Maybe this will make those cranky 
canaries happy.
Rovio, developer of the hit “Angry Birds” series, has revealed via Twitter that its latest title – “Angry Birds Rio” – has hit the 10 million download mark in just 10 days.
Author Archives: Chris Morris
GameStop gets into the digital distribution space
While it rules the retail sector when it comes to video 
game sales, GameStop hasn’t exactly been leading the pack when it comes to digital distribution. Now, it’s starting to play catch up.
The company plans to buy Stardock — and its Impulse digital delivery service — as well as the game streaming service Spawn Labs to prepare for its future. In other words, GameStop is putting Steam and OnLive in its crosshairs.
Interview: SOE’s Smedley On The Company’s Future
Gamasutra editor at large Chris Morris talks to Sony Online 
Entertainment’s John Smedley about the next generation of EverQuest, NGP development and why “You can bet our future is more console-based than it is PC-based.”
Before Thursday, there was a lot to talk about when it came to Sony Online Entertainment. Then the layoffs hit – and there was only one subject on people’s minds.
Unfortunately, my talk with SOE president John Smedley was held on Tuesday – long before even the rumors of layoffs had begun to swirl. And, not surprisingly, SOE wasn’t making him available after shutting down three of its studios and laying off 205 employees. So while there’s no look as to what led up to the Thursday axings, Smedley was still willing to look into the company’s future in the days leading up to it.
Sony Online Entertainment issues pink slips
With costs rising and competition increasing, Sony has
laid off one-third of its Sony Online Entertainment division.
205 of the roughly 700 SOE employees received pink slips Thursday as the company shut down three development studios in Denver, Seattle and Tucson. One long-in-development title was also cancelled.
Sony, THQ cut their workforces
Sony Online Entertainment and THQ are
both handing out pink slips this week.
SOE was hit hard by a devastating round of downsizing that resulted in one-third of the workforce being laid off and three studios closed. THQ cut more than 30 jobs at two of its studios, but both remain open.
Next Madden to address NFL concussions
Historically, injuries haven’t really been a big part 
of video game sports. Showing the real-world effects of the devastating hits from an NFL linebacker tend to remove players from the fantasy environment.
With the next installment of its flagship Madden franchise, however, Electronic Arts plans to emphasize the seriousness of player concussions by preventing in-game players who suffer the head injury from returning to the virtual field.
Sony Online Entertainment Cuts More Than 200 Workers
Sony Online Entertainment, the one-time leader
in the online gaming space, has been scaled back significantly.
The company has closed three development studios and laid off 205 of its roughly 700 employees amid growing competition in the space and the increasing number of alternate gaming platforms, such as the iPhone and Facebook.
After Six Years, EA Steps Up to the Plate with New MLB Game
When it comes to sports video games, Electronic 
Arts is largely viewed as the industry’s king. But for the past six years, the company has had a hole in its lineup: Major League Baseball.
With its hands tied due to an exclusivity agreement between MLB and Take-Two Interactive Software, EA has had to ride the bench. Today, though, it’s stepping back into the batter’s circle.
Clues point to imminent Grand Theft Auto 5 announcement
Everyone knows a new Grand Theft Auto is coming. It is, 
after all, one of the biggest franchises in the video game industry. But to date, Rockstar Games hasn’t dropped many hints about what to expect.
Over the past few weeks, though, there have been some cracks in the armor, indicating that work is well underway on the next installment in the iconic series.
Bite-sized Gaming Heats Up
Long the domain of garage and independent developers, the iPhone 
is starting to lure over some of the more familiar names from the Xbox 360. They’re eager to see what they can do on Apple’s iOS, but might that mean they’re thinking about abandoning the console world?
As 2010 drew to a close, a pair of top-tier iOS games hit the app store — id Software’s Rage and Epic Games’ Infinity Blade. Both let players see a console-quality graphics engine up and running on a portable device. But for the developers, it was the chance to return (in some ways) to the industry’s early days – in a much more dramatic fashion than independent or Xbox Live arcade games allow for.
Chris Morris: Journalist 