Gaming Communities

“Public invited to weigh in on new gaming licenses in ... - Cedar Rapids Gazette” plus 3 more

2010-04-15T19:32:00.001-07:00

“Public invited to weigh in on new gaming licenses in ... - Cedar Rapids Gazette” plus 3 more

Public invited to weigh in on new gaming licenses in ... - Cedar Rapids Gazette
SkillPod Media adopts the Tiger Woods approach - PRLog (free press release)
AthleteXchange and Bloguin Team Up to Offer Sports Fans ... - PR.com
Casino to break ground Friday - Chicago Tribune

Public invited to weigh in on new gaming licenses in ... - Cedar Rapids Gazette

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 06:06 PM PDT

Public invited to weigh in on new gaming licenses in Iowa

Posted on Apr 15, 2010 by Admin.

The public will soon get its chance to weigh in on the possibility of the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission issuing new gaming licenses, opening the door for additional casinos in Iowa.

The commission will hold a public hearing May 4 at Stoney Creek Inn in Johnston to allow public comment.

The commission is expected to decide whether to issue new licenses at its May 13 meeting. Four casino proposals located in Lyon, Tama, Wapello and Webster counties are under consideration.

Commissioner Toni Urban of Des Moines said people have been vocal in their support of a casino in their area — or their opposition. Commissioners already have received hundreds of letters, she said. Urban is hopeful many of those people who wrote letters come to the May 4 hearing.

"Many of them have specific reasons why they do or don't want a casino in their community and you know, if they care enough, they're going to show up and voice it publicly," Urban said.

Commission Chairman Greg Seyfer of Cedar Rapids believes the commissioners will hear the full range of opinions from those opposed to gambling or new casinos, supporters of new casinos and those concerned that new casinos could cannibalize the business of casinos operating in Iowa.

"I think we know what the issues are, and it will be interesting to hear what the public has to say," Seyfer said.

Gov. Chet Culver, a Democrat who is up for re-election this year, has urged commissioners to issue licenses to all four proposed casinos.

Proponents have argued a new casino would bring needed jobs and economic development to their communities. Opponents to gambling expansion have raised concerns about the possibility of a saturation of the gaming market with Iowa already home to 17 state-licensed casinos and racetracks.

Carrie Tedore, director of public relations for Diamond Jo Casino in Dubuque, expects backers of the proposed casino in Fort Dodge to attend.

"The project has received overwhelming support, and we do plan to have a lot of supporters on hand for the public hearing," Tedore said.

The May 4 hearing is scheduled to begin at approximately 9:30 a.m. Those wishing to speak must sign up in advance, although they can do that on-site the day of the hearing.

Those who are unable to attend the meeting and want to submit written comments can email the commission at irgc@iowa.gov or send them to the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, 717 E. Court Ave., Suite B, Des Moines, IA 50309.

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SkillPod Media adopts the Tiger Woods approach - PRLog (free press release)

Posted: 14 Apr 2010 11:58 PM PDT

PR Log (Press Release) – Apr 15, 2010 – You've achieved pre-eminence in your industry. Some of the most trafficked websites in South Africa use your software to serve their communities and bring in advertisers. You supply large overseas portals that operate in some of the biggest markets in the world. Your own websites attract over 200,000 unique visitors a month, to whom you serve over 2 million banners – and this is growing at a rate of almost 15% every month. You're at the top of your game.

So what do you do next?

If you're SkillPod Media, you redouble your efforts. You take a close look at yourself and what you have to offer. And then you reinvent your already successful software platform, emerging with a product that is so far ahead of your peers that it will set the pace for the foreseeable future. It's the same approach that took Tiger Woods from being merely the best of his day to one of the greatest ever.

The things that online gaming dreams are made of

The SkillPod Media Game Management Platform manages the delivery of casual and skill games and gaming related services to 36 games portals in 11 countries. Highlights are the provision of online games to games channels for M-Net's KTV, IOL, Media24, EZPhoneBill, gaming portals in the UK, Australia and United States, and some of the largest social networking sites in Eastern Europe.

"We realised that we could either just continue at our already successful pace, rolling out our platform into more and more communities – a solid enough business model in its own right," says Mark van Diggelen, CEO of SkillPod Media, "or we could really take a leap into the forefront of the global gaming industry."

