The anticipation levels for “Starcraft II” are already sky high – but now Blizzard Entertainment has found a way that could make the game an even bigger time sucker.
Blizzard and Facebook have struck a deal, which will integrate the social network into Blizzard’s Battle.net service. That means players of “Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty” will be able to find Facebook friends who are also on Battle.net, making it easier to play a game with them.
Traditional media companies looking to 
profit off of the video game industry may need to rethink their methods. A panel of industry executives and analysts at the Digital Hollywood conference noted late Tuesday that the old ways of making money from the industry just don’t work any more.
“Licensing content is dead,” proclaimed Take Two Interactive Software CEO Ben Feder.
So far, the only games we’ve heard about 
that will take advantage of Move, Sony’s motion sensor controller, have been internal studios. Now, Disney has joined the team.
Disney Interactive Studios plans to utilize the Move in “Toy Story 3: The Video Game”. It’s part of a broader relationship between the two. The game will also feature content and gameplay that’s only available on the PS3, which some may view as a notice to Nintendo, which has been the home to the vast majority of child-friendly games this console generation.
Less than two months after the founders of Infinity Ward sued Activision over (among other things) unpaid royalties, over three dozen staffers of the development studio are following in their footsteps. 
38 current and former employees of Infinity Ward have filed suit against the publisher, saying Activision has withheld royalty payments game “in an attempt to keep the employees hostage so that Activision could reap the benefit of the completion of Modern Warfare 3.”
The debate over whether violent video games are bad for minors is going in front of the Supreme Court. The Court on Monday agreed to review a California law that bans the sale or rental of violent games to children.
It’s a bit of a surprise move by the Court, which many expected would decline to hear California’s appeal of the case after last week’s decision overturning a ban on depictions of animal cruelty for being too broad. (Experts say the wording of both laws in question were similar.)
Microsoft and Sony have been waging war over whose 
gaming system has more mass-market features since the beginning of this generation. Score the latest round to Sony.
The company and Major League Baseball have struck a deal that will result in MLB games streaming live via the PS3 effective today. To watch ‘em, though, you’ll need a subscription to MLB.com – and that will run you over $100 per year.
It’s no secret that Microsoft has always had broader plans for the Xbox 360 than video games, but a new report from Bloomberg indicates the company may be thinking of something much more ambitious than anyone expected.
Microsoft and former News Corp. president Peter Chernin have reportedly discussed creating a television channel that would air exclusively on Xbox Live and feature a mix of original programming and reruns. News of the discussions comes on the heels of reports that Conan O’Brien considered moving his show to Xbox before deciding to go with TBS.
That headline wasn’t a typo. Martha Stewart Omnimedia and Majesco Entertainment have partnered up to bring the doyenne of domestic duties to the video game space.
“Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia offers a vast wealth of content and has a passionate following. Branching into the interactive entertainment space is a natural next step,” said Jesse Sutton, CEO of Majesco Entertainment in a statement.
Nolan Bushnell, the man who founded Atari in 1972 
and was booted from it six years later, is back again. Atari has named Bushnell to its board of directors and said it hopes to lean on him to help with the company’s future planning.
It’s a move that might bring a smile to gaming historians, but could once again raise questions about the company’s future. Bushnell, while unquestionably a visionary in the video game space, has not been a major part of the mainstream gaming world for years. And his appointment comes as two well-respected industry veterans sever their ties with the company.
Chris Morris: Journalist 