The cause is "Marissa's Bunny," which seeks to support families and spread awareness of infantile spasms, a serious pediatric epileptic condition that causes seizures and leaves small children facing a life of physical and/or mental disability. All profits from the sale of "A Gamer's Alphabet" by the good contributors of Fazy Luckers, go to Marissa's Bunny, which you can learn more about here.

Here, you can order the book and preview a few pages from it. The softcover is $20.95, the hardcover edition is $30.95. If it looks right for the little gamer in your family, or for a big gamer who needs a grin, know that you're giving to a good cause in the process.

A Gamer's Alphabet [Fazy Luckers via Hawty McBloggy]

The Magi and The Sleeping Star is the creation of Oklahoma-based Game Equals Life, formed by video game enthusiast and diabetic Adam Grantham. Adam wants to deliver a video game experience that teaches children and young adults to manage their disease, without feeling like they are being force-fed an edutainment title, and he might just succeed.

The Magi and The Sleeping Star looks like your average third-person shooter, with giant boss monster fights, blazing weapons, and a robotic companion named Momo who guides you along your path. The difference lies in the diabetes management portion of the game, which is directly linked to your magic attacks and special moves. By correctly balancing healing food items with insulin, the player can maintain ideal blood sugar levels, making his magic more powerful and his special moves more...special. Fail to properly maintain those levels and your magic and special moves will fail you.

The game, which is still in early stages, also allows players to enter in their own blood sugar information, making for a personalized experience with relevance to each individual person's situation.

Grantham spoke to NewsOK about the feeling of empowerment he hopes the game will convey.

"It's like I can totally kill thousands of monsters just by staying on top of my diabetes. It's a tool for empowerment rather than bringing them down, and we're using game play as a language to teach complex ideas. A kid thinking that way can apply it to real life at school or soccer or anything else."

You can visit the game's official website to see how much work Adam has accomplished with a four-person team. He's currently negotiating with various nonprofit organizations and pharmaceutical companies in order to further develop the concept.

Perhaps one day The Magi and The Sleeping Star will be distributed by children's hospitals as a tool to help kids learn about dealing with the disease. As it stands, it's a heartwarming example of how video games can be used in a positive manner to enrich the lives of those who've been dealt a less-than-optimal hand.

Norman video game company gives lessons on diabetes [NewsOK via GamePolitics]

Migel appeared on the show a couple of days ago, along with the following clip.

Migel's local paper, the Pasadena Star-News reports that he directed, shot and edited the video himself and got an A.

Could we learn some lessons here?

Pretty ugly babies with knives for arms, to be exact, and I'm not sure there is a court in the land that would prosecute you for kicking a few of them as they waddle towards you, swinging about their razor-sharp appendages menacingly. Executive Producer Jonathan Knight spoke of this achievement yesterday at EA's Naughty and Nice holiday press event during a discussion of the game's finer points, which aren't just breasts and the odd bit of phallic architecture.

The achievement is similar to the "Kill 1,000 Children" achievement in Fairytale Fights, which might not make it into the final game. I wouldn't worry about EA taking away the "Bad Nanny" achievement though. After all, they've got one of the greatest literary works of all time backing them up.

Dante's Inferno to Feature Kill Unbaptized Babies Achievement [UGO]

The Hasbro / EA partnership is fully realized today with the launch of Littlest Pet Shop Online, an immersive online world filled with animals desperately struggling to keep from being crushed under the weight of their own massive skulls. The game is all about decorating, customization, and of course, mini-games, offering fun for "girls" whether they opt to play for free or buy a subscription for $6.95 a month.

I'd give you my impressions, but all I get when I try to log in is the hourglass seen above, with an adorable little cat that keeps waving at me until I return to the login prompt. I am hoping that's not the full game. Perhaps it's server queues. Perhaps it's because I am a filthy, stinking boy.

"EA is at an exciting milestone, diving into the realm of virtual worlds for girls with the launch of LITTLEST PET SHOP ONLINE," said Chip Lange, General Manager of EA's Hasbro Division. "LITTLEST PET SHOP ONLINE is an incredible game and community destination, as well as an environment that parents know they can trust. We're delighted to offer LITTLEST PET SHOP fans a new and exciting way to connect online with friends through their favorite pets."