The result is a new generation online gaming platform that provides hitherto unmatched power and flexibility for online providers to:
• build gaming portals
• create, nurture and actually monetise communities
• roll out, manage and analyse advertising campaigns
• optimise and measure return on investment

Advertisers can use in-game advertising or product placement, brand individual games or entire batches of portal real estate, sponsor tournaments, run surveys, or even have custom games developed for them. There is full integration with Google Adsense, and revenue sharing models from subscriptions and game sales are available.

Social networking for gamers - monetised

For online gaming enthusiasts the platform offers a rich interactive online gaming environment where they can enjoy the same sort of features as on social networking sites like MySpace. This includes creating profiles, building your own custom avatar, public and private messaging; photo uploading; private and community tournaments, leagues and challenges; sweepstakes and prize draws.

A big breakthrough is the platform's monetisation capabilities. Players get free "Pods" when they register, and can buy further Pods via SMS or credit cards. Prepaid cards and vouchers are also in the offing. Pods can be used to play premium games and enter tournaments, and can be won off other players in challenges. They can also be used to buy and download games - there will soon be a merchandising model based on Pods.

"We've tried to imagine a step beyond what gaming communities, online providers and advertisers are currently doing," explains Van Diggelen, "and with this platform we'll be able to meaningfully expand the online gaming experience for everyone."

Learm more about the gaming platforms at http://www.skillpodmedia.com.

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AthleteXchange and Bloguin Team Up to Offer Sports Fans ... - PR.com

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 08:47 AM PDT

San Jose, CA, April 15, 2010 --(PR.com)-- Virtual athlete stock market, AthleteXchange, and sports blog network Bloguin, have reached a cross promotional partnership between the two companies' communities of sports fans.

AthleteXchange will promote content from relevant Bloguin websites on corresponding athlete stock pages allowing traders to tap into some of the expert fan commentary across the Bloguin Network in hopes of improving their portfolio.

"Our community is always proactive on getting news and commentary about various teams and athletes that will impact their AthleteXchange investment strategy. Bloguin's expertise spanning multiple sports adds a tremendous level of insider knowledge that will only increase the competitiveness of our market," said AthleteXchange CEO, Scottie Flerl.

Bloguin will promote AthleteXchange's fantasy sports stock market as well as new athlete offerings across its network of 145+ sites, allowing Bloguin users the ability to tap into a new niche of competitive skills-based gaming. The natural synergy between the two communities also allows for site specific contests with real prizes to be created and promoted across the network.

For additional information on the Bloguin Network or AthleteXchange, please visit www.bloguin.com or www.athletexchange.com

About Bloguin :

Founded with the belief that blogs don't have to have amateur designs, lack of functionality, inconsistent content quality, and underperforming advertising programs, Bloguin aims to give both bloggers and advertisers a best in class social media platform. With over 145+ blogs covering all major sports and other male focused content areas, the Bloguin network now reaches over 800,000 unique visitors a month in little over a year of operation. Bloguin's focus of empowering great voices in new media while also connecting them with major advertisers continues to resonate with publishers and advertisers who see the value of augmenting mainstream media coverage with commentary and analysis from the fan perspective.

http://www.bloguin.com/
Contact: Ben Koo -- 408-250-7123 -- ben@bloguin.com

About AthleteXchange:

AthleteXchange is an online, fantasy sports stock market simulation that allows traders to buy and sell virtual shares of their favorite athletes and teams. Traders grow their portfolios through the performance of the athletes and the activity of the overall market and can redeem for great prizes. Founded in 2009, AthleteXchange has quickly grown to one of the leading fantasy stock games of its kind and is affiliated with the Fantasy Players Network.

http://www.athletexchange.com/
Contact: Scottie Flerl -- 423-718-4204 – support@athletexchange.com

###

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Casino to break ground Friday - Chicago Tribune

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 07:03 PM PDT

After more than a decade of political wrangling, court battles and delays, work was slated to begin Friday in Des Plaines on the site of a casino, the 10th and last gambling palace allowed by state law.

For local leaders, the benefits are expected to be worth millions in annual revenue, but the economic payoff also includes construction jobs and financial spillover to other businesses.

"This is going to be an economic engine for the whole region," said Des Plaines Mayor Martin Moylan.

