Okay, so this is definitely not new. Since it was introduced years ago, Spore (PC, Nintendo Wii, DS, Mac, and Mobile) has often been thought to be one of the games to bring new blood to the saturated PC gaming market by way of being the segment's best seller once it's released. But Electronic Arts just wants its investors to know that the company's feeling optimistic about the sim-strategy title, and Michael Pachter predicts more or less of the same.

Heads up, Europe! Vivendi Games Mobile has just announced its games line-up for the first half of this year. With the likes of The Spiderwick Chronicles, The Bourne Conspiracy, and Crash Nitro Kart 2, this is bound to be a good year for mobile gamers in Europe. Check out the full article for the compete list.

The ScummVM team have announced that a big testing season for ScummVM v0.11.0 is coming up. This means that they plan on releasing a new version of the emulator which will have support for even more games.

Want to know more about the latest version of the program? Click on the "read link" below for more details.

Today's gaming scene reminds us that there's a huge market for casual gamers who are looking to play fun games which take you right into the excitement rather than sit in front of the TV for hours on end. Electronic Arts recognizes that and has formed a new division called EA Casual Entertainment which will dedicate its efforts exactly for that type of clientele.

To spearhead the new project, EA appointed former Activision president Kathy Vrabeck as the chief of EA Casual. Vrabeck has led Activision and enhanced its sales and marketing for years doing her stint with the company. EA hopes she can do the same for them.

EA CEO John Riccitiello said, "EA is aligning talent and resources to focus on the growing market for highly accessible games. We’re fortunate to have recruited a dynamic executive like Kathy Vrabeck to lead this team."

EA says that their casual division will cover all platforms from consoles, handhelds, PC and even mobile phones. "All over the world, consumers are playing games that don’t require hours of intense concentration," said Vrabeck. "The common denominator is casual fun."

Retro gaming is all the rage these days. All the major consoles have it ready for download in their own respective systems and are raking in substantial revenues from it. The mobile gaming scene is catching on and the Century Sutra 1688 is at the forefront of things.

The Century Sutra 1688 is a digital assistant/ mobile phone hybrid which can emulate Nintendo Entertainment System games. That means that blasts from the past like Super Mario Bros, Donkey Kong and Battle City are ready to rock on your unit.

Check out these images and see if it tickles that nostalgic game fan sleeping in you!

   
  

  

UltraGames101 and Star Productions team up to bring the first OfficialUltraGames Expo over to Toronto, Ontario, Canada for a video game event bonanza for consumers and industry leaders alike. As announced in an official press release, Star Productions and UltraGames101 hope to combine the best elements of a video game trade show with a consumer even focused on the past, present and future of the video game industry.

"It will be the biggest video game event to hit Canada!" said UltraGames101 president Mark Bartkowiak. Canada is site of two of the world's largest development studios, including Electronic Arts Canada and Ubisoft Montreal.

The event is planned to be a major software showcase, for consumers to try out games offered by publishers and developers slated for release soon. The event will also sport conferences, press events, live demonstrations of new video game technology, but may be subject to being an invitation-only affair.

Evenings will allow attendees to mingle with developers, publishers, retailers and media folk at informal gatherings, while being able to watch video game titles to be released for the year. The event will be open to the general public, although there has been no official announcement of ticket prices or entrance fees.

Companies involved in the PC, online, console, and mobile game industries are all eligible to participate in the event. Even hardware manufacturers of gaming peripherals are also invited to attend. Certain meetings and demonstrations will be invitation-only, however. There is no word yet on the official even bookings, but the venue could be at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

In the next six months, the announcement of the official Exhibition venue, date and location will be made. Alan Smithson, President of Star Production, concluded the announcement stating:

The UltraGames101 Game Expo 2K8 is first and foremost biggest video game event to hit Canada! When UltraGames101 asked its members they heard that they wanted opportunities for a video game expo to happen in Canada. And after careful consideration UltraGames101 and Star Productions have partnered up to make this event happen.

Banking on the edge of Valve Software's Steam online digital distribution mechanics, European publisher Eidos Interactive has made a deal with part of SCi Entertainment Group Plc to acquire online distribution specialist Bluefish Media.

 

Bluefish Media uses a fusion of a good selection of content to distribute and reliable technology to provide entertainment software to their consumer base. Eidos plans to use Bluefish Media as a means to effectively distribute their own New Media (mobile and PDA) content, as well as their games for the growing casual market scene.

The merger will see the complete integration of Bluefish into Eidos' New Media division. The addition of the Bluefish staff will augment the publisher's "ability to integrate online distribution" into its operations. From an official press release, Simon Protheroe, New Media and IT Director of Eidos, said:

Online distribution of digital content is a key component of our strategy. In addition to offering our games via Bluefish's distribution network, this acquisition also gives Eidos the ability to build on Bluefish's platform and to drive online sales in a much more aggressive way over the coming months.

Straight from the official press release from Activision, Hands-On Mobile announced that they have agreed with Activision to develop a mobile game version of the popular Guitar Hero franchise. The Guitar Hero series took the handheld and console market by storm, as music and gaming became a fusion of two entertainment delights.

 

"Guitar Hero is an epic game experience that has mushroomed into a cultural phenomenon. We are thrilled to bring this award-winning franchise to mobile and to continue our successful relationship with Activision," Erik Pavelka, VP of Business Development at Hands-On Mobile, said.

RedOctane is also happy about the agreement, saying, "The lifestyle of music is strongly immersed into our everyday culture, and having Guitar Hero on mobile platforms will now allow our dedicated fans the opportunity to passionately feel the music, anytime and anywhere." Well, at least Go Gaming now has something great to feature on their service.

Dusty Welch, head of publishing at RedOctane, concluded, "Hands-On Mobile has extensive experience and success in bringing established franchises to mobile devices, and we greatly look forward to extending the Guitar Hero brand to mobile users." So while Guitar Hero II will rock gamers on the Xbox 360 soon, gamers-on-the-go will now get a chance to mix their love for music and gaming into one exciting package. Although we just have to ask: will a mini, pocket-sized guitar come with it?

Astraware and Sandlot Games certainly know how to make people hungry. Imagine... a baking game on your mobile phone? Now you'll never stop thinking of food!

Their expansion pack, Cake Mania: Back to the Bakery, is an all-new addition to the prize-winning Cake Mania casual game. While you may have helped Jill save her grandparents' bakery from the MegaMart food empire, your quest is now a little more personal. This time, you have to help her win a fabulous Hawaiian vacation courtesy of a big bake-off contest.

In any case, we have more screens for you here. Don't say we didn't warn you!

The rest of the screens await after the jump!

As part of Viacom Inc.'s move into a broader gaming market, the MTV Network site covering any and all game-related videos will now be opening a new series dedicated to mobile gaming and their games, according to an official press release.

Entitled "Go Gaming" the video series will cover all available games-on-the-go for your mobile gaming handheld and your mobile phone. Amp'd customers will be the first to receive the new GameTrailers video content by the second quarter, after which all remaining carriers will follow suit.

There will be a focus on interviews, insider videos, gameplay trailers, editorial reviews and original shows on GameTrailers, all showcasing the new lease on life the innovative mobile gaming industry has breathed upon itself.

"This exciting launch allows us to reach gamers in a new way by bringing our original video game content directly to the user’s mobile device," GameTrailers' CEO Jon Slusser said. Underneath the huge umbrella of the MTV Network, GameTrailers will be able to utilize the Network's 40 mobile channels, 80 mobile distribution deals to deliver new-found content of mobile gaming viewing pleasure, right to your favorite mobile.