When the U.S. Supreme Court agreed in April to review a
California law prohibiting the sale or rental of violent video games to minors in its next term, it sent shock waves through the gaming industry.
Analysts, insiders and even casual observers had been expecting justices to let stand a lower court ruling, which had declared the law unconstitutional. Once they didn’t, the scramble began to assess the possible implications—and leaders of the industry say they could be dire.
DXG has established a good niche for itself in the budget camcorder 
segment – but how does it stand up when it tries to take on the big boys of the video industry?
The company is taking aim at Canon, Sony and Panasonic with the DXG-A85V, an ultra-affordable 1080p HD camcorder that’s loaded with features, including 12X zoom, touch-to-focus, Eye-Fi Wireless ready and a 10MP still camera. And while it may find notable success with non-discriminating consumers and entry-level shooters, discerning lensmen and pro-ams can pass this one by.
Disney hasn’t been a big force to date in the mobile gaming 
space – but that’s about to change.
The company has acquired music rhythm game maker Tapulous, makers of “Tap Tap Revolution” for an undisclosed sum. It’s a deal that’s not dissimilar to the acquisition of Wideload Games last September in that it give the company an individual who’s a leader in his segment of the industry.
After a surprising—and staggeringly bad—April, the 
video game industry showed fledgling signs of life in May—but nothing that’s going to cause investors to cheer. Take Two Interactive Software, though, may finally have a hit franchise that will divert investor focus away from “Grand Theft Auto”.
Overall industry sales for the month were down 5 percent to $823.5 million, according to the NPD Group, which tracks video game sales. Software sales, which investors and industry observers track more closely, were up 4 percent, however, to $466.3 million. The software numbers were slightly lower than analyst expectations, which ranged from 5 percent to 11 percent increases.
The good news is video game software sales were up 
4 percent in May. The bad news is people were expecting them to be about twice as high. The OTHER bad news is that video game hardware sales were down 20 percent in May – dragging the industry as a whole down 5 percent compared to the 2009 figures.
While any improvement is a good one, it’s becoming clear that the video game industry is not going to be able to easily shake off its ongoing slump. May was a month loaded with potential blockbusters, including “Red Dead Redemption,” “Alan Wake” and “Super Mario Galaxy 2”.
With the Supreme Court scheduled to hear arguments 
later this year about whether states should be allowed to regulate the sale of violent video games, you might think game makers would consider dialing down the number of shooter titles.
You’d be wrong. Despite the pending case, which could dramatically redefine the industry, developers and publishers have a full slate of action games lined up for late 2010 and early 2011.
It happens every year at E3 , the world’s largest video game 
expo. Inevitably, the games that get people the most excited are the ones that won’t be out that year. That was particularly true this year – as some of the biggest titles on display won’t hit retail shelves until holiday 2011. It’s frustrating for players, but for stockholders, it can make the case for a long-term investment.
Action games (and shooters) are the largest sales category in gaming – making up 32 percent of all sales. And a blockbuster title can make a company’s year.
The middle of the 2010 is not a good time for struggling 
gadgets. Both Microsoft and Plastic Logic have put in doubt the future of two highly touted devices – one that’s already on the market and one that hasn’t seen the light of day.
Both the Microsoft Kin phone and the Que ProReader device are on shaky ground. The Kin was launched just six weeks ago by the Redmond-based company and hoped to blend social networking with cell phones. The Que ProReader was (or is) an intriguing eReader introduced at CES this year that was specifically tailored to the business audience.
For years, Hulu has been the great white whale for content 
streaming devices. Virtually everyone has tried to lure the service beyond its PC roots, with no success.
That changes today, with the introduction of Hulu Plus, a new premium subscription service from the site. For $9.99 per month, subscribers will be able to access a full season’s worth of their favorite TV shows, rather than a select handful. As part of the rollout, Hulu has also announced it will begin streaming Hulu Plus on a variety of Internet-enabled TVs, Blu-Ray devices and the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 over the coming months.
Chris Morris: Journalist 