The casino's prime location is a boon. The 21-acre site at Devon Avenue and Des Plaines River Road is 1 mile from O'Hare International Airport and 16 miles northwest of downtown Chicago. The facility is expected to open late summer 2011.

The city expects Midwest Gaming and Entertainment LLC, the casino's owner, to host several job fairs next year for companies seeking to provide services — from dry cleaning for uniforms and lighting services to supplying printing and paper needs — once the facility opens.

The casino's final hurdle was overcome last week when Midwest Gaming secured $295 million in financing. Last month, the Illinois Gaming Board approved the firm's financing package and received $47.5 million toward the down payment on the gaming license. An additional $75 million will be due once the casino opens.

The 147,000-square foot casino will feature 1,150 slot machines, 30 gaming tables, one or two restaurants and a parking deck. A second phase is expected to include retail stores and two high-rise hotels, but there is no set timetable for that construction.

The city has pledged to give the state $10 million each year as part of the casino deal.

Before the financial downturn last year, officials believed the city could receive about $25 million a year from the casino, but expectations have been scaled back.

Des Plaines plans to distribute 40 percent of the net tax revenue it receives (estimated to be $5.5 million in first year) to at least 10 but no more than 25 of neediest communities in Cook County, according to Gene O'Shea, spokesman for the Illinois State Gaming Commission.

Officials don't yet know what communities would be on that list, which they said likely would change every year.

Des Plaines officials say they haven't set aside any of the anticipated earnings to fund specific projects, such as infrastructure improvements, and will wait until they have a better handle on how much the city will receive.

Although some revenue issues might still be murky, one thing is crystal clear: Some residents can expect traffic headaches during the next 18 months of construction.

River Road will receive a total makeover from Higgins Road to north of Touhy Avenue. The plan also calls for widening 1.5 miles to allow for the addition of a fifth lane.

"It'll be a mess, but it will work itself out," said Jon Duddles, the city's assistant director of public works.

Some northwest suburban residents generally were optimistic about the casino and its impact but had a few reservations.

Gail King, a social worker from Park Ridge, said it might be a temporary boon, particularly in her field, and would bring people and money into the community. But she said she was skeptical the casino would prove beneficial in the long run.

"Gambling addiction is good for my business, but I don't endorse the casino," said King."We do need the money, but gambling is just a vicious circle. We're going to have treatment, and we're going to have crime with it."

A mile north of the casino site in Des Plaines, Tiffany's Restaurant plans to extend its hours to accommodate the late-night gambling set.

"I think it will be great for a lot of businesses around here," said Patrick Neri, 39, of Park Ridge, the restaurant's host.

Iwona Benni, 45of Franklin Park, who has been a waitress at Tiffany's for 11 years, hopes the casino will bring more customers, but she worries the potential influx of an unsavory element.

"A casino brings good things and bad things," Benni said. "There are people spending money, but we don't want people with gambling problems hanging around, and we don't want drunk drivers."

Another area resident, Cheryl Poms is looking forward to a little after-work action when the casino opens.

"I'm glad we're getting it," said Poms, 52, of Lakemoor, a document control specialist for UOP Honeywell in Des Plaines. "You can go straight from work, it will be a good time. It's something to do."

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“Hundreds turn out to meet Iowa gaming commission on ... - Argus Leader” plus 2 more

2010-04-14T19:26:00.001-07:00

“Hundreds turn out to meet Iowa gaming commission on ... - Argus Leader” plus 2 more

Hundreds turn out to meet Iowa gaming commission on ... - Argus Leader
Mick Bobroff of Ernst & Young LLP to Keynote Digital ... - Gamasutra
3 local business owners fined for having skill games - Newark Advocate

Hundreds turn out to meet Iowa gaming commission on ... - Argus Leader

Posted: 14 Apr 2010 12:02 PM PDT

A couple hundred people are gathered on a farm just across from the Iowa side of the border awaiting the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission.

The commission is scheduled to tour the farm this afternoon as part of its approval process for a $120 million resort casino.

Project sponsor Dan Kehl and a couple hundred local residents have turned out to welcome the commission, which is en route from Council Bluffs on a tour bus.

Lyon County is one of four communities that have applied for gaming licenses in Iowa.

