The war of words between Activision-Blizzard 
and Electronic Arts has moved to a new plateau. Activision has added the rival publisher to its $400 countersuit against the creators of the “Call of Duty” franchise.
A Los Angeles Superior Court judge approved the amendment to the suit Thursday, acknowledging Activision’s allegations that EA wooed Jason West and Vince Zampella, the heads of the wholly-owned Infinity Ward subsidiary, while they were still under contract with Activision.
The tech world got one heck of a surprise Thursday afternoon when long-time 
Google CEO Eric Schmidt announced he would be ceding the position to company co-founder and president of products Larry Page.
It’s a move that tech analysts are trying to piece together to determine what it will mean for the future of the quickly expanding company. But what, if anything, does it mean for the entertainment industry?
At this year’s CES, television manufacturers 
shined the bulk of their spotlight on connected TVs and the variety of apps that were on the way for the sets. At Samsung, though, customers are already embracing those apps in a big way.
The company has announced that 2 million apps have been downloaded from its marketplace since it launched last year. And the rate of adoption is escalating fast.
Sheeple Chase could be a really fun game for kids and 
parents — if it weren’t so mind-bogglingly difficult. With bright graphics and very basic controls, you might expect a slightly challenging, but fun, racer. Instead, though, this app quickly veers into something that will confound even core gamers. The only way to win is to lose time and again until you’ve memorized the course and perfect your timing on when to turn and accelerate. The game’s many puns are hit and miss the first time — but after you’ve seen them several times, they quickly lose their appeal. Ultimately, this is an app that shows promise, but is hampered by its lack of focus on how to please its targeted audience.
Read more at Common Sense Media
3D is just two months shy of 
taking its biggest step into people’s homes.
Nintendo announced Wednesday that its 3DS handheld gaming device would go on sale March 27 in North America for $249.99. The system allows users to play games in stereoscopic 3D without special glasses.
Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime 
touted the 3DS as more than just a 3D gaming device, adding that it’s “mass market ready, right off the bat,” Gamasutra editor-at-large Chris Morris reported from New York.
The morning started a bit awkwardly for Reggie Fils-Aime, but by the end of his presentation, announcing the launch details of the Nintendo 3DS at a Gamasutra-attended press conference in New York, he was firmly in charge.
Walking out to a dead teleprompter, the normally unflappable president and chief operating officer jokingly accused Wedbush game analyst Michael Pachter of having unplugged the monitors.
Nintendo hopes to kick the 3D 
revolution into overdrive on March 27.
That’s the date its eagerly awaited 3DS portable gaming system will go on sale in North America. The device will be the first mass market consumer device to offer stereoscopic 3D images without the need for special glasses – something analysts see as critical to the success of 3D in the market.
Despite speculation that they 
might miss their launch target and price the system beyond the comfort zone of the mass audience, Nintendo’s 3DS handheld gaming system will launch on time and at a price point lower than many feared.
The 3DS, which lets players enjoy games in stereoscopic 3D without the need for special 3D glasses, will go on sale in North America on March 27 at a price of $249.99. That’s $100 higher than the launch price the DS had in 2004, but lower than the $300 many feared when the Japanese launch price was given.
Doctor Who: The Mazes of Time should 
have a lot going for it — well-known characters, familiar enemies, a dynamic universe. This app, though, stumbles by making the characters mere shadows of their onscreen selves, especially in making Amy Pond a helpless stereotype. It’s disheartnening when, faced with moving an obstacle, she says things such as “I can’t push a block. And even if I could, it would be unladylike.” The game’s puzzles are challenging enough without being overly difficult. And the music, taken from the TV show, adds to the ambiance — though reading the text instead of hearing the actor’s voices does detract from the experience. Diehard fans of the show might be happy to have a Doctor Who game on their iDevice, but casual fans and newcomers will wonder what all the fuss is about.
In the video game world, there’s bundling – 
and there’s true customer appreciation.
Valve Software is showing other publishers how to beef up a software release without looking like an obvious play to boost sales. The company announced Tuesday that gamers who buy the PlayStation 3 version of “Portal 2” will receive the PC/Mac version for free.
Chris Morris: Journalist 