If you’re a fan of ‘Star Wars’ or 
‘The Lord of the Rings’, you’re intimately familiar with Hollywood’s practice of repackaging hit films, adding a bit of polish or new content and enticing you to pay for yet another ticket or version of the DVD.
It’s one of the best ways for studios to make money off old franchises — and now the video game industry is starting to follow in its footsteps.
An Irish teen has learned the 
hard way that breaking the law can be a losing game. Literally.
A judge in Belfast ordered a boy accused of a series of robberies — including a shopping center and high school — to surrender his Xbox 360 as part of the conditions for him to receive bail late last month.
FarmVille is headed 
to Wall Street.
Zynga, the maker of that massively popular Facebook game — and several others — has filed the paperwork for an Initial Public Offering.The four-year old firm says it expects to raise $1 billion in the process, though it’s possible (and, in fact, expected) that it could offer more shares and raise more money when the stock eventually begins trading.
World of Warcraft fans have an annual 
get-together. So do EverQuest players, and Quake aficionados.
Now the biggest game in the industry is launching its own shindig — and you’re invited.
Call of Duty XP, a convention for fans of the wildly popular shooter series, will have its inaugural gathering this September 2 and 3 in Los Angeles. Roughly 6,000 fans are expected to pay $150 per ticket to attend the event. Tickets go on sale July 19.
If we’ve learned anything about 
addiction, it’s that the easiest way to get someone hooked on something is to offer it for free for a while. Once they can’t live without it – bam! Charge ’em.
Given how many people need their daily fix of World of Warcraft, we have to wonder why it took Blizzard so long to figure this out.
Like to try before you buy? Hope 
to save a few bucks by purchasing your games used? Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D may not be the game for you.
Saved games in the Nintendo 3DS title, which hits shelves Tuesday, can’t be erased. In other words, when your progress is saved, it’s there forever — even if you loan it to a friend or sell it to someone else. If you manage to beat the game, there is no way to get rid of your save file and play it again from scratch.
In a landmark ruling, the U. S. Supreme Court 
Monday declared video games are protected forms of free speech, striking down a controversial California law that that attempted to restrict the sale of some titles to minors.
The state argued that violent games are harmful to children and, as such, their sale should be restricted. California took a slightly different approach than other states who have attempted to pass similiar laws, though, by including violent games in the same category as cigarettes and adult magazines. The Court strongly rejected the argument.
It might not be as famous as the Boston 
Marathon, but a marathon taking place in the Mushroom Kingdom sounds like a lot more fun.
A group of civic-minded — and seriously dedicated — Nintendo fans have kicked off Mario Marathon 4, a fund-raising effort for the Child’s Play Charity, which provides hospitalized children with toys and games.
Harry Potter is going digital, but 
he’s bypassing the gaming world for the literary one.
Despite early reports – and an alleged leaked memo – that indicated Pottermore would be an online game with real world prizes, author J.K. Rowling announced a different sort of experience Thursday morning with the formal unveiling of the site.
For the past few weeks, the Web has been 
buzzing about J. K. Rowling’s mysterious Pottermore project. And while details won’t be officially unveiled until Thursday, all signs are pointing to it being an online game revolving around the Harry Potter universe.
A leaked memo has revealed Pottermore to be a persistent world that blends World of Warcraft with real world treasure hunts. Users will dig up clues, which will let them find prizes in the real world.
Chris Morris: Journalist 