Nintendo has unveiled a slew of 
deals, including a streaming vid partnership with Netflix, that show a growing partnership between the company and Hollywood.
During the company’s keynote address at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, execs announced Wednesday that U.S. owners of the forthcoming handheld gaming system will be able to stream Netflix films to the device starting this summer.
Nothing was going to keep Steve Jobs a
way from the introduction of the iPad 2 – not even his health.
The CEO of Apple, who has been on a medical leave of absence from the company since late January, surprised attendees at the tablet computer’s unveiling in San Francisco Wednesday, taking the wraps off of a redesigned version of its popular gadget, which will hit stores next Friday, March 11.
The first push by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to offer a multi-screen viewing experience may not have been perfect, but it proved to be a very solid first effort.
Oscar Backstage Pass offered a strong second screen experience for users that wanted a behind the scenes look at the Academy Awards, taking them into previously roped-off areas like the press room and giving them looks at the backstage happenings of the film industry’s biggest night.
Warner Bros. is looking to use 
Apple’s app store to boost legit movie downloads.
The studio announced plans Wednesday to roll out “App editions” of “Inception” and “The Dark Knight” for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. The free app gives fans of the film an extended preview of the films and film extras in an effort to persuade them to buy the electronic version, which can be downloaded or streamed via an in-app purchase.
Lucasfilm’s chief technical officer has given up 
Hollywood for Silicon Valley.
Richard Kerris has taken over as head of worldwide developer relations at Hewlett-Packard, where he will be in charge of boosting developer interest in creating applications and programs for the company’s webOS platform — which powers the newly announced TouchPad and Pre 3, among other systems.
At Activision-Blizzard, Feb. 9 will
be known as the day the music died.
The videogame publisher announced plans Wednesday to discontinue development of future “Guitar Hero” games, essentially putting what was once one of its top-earning franchises on ice.
It’s hardly a secret that iTunes is under competitive fire in the digital music marketplace. There are plenty of challengers, including such heavyweights as Amazon, Microsoft and Walmart, but none has made a sizable dent to date.
Now Sony is stepping up to the table with its recently announced music streaming service, dubbed Sony Qriocity Music Unlimited, which will roll out by the end of the first quarter. And rather than taking a page from the other players (launching a store to support a new product or in the hopes that music fans will find it), the company is relying on its existing (and widespread) product line to drive sales and adoption.
YouTube might be the king of the hill when it comes to video content on the Internet, but when it comes to premium programming, no one can beat Hulu.
A new report from ComScore finds online audiences watched 19.4 billion minutes on the site last year. That’s nearly twice as much time as was spent watching online video on the sites of ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and the CW, with a combined 9.7 billion minutes in 2010.
Nintendo may have pioneered the world of motion controlled 
gaming, but its days as the only player in the field are long over.
Microsoft and Sony, tired of seeing the Kyoto, Japan-based company steal the thunder of their souped-up videogame systems, have started to compete with the Wii on its own turf — and they’re seeing some notable success.
A by-the numbers look at the video game motion control market, breaking down Kinect, Move and Wii by price, availability, current catalog and additional benefits.
Chris Morris: Journalist 