Retired World Championship Wrestling professional Maxx Payne filed a $10 million lawsuit against a group of video software developers for allegedly stealing his personal to create the game "Max Payne." The lawsuit was filed last week in U.S. District Court against Rockstar Games Inc., 3D Realms Entertainment, Gathering of Developers and Remedy Entertainment Ltd... More about it below!

Global interactive entertainment publisher Atari, Inc. claimed an 18.4% share of video games software sales during May 2003, earning the Company the #1 rank among all video game publishers during the month, according to The NPD Group, Inc. The May 2003 sales performance compared with a 5.4% market share and sixth position among publishers in May 2002.

Activision Value Publishing, a division of Activision announced today that the company has extended its successful partnership with world-renowned outdoors hunting outfitter, Cabela's, Inc. through an exclusive multi-year video game licensing agreement that expires in 2014.

Expanding its diverse portfolio of licensed entertainment properties, Acclaim Entertainment, Inc. today announced that it has signed an exclusive agreement with Archangel Studios to develop video games based upon its award-winning, computer-generated comic series, The Red Star. Currently under development with Acclaim Studios Austin for the next-generation gaming systems, The Red Star takes place in a parallel fantasy universe, in which a mythic empire based on the Soviet Union sets the landscape for an epic battle of militarized sorcery and monolithic technology.

Last April, Senior U.S. District Judge Stephen Limbaugh ruled that computer and video games had "no conveyance of ideas, expression or anything else that could possibly amount to free speech" in a St. Louis County case that sought to limit children's access to mature video games. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals disagreed, saying a "particularized message" is not required when it comes to the First Amendment. Read more for details ...

Bethesda Softworks announced today that actress Keira Knightley will narrate the thrilling role playing video game, Pirates of the Caribbean. Knightley stars in Disney's upcoming feature film, "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" which opens in theaters nationwide on July 9th. Slated for a June 2003 release for the Xbox and PC, the Pirates of the Caribbean game offers players the most realistic pirating action to date.

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.

The stereotype of video games as a children's-only pursuit is as outdated as a classic Pong console. Sure, teens still play them, but the first wave of gamers that grew up playing video games in the 1970s and 80s has now reached adulthood -- and many of these avid gamers have children of their own. As a result, millions of people today are playing, buying and even learning to create new games and other interactive entertainment products.

The world market for video games is growing at a faster rate than ever before, according to a new report by analysts Screen Digest on behalf of ELSPA, the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association. The popular games console systems, Sony PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube and Microsoft Xbox have sold 30 per cent more than the previous generation of gaming technology at the equivalent point in time.

Here is a news story on a growing gaming culture seen growing mostly in the bigger cities... As the editorial deadline draws nearer for the forthcoming edition of Twin Galaxies' Official Video Game & Pinball Book of World Records, more and more champions are surfacing to represent the many distinct genres of gaming. And, most interesting among the new genre are the dancing games... More about it below!

The last studio linked to the iconic video game company is winding down its operations this month. More than a hundred employees are losing their jobs. Some of these staffers date back to Atari's heyday in the 1970s. One employee worked on Atari's second game, Tank. Parent company Midway Games, which bought Atari's arcade division in 1996, said the downsizing is necessary to cut costs.

Donald Hayes, a well known competitor in the world of classic arcade gaming has beaten a 20-year-old record on the legendary arcade game Super Zaxxon. Considered among the the top ten "hardest games of all time," the world record on Super Zaxxon had not budged an inch since Greg McLeod of Halifax, Nova Scotia, set the benchmark standard of 339,750 points on July 25, 1983 during a Twin Galaxies event. Not only will Donald Hayes be recognized as the Super Zaxxon champion in the forthcoming edition of the Official Video Game & Pinball Book of World Records, but he also holds the world records on TRON and Centipede, two of the most highly contested titles of all time. The entire story can be found at TwinGalaxies

The U.S. entertainment software industry grew 8% to a record-breaking $6.9 billion in 2002, according to data released today by the Interactive Digital Software Association (IDSA), the U.S. association representing computer and video game software publishers. The IDSA today also released results of a new poll that shows that consumers plan to keep spending on computer and video games in 2003, with 41% of all Americans, and almost two-thirds (63%) of parents, saying that they plan to purchase at least one game this year. In addition, a majority of Americans (56%) under the age of 45 plan to buy at least one computer or video game this year; while 37% of 45 to 54 year olds, and 26% of adults ages 55 to 64, also plan to buy at least one game this year. The poll was conducted in mid-January for the IDSA by KRC Research, and dramatically illustrates the industry's popularity among adult consumers.