Littlest Pet Shop fans of both genders can also purchase LPSO Pets at participating retailers. LPSO Pets are plushies with sewn-in codes for 30-day premium memberships to the game and special in-game rewards. Maybe one of the rewards includes getting past this hourglass.

GameRockers is a three-day program that has kids competing for prizes by forming bands, writing and recording songs and finally squaring off in a Battle of the Bands. So, it's just like real life — if real life were Camp Rock with Jonas Brothers.

Here's part of the press release:

GameROCKERS™ is our exclusive 3-day cutting edge game-musician program for the new age of musicians who play Guitar Hero or Rock Band. Loaded with competitions and prizes, students play in bands, write songs, record songs, and play a final concert and Battle of the Bands!

iROCKER™ is our 1-day version of the GameROCKERS program. Also loaded with competitions and prizes, these students get a 1-day course filled with fun, competition, Battle of the Bands, training and prizes. Move over Beethoven, here come the 21st Century Digital iROCKERS!

We're proud to be the first and only to offer such programs!

The Cartoon Network Universe: FusionFall Victory Pack for PC and Mac should be arriving in stores tomorrow courtesy of a partnership with Majesco. For $19.99, new players will receive a four-month subscription to the game, a game guide with details on all of FusionFall's special powers, or nanos, and codes for two exclusive outfits and weapon sets.

The game launches online tomorrow, with a robust free-to-play section to allow you and / or your children to try the game out before committing to the relatively meager $5.95 a month subscription fee. For more on the title, read on, or hit up the game's official site at www.FusionFall.com.

MAJESCO ENTERTAINMENT PARTNERS WITH CARTOON NETWORK ENTERPRISES TO SHIP 'CARTOON NETWORK UNIVERSE: FUSIONFALL' FOR PC AND MAC

First Massively Multiplayer Online Game for Kids Is Now Available In Stores As 'Victory Pack Exclusive'

EDISON, N.J., January 13, 2009 - Majesco Entertainment Company (NASDAQ: COOL), an innovative provider of video games for the mass market, and Cartoon Network Enterprises (CNE) today announced that Cartoon Network Universe: FusionFall for PC and Mac has shipped to retail outlets nationwide. The first massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) for kids, and a major initiative for the network, FusionFall is set within a re-imagined Cartoon Network universe where players must rally together to defend the world from an epic alien invasion. The Victory Pack Exclusive retail version of FusionFall is loaded with extras including: a four month subscription to the online game, an in-depth game guide with details of all "Nanos," monsters and adventure paths, and codes for two exclusive outfit and weapon sets only available in the Victory Pack.

"FusionFall is an innovative and groundbreaking MMOG that will appeal to the legions of Cartoon Network fans," said Gui Karyo, Executive Vice President of Operations, Majesco. "Partnering with Cartoon Network on the retail version of the game was a major initiative for us and we believe the extensive added value in the Victory Pack will enhance the playing experience."

"A massive undertaking for the network, FusionFall stands to be a truly unique and rich gaming experience for kids that blends some of our most popular characters in a way that has never been seen before," said Christina Miller, vice president, CNE. "Building off of this excitement, we're pleased to partner with Majesco to offer fans an extension of the game at retail day and date with its online launch." The intergalactic conqueror Planet Fusion is invading the Cartoon Network world - warping terrain, corrupting the environment, and creating evil Cartoon Network character clones! Players must team up with the online community and more than 50 characters from some of Cartoon Network's most popular shows - including Ben 10 Alien Force, Dexter's Laboratory, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Ed, Edd' n Eddy, The Powerpuff Girls, Kids Next Door, Samurai Jack, and many more, to restore order to the Cartoon Network universe. After creating their own unique avatar, players will explore a massive 17-plus square kilometer area with 60 playable zones including familiar areas from Cartoon Network shows and fusion "infected" areas.

Created through a partnership with leading Korean MMOG developer Grigon Entertainment, FusionFall is a mix of 3-D console platform game action and all the customization, character development and open-ended world exploration of a MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game). New, expanded content will be added to the game regularly. Players can collect a variety of items throughout the game, including more than 30 customizable "Nanos" - tiny stylized versions of Cartoon Network's most famous characters - that provide special powers and abilities across more than 600 unique missions. In addition, FusionFall's distinctive visual approach combines an all-new cel-shaded anime style fit within the familiar look and feel of Cartoon Network.

Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and up, the Cartoon Network Universe: FusionFall Victory Pack Exclusive for PC and Mac is now available for the suggested retail price of $19.99. The game will also officially launch online January 14. For additional information about the game please visit the official site at www.FusionFall.com.

Jolie tells Harper’s Bazaar “My kids play video games. I let them play with toy soldiers. We don’t take war and violence lightly, but we don’t hide it from anybody."

How does the big screen Lara Croft explain all that fictional violence to Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, and eventually Knox and Vivienne? “We say, ‘Mommy and daddy have movies where we play these characters, but there’s real death and violence in the world.’” Talking to your kids, eh? Helping to define the difference between reality and fantasy is an interesting concept that might just be crazy enough to work.

Reader and tipster Jason says "I thought that this is quite an interesting read considering that Ms. Jolie frequently travels to war torn nations for the UN and [has] seen what war does to people. That and how she makes an effort to talk to her kids about real world violence. It's very much a different perspective about gaming in the media that people [should] definitely hear more of in my own opinion."

We couldn't have said it better ourselves, so we didn't even try. Thanks, Jason.

Jolie says she’s ‘just a punk kid with tattoos’ [MSNBC]

Worse, they might not like videogames.

No, no, it's too horrible to contemplate. Luckily this Etsy store is selling the essential kit you need to turn a newborn into a hardcore gamer - a Space Invaders onesie/babygrow, joystick bib and concentration-improving hat.

$5.99 plus shipping is a bargain, people. Remember - the children are our future.

Punk Rock 80's Baby GIFT SET onesie hat bibs Atari arcade game UNISEX black white[Etsy via Wonderland]

A survey by The Pew Research Center has 'revealed' that around ninety seven percent of American children regularly play video games (boys: 99%, girls 94%). Possibly, the other three percent are being punished for something and have had their consoles nailed to a tree.

Its not all stating the bleedin' obvious, over at Pew towers. More revealing was the broad spectrum of games that America's youth are playing.

All genres get a look in, with racing, action, puzzle games and sports being the most popular. More that two thirds of the kids surveyed played online, with games being seen as a social activity rather than the solitary pastime so often portrayed in the media.

Survey: Nearly every kid a video gamer[SF Gate]

With so many entertainment and consumer brands moving into virtual worlds, it’s easy to overlook the opposite trend starting to emerge.

A handful of successful online brands are starting to move onto store shelves through licensing and partnership agreements.

Neopets is the poster child in this space and Habbo, on the back of some early dabbling in the space, hinted at the show of a major offline brand tie-up to be announced soon

The real-to-virtual transition can be tough (be it a virtual world or movie tie-in), but it seems a lot easier to go the other way — and considering a lot of virtual world denizens are so damn cute already, how hard can a toy line be? Perhaps more traditional companies looking to 'break out from the glass wall' of retail can take a few marketing cues from their younger, simpler virtual worlds cousins.

The War on Geekiness and 4 Other Trends from Virtual Worlds Expo 2008 [Free To Play]

Currently, there's a Wall-E minigame, printable paper dolls for My Fashion Studio, and instructions on how to draw LEGO Batman, on which I am sure we could all afford a lesson.

GameStop kicks off the site launch with an activity contest, where participants come up with an activity for GameSpot's kid-friendly activity book launching this winter. The winning activity gets featured in the book, and the winner also gets a $500 GameStop gift card. Kotaku readers who are parents, now is when you force your children to enter and totally help them cheat, and then buy $480 worth of games for yourself and then give the kid a used GBA title, or something.

I'm joking. Kinda.

[GameStop Playground]

GAMESTOP GIVES MORE POWER TO THE PLAYER…AND PARENTS….WITH LAUNCH OF ITS NEW GAMESTOP PLAYGROUND WEBSITE

Virtual Playground Features Interactive Games, Contests, and Gaming Tips for Parents

In an effort to provide more power to gamers – and their parents, GameStop, the world's largest video game and entertainment software retailer, has launched the GameStop Playground, a virtual online playground of fun activities, videos, and mini-games for families to enjoy. In conjunction with its on-going "Respect the Ratings" efforts, the site also provides tools to help parents select appropriate games for their children, including shopping guides, gaming tips, ESRB ratings, and a list of recommended games for kids.

