The fight between 
the creators of the Call of Duty franchise and their former publisher Activision has a court date.
Jason West and Vince Zampella’s case against the company will be heard before a judge on May 7, 2012. Both parties are suing each other over a variety of charges in a soap opera-like tale of betrayal, cash and skullduggery – but the money at stake – hundreds of millions of dollars – is very real.
August, traditionally, 
is when game sales start to rev up for the holiday season. This year, though, they sputtered and died.
With the release date of Electronic Arts annual Madden football franchise moved to the end of the month, retail sales plummeted in August, falling 37 percent as compared to last year. Overall, year over year sales were down 23 percent.
Ricky Gervais’ biting 
(some might say mean-spirited) hosting gig at last year’s Golden Globes probably guaranteed he won’t be asked back in the near future in any official capacity. But that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s through with the awards show.
Gervais, on his blog, has floated the idea of live-streaming a podcast during this year’s show, offering his own brand of commentary and ego-deflation to the proceedings.
TiVo might have 
kick started the DVR revolution, but it quickly found itself shoved aside by cable companies, who offered the same services without a sizable up front cost to customers and a much lower monthly fee.
As the holidays draw near, the company’s about to launch its most aggressive hardware counteroffensive. The question is: Will it matter?
Award season in 
the video game industry is underway.
The Writer’s Guild of America has put out a call for submissions for its Video game writing award, which will be presented alongside similar nods for film and television writing Feb. 19. Submissions are being accepted through Dec. 1.
Looks like Dish Network 
could be looking to tackle Netflix on its own turf – and it’s bringing a surprise player to the game.
Bloomberg reports the satellite service plans to offer a standalone subscription streaming service that will capitalize on the Blockbuster brand. And, to rub salt in Netflix’s wounds: It might include titles from Starz.
The digital transition is 
going pretty well at Activision-Blizzard.
The video game publisher, in an Analyst Day presentation, notes that its digital revenue over the past 12 months hit $1.7 billion, topping last year’s $1.4 billion and 2009’s $1.2 billion. That’s a 37 percent increase in just 24 months.
Take-Two Interactive Software 
hasn’t formally announced the next installment of the massive Grand Theft Auto franchise, but it’s the industry’s worst kept secret.
Most industry analysts expect it to be unveiled (and released) next year – and the oddsmaking has started on exactly how big it will be. Right now, the most conservative guesses put the number just below the worldwide grosses of Titanic.
AT&T’s takeover of 
T-Mobile has hit a major roadblock as the U.S. government plans to block the merger of the two mobile giants. The Department of Justice today filed suit in U.S. District Court in Washington, saying the deal violates U.S. antitrust law.
“We are seeking to block this deal in order to maintain a vibrant and competitive market place,” said James Cole, Deputy Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice in a press conference.
The Full HD 3D Glasses 
Initiative – a joint effort by Samsung, Panasonic and Sony to adopt a new technology standard for active 3D glasses – continues to attract supporters.
Philips, Sharp, TCL and Toshiba have all announced their support for the program, which hopes to eliminate the specialized glasses currently required for each manufacturer’s set.
Chris Morris: Journalist 