Noticed on Shacknews that Yahoo.biz reports Investment bank Investec believes Microsoft Corp. was in talks with French media conglomerate Vivendi Universal about buying Vivendi's video game business for as much as $2 billion. A spokeswoman for Vivendi Universal's game unit declined to comment. A Microsoft spokeswoman could not be immediately reached for comment. This can only amount to the recent rumours and speculations ..

The Observer reports that violent computer games are to be regulated by a film-style classification system that will warn parents about graphic sex or horrific images. The move comes after complaints about the content of games such as Hooligans: Storm over Europe, State of Emergency and Carmaggedon, which show graphic images of fighting, death and reckless driving. From April all computer games sold in the EU will carry the new classifications. Those with no violent content or sex will be rated 3+, indicating the age from which they can be played. There will also be classifications of 7+, 12+, 16+ and 18+.

Vivendi Universal has held talks with at least three potential suitors to sell its video game arm but no deal is believed to be near, according to banking sources familiar with the situation. Vivendi Universal Games has talked to Microsoft Corp., Sony Corp. and Electronic Arts Inc. about a possible acquisition, though those conversations were described by the sources as preliminary. The talks come as Vivendi Universal Entertainment, which encompasses the Franco-American conglomerate's TV, film, music, theme park and game assets, has itself been the subject of a takeover bid, with oilman Marvin Davis spearheading a deal worth about $15 billion for the unit.

Playboy Enterprises today announced a global licensing deal with ARUSH Entertainment in conjunction with Groove Games to create, market and distribute a set of interactive simulation video games. The first Playboy- branded game, which will be playable on multiple platforms including PC, Sony PlayStation 2 and Microsoft Xbox consoles, is targeted to be in stores in 2004.

Entertainment industry powerhouses are lining up to support the highly anticipated “Video Games Live At The Hollywood Bowl” concert taking place in spring 2003. Mystical Stone Entertainment has bolstered its industry’s presence through partnerships with the entertainment agency Endeavor and public relations firm Bender/Helper Impact. Endeavor will spearhead several business and development initiatives for Mystical Stone Entertainment including broadcast rights, cross-promotional partnerships and other strategic alliances.

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!

Video Games Live At The Hollywood Bowl is the first ever concert showcasing the greatest music in video games and will be performed at the Hollywood Bowl, May 16th. This highly energized event will be taking place on the closing night of the 2003 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), the largest interactive entertainment exposition in the United States.

The Mall of America - America's largest enclosed shopping mall - has scheduled the dates for the 3rd Annual Twin Galaxies Video Game Festival. Taking up the entire weekend of July 18-20, 2003, the event plans four major gaming world championships in addition to a classics arcade and a midway of console and PC games open to the public on free play. With thousands of dollars promised in prizes for contest winners, Twin Galaxies has scheduled these four championships: the 3rd Annual Console Video Game World Championship, the 1st Annual Classic Video Game World Championship, the 1st Annual Mall Pinball World Championship and the 1st Annual PC Games World Championship.

Resident Evil 0 is the prequel to Resident Evil, the game that started it all. Utilizing the GameCube's advanced processing power, Resident Evil 0 promises to amaze players with flawless animation, living environments and the best graphics in a video game ever! .. Cant wait to get your hands on Resident Evil 0? Well why not check out a preview video for the game, it's 12MB to grab and runs for 2min and 18seconds. Read more for the links..

Digital Leisure today announced its release of a remastered version of the American Laser Games' smash arcade hit Crime Patrol 2: Drug Wars. Digital Leisure, the leading publisher of interactive DVD adventures, has re-mastered Drug Wars into a fully interactive adventure for DVD movie players that is also compatible with PS2 and XBox. The remastered version is highlighted by spectacular video quality and all the shooting action of the original laser disc adventure. Players use their DVD remote controls to aim and fire, as the notorious Lopez and his South American Drug Cartel strive to ship their white powder across the border and into major metropolises. Check the screens!

A southern California start-up is preparing to start selling a device that would play digital music on the Game Boy handheld video game machine. Santa Monica, California-based SongPro plans to launch a device for under $99 this fall that will play digital music in various formats on any of the tens of millions of Game Boy game consoles worldwide. The Game Boy line -- both the older Game Boy Color and the newer Game Boy Advance -- is a product of Japanese game giant Nintendo Co. Ltd., and it has a virtual monopoly on the handheld gaming market worldwide. The company says it has Nintendo's support for first-of-its-kind device.

With a horror franchise in mind, DreamWorks has picked up exclusive film rights to the Japanese video game "Fatal Frame." (being published by Wanadoo in the UK in September with the title PROJECT ZERO)