The GameStop Playground can be accessed online at: http://www.gamestop.com/playground,

where visitors are invited to try the WALL•E mini game, print out a template to make My Fashion Studio paper dolls, learn how to draw LEGO Batman, watch a Mario Kart video, and more. The site will be updated regularly to include new games, activities, contests, and helpful information.

To coincide with the launch of the site, GameStop Playground is currently hosting the "Build Your Own Activity Contest," which invites contestants come up with a cool and unique activity for the next issue of the GameStop activity book. The winner of the activity contest will receive a $500 GameStop gift card and have his/her activity featured in the book coming out this winter. Four runner-ups will each get $100 gift cards. All entries must be postmarked on or before Sept. 12, 2008. For complete rules, visit www.gamestop.com/playground/contest.

With more than 1,600 E-rated game titles to choose from, GameStop simplifies the game-selection process and gives power to the players. As the world's leading gaming specialty store, GameStop has the widest assortment of titles and an experienced staff to guide game selection for any ages.

The Fun Centers will contain Sharp Aquos flatscreen TVs, Wiis and family-friendly titles like Super Mario Galaxy, Wii Sports and Mario Party 8. On June 25th, Nintendo will kick things of by donating two units to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles at a Galaxy-themed launch event.

Nintendo has partnered with the Foundation for some 16 years now, and had GameCubes in previous versions of the Fun Center. The company says doctors, family and hospital staff praise the Fun Centers for their ability to "brighten moods, boost morale and reduce feelings of isolation among ailing children."

If I may get a little personal for a sec, I had a hospital stay when I was a kid, and I remember playing Super Nintendo there with a lot of other kids, many of whom were much younger than me and much worse off - I can vouch for it brightening the days, for sure. Full announcement follows the jump.

Nintendo and Starlight’s New Fun Centers Featuring Wii Give Sick Children a Boost
Partnership with Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation Brings Fun Centers with Wii Consoles to Hospitals Nationwide

REDMOND, Wash.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Determined to help lift the spirits of seriously ill children and their families, Nintendo of America Inc. and Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation have committed to placing hundreds of popular Fun Centers, now featuring Wii™ game systems, in hospitals across the United States and Canada this year. Nintendo of America is manufacturing 1,250 new Fun Centers in their first run, and Starlight expects to have about 500 of them placed in hospitals by the end of the year. In a continuation of the organizations’ 16-year partnership, the portable Fun Centers with the new Wii technology will be enjoyed by thousands of hospitalized kids.

The new Fun Centers feature a Sharp AQUOS™ flat-screen television, a DVD player, a Wii system and a selection of family-friendly Wii games like Super Mario Galaxy™, Wii Sports™ and Mario Party® 8. The Fun Centers were created specifically to offer children an entertaining respite during difficult hospital stays.

To help mark the introduction of the new Fun Centers, two units, donated by Nintendo, will be presented to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles at a special Super Mario Galaxy-themed launch event on June 25. Child star Allen Alvarado, of Discovery Kids’ Flight 29 Down, and video game icon Mario™ will be in attendance. Allen has had personal experience with Fun Centers, which kept him company and aided in his recovery when he was hospitalized for several weeks at Childrens Hospital after an automobile accident last fall.

Previous versions of the Fun Center, most recently featuring Nintendo GameCube™ video game systems, earned praise from families, doctors and hospital staffers alike for their ability to brighten moods, boost morale and reduce feelings of isolation among ailing children. Since the first model was created in 1992, more than 5,000 units have been distributed to over 1,000 hospitals across North America. The new Fun Center offers an enhanced entertainment experience by incorporating the Wii console’s distinctive motion-sensing controls and an array of popular games.

“We’re extremely proud to make Fun Centers a part of our collaboration with Starlight,” said Don James, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Operations. “The inclusive fun of Wii is especially valuable for families in need of a tension reliever while dealing with serious pediatric illness. We hope the new Fun Centers will give kids and their loved ones an opportunity to play, laugh and connect with each other amid trying circumstances.”

