Less video games, more playing outside. This is what US President Barack Obama asks the parents of the United States, to raise their kids with less gaming and more time to play outside and be active. In his speech addressed to the American Medical Association, Obama stressed the importance of every person taking charge of their health - stay healthy - to help avoid illness and disease. More after the jump.

Some video game publishers and developers have been quite vocal about their distaste for the used games business. They're missing out on the profits, and when you find out just how much profit it is, you'll want to get in on it too.

Some people describe the Xbox 360 as a watered down version of the PlayStation 3. Those people are more right than they imagined. A new book reveals that the Xbox 360's tech was built around the technology of the PS3's Cell processor.

EA to be bought out? By Disney?! Well, the world's turned upside down anyway, so why not this? The Wall Street Journal speculates that with EA's stock down by 18 percent last Friday, the time could be right for bigger fish who are looking to expand their presence in the gaming market to swallow EA whole.

According to reports, Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto 4 (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3) helped the U.K. economy in April. Yeah, we know the game put up some pretty good sales numbers but was it really enough to give the economy a boost? Anyway, to find out more about this, head on over to the full article for more information.

With EA's deadline for Take-Two Interactive coming up fast, a lot of people are eagerly waiting for Take-Two's reply to the game publishing giant's takeover bid. Whatever happens, though, it seems like Rockstar Games president and co-founder Sam Houser actually sees a few good things about an alliance with EA.

Sony once explained the reason that the lack of backwards compatibility for the 40GB version of the PlayStation 3 was because of cost reduction. While this is true, apparently it wasn't the only reason.

According to GameSpot, Sony Computer Entertainment America CEO Jack Tretton explained to the Wall Street Journal that the decrease in manufacturing costs isn't that dramatic. However, Sony hopes that taking out the option to play PlayStation 2 games on the console will lead to more sales of PlayStation 3 games.

Tretton further added that research suggested that the feature won't be missed because consumers who buy the console probably already own a PlayStation 2.

In a recent article, the Wall Street Journal online reported that Sony might be quietly moving toward a video download service for its PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable platforms. Sony Chief Executive Howard Stringer is said to be behind the initiative that will compete with Apple's popular service.

The report says that those "familiar with the situation" claim that the plan involves the convergence of Sony's PS3, PSP, and Bravia high-definition TV technologies. Under the strategy, media can be downloaded and passed around via the remote viewing capabilities of the PS3 and the PSP, making material more available whether users are on the go or at home.

Movies and TV episodes are said to be in store for Sony product owners, but skeptics are already saying that Sony is entering an area which has promised more than it has delivered. Let's hope for the best if this venture ever comes to be.

A recent Wall Street Journal report describes Ken Kutaragi as a "stumbling block" to Sony CEO Howard Stringer's success. The Wall Street Journal report by Roger Ehrenberg says that Kutaragi was known for his "reluctance" to keep lines of communication open with his bosses or other departments of the company - most notably, with the Sony Electronics Division.

This bit of news is relevant to all of you console war spectators since it is the Sony Electronics Division that provides the parts for Sony PlayStation products. Not a group you'd want to upset if you're banking on the PSP or the PS3. Ehrenberg notes:

In developing the PlayStation 3 console, the device's latest iteration, Mr. Kutaragi went over budget on development costs without informing Mr. Stringer, according to a person familiar with the situation. When Mr. Stringer urged Mr. Kutaragi to have dinner with the heads of the electronics division, he did so just once a year, this person said. A spokeswoman for Mr. Kutaragi declined to comment.

Ehrenberg also cites other instances where Sony's Electronics Division, as some other bloggers so eloquently puts it, got "snubbed" by Kutaragi. We'll skip over them for now, since you're all probably sick of "negative" PS3/PSP news right now. Ehrenberg's criticism of Sony top brass though, all boils down to this:

I don't care how legendary or historically successful a manager might be - if they are unable or unwilling to adapt to the culture, the vision you, as leader, have clearly communicated, they have to go. But not two years later, after the corrosive effect of doing things "their way" has already sunk in. Having a senior manager blame other groups for his group's woes? Raising concerns of investors, suppliers and customers alike? Unacceptable everywhere and at any time in any culture.

If we are to go with this Wall Street Journal report, should we take this as a sign that Sony is going through a whole lot more than just image problems with its audience? Moreover, does this mean that Mr. Stringer is messing up with running Sony? Well, the second question can't really be answered easily, but one's thing for sure though: Stringer's got a lot of work ahead of him.

Well, it looks like Google is once again finding new ways to integrate itself into our everyday lives. And its new target? In-game advertising.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Google is planning to acquire Adscape, a company which specializes in in-game advertisements. Though there has still been no official word about the matter, many are guessing that negotiations may already be happening. Meanwhile, a Google spokesperson did say this:

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.

It has also been noted by members of the industry that Google may have taken a fancy to Adscape because of its AdverPlay technology which allows "two-way communication between in-game ads and the outside world".

Considering that other Google applications are already starting to make their appearances in the world of gaming, could this mean that those Google text advertisements that we usually see on webpages will soon become part of the wall graffiti in your next round of CounterStrike?