In Back at the Barnyard: Slop Bucket Games, players will be able to play as one of their favorite characters from the TV show and compete in a series of wild and wacky sporting events. Players will compete in the first annual Slop Bucket Games - a series of wacky, fun, sporting events and reinvented classic arcade games with barnyard motifs.

Ahh, weekend, I'm always glad to see ya. Slept in way late but then had to rush to get our errands done because the wife and I wanted to watch the women's semifinals of the U.S. Open. Of course, we were rooting for Kim Clijsters, who played a great match even though victory came in a somewhat awkward way. Onto the finals!

We also watched "Inkheart" with Brandon Frasier, which turned out the be much better than we anticipated. It's more geared toward the younger crowd but not a bad flick at all.

Also received my latest Gears of War comic books (thanks Dana) so I quickly shredded through those, but I am still amazed at how thin comics are these days, and they're filled to the brim with ads. I used to be an avid X-Men and Sgt. Rock reader 15 years ago, so it seems things have changed quite a bit. It's been a while, so maybe I'll have to dig up my old issues and reminisce.

Embark on one of three cruise ships and begin enjoying mini golf, driving range, shuffleboard, ping pong, rock climbing, and casino games, all utilizing enhanced Wii MotionPlus controls. In addition there is trap shooting, which supports the use of the Wii Zapper accessory.

Disney Interactive Studios announced it has agreed to acquire Chicago-based Wideload Games. As part of the agreement, industry veteran and creative visionary Alexander Seropian, Wideload Games founder and CEO, will join Disney Interactive Studios in the newly created role of vice president of creative, leading the company’s global creative efforts.

Sony has rolled out new PlayStation Store content, starting with Invincible Tiger: The Legend of Han Tao ($14.99); demos for WET, DiRT 2, NHL 10, F.E.A.R. 2: Reborn; DLCS for Transformers, LittleBigPlanet, Crash Commando, Cross Edge, Fight Night Round 4, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, Tiger Woods 10; song packs for Rock Band (Unplugged); and the usual game/movie trailers, PS3 themes and downloadable PSP games (CoolBoarders 2, Tomb Raider 2, SimCity 2000).

Video Games Live announced the addition of 30 new performances to its tour, including a 2 evening performance in Tokyo (taking place during the TGS), an invitation by the Chinese government to perform all across China, the return to Broadway in NYC, and first ever game music performances in locations such as Ireland, Poland, Shanghai, Oregon, Salvador, Barcelona and others.

Check out the following new screens and trailers from Paradox Interactive's GamesCom 2009 lineup:

• 'Mount & Blade: Warband' - Screens & Trailer
• 'Ship Simulator Extremes' - New Screens & Trailer
• 'Majesty 2: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim' - Screens & Trailer
• 'Hearts of Iron III' - New Screens
• 'For The Glory' Announced - Screens
• 'Supreme Ruler 2020 Gold' - Screens
• 'Victoria 2' - First Screen
• 'Europa Universalis III: Heir to the Throne' Announced - Screens
• 'East India Company: Privateer' Announced - Screens & Trailer

Four great games from Australian developer Halfbrick are on the way to the PSP minis downloadable service, a series of smaller, casual games designed for quick play and instant action.

Check out the following new screens and trailers from Activision's GamesCom 2009 lineup:

• 'DJ Hero' (ALL) Gets Benny Benassi, Paul van Dyk and Tiësto Mixes - Screens
• 'Band Hero' (ALL) Gets Playable Adam Levine - Screens
• 'Tony Hawk: Ride' (ALL) - New Screens
• 'Guitar Hero 5' (ALL) Gets Rolling Stones Track Pack As Launch Day DLC
• 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare' (Wii) - First Screens
• 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized' (NDS) - Screens & Trailer
• 'Blur' (PS3/X360/PC) - New Screens
• 'Singularity' (PS3/X360/PC) - 13 New Screens
• 'Modern Warfare 2' (ALL) - New Screens

Activision announced its line-up of titles it will be showing off at GamesCom 2009 (Aug. 19th-23rd), such as Band Hero, Blur, DJ Hero, Guitar Hero 5, Modern Warfare 2, Singularity and Tony Hawk: RIDE and the LucasArts’ titles Lego Indiana Jones 2 and Star Wars The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes amongst others.

Sony has rolled out new PlayStation Store content, starting with Marvel Vs Capcom 2 + demo ($14.99), DLCs for LittleBigPlanet, PAIN, Cross Edge, Disgaea 3, Dynasty Warriors 6 Empires, Madden NFL 10, song packs for Guitar Hero World Tour, and Rock Band (Unplugged), as well as the usual game/movie trailers, PS3 themes and downloadable PSP games (Dead In The Water, Ten Pin Alley, Tomb Raider).

Game Factory Interactive announced its line-up of titles it will be showing off at GamesCom 2009 (Aug. 19th-23rd), such as They’re Alive!, Steam Slug, new titles M.I.A.: Missing in Action, The Way of Cossack and a slew of others ...

Nielsen Research data released this week shows that gamers are playing more this summer than last. June 2009's total video game console usage minutes went up 21% from the previous June with the average gamer logging 768 minutes, led by Microsoft's X360.

Get ready to ditch the workout and join the Zumba movement as Majesco has teamed up with Zumba Fitness to bring the workout experience to video games.

dtp's Drakensang: The River Of Time is going to tell a new story within the Drakensang universe, bringing as much innovations as tried and true game elements to Radon Labs' fantasy RPG.

Paradox announced its lineup of titles it will be showing off at GamesCom 2009 (August 19th – 23rd), such as the just released East India Company and Hearts of Iron III, but also upcoming titles like Mount & Blade: Warband and Project Poseidon.

Konami will premiere a wave of new titles (Castlevania, MGS, Pro Evolution Soccer, Silent Hill) at the gamescom event in Cologne, with key development talent (Hideo Kojima, Shingo "Seabass" Takatsuka) on hand to present and answer questions on their work.

Icon Games is mutating from being an independent developer to become an independent publisher. Having been following the traditional publisher funded games route since its initial PS2 title 'International Pool Championship' for PlayIt, the industry is changing and Icon Games has decided to change with it.

To celebrate its 10th year in the business, Paradox announced a deal sure to please PC gamers everywhere, offering its currently released library of games, such as Eleven Legacy, Mount & Blade, and Europa Universalis 3, at 50% off their regular retail prices.

NCAA Football 10 envelopes the excitement and pageantry of college football at its best. Enhanced stadiums filled with school colors, cheerleaders and mascots bring the college atmosphere to life. TeamBuilder is an all-new, online create-a-school feature that revolutionizes the user’s ability to produce personalized content.

An investigation into his daughter's death unwittingly leads former agent Sam Fisher to discover he's been betrayed by his prior agency, the Third Echelon. Now a renegade, Fisher finds himself in a race against time to thwart a deadly terrorist plot that threatens millions. Fans who pre-order at Gamestop will receive an exclusive in-game semi-automatic shotgun.

Jagex Games Studio announced that Jon Hare, long time industry veteran known for Sensible Soccer, has joined the company as Head of Publishing. Hare has been appointed to oversee publishing at Jagex, with a particular focus on further developing its integrated gaming website targeted at time-pressed gamers.

Video Games Live, recently enshrined in the Guinness Book of World Records, announces 12 performances throughout the month of July. Each show will be unique and many will be highlighted by special performances, conventions and/or special guests.