Bjorn writes ""Gaming Hacks" by Simon Carless dives into a spectrum of topics, ranging from emulators to MMORPG lingo to playing LAN-only console games online. If you're looking for something that covers topics like these, but don't want to waste your time searching the Internet for answers, this book is for you." (Simon, formerly Slashdot's Games editor, is now Managing Editor for the online arm of Game Developer Magazine, Gamasutra.com.) Read on for the rest of Bjorn's review.

IGN.Cube has details on what its expected Nintendo will be showing off at E3 this year. Whether or not the Revolution gets much airtime is up in the air, but it's anticipated that new DS titles and the system itself are going to recieve the lion's share of attention. From the article: "...we predict that Nintendo will put a noticeable emphasis on its DS lineup and -- save for the new Legend of Zelda -- downplay some GameCube titles. This move seems to make sense as many of the GameCube titles sure to be on display in playable form will either have been previously shown at another event, or will be on the verge of releasing in America. In contrast, we expect several major surprises for the publisher's portable system."

KingSkippus writes "Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) and Stuff Magazine is seeking a real life look-alike for Everquest II's Antonia Bayle, Queen of Qeynos. In preparation, it has launched a Web site that will go live on May 17. The winner will receive a modeling contract with SOE and a photo spread in Stuff Magazine. Perhaps pictures would make lucrative auction items as well?"

A new site from CMP has begun posting video feeds from this year's Game Developers Conference. Right now they are featuring Peter Molyneux's Gameplay in the 21st Century talk from the design track. Upcoming videos may include sessions like Will Wright's Spore talk and Keita Takahashi's discussion of Katamari Damacy. From the site: "If you are an attendee, GDCTV is your answer to missing a key session while you were at the conference. If you weren't able to attend the conference or want to learn more about the event, GDCTV gives you excellent insight into the quality and breadth of content that GDC provides." A free registration is required to view the videos.

Gamasutra has a feature up entitled Making a Case for Short Games, in which the author argues that a good short game is far and away preferable to attempt than an epicly long game. From the article: "Which would you rather play, a computer game that takes forty hours to complete or one that lasts just a few minutes? Don't be too quick to answer. The former asks for a serious time commitment. The latter says come and go as you please. One is a ball and chain. The other is a 'Get Out of Jail Free' card. Well, it's not exactly that bad but considering all of the things you have to do today, which type of game do you really have time for? Also, isn't it peculiar that when you complete a complex or lengthy game you rarely want to replay it, yet short games are often endlessly replayable? "

1up.com continues its ramp-up to E3 feature rampage with a preview of the next Legend of Zelda title. They discuss not only the upcoming game but some classic moments from the series' past as well. From the article: "Koji Kondo: Yes, as I recall, in the very first Legend of Zelda, in the very opening title screen, we used to use the classical music of 'Bolero,' because that tempo was perfectly matched with the speed of the opening screen rolling. But I remember it was just before, when we really had to complete the final ROM for reproduction, they told me that unfortunately the copyright of that music hadn't expired yet, so I had to compose a completely new piece of music that night. I recall that I did it within one day. You know, 'da-da-da-da' -- that was done in just one day." Witty story name gleaned from toastyfrog's blog.

EA reported their quarterly revenues today, and despite anticipating a serious decline they managed to hit relatively close to expectations, according to Gamespot. Overall profits for the year were also up, cracking 3 billion dollars for the first time. From the article: "EA said it had 31 titles which sold more than a million copies during the fiscal year, and five franchises that sold more than five million. The Sims, Need for Speed, Madden NFL Football, FIFA, The Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter. The Sims franchise sold more than 16 million games across all platforms during the year, with the Need for Speed franchise selling a whopping 15 million copies."

If you're looking for more to do with your PSP, Kotaku has a few suggestions for you. Music Videos, Advermovies, and AtomFilms are all being formatted for Sony's new handheld. From the article: "...AtomFilms is making some of their free movies available for PSP download. Interestingly, Sony actually paid AtomFilms to make this happen. In return, AtomFilms is reporting download stats back to Sony."

plisdku asks: "My research advisor wants to create an online, collaborative science education game for middle- to high-school students; we need a 3D engine! A pioneer in internet-assisted laboratories (iLabs), he has developed real experiments that students can operate remotely over the internet. We envision a game where students wander a campus, solving Caltech-style 'stacks,' and learning collaboratively as they perform the great experiments of the history of science in simulated and real laboratories. What we need is a 3D engine and content creation system with which our team of artists and bright student developers can produce a prototype within a year. Requirements: customizable avatars, flexible integration with other technology (iLabs, CompEdu, etc.), and reasonable licensing fees (open source would be great). Our last project used SGI tools -- what are our modern-day options?"

mgbaron writes "Read the first part of Engadget's interview of Bill Gates where topics discussed range from the Xbox 360 to Media Center PCs to Windows Mobile and Microsoft's future involvement in portable devices. On an interesting note, Gates downplays the rumors that the Xbox 360 might itself be a media hub. He instead hints that it might share some of the same features. The second part of the interview will run tomorrow and cover such topics as Blu-Ray and the Tablet PC."