“Our patients at Childrens Hospital benefit greatly from the Fun Centers,” said Linda Garcia, Manager, Child Development Services, for Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. “The Fun Centers serve as a diversional tool for Child Life Specialists to provide to patients and families in the playrooms, at bedside and throughout the hospital, including medical units, clinics and waiting rooms. The Fun Centers promote socialization, mastery and fun. Through this play, children learn about cooperation, positive thinking and problem-solving skills. The Fun Centers also provide opportunities for hand strengthening and finger dexterity, an important therapeutic value for our patients undergoing physical rehabilitation.”

“Everyone who has spent time in a hospital knows how scary and lonely it can be,” said Paula Van Ness, CEO of Starlight. “Our Fun Centers transform the hospital experience for children, bringing enjoyment and laughter to an otherwise daunting experience. And as an added benefit of this new Fun Center model, the Wii technology can be used to encourage children to do physical therapy and motor coordination exercises.”

People who want to help support the mission of Nintendo and Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation can visit Starlight’s Site of a Million Stars at www.millionstars.org. Click on Mario’s star to place a star in Nintendo of America’s Galaxy. Starlight’s goal is to unite 1 million caring people and organizations to bring seriously ill children and their families out of the dark. Placing a star in Nintendo of America’s Galaxy is free and includes space for a message about the nature of your support and a link to your favorite Web site. You can also choose to add special features to your star or upgrade to a constellation for a tax-deductible donation of $5 to $100.

For more information about Fun Centers, visit www.starlight.org/funcenters.

About Nintendo: The worldwide innovator in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii™, Nintendo DS™, Game Boy® Advance and Nintendo GameCube™ systems. Since 1983, Nintendo has sold more than 2.7 billion video games and more than 460 million hardware units globally, and has created industry icons like Mario™, Donkey Kong®, Metroid®, Zelda™ and Pokémon®. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, visit the company’s Web site at www.nintendo.com.

About Starlight: When a child or teenager has a serious medical condition, everyone in the family is affected. For 25 years, Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation has dedicated itself to helping seriously ill children and their families cope with their pain, fear and isolation through entertainment, education and family activities. Starlight’s programs have been proven to distract children from their pain, help them better understand and manage their illnesses, and connect families facing similar challenges so that no one feels alone. Through a network of offices, Starlight provides ongoing support to children, parents and siblings in all U.S. states and Canadian provinces with an array of outpatient, hospital-based and Web offerings. Programs are also delivered internationally through affiliates in Australia, Japan and the United Kingdom. To learn more visit www.starlight.org.

About Childrens Hospital Los Angeles: Founded in 1901, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles has been treating the most seriously ill and injured children in Los Angeles for more than a century, and it is acknowledged throughout the United States and around the world for its leadership in pediatric and adolescent health. Childrens Hospital is one of America’s premier teaching hospitals, affiliated with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California since 1932. It is a national leader in pediatric research. Since 1990, U.S. News & World Report and its panel of board-certified pediatricians have named Childrens Hospital Los Angeles one of the top pediatric facilities in the nation. Visit our website: www.ChildrensHospitalLA.org

I often hear longtime platformer fans complain they don't make 'em like they used to, and bemoan the perceived "selling out" of their favorite mascot franchises, when all they want is the great gap-skipping of old that they remember from their younger days.

Most of us were kids during the 3D platformer heyday. So maybe, though, just maybe, if any of those games were to be released today, we'd say they looked like children's games. Brash Entertainment's upcoming Space Chimps film tie-in platformer is a kids' game, and giving it a whirl today was what made me think about days of yore.

It doesn't look too fancy, and it's aimed to be friendly to the younger set. But it sure took me back a bit, which was a surprisingly fun experience.

Space Chimps is hitting Xbox 360, Wii, DS and PS2 on July 15th, just a bit ahead of the film. I was only vaguely aware there was a film - it's summertime, after all, and between Kung-Fu Panda and Wall-E, I asked the rep if Brash was a little bit concerned about the release timing. Why not wait until there's a bit more of a lull in the mascot-led, kid-friendly animated flicks?

"I do think with school out, we'll be in good shape," she told me.

The game's based on the upcoming film, and features animated cutscenes from it, which looked adorable on the Xbox 360. The basic premise is that a pair of NASA chimps, descendants of the very first space monkeys, find themselves on an alien planet, tasked with rescuing its citizens from the rule of an evil overworld.

