I've always wanted to join the Amazing Race, and this is probably the closest chance I'll ever get. Ludia Inc. has announced that they got the rights to develop CBS' reality TV show as a video game across multiple (but still unspecified) platforms. Sounds like they're going to go for some LBP-type of co-op gameplay with a partner.

So, any one of you want to pair up with me for the race? Dude, move it, let's go!

Still trying to fight his seemingly endless battle against violent video games, Jack Thompson has now forwarded his concerns to the White House. The latest on the already disbarred ace attorney has him sending a letter to none other than President Barack Obama, asking him to give an outright ban on these 'murder simulators.' And that ban is absolute - not to be sold whether you're a kid, a tween, an adolescent, or even an adult on your 50s! He wants violent games to be totally wiped off the map!

We are not immune. This statement can not go any clearer than this. CBS, mother company of media company CNET, has brought down the ax on several of its subsidiary companies, merging newsrooms, including TV.com, MP3.com and gaming website Gamespot.

If you thought Bob of Tekken 6 would be the only rotund fighter to grace this current era of fighters, don't look now because he may have a potential rival with Rufus from Capcom's Street Fighter 4 (PC, Xbox 360, and PS3). Along with El Fuerte and Seth, these three were the highlighted characters of this week's issue of Famitsu, featuring the upcoming sequel to the highly celebrated Street Fighter series. You can check out the details that were discussed in the full article.

Word is out that CBS corporation has entered a deal which will allow it to acquire CNET Networks, Inc. If this pushes through, CBS will become one of the major players among the internet companies in the United States. Care to know more? Head on over to the full article.

2008 is a new year for all - even in the games industry. It seems Midway also joined in the New Year's corporate shakeups of other gaming corporate notables, including Activision Blizzard, all which began flowing in since last November. Long time serving Chairman of the Board, Kenneth D. Cron, finally stepped down from his seat at Midway and was immediately replaced by vice chair Shari Redstone. More at the full story.

Tomorrow may be a big moment on the history of gaming as broadcast giant CBS formally becomes the first network of its class to show a video game tournament as a regular sporting event like other athletic spectacles such as the Masters and March Madness.

"There are an enormous amount of people of all ages who play video games these days, so we’re going to try to see if video games’ popularity can translate into a viable television audience," says CBS Sports Vice-President Rob Correa as he explores the possibility of people looking at this moment as a poignant event after a decade or so.

The tournament concerned is the World Series of Video Games which will be held in Louisville, Kentucky. Edited footage from the event will show highlights of face-offs between players in games such as Fight Night Round 3, Guitar Hero and other non-violent titles. First-person shootouts in Halo and Quake will sadly not make it on air because of the nature of the content.

The idea of the tournament and the coverage by CBS is pegged on the South Korean model which has an entire nation embracing gaming and making it a part of pop culture. A full-time coverage in the manner that ESPN covers sports isn't possible for video games just yet but for now, this is the biggest step game broadcasting can take in the US.

The CBS coverage is also a pilot test of sorts on how game programming in cable TV initiated by G4 and Gameplay HD can work in a bigger scale. The response of viewers will determine future plans on the coverage of electronic gaming as a sport on the network.

Google is apparently looking to move its advertising business into the realm of video games. CNN Money reports that Google Inc. is in talks to acquire Adscape Media Inc, a closely held San Francisco firm who has developed technology that allows for the placement of ads over the Web in video games.

The Wall Street Journal cites several people familiar with the mater and reports that Google is negotiating to buy Adscape and that a deal could be reached as early as next week. For now, here's what a Google spokesperson said:

We are always considering new ways to extend Google's advertising program to benefit our users, advertisers and publishers. In-game advertising offers one such possible extension among many others.

Some members of the industry note that Google is eying Adscape because of its AdverPlay technology which enables "two-way communication between in-game ads and the outside world."

Terms being discussed are still not known. However, there was a similar deal sometime ago that we can look at to get an idea of how things will shape up. Last year, Microsoft acquired Massive Inc, a company known for the delivery of in-game ads, for almost US$ 200 million.

It is also reported that Google is discussing a possible agreement with CBS Corp that would include brokering TV and radio advertisements.

Google has declined to comment on any talks.

Well, there's the Super Bowl for football fans, the NBA All-Star Weekend for basketball junkies, and the World Series for baseball fanatics. These are major television events, getting airtime, oodles of advertisements, and raking in network ratings. Now here's something for gamers. CBS aired Video Game Super Stars, presented by Intel, featuring five of the best pro gamers around.

The special focuses on the likes of Johnathan "Fatal1ty" Wendel (a.k.a. "the Michael Jordan of gaming"), Rafik "LoSt-CaUzE" Bryant, David "Moto" Geffon who defied his family and denounced the profession of law to be a pro gamer, the minister's daughter Shannon "Mary Jane" Ridge, and Matt "Ballistics" Powers who is a seasoned Sergeant at maximum security prison.

You can watch the World Series of Video Games Finals, also presented by Intel  on College Sports Television starting January 21.

The US media sort of rewarded Sony for not having enough units - and for being first. You all heard rumors just days before the PS3 launch that there wouldn't be 400,000 PS3s shipped to the US (or all of North America) - there was news that only 200,000 to 300,000 would be shipped. So people rushed to the retailers and lined up.

PS3 lines - instant news item. Most of us were nice and friendly, but the low-IQ minority were desperate enough to be mean to others and make "incidents" - and some of the scalpers were willing to shove, push, and act like assholes because, hey, a lot of money's on the line.

With that kind of situation, either the police or the press are going to show up - either way it's free publicity for Sony (although it can be kinda bad publicity, but more on that later).

And just like that, Sony got more free advertising than all the paid advertising they ever invested in. Every reporter with a bit of free time went down to the local retailer to interview people in line, and by Friday everybody was talking about this "brand new thing called a PS3" - it had even been mentioned on CBS' "Late Late Show." By then every newb and noob had found out that there's a new console, it's really popular, people would riot for it, and it's called the Sony PS3.

And that drive-by shooting! Yes, it was just BBs. And yes, it was just a (one, solitary) drive-by. Nobody got seriously injured. Nobody knows who did it. But a small thing like that is enough for reporters to go wild on! Drive-by shootings (plural) and "violent incidents" got reported. Blood! OMG!

The US media looked bored with the Wii - don't you agree? Then along came the Wii. People lined up, but they were calm. There was usually enough Wiis to go around. People went home quietly because they knew a second shipment would arrive soon.

Wii lines - um, deja vu? Really. It looks like TV and newspaper coverage wasn't as big the second time around (although there's no denying that the NY and LA launches were big). The PS3 lines were sheer novelty; the Wii lines were just deja vu. And with orderly self-policing lines that were calmer, weren't shot at by drive-by BB-gun shooters, and didn't end up in fistfights, there was little need to call the police or alert the media.

Although, there were some bad things that happened.

What's a Wii fan to do? Simple word of mouth. The success of the Wii hinges on getting the word out to lapsed gamers and ex-gamers, to newbs and noobs, to people who have never been interested in gaming. But our neighbors heard a lot about the PS3 and little about the Wii, so why not invite them over and let them try the Wii? Spread the good news - because the media don't touch no good news, nuh-uh. *z-snaps*

What's a PS3 fan to do? Be nice. We behaved in line - I know it was the scalpers who were acting like jerks. But, we have to be even nicer. It's damaging to our sweet black console if people associate it with criminals and losers. How's multiplayer going to grow (and compete with Xbox Live) if people think they'll just hear stupid things from us? Why would developers make games if they think we'd only resort to violence and bring bad publicity to their studios?