Graham Hopper, who has guided Disney’s 
gaming division for the past eight years, is leaving the company.
Hopper announced his departure via an internal email Monday afternoon saying “the time has come for me to move on from the company and set my sights on new horizons.”
First it was Hulu, then the major networks. Now, 
Viacom has blocked Google TV units from accessing its content, including all Comedy Central programming.
It’s the latest in a series of hindrances for the latest set-top box competitor and couldn’t come at a worse time. With the holiday season approaching and shoppers debating whether to splurge for the device, there is less and less programming to watch via Google TV.
This holiday season, gadgets are a good 
worry-free gift to get that bizzer who has everything — particularly since everything that’s tech seems to be changing. From 3D TV and a video-streaming set-top box to a new twist on motion-capture gaming, Variety has put together a list of the latest gizmos that are sure to be as much fun to give as they are to receive.
“Call of Duty: Black Ops” continues to break 
entertainment industry records.
Activision announced Thursday that the latest installment in its multibillion-dollar franchise has generated sales of $650 million in its first five days — an 18% (and $100 million) improvement over last year’s “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.” That makes the game’s opening the highest for an entertainment property — of any sort — in history.
“Call of Duty: Black Ops” 
continues to devastate entertainment industry records.
Activision today announced the latest installment in its multibillion dollar franchise has generated sales of $650 million in its first five days on shelves – an 18 percent (and $100 million) improvement over last year’s “Modern Warfare 2”. That makes the game the highest opening entertainment property – of any sort – in history.
Hulu’s subscription service – taking the Web-
based operation beyond the PC – has moved out of its beta period and is welcoming all who are interested. Hulu Plus officially launches today – and, even better, it’s getting cheaper.
The company has scaled back the $9.99 monthly fee it has charged since late June to $7.99 – and says it will issue refunds for the difference to early adopters who were in the beta. The price cut is a welcome one, but still higher than the $4.99 figure many people were expecting.
While no one will mistake 
October as a joyous month for video game sales, there were a few nuggets of good news from NPD this month.
Retail software sales were up 6 percent – the first time the industry has seen growth since May. And the Xbox 360 saw hardware sales increase – the only console to do so. Otherwise… well, things weren’t so good.
Apple has filled one of the biggest 
holes in the iTunes catalog. The Beatles catalog is now available for download.
After years of teasing, disappointment and back and forth, the Cuppertino-based company (which has become one of the most powerful forces in the music industry) and the iconic band have come to terms. It’s unclear at this time whether Apple secured exclusive digital rights to the band’s songs or if EMI, The Beatles’ record company, will be striking similar deal with other providers.
Cementing its status as one of the year’s “must have” 
holiday items, Microsoft’s Kinect has sold more than 1 million units in its first 10 days on the market.
That’s a strong start for the peripheral, which uses motion capture technology to let players use their bodies to control videogames on the Xbox 360. It’s certainly a stronger reaction than Sony saw with its entry in the motion control category earlier this year. The company shipped 1 million PlayStation Move units to retailers in that device’s first month on shelves, but did not sell them all.
Microsoft has a hit on its hands
with Kinect, the motion capture device that lets players act as the controller for the Xbox 360. The company says it has sold more than 1 million units in the first 10 days of availability.
That’s a significantly stronger start than Sony’s PlayStation Move – which shipped 1 million units in its first month of availability, but did not sell that many. It also underscores the “must have” status of Kinect as the company gears up for the holiday shopping season.
Chris Morris: Journalist 