Gen Con's bankruptcy hearing updated.

Update on Gen Con’s Bankruptcy Court hearing this past Friday plan of reorganization was approved, clearing the way for the company to emerge from bankruptcy. Peter Adkison will retain ownership and the company will pay off its debts over time out of operating cash flow. this year’s Gen Con will be held August 13-16 in Indianapolis. Via: Gen Con

Brain Ashcraft from Kotaku: Arcade Mania Book

Osaka-based co-author Brian Ashcraft is the editor of Kotaku, one of the biggest gaming blogs on the net (one of the top 20 most popular blogs in the world, according to the website Technorati. Arcade Mania: The Turbo-charged World of Japan's Game Centers. Home of Sega, Nintendo, and Sony, Japan has a unique and powerful presence in the world of video games. Another thing that makes Japan unique in the gaming world is the prevalence of game arcades. While the game arcade scene has died in the U.S., there are 9,500 "game centers" in Japan with more than 445,000 game machines. Arcade Mania introduces overseas readers to the fascinating world of the Japanese gemu senta. Organized as a guided tour of a typical game center, the book is divided into nine chapters, each of which deals with a different kind of game, starting with the UFO catchers and print club machines at the entrance and continuing through rhythm games, fighting games, shooting games, retro games, gambling games, card-based games, and only-in-Japan games. Covering classic games from Space Invaders to Street Fighter, games that are familiar to Americans in their home console versions (Rock Band, Guitar Hero and Dance, Dance Revolution), as well as the unique, quirky games found only in Japan, Arcade Mania is crammed full of interviews with game makers and star players, and packed with facts about the history, background and characteristics of each game, all lavishly illustrated with photographs and game graphics. via: Amazon

Arcade Cow free online video game website gets new look

Arcade Cow a free no membership gaming site,launched in 2006 by Reality Knights, LLC. Recently the site layout has been redesigned, the site used to house only about 2,500 games and now is up to 7,000+ games. In addition to classic game like popular NES games, the site offers action, adventure, arcade, puzzle, shooting, sports, and strategy games, right now the latest game added is "Swordsman" (kiss as many ninjas as you can). Arcade Cow makes every effort in making the site not only kid-safe, but work-safe. Arcade Cow will be offering future contests to active online gamers, including prizes to top scorers on select free games, and to members with the most game plays. via: realityknights

Dentsu and Nintendo make Japanese Wii owners Happy

Nintendo ltd. company based in Kyoto, Japan has partnered with top Japanese advertising company Dentsu to develop a streaming video service which maybe free for Japanese Wii owners the in 2009. via: Dentsu

Zoda’s Revenge-StarTropics II New WiiWare Virtual

New WiiWare Virtual Console Game: Zoda’s Revenge-StarTropics II(NES)1 player, Rated E for mild cartoon violence.500 Wii Points at Nintendo's official Virtual Console store: WiiShop. Mike Jones hero of the StarTropics universe, travels through time to battle once again, the evil alien Zoda! whose plan is to control the fate of the Argonian people. NES Map: VGMAPS

Capcom Street Fighter IV Collectors Edition

Capcom Street Fighter IV Collectors Edition valued at $79.99. will feature A limited figurine Ryu for PS3 or a Viper for xbox-360 flavor. Street Fighter IV: The Ties That Bind: a 65 minute anime movie by Studio 4C in BluRay for PS3 box and Xbox version is a 360 game disc that outputs the movie at 720P, not a DVD. A mini-strategy guide from Prima, written by the same people doing the full-on guide and illustrated by Udon Comics. CD game soundtrack. Plus additional downloadable extras, no set date on release. via: Capcom's blog.

WiiWare weekly family games Tiki Tower and Fun! Fun! Mini Golf

This weeks WiiWare Games added to Wii Shop Channel: Tiki Towers™ (RealArcade, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone—Comic Mischief, 500 Wii Points): Tiki Towers is a game of construction, destruction, problem-solving and monkeys. Reclaim the islands of your tribe by defeating a series of evil enemy chiefs. Work with your monkey friends to build towers out of bamboo poles, coconuts and vines. Navigate levels filled with crazy building challenges, and deal with unfriendly wildlife and other environmental obstacles. Get your monkeys to chant for the BananaMana necessary to counter enemy attacks. Fun! Fun! Minigolf (Shin’en Multimedia, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone, 900 Wii Points): Play minigolf with your friends in beautiful environments. Choose a character and turn your Wii Remote™ controller into a golf club. With its easy-to-use controls, all you need to do is aim, swing and see who’s the best putter. Play 27 holes spread across America, Asia and Europe. Enjoy exotic locations all over the world. Go for gold in single-player mode, or invite your friends. Fun! Fun! Minigolf supports up to four players. You can use one to four Wii Remote controllers. Phantasy Star™ IV (SEGA GENESIS, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone—Fantasy Violence, Mild Sexual Themes, 800 Wii Points): Phantasy Star IV is the fourth released game from SEGA’s epic Phantasy Star series. In the year AW 2284, planet Motavia is once again plagued by strange biocreatures, and it’s up to the brave men and women of the Hunters Guild to exterminate them. You are Chaz Ashley, a rookie Hunter straight out of training who is supported by Alys Brangwin—a crafty veteran whose good looks and prowess with the blade have earned her an awesome reputation. These two Hunters, along with a cast of supporting characters, will go beyond Motavia to unwittingly save their entire solar system. Nintendo adds new and classic games to the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time every Monday. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points™ to download the games. via: Nintendo