The Space Chimps game lets you play as either Ham the Third, the male monkey, or Luna, his female cohort, depending on what sequence you're playing through. Ham can brawl and do a sort of diving headbutt, while Luna soon picks up a little lizard buddy (exclusive to the game) who can ride on her sleeve and act as a first-person gun. There are also little exploding red dudes called Plodeys that you can pick up to hurl at walls to open new doors and solve puzzles.

After clearing an area with Ham, by beating up some spear-toting hostile aliens and opening my way forward with a Plodey, I got to navigate Luna through a cavern of rivers and floes. Leaping on chunks of stone as they fell down a waterfall (that was either hot, or poisonous, or just generally hazardous enough to induce death) reminded me of the simplicity of the early 3D platformers - and the frustration, too, which was not necessarily a bad thing.

With Luna, I knocked off the head of a statue and carried it to a button, which would keep the platform I needed from sinking. The whole works was old-school, and nothing real snazzy to look at, but the chimps look cute, the film looks like it could be lots of fun, to the extent that those character flicks always do, and I was surprised at how long I spent playing it.

Maybe I miss my roots? What do you guys think - do you miss the old 3D platformers? Think your current age has anything to do with it? Would you play a "kids' game" if it reminded you of what you used to enjoy?

Second, D3P will release a DS title based on Aardman Animation's Shaun the Sheep TV series on February 6, 2009. When Kotaku visited D3P's press event last week in New York City, we got to take a look at the Shaun the Sheep game, and we also recently spoke to D3P of America's executive vice president Yoji Takenaka about the agreement and the new titles.

"Coraline is a movie for kids, and it's part of our global strategy to bring good kids' properties to the video game market," said Takenaka. "Also, Coraline opened up a relationship with Universal Studios, a major studio, and I am very excited by that."

Gaiman's dark fairytale story had its disturbing moments, so we were a little surprised to hear that it's being adapted as a stop-motion animated kids' flick, and asked Takenaka for more details.

"It will skew toward the younger demographic," said Takenaka, "but there's something in there for everyone."

Nightmare Before Christmas director Henry Selick will be heading up the film project, and the animation will be filmed first in 3D, starring Dakota Fanning in the title role. Coraline discovers a secret door in her house that leads to an alternate life that seems better at first, but quickly grows sinister.

"It's a very stylish movie and we love the story. We see opportunity there, and so we decided to take this property and make a game out of it."

It isn't the publisher's first partnership with a film studio, after doing Aardman's Flushed Away based on the Dreamworks Pictures film.

"We're very much enthusiastic any time we have this kind of opportunity, so I'm excited," said Takenaka. "We are here to support the kids' market."

Shaun the Sheep will be a DS exclusive, and Takenaka said it was the right time to do the game as the TV series, already well-received in the UK, began to gain popularity in the U.S, running right before Hannah Montana on the Disney channel. Takenaka expects the game will release simultaneously, or close to it, in both Europe and the U.S.

"We are making an adventure game showcase of the very funny and very memorable moments in the show, and it has an immediate hook with the sense of humor," Takenaka explained.

When I had the Shaun the Sheep game demonstrated for me at the D3P event, it did indeed look to be a kid-friendly adventure game with minigames at intervals making full use of the DS functionality - like "blowing dry" each fluffy sheep after they'd been washed. In the section I saw, the player guided Shawn around the farm with the stylus, tapping various objects in the search for a lost flock. There were also well-rendered images from classic moments in the show that the player would receive as rewards for success.

Takenaka said the kids' product line was a major part of the publisher's strategy, but not its entirety. "Our strategy is, right now, 50-50 divided between kids' games and original IP. As you know, we brought Dark Sector just about a couple months ago, and Dead Head Fred last summer, and Earth Defense Force. So we are bringing more contents in the future."

D3P also plans to continue moving into the area of digital distribution, as it did when it brought Puzzle Quest to Xbox Live Arcade. "We enjoy the success on XBLA with Puzzle Quest, and it's one of our top sellers in the last year. We would like to keep going and bringing very great games, intriguing games... we are here to support Xbox Live and PlayStation Network and PC downloadables, and we are ready to move forward onto Wii Ware."

Some of these downloadable titles, said Takenaka, will be specific to one platform, and others will be available cross-platform.