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Mick Bobroff of Ernst & Young LLP to Keynote Digital ... - Gamasutra

Posted: 14 Apr 2010 06:54 AM PDT

[This unedited press release is made available courtesy of Gamasutra and its partnership with notable game PR-related resource GamesPress.]

SAN FRANCISCO - April 14, 2010

TriplePoint, the leading agency serving the interactive entertainment and digital lifestyle industries, today announced new speakers for the Digital Media Law Conference in San Francisco. The conference will commence with keynote speaker Mick Bobroff, partner in Ernst & Young's Northern California Technology practice, examining revenue recognition models for the sale of virtual goods. Featured panels throughout the afternoon will prepare business leaders for new challenges and developing legal concerns in the digital media space. The Digital Media Law Conference will be held on April 29, 2010 from 12:00pm until 6:30pm PDT at the Commonwealth Club. To register for the event, please visit http://digitalmedialawconference.eventbrite.com.

"As the virtual goods model has gained significant traction in the US, it is increasingly important to grow awareness of how this model affects the accounting framework of a business," said Bobroff. "At the Digital Media Law Conference, I will present on the key concepts and practical implications of recognizing revenue from virtual item sales, which will provide attendees with actionable insights for their business."

In addition to virtual goods revenue recognition, speakers will address a range of vital topics at the Digital Media Law Conference, such as intellectual property, digital music licensing and consumer privacy. New speakers will join the following panel discussions:

• Dan Rogers of Ambition Production and Management, Sean F. Kane, Esq. of Kane & Associates LLC, Howard Bliss of Union Entertainment, and Victoria Libin of Viacom (MTV Networks) will join the panel "Best Practices for Protecting Your IP"

• Annie Lin of The Rights Workshop and Ned Hearn of Law Offices of Edward R. Hearn will lead the panel "Old Models, New Media: Rethinking Music Licensing in the Digital Era"

• Gabriel M. Ramsey of Orrick will join a panel discussion on liability and risk associated with operating games and applications on externally operated platforms

For more information on the Digital Media Law Conference, please visit http://digitalmedialawconference.com/.

Become a fan on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=107336602619473&ref=mf.

About the Digital Media Law Conference

The Digital Media Law Conference is a one-day forum that brings together legal experts, business executives, and entrepreneurs to discuss emerging legal issues in the digital media space. The explosive growth of social networks and online gaming communities, advances in mobile technology and the establishment of virtual economies have expanded the digital media marketplace to encompass a wider audience of consumers and transformed business models. It is essential for legal experts and business leaders to collaborate on these new developments in order to both benefit from the opportunities and prepare for the challenges that these changes introduce. For more information, please visit www.digitalmedialawconference.com.

About TriplePoint

TriplePoint is the leading agency serving the interactive entertainment and digital lifestyle industries. We have offices in San Francisco, New York and Los Angeles, and collaborate with partner agencies around the world to provide international service. Founded in 2002 as Kohnke Communications by Erica Kohnke Kain, the agency has grown to be the market leader in public relations, marketing, business development, and product consulting within the games and digital media market. TriplePoint is the partner for those committed to success within the growing interactive entertainment and connected lifestyle segments. For more information, check out www.triplepointpr.com.

Kate Pietrelli, TriplePoint

415-955-8500

katep@triplepointpr.com

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3 local business owners fined for having skill games - Newark Advocate

Posted: 14 Apr 2010 05:10 PM PDT

NEWARK -- Three men have been fined for owning skill-game businesses that were raided in January.

The two owners of Hit it Big and VIP Internet Cafe, 838 and 836 S. 30th St. in Heath, and the owner of the Golden Penny, 305 Deo Drive in Newark, were cited for failure to obtain a game room license, a minor misdemeanor.

Each received a $100 fine and no jail time. The men agreed not to reopen their businesses and forfeit money seized, Newark Assistant Law Director Jon Diernbach said.

About $9,850 was seized from the two Heath businesses and $26,582 from the Golden Penny, police said.

Diernbach said shutting down the businesses was the goal from the beginning.

Terrian L. Paxson, owner of Chances Are, 349 E. Main St., was charged with tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony; and prohibited conduct while operating a skill-based amusement machine, a first-degree misdemeanor. She has pleaded not guilty.