Batman: Arkham Asylum 2009

Batman: Arkham Asylum developed by Rocksteady Studios, is an original script penned by Emmy Award-winning Batman writer Paul Dini. Game characters Batman and Bruce Wayne will be voiced by Kevin Conroy, who has done over fifteen years as the voice for Batman for other animated Batman projects. About the game: Batman delivers The Joker to Arkham Asylum there, he is met by the super-villains of his past, He quickly falls into Arkham's trap, Now Batman has to uses combat for survival. Co-publish by Interactive Entertainment and Eidos Interactive, scheduled for 2009. via: WorthPlaying

Level-5 exhbit at Tokyo Anime Center

Level-5 will be having it's first exhibit at the Tokyo Anime Center starting 12/23/08 till 12/25/2008. The exhibit will be featuring autographed scripts "Professor Layton series" and "Inazuma Eleven" inspired by games developed and produced by Level-5. The exhibit will have a photo-taking corner, an exhibition of items from Silk Hat, Ni no Kuni, and Danbooru Senki. A limited Professor Layton's premium clear folder set exclusively sold at Tokyo Anime Center.

Adult Swim New Game Candy Mountain Massacre 2

A game for those who love shooting at cute colorful things. Inspired by the board game CandyLand with a mashup of everything else . Via: Adult Swim

TOYS"R"US opens department dedicated to Nintendo in Times Square

This holiday shoppers visiting the Toys“R”Us flagship store in Times Square will find a new interactive Nintendo department (on level one) offering a wide range of Nintendo products. A interactive Wii™ wall will shoppers the chance to play select Wii games. The portable experience of Nintendo DS™ along with a variety of games of games to choose from. Last but not least a Nintendo gallery, showcasing images from Nintendo’s history of classic and current games. Specially trained Nintendo and dressed experts will be able to provide information about Nintendo products. Via: Nintendo.

Nintendo and Nyko Settle Patent and Trademark Infringement Lawsuit over Nunchuks

Nintendo of America Inc. and Nyko Technologies, Inc. today announced they have settled a lawsuit its popular Nunchuk® controller. Under the agreement, Nyko will continue to sell a redesigned version of its Kama wireless controller. Company statements about the decision: “We are pleased to have resolved this dispute,” said Nintendo of America President and COO Reggie Fils-Aime. “The Nunchuk and Wii brands are familiar to consumers worldwide, and Nintendo is dedicated to vigorous defense of those brands.” “Nyko Technologies is proud to be an industry leader in gaming accessories,” said Herschel Naghi, CEO of Nyko, “and we will continue to develop exciting products for the benefit of the gaming community.” About Nyko Technologies, Inc.: Nyko Technologies® develops, manufactures and markets innovative peripherals to enhance the digital lifestyle. Founded in 1995, Nyko is headquartered in Los Angeles. Via: Nintendo

Pokémon Platinum and other diverse games for frist quarter Nintendo 2009 line up

New Releases for Nintedo's first quarter of 2009. The list includes Pokémon™ Platinum for Nintendo DS™ for 3/22/09 North America release. Other notable titles that will be released in the first quarter include the enhanced New Play Control! Mario Power Tennis™ and New Play Control! Pikmin™ for Wii™, and Fire Emblem™: Shadow Dragon, Personal Trainer™: Math and Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars for Nintendo DS. Via: Nintendo

3rd Annual ELAN Awards Vancouver

Top titles from Video Games, Animation and Visual Effects from all around the world are expected to enter the global award show. With over 60 Judges already onboard and more to come as the call remains open for a short time longer, the ELANS can deliver on their promise of “Best in the World” status to their winners. The 3rd Annual ELAN Awards will be held on Saturday, February 28, 2009 at the Centre in Vancouver for the Performing Arts. Via: ELAN

Club Nintendo Offers Special Membership for Fans

Starting today Nintendo welcomes its North American fans to Club Nintendo. Club Nintendo is a special club that rewards members for registering Nintendo products and completing Nintendo surveys. Sign up by at Club.Nintendo.com. After joining and creating a profile fans can register select Nintendo hardware and Nintendo-published games in exchange for Nintendo Coins. Nintendo Coins can then be redeemed for limited-edition Nintendo rewards available only to Club Nintendo members. offering unique items as a way to say thanks to all the loyal Nintendo fans. Some of the exclusive rewards include the Game & Watch™ Collection for the Nintendo DS™ and a set of traditional Hanafuda cards printed with Nintendo characters.

