month, that plan was scrapped as a cost-saving move. The game hasn't been reassigned to the Tiger Woods team, either. Some of its personnel already have been sent to other teams in the EA Tiburon studio for the time being.

I went to an EA Sports spokesman with that rumor and was told they wouldn't comment on it, which is not surprising. The latest game came out only a month ago, and publicly traded video game companies have investor relations divisions that don't want people chattering about unannounced products, especially ones that have been unofficially canceled.

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Wal-Mart is seeking $1.6 million from THQ over a supplier agreement, while the Entertainment Software Association wants $190,000 for money owed over booth space reserved for this summer's Electronic Entertainment Expo.

Developers filing claims include Codemasters ($1 million for unpaid game royalties), Double Fine ($595,000 for breach of contract related to Stacking and Costume Quest), and Microsoft ($213,000 for royalty payments related to Xbox 360 peripherals).

Other big-name companies on the list include toy-maker Mattel, which seeks $12.75 million for an unspecified contractual obligation and UFC parent company Zuffa, which claims it is owed $1.9 million for unpaid royalties related to UFC games.

Former THQ executives Brian Farrell ($6.4 million), Jason Rubin ($2 million), and Jason Kay ($2 million) also filed claims against the company. Farrell's claim stems from money owed over his termination "without cause," while Rubin claims THQ was potentially negligent about its financial circumstances when it hired him last year to turn the company around.

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In our August 2009 issue, we detailed the genesis of EA's publishing arm, which offered services to a number of independent developers. A variety of studios took advantage of EA's prowess to bring their games to market, including Crytek (Crysis 1-3), Starbreeze (Syndicate), Double Fine (Brütal Legend), and Epic Games (Bulletstorm). One of the most visible was 38 Studios' Kingdoms of Amalur Reckoning, which was the centerpoint of an EA press event on its release day. Just five months later, the truth about that studio was revealed. Whether EA was owed money by Curt Schilling's studio, and if so, how much, remains unknown. The publisher refused to disclose details of the arrangement.

EA founded the consulting business with the leadership of Tom Frisina, co-founder of Accolade and Three-Sixty, in 1997. The publishing arm continued to grow, and it was the genesis of EA's relationship with Battlefield developer DICE (which they have since acquired outright). In 2007, EA was the publishing partner for a number of major successes, including Harmonix's Rock Band, Valve's The Orange Box, and Crytek's Crysis.

At the time our story was published in 2009, EA's Partners program was a lean operation of 50 employees. The operation thrived on low overhead and an ability to nimbly move from one project to the next without permanent development staff. It's unclear how an arm of the business that capitalizes on EA's core publishing competencies and relationships could be deemed a drain on resources.

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In recent weeks, EA has aligned all elements of its organizational structure behind priorities in new technologies and mobile. This has led to some difficult decisions to reduce the workforce in some locations. We are extremely grateful for the contributions made by each of our employees – those that are leaving EA will be missed by their colleagues and friends.

These are hard but essential changes as we focus on delivering great games and showing players around the world why to spend their time with us.

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By popular demand, "The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses" concert series is returning with "Season 2" to eight cities from last year's tour and is coming soon to even more locations in North America. Based on one of the most popular and beloved video game series of all time, the tour features live orchestral performances of theme music from Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda franchise. The newly announced dates include:

Returning due to popular demand:

• Atlanta; Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre; June 6
• San Francisco; Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall; June 10
• Montreal; Place des Arts; June 14
• Los Angeles; Greek Theatre; June 12
• Austin, Texas; Long Center; June 29
• Philadelphia; The Mann Center for the Performing Arts; July 25
• Toronto; Sony Centre for the Performing Arts; Sept. 7
• Seattle; Benaroya Hall; Sept. 12

Newly coming to:

• Baltimore; Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall; July 27
• Grand Rapids, Mich.; DeVos Performance Hall; Oct. 19

In cities where the tour will be returning, audiences can expect to experience breathtaking new material exploring additional chapters from The Legend of Zelda franchise, along with traditional performances of the show's now-classic repertoire from last season.

The name "Symphony of the Goddesses" refers not only to the concert program but also to the four-movement symphony recounting the classic storylines from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. The performance also will highlight orchestral renditions of music from other games in the series, including The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask and The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks. Eímear Noone will conduct the full orchestra with arrangements by music director Chad Seiter, and the evening will be hosted by concert producer and lead creative Jeron Moore.

Guests will relish their favorite moments from the now-27-year-old series, carefully and beautifully timed with a gorgeous orchestral score approved by Nintendo sound director and Zelda franchise composer Koji Kondo. The concert is a festive experience for all walks of fans, many of whom attend "cosplaying" as their favorite characters.

"The demand for Zelda is amazing, and this special concert will deliver an unforgettable experience for fans," notes Jason Michael Paul, CEO of Jason Michael Paul Productions, which is producing the concert tour. "These performances transcend culture and geography and unite people through a common love for this venerable and legendary series."

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This means that anything you put into Project CARS you'll get back as an investor when it's time to sell the game (or as the revenue begins racking up). The FSA easily felt that a scheme could be brewing in the midst, and decided to get involved with an investigation before another WarZ scenario broke out.

However, things have become ugly because originally WMD was considered as an investment opportunity with contributors having a possible ROI, but after some conflict it's all become very shady and gray, and now it's looking like members may not get a share of the pie.

Swiss contributor Christoph Zürcher commented about the potential nix of a contributor ROI, saying...

“As my involvement is very low, I do not expect any financial gain. But this was never my goal. I certainly don't want to accuse them of any misconduct. It may very well be possible they have disclosed the information about the investment before - I just remember that I have only found the relevant info months after I signed up."

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The FSA spokesman I spoke to would not comment on Slightly Mad's situation while the investigation is ongoing. He pointed out that some investigations do not result in any legal action, and usually no one is any the wiser since the FSA only goes public if it decides to take such action.

The only reason that we know of the FSA's probe into Slightly Mad is because the developer had little choice but to tell its backers why it was putting a freeze on any more contributions.

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If the FSA finds that all is well in the world of Project CARS' crowd-sourced development, then they will let it all slide into the endless file cabinet void that lays rest a great deal of other cases that come and go with no real recourse.

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