On Jan. 8, Newark and Heath police removed computer equipment, gaming machines, documents and thousands of dollars from the four businesses.

That day, police allege Paxson zeroed out totals on the central computer that tabulates skill-game winnings, Licking County Assistant Prosecutor Chris Reamer said.

The raids occurred after undercover investigators from the Ohio Attorney General's Office reportedly were paid cash prizes from gambling machines multiple times between April 2008 and January 2010, according to court records.

A Lancaster business, Sweepstakes Connection, also was searched that day.

The stores sold phone cards that translated into points in a slot-machine-like game, according to the search warrants. Most of the money investigators cashed from these games was less than $30.

The phone cards replaced skill games, which were shut down in 2007 after Gov. Ted Strickland signed a bill limiting payouts to the equivalent of $10 in noncash prizes.

The Golden Penny games were returned to the leasing company that owned them. Owners of the two Heath businesses plan to take their games to another state where the practice is legal, Diernbach said.

Paxson's 31 games and $6,463 seized from Chances Are would be forfeited if she is convicted, according to her indictment.

Jessie Balmert can be reached at (740) 328-8548 or jbalmert@newarkadvocate.com.

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“Obradovich: Gaming money talks, but not in unison - Des Moines Register” plus 1 more

2010-04-11T19:30:00.001-07:00

“Obradovich: Gaming money talks, but not in unison - Des Moines Register” plus 1 more

Obradovich: Gaming money talks, but not in unison - Des Moines Register

Posted: 11 Apr 2010 06:15 AM PDT

Anti-gambling forces are drawing attention to some campaign contributions to Gov. Chet Culver in an effort to stir up public opposition to the approval of four new casino licenses.

Culver made waves last month by sending a letter to the Racing and Gaming Commission, asking it to approve the four new casino license applications from Ottumwa, Fort Dodge, Lyon County and Tama. Those are the four communities where voters have already agreed to allow gambling.

Mitch Henry of No Casino Iowa found about $200,000 in Culver's 2009 campaign finance report that can be linked to gaming interests.

Another anti-gambling advocate argues that the May 13 decision on new licenses should be postponed until after Culver's next campaign finance report is due, because he may have received more gaming money.

Henry, a Democrat, says he's not trying to suggest that Culver shouldn't be re-elected. He is, however, trying to make the point that the contributions are aimed at encouraging Culver to increase gambling in Iowa.

It's worth looking more closely at this claim, because we're going to see plenty of variations of it throughout the 2010 campaigns. It illustrates the pitfalls in trying to assign motives based on campaign donations.

Culver, when asked about it recently, dismissed the notion on the grounds that the gaming-related donations were only a small fraction of his overall campaign. Other candidates have also accepted gaming-related donations, he said. These groups support his agenda to move Iowa forward, he added.

His response was flawed, at best. Instead of arguing that he can't be bought, he suggests that he's not so cheap. That can't be what he intended to convey.

Here's a better argument: Gaming-related donors don't necessarily support more casinos.

Gerald Kirke, chairman and CEO of Wild Rose Casinos, for example, gave $25,000 in 2009. But he is not advocating for any of the new casino licenses. Wild Rose has expressed concerns about the Fort Dodge application.

Kirke, like most of the people who gave campaign contributions, has many other interests. His donation was unrelated to gambling, according to a spokeswoman. It stems from his membership in a bipartisan group of business and community leaders.

Culver also received $12,500 from the Sac & Fox Tribe. It operates the Meskwaki Bingo Casino Hotel, which would compete with a new Tama casino.

Those are just a couple examples.

Culver received some donations from folks expressly advocating for one or more casinos. But would he be influenced by them? He was already on record from his 2006 campaign that he favored licenses for places like Ottumwa, where there is strong citizen support for gaming.

Henry acknowledges some gaming-related donors have other interests. That doesn't change his conviction that the gaming industry has a lot of money to spend influencing politicians. Can't argue with that.

There are plenty of good reasons for gaming commissioners to be cautious about adding four casino licenses in Iowa. Just a few: the soft economy, the competition with existing operations, and the potential for increased gambling addiction.

Opponents would be better off to focus on those than to distract Iowans with overly broad assumptions about the governor's motives.

