Electronic Arts is hoping 
for first blood in the slugfest of realistic military action games this fall.
The publisher announced at its pre-E3 press conference that “Battlefield 3” would hit shelves Oct. 25, two weeks before Activision releases its much-anticipated “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.” Both titles are expected to be massive hits this holiday.
Microsoft is intensifying its
efforts to appeal to both core gamers and non-gamers, announcing two new titles in its blockbuster “Halo” franchise Monday and plans to integrate live television into the console.
Starting this fall, Xbox 360 owners will be able to watch live TV programming though a variety of partners, which have yet to be announced. In addition, the company has unveiled a new service that combines its Bing search service with video delivery providers.
Microsoft is covering its 
bases at this year’s E3.
The company, in its pre-show pres conference, announced a variety of new games and services, designed to appeal to everyone from core gamers to casual gamers to nongamers.
Last November, the Supreme Court 
of the United States heard oral arguments in a case that could have a massive effect on how the video game industry operates. But nearly seven months later, we’re still waiting for a ruling.
The Court once again did not issue a ruling on Brown v. EMA Monday morning, which mildly surprised some industry observers who had expected it to come down as the industry starts its annual trade show. The next opportunity for a ruling in the case will come Thursday, as E3 kicks off its last day.
Gamers are getting 
grayer.
The average vidgame player is now 37 years old, and individuals who buy the most games are 41, on average, according to a survey of 1,200 households compiled by the Entertainment Software Assn.
The videogame industry 
is at a crossroads of whether to reinvent itself or continue hyping what’s working.
While Nintendo and Sony are expected to unveil new hardware at this week’s Electronic Entertainment Expo, the videogame biz’s biggest tradeshow, which kicks off Monday from various venues around downtown Los Angeles, Microsoft is putting more promotional muscle behind its Xbox 360 console.
Sony Pictures has confirmed that 
it was the victim of a large scale hacking operation this week and says it has called in law enforcement officials to help find the people responsible.
“The cybercrime wave that has affected Sony companies and a number of government agencies, businesses and individuals in recent months has hit Sony Pictures as well,” said Michael Lynton, chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment, and co-chairman Amy Pascal in a joint statement. “[Thursday] afternoon a group of criminal hackers known as ‘LulzSec’ claimed to have breached some of our websites. We have confirmed that a breach has occurred and have taken action to protect against further intrusion. We also retained a respected team of experts to conduct the forensic analysis of the attack, which is ongoing.”
EA is digging deeper into
the digital distribution space.
The company has completely revamped its online store, expanding its focus and renaming it ‘Origin’ in the process. The move will put EA in direct competition with Valve Software’s dominant Steam service — and, in some ways, Apple’s GameCenter.
As the video game industry 
prepares for its annual trade show, known as E3, it’s carrying a lot of baggage.
Social networking and mobile games continue to eat away at the market share of traditional publishers. A crucial Supreme Court decision, which could fundamentally change the way the industry operates, looms over its head. And many companies find themselves at a critical juncture in their evolution.
It takes a unique game to unseat Angry Birds from its 
roost at the top of the sales chart — and The Heist certainly qualifies in that regard. While most games — especially puzzle games — gently ease players into the game and take a long time to ramp up difficulty, this app offers no instructions and hits you with some hard puzzles pretty quickly. After you start the app, a “call” (actually a pre-recorded element of the game) on your idevice explains that you’re there to assist breaking into the imposing vault on the screen. From there, you’ll have to figure out what the goal of each puzzle is and how to achieve it. It’s not a game for the light-hearted, but it is a lot of fun and will test your puzzle-solving skills.
Chris Morris: Journalist 