The Interactive Software Federation of Europe held a panel discussion involving consumers, publishers and developers of video games throughout the European Union. Participants including parents’ representatives heard a panel of independent experts, including psychologists and media specialists, express their views about the impact of videogames on players, especially the younger ones.

Consumer Electronics Association is reporting that roughly one-third of adult gamers spend 10 hours or more per week playing console or PC games compared to just 11 percent of teens, according to results from its online study surveying adults, and teens between the ages of 12-14.

Capcom today announced that it is bringing animated series based on its Street Fighter and Darkstalkers videogames to UMD. Street Fighter Alpha: The Movie, 29 episodes of the Street Fighter II V animated series, Night Warriors Darkstalkers Revenge Alpha and Night Warriors Darkstalkers Revenge Omega.

The Hollywood Reporter has the scoop that "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" is coming to a game platform near you. If you have ever answered to the nickname Blondie, it might be time to dust off your poncho and make sure your six-shooter is fully loaded. In a deal with MGM Interactive, Bits Studios has acquired video game rights to the three Sergio Leone movies often called "The Man With No Name" trilogy.

A contract between video game developers and unionized actors lending their voices to video games is set to expire on Friday, and no new contract has been agreed upon, leaving open the possibility of actors on strike. The Screen Actors Guild and AFTRA are in negotiations with a group of major videogame publishers, all of which have come to rely on union talent for increasingly cinematic videogames. Since videogame revenue rivals that of the box office, SAG wants a piece of the pie, and a strike could affect actors such as Clint Eastwood, Vin Diesel, or even Marlon Brando in EA's The Godfather. Read the full article over at Variety...

ESPN Videogames today announced details of the ESPN Videogames Online Leagues for PlayStation 2 gamers who eagerly await the company's sports game lineup for the 2003-04 season. ESPN Videogames Online Leagues invite ESPN NFL Football, ESPN NBA Basketball, and ESPN College Hoops players to create and manage their own leagues with other sports gamers across the country. The leagues are now accessible at the ESPN Videgames' website by clicking on the 'PS2 Online Gaming' link. This feature can be accessed through any PC with an Internet connection.

Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. is mulling a bid for the videogames business of Vivendi Universal SA, which the French media conglomerate has put up for sale to reduce its borrowings. Take-Two Interactive, based in New York, would make a bid for VU Games with financial partners, according to a person familiar with the situation.

THQ is delivering its most comprehensive lineup to date this holiday season. From core gamer content like "Red Faction II" and "WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth" for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system to games that target the more mass market game playing audience like "SpongeBob SquarePants: Revenge of the Flying Dutchman" and "Hot Wheels Velocity X," THQ is offering great gameplay for every segment of the expanding videogame market.. Read more to check out what THQ's 2002 holiday lineup includes!

To celebrate the launch of one of the most anticipated games of the year, Ubi Soft Entertainment is bringing Myst’s unique worlds to east London in the world’s first interactive videogames art exhibition. Post-ECTS interview and piss-up (against pre-rendered backdrops, no doubt).