Ralph Baer: Recovering the History of the Video Games

Ralph Baer the "father of video games" created the first light gun and game for home television use, sold grouped with a game expansion pack for the Odyssey, and collectively known as the Shooting Gallery. The light gun itself was the first peripheral for a video game console. 1966 he began to transform people's relationship to home television by inventing a way to interact with TV sets. Later Nolan Bushnell played Odyssey at a trade show and went on to found Atari and create the arcade version of Baer's Ping-Pong game, the now infamous Pong. Baer's groundbreaking work has shaped the leisure-time activities of a large segment of the world's population and spawned numerous businesses. But the historical record of his achievements very nearly disappeared. He recently told us the story of how his original documents and apparatus were lost ... and then found. They are now preserved in the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.

Ncikelodeon's Multiplayer Kids game helps with environmental issues

Nickelodeon gets kids to be aware of environmental issues with the launch of "The Big Green Help Global Challenge" a multiplayer made for kids with real-world environmental change in mind. Kids are asked to virtually pledge volunteer hours so that they can translate into actionable steps in their homes, communities and schools. Kids can choose from four Nicktoon characters SpongeBob SquarePants, Back at the Barnyard's Otis, The Fairly OddParent's Timmy Turner and Avatar's Aang then partner with up to three other players in a face-off against CO2-spewing monsters. The multiplayer online green game will be available in more than 15 Nickelodeon markets, including: UK, Brazil, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Portugal, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, Philippines, Indonesia, Mexico, and Argentina, with additional countries to follow. January 2009, Nickelodeon in the U.S. will provide kids with local resources and events to translate their virtually volunteered hours into real-world action. In partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Girl Scouts USA, The LeBron James Family Foundation, National Wildlife Federation, Natural Resources Defense Council, National 4-H Council and NFL. SOURCE Nickelodeon

WiiWare update new games added to Wii Shop Channel

WiiWare update new games added to Wii Shop Channel. This week’s games are: Strong Bad Episode 5: 8-Bit Is Enough (Telltale Games, 1 player, Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older—Mild Cartoon Violence, Comic Mischief, Mild Suggestive Themes, 1,000 Wii Points): Trogdor, the beefy-armed dragon of legend, has shaken free from his video game and is running through the countryside, “burninating” everything in sight. With a dragon on the loose and 8-bit classics leaking into the real world, it’s all fun and games until the proud land of Strong Badia falls to Trogdor’s fiery wrath. Now Strong Bad must take back the night by sending this scorching menace back into his arcade cabinet once and for all. Big Kahuna Party (Reflexive Entertainment Inc., 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone, 700 Wii Points): Embark on a tropical adventure with the explosively charged Big Kahuna Party. Looking to make the ultimate party game, we started with a concept that’s accessible to the whole family—the popular match-three game. On top of that, we crafted a unique multiplayer experience in which you can choose to work together to complete the challenging levels before the timer runs out, or go head-to-head and compete in a frenzy of fun. To top it off, we added 99 uniquely free-flowing levels, the challenging Tiki Pole, 20 hidden tropical sea creatures to unlock, the strategic Fish Net and more. The result is a family party game like no other, easy to pick up but impossible to put down. Play alone or with friends, and unleash the Tiki spirit within. Enduro Racer™ (SEGA Master System, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone, 500 Wii Points): Based on the popular SEGA arcade game and redesigned for the SEGA Master System, Enduro Racer takes you on an intense set of adrenaline-designed courses containing diverse and rough terrain that will test your skills and reaction time. Ride as fast as you can to pass as many cars and bikes as possible while also avoiding obstacles and pitfalls such as debris on the road. Take jumps off ramps and try to keep your speed up, but make sure to keep an eye on your bike so it doesn’t blow up in your face. Nintendo adds new and classic games to the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time every Monday.

Spike TV Video Game Awards Sunday

VGA pre-show will be LIVE 12/14/08 @ 8pm EST/5pm PST! To see the VGA pre-show log onto vga.spike.com and click on Live Pre Show! You definitely don't want to miss a moment as Pre Show hosted by Amanda Mackay who will be interviews all the celebrities walking the carpet.

Penny Arcade at New York Comic Con

New York Comic Con update! Gabe and Tycho from Penny Arcade The web comic will be at this years New York Comic Con. The web comic is updated 3 times and is read by over 3.5 million fans every month. Penny Arcade also manages a children's charity "Child's Play" along with a gaming festival "Penny Arcade Expo" in Seattle.