1up.com has up a look at the upcoming sequel to Katamari Damacy, set to launch in Japan sometime this summer. Besides some screenshots and discussion of new gameplay, the article discusses the original title and its place in the industry. From the article: "With intuitive, non-violent action and simple but stylized visuals, Katamari was one of those rare creations that managed to transcend the stereotypes and demographics of gaming and strike a chord with a wide spectrum of gamers, both casual and hardcore, male and female, youthful and elderly. The brainchild of Keita Takahashi, an artist turned game producer, Katamari's unique appeal can largely be chalked up to its creator's unique aspirations."

hapycamper writes "Role playing games are evaluated from the perspective of a concerned parent in the latest two editions of the GamerDad Unplugged column. The articles discuss some of the finer points of table-top gaming from a parental perspective, with the first article discussing just what an RPG is and the second addressing some of the main concerns that a parent might have about their child playing an RPG." From the article:"So, the most important things a parent should be concerned about in a role playing game are the game players. Who is your child playing with? As mentioned, these types of games come straight out of the imagination of the players, especially the GM..."

Entertainment company Bandai announced today that they've purchased game creator Namco and as of September of this year will be merging into a single company. From the article: "Bandai shares fell 2.5 percent to 2,335 yen as of 2:27 p.m. in Tokyo, after dropping as much as 3.8 percent. Namco shares rose 8.8 percent to 1,530 yen, headed for their biggest gain since November 2003. The companies' shares were suspended for the first one and a half hours of trading, following an earlier report of the merger plan by the Nihon Keizai newspaper."

theodp writes "Is there a place amid the witches, warlocks and diabolical monsters for Christian video games? The NY Times reports companies like Brethren Entertainment ('Entertaining for Eternity'), Digital Praise ('Glorifying God Through Interactive Media'), and N'Lightning believe that there is a market in faith-based video games. If the idea of Christian first-person shooters seems unlikely, so too did the idea of Christian pop music, which accounted for 7% of the total pop-music market and sold 43+ million albums last year."

Reader Mantorp wrote in to mention an article over on Something Awful (reader beware) discussing the good and bad points of everyone's favorite video gaming channel, G4. Except for not mentioning Icons (which I view as a variable but generally good program), they nail the channels pros and cons dead on. From the article: "I almost wrote an update like this when the merger first happened, but it would have been purely reactionary. The resulting channel needed time to ferment for better or worse, and luckily for you it got much worse because my only backup article idea was a fake guide to an NES game based on the Herman Melville book Bartleby The Scrivener."

Wizards of the Coast is running an article on their site giving d20 stats for prestige classes used in Knights of the Old Republic II. If you've been dying to make a Dark Side Assassin, then, you've finally got the excuse. From the article: "Dark side assassins were originally trained by the Sith to be the ultimate hunters. The assassins' unique abilities served the Sith in their battle against the Jedi. After the Battle of Ruusan and the scattering of the Sith forces, this changed. Dark side assassins became less common as the Sith went into hiding, but their deadly purpose remained -- to destroy the Jedi."

Shadow of the Colossus, the spiritual sequel to the incomparable Ico, is being previewed on Gamespot this weekend. From the article: "Shadow of the Colossus' story features the same timeless fairy-tale quality as ICO, albeit with a more mature theme. The story here is essentially one of love. You're cast as a nameless hero on a quest to save a loved one, and your journey will take you to an ancient temple where you discover the power to save your love's spirit. However, in order to unlock this power, you must obtain the essence of 16 colossi, mountainous gargantuan beasts that roam the land. How can a man who's about the size of an ant next to these beasts do such a thing armed with only a sword and a bow and arrow? That's for you to find out."

Gamespot has word that a Wedbush Morgan analyst has advised investors to hold off on throwing money at the gaming market, because the rapid growth prompted by the next generation consoles may not materialize until the PS3 launches late in 2006. He also makes some other forecasts for sectors of the gaming market. From the article: "Elsewhere in the memo, Pachter predicts that console and PC sales will finish the year up 10 percent over 2004, that a price cut for the redesigned PlayStation 2 will be enacted 'no later than fall,' and that the PlayStation Portable and Nintendo DS will have similarly successful years, moving 3.5 million and 3.6 million units, respectively."

Despite general news that Microsoft's revenues were up last quarter, the Xbox division slipped back into the red with a $164 million operating loss. From the article: "The operating loss in the division also dropped year on year, falling to $164 million from $204 million, which could be seen as very positive - but can equally be interpreted in light of the fact that the previous quarter, ended on December 31st, saw the division post its first quarterly profit since the launch of Xbox."

The Wisconsin State Journal has the news of an acquittal in a drunken homicide charge against a Madison-area 30 year old. The defendant admitted to being intoxicated before the crash that killed his passenger. The jury found him innocent after he presented his defense: the passenger caused the crash by forcing him to attempt a manuever they'd done in Grand Theft Auto. "In an emotional testimony on Thursday, DeMeo said that Alexander had put his hand on DeMeo's knee and made him push the accelerator down hard, then grabbed the emergency brake and sent the car into a skid. DeMeo said that Alexander was trying to perform a maneuver that both had done in a video game, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, that they played regularly."