Barring any additional problems, Sony 
plans to bring the PlayStation Store back online next Tuesday, May 24, according to a memo sent to the console’s publishing partners.
The company has sent a tentative publishing schedule to partners detailing when their games, expansions and other releases will become available to players. In the memo, obtained by Gamasutra, Sony unveils plans to do two content pushes per week for the next two weeks to catch up with the backlog of content.
[Gamasutra’s Chris Morris looks at how Microsoft’s 
Kinect has found success despite some shortcomings, and how a well-executed plan for the device is needed, as “the novelty will only take it so far.”]
You’d have to be a fool to argue that Microsoft’s launch of Kinect was anything but a success. With sales of the peripheral already topping 10 million (setting a Guinness record for the “fastest selling consumer device” in the process), it’s one of those rare items that have actually surpassed people’s expectations.
But the more time I spend with Kinect, the more it occurs to me how Microsoft inadvertently followed in Apple’s footsteps with the device – finding tremendous success in a new gaming area despite not knowing exactly what it was doing.
[Gamasutra editor-at-large Chris Morris looks at the odd 
disconnect between video games and the film industry, discussing the ins-and-outs of “transmedia”, and how publishers could potentially take advantage of the system.]
Video games and Hollywood have always been the Woody Allen and Soon-Yi of the entertainment world. They’re together forever, but the fit has always been an odd one — and a little creepy at times.
Yet, for all the talk of film and video game synergy, you don’t see a lot of real world applications. Typically, the drill goes something like this: Studio wants to extend the reach of its upcoming nerd-friendly film; reaches agreement with game publisher; crappy game ensues (usually due to severely restricted development windows).
As EA promises a more aggressive stance on talent
acquisition, owned IP and digital models, Gamasutra editor-at-large Chris Morris analyzes where the company could succeed, and where it might fail.
Electronic Arts investors had a lot to cheer about Wednesday afternoon in the company’s earnings call. Not only were revenues and earnings per share higher than expected, but CEO John Riccitiello also declared a shift to a more aggressive stance on several fronts.
Shareholders, who have stuck with the company through its long rebuilding process, may have sighed with relief, but it’s still a little early to declare ‘all is well’ at EA. The coming fiscal year could be critical in determining the future course of the publisher.
There’s nothing new about video rental chains
mixing video games in with the latest Harry Potter film on their shelves. The practice has historically helped supplement dwindling income from film rentals as companies like Netflix shifted the paradigm.
But now, starting in June, Redbox is getting into the game rental business — and it’s a different story than before.
Gamasutra editor-at-large Chris Morris questions 
Sony’s handling of recent events, including the confusion surrounding the production of the PSP Go, and the ongoing outages with its PlayStation Network.
One of the greatest things about the internet era is the ability to learn news faster than ever before. The downside to that is that partial truths sometimes get mixed in with facts.
Often times, that’s the fault of the media – especially the news corps of the video game world, which very often follows a herd mentality, echoing each other’s stories without doing their own investigation. But as the fate of the PSP Go has been bandied about this week, Sony only has itself to blame.
Gamasutra editor-at-large Chris Morris talks to 
Telltale’s CEO Dan Connors about the addition of the Law & Order series to the company’s game catalog, and how licensed content is helping Telltale grow rapidly.
While other video game CEOs are running away from licensed content these days, Dan Connors is rushing towards it.
Instead of pursuing original content to grow Telltale Games, the company is relying on the universes created by some of Hollywood’s biggest companies. But instead of eking by with a portfolio of shovelware, Telltale is growing – and gaining critical praise.
With rumors circulating that Nintendo is planning to announce 
its next generation console at E3 this year, Gamasutra editor-at-large Chris Morris discusses whether the company should make its boldest move to date.
The rumors have been gaining steam for a couple of weeks now. Nintendo, they say, is planning to announce its next generation console at E3 this year.
While the company, not surprisingly, isn’t commenting on the chatter, it’s hardly going out of its way to downplay it either. And the second quarter lineup for the system (along with growing whispers about a looming $50 price cut in May) didn’t do anything to quiet speculation.
Gamasutra editor-at-large Chris Morris talks to 
Sifteo co-founders David Merrill and Jeevan Kalanithi about their new gaming system that plays games via small electronic blocks communicating wirelessly with a PC.
Long before people take a side in the Sony vs. Nintendo vs. Microsoft vs. Apple snipefests that so often dominate forum and comment chatter, they start with much simpler gaming interests.
Blocks… Sticks… Rocks… In many cases, board game pieces… Love of gaming often begins with some sort of tactile sensation. That physical connection sometimes fades once players get exposed to video games, but David Merrill and Jeevan Kalanithi are hoping to bring it back, by fusing the best parts of traditional and video gaming.
Stardock’s recent sale of its Impulse digital 
distribution service to GameStop is in the history books now, but the retailer was hardly the only bidder for the service.
Brad Wardell, CEO of Stardock, says there were conversations with dozens of companies – with roughly a half-dozen of those presenting term sheets – before Stardock made its final decision. And even then, it took a lot of convincing on GameStop’s part.
Chris Morris: Journalist 