The crowd roars. It's thrilling. So are the gasps of disbelief, the sudden outbursts of raucous applause whenever someone does something extraordinary. Even when I can't tell why they're on their feet, I want to join in. The energy is infectious.

Last month UbiWorkshop teased a secret project featuring the talents of acclaimed comic book illustrators Cameron Stewart and Karl Kerschl. Today that project stands revealed as an Assassin's Creed comic book mini-series set in Russia, introduced via old-timey film reel.

It looks like even Apple was caught off guard by the success of the iPad, citing its runaway success in the U.S. as the primary reason everyone else has to wait another month for it.

As seen on GameSpy.

By the end of October, Russia will have created a government sponsored trade organization for the games industry, and also hosted a national conference on the games industry, Gamasutra reports.

The transnational character of gaming is one that opens up a wide range of opportunities for the industry, but comes with a number of pitfalls as well — and, as Mathew McCurley argues at the Escapist, has far-reaching negative consequences, especially in term of content. Trying to navigate the tricky waters of…