Political columnist Kathie Obradovich can be reached at (515) 284-8126 or kobradov@dmreg.com. You can follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/kobradovich. For more Obradovich columns, blogs and tweets, visit www.dmregister.com/Obradovich.

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AG Seeks to Block Casino Funds Settlement - Inside INdiana Business (press release)

Posted: 11 Apr 2010 01:38 PM PDT

Press Release

Indianapolis, Ind. -- Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller today officially objected to a deal that would settle a lawsuit between East Chicago and a for-profit company that reaped millions of dollars in casino money. Zoeller took legal action to prevent the settlement between the city administration and East Chicago Second Century Inc. from taking effect.

For the Mayor of East Chicago to file this settlement after the City Council already rejected it smacks of emboldened arrogance and should not stand, Zoeller said. By circumventing the very ratification process that they themselves instituted, the Mayor and his administration have defied both the elected council representatives and the public. I have moved to undo the Mayors actions, Zoeller said.

The Indiana Attorney Generals Office and the City have been plaintiffs in a long-running lawsuit against Second Century Inc. to require the for-profit company to account for $16 million in casino revenue it received from the East Chicago riverboat casino over 10 years since the for-profit companys creation during former Mayor Robert Pastricks administration. Even though the casino revenue was intended to benefit the people of East Chicago, Second Century thus far has refused to name publicly who received the grants it dispensed or to divulge how the money was used. Approximately $8 million to $10 million remains in escrow.

When information surfaced this winter that current Mayor George Pabey intended to settle the lawsuit with Second Century and end the litigation in exchange for a payout to the city, Zoeller personally attended a meeting of the East Chicago City Council on February 22 and urged council members to reject the deal. The council deadlocked 4-4 at that meeting. When the council members voted on ratifying the settlement proposal again March 3, they conclusively defeated it 5-4. That settlement would have released the funds in escrow, with 54 percent going to the city administration and 46 percent to Second Centurys owners, with the casinos 0.75 percent revenue stream going to the city in the future. But it would have included no accounting of how casino revenue has been spent so far, and no requirement for any transparency going forward.

Despite the council previously rejecting that settlement, the Pabey administration and Second Century jointly filed a notice in the lawsuit Tuesday with the Marion County Superior Court, purporting to dismiss the citys claims against Second Century without the councils approval.

The State of Indiana is also a plaintiff in the Citys lawsuit against Second Century, yet my office was not consulted about this purported settlement, I certainly did not agree to it and I am asking the court to reconsider and reject it, Zoeller said. The Mayor and his allies appear unconcerned that millions of dollars originally intended to benefit city residents instead would be paid out as a wholly undeserved jackpot to Second Century, if this settlement went through.

The Court granted the dismissal Thursday before the State had the opportunity to object. Zoeller today filed an objection and a motion asking the Court to vacate its ruling, since the State of Indianas claims remain alive.

Residents of East Chicago deserve better than the Mayors behind-closed-doors, backroom deal with a dubious for-profit interest that further erodes public trust, the Attorney General said.

Under current law, in communities with riverboat casinos a Local Development Agreement (LDA) must be set up in order for gaming revenue to flow directly from a casino to a for-profit or non-profit corporation. Although LDAs exist in some other riverboat communities, Second Century was the only for-profit company in Indiana to receive casino dollars under an LDA arrangement. In other communities, the LDA groups are nonprofits that receive casino revenue and redistribute it.

The Attorney Generals effort to require Second Century to open its books is part of a larger investigation into public corruption in East Chicago. Last June, in the Attorney Generals separate RICO lawsuit over the $24 million sidewalks-for-votes fraud, a federal court entered a judgment finding that the East Chicago city government under former Mayor Pastrick was a corrupt organization under federal racketeering laws. The court entered a judgment against Pastrick and former mayoral aide James Fife III on every count the state alleged.

On March 11, a federal court ordered Pastrick, Fife and former city councilman Frank Kollintzas to pay more than $108 million in treble damages in the history-making federal racketeering lawsuit filed by the Attorney General over the 1999 sidewalks-for-votes scheme.

The State of Indiana sued Second Century to pry open the books of that Pastrick-created entity and show publicly how it spent casino dollars that were supposed to be used for the publics benefit, which for years Second Century has refused to do. If Second Century really wants to resolve the litigation against it, then it ought to provide a full, thorough and unobstructed accounting of