While only Shaun the Sheep was available to view at D3P's recent press event, Takenaka said he'd seen the Coraline game in progress, and that he was excited about how it was coming along.

"She is cute!" He said.

The book Grand Theft Childhood got a good bit of attention upon its release, and the authors are back discussing reactions to the book, as well as issues that have cropped up (again) in the wake of GT IV. On the media frenzy, they have this to say:

This is strikingly similar to the concerns over and editorials against comic books, radio, gangster films and—back in the late 19th century—the evil influence of paperback novels on teenage girls. None of those bore out. Each time, the pundits and politicians said that earlier concerns may have been silly, but that this time it’s different. So far it hasn’t been.

It's repeated frequently, but probably worth repeating once more — everything from Hollywood films to Chinese classics like Peony Pavilion have been labeled as 'dangerous' at some point or another (with ferocity equal to or surpassing video game critics' utterances). Anyway, it's an interesting interview touching on a number of issues.

Grand Theft Childhood Author Weighs in on GTA IV [Open Education via GameSetWatch]

In retrospect, it was silly of me to be so worried that being an "adult" meant I wouldn't be able to play videogames. I believe that part of my maturation into what I consider to be real adulthood came in the form of learning to juggle all the new "adult" responsibilities I've taken on with the hobbies I've always held dear, most notably gaming.

Thinking back to when I was growing up, my parents kept up with their hobbies just the same as I do now .... I can vividly remember both of them pursuing their favorite pastimes on a daily basis while still keeping up with their parental and familial duties.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel! Balance is a hard skill to master, and I'm looking forward to having more time to game in future years when I've nailed down the best way to fit in everything I love to do. It's occasionally painful to come to grips with having to reconfigure well-loved hobbies in sometimes dramatic ways (I've given up much loved hobbies entirely until I get out of grad school, mostly because the time-money conundrum cannot be worked out), but it is nice to 'have it all' when you can make it work.

'All Grown Up: A Gamer Comes to Grips With Adulthood' [GameSetWatch]

Funny thing about "Grand Theft Childhood." I had picked up the book expecting that a tome with such a provocative title would take a dimmer view of the influence games have on kids.

Olson said she and her husband wanted the title to be phrased as a question ("Grand Theft Childhood?"), but "publishers don't like question marks."

She said she hopes that folks who want to think there's a link between violence and video games read the book — if the title hooks them in, so much the better.

"We didn't want to preach to the choir," she said.

I guess that's one of the things about GTA — so much stuff written in the wake of a new release has precious little to do with the game itself. At least this one is a reasonably positive look at the beloved media topic of violent games and violent (or not) kids.

The Adult Crime Game Kids Love [The Washington Post]

Unlike Mini Bash or Tristan, I didn't have particularly cool or hip parents, thus my video game education was more or less self-directed. My mom still doesn't really get the whole gaming thing, but thinks it's pretty cool I write for a big gaming blog. So, Kotakuites, what was your introduction to gaming? Were you lucky enough to have parents who encouraged it? If you've got kids, do you game with them? When and how did you introduce them to gaming?

"We are huge fans of other MMO shooter games," said YJ Jin, Producer of Manga Fighter. "But we're tired of gory, violent and gruesome games. With Manga Fighter, we've created something fun - yet non-violent - so that gamers of all ages can jump in and have a great time."

OnNet USA Invites Gamers to the Manga Fighter Grand Opening

SAN JOSE, CA - April 10, 2008 - OnNet USA, a leading developer of free-to-play online games, today announced the "Grand Opening" of Manga Fighter, a massively multiplayer third-person action game. To celebrate the occasion, OnNet USA will hold several events with great prizes. Bringing a unique and action-packed take on the genre, Manga Fighter raises the bar for all-ages online games.

"We are huge fans of other MMO shooter games," said YJ Jin, Producer of Manga Fighter. "But we're tired of gory, violent and gruesome games. With Manga Fighter, we've created something fun - yet non-violent - so that gamers of all ages can jump in and have a great time."

Manga Fighter offers an entirely new take on online shooters. Featuring stylized cartoon-like characters, rich and electrifying environments, and an arsenal of non-lethal weaponry, Manga Fighter offers gamers of all ages the classic shooter experience without the needless gore and violence.

To participate in the events, create a free Manga Fighter account at mangafighter.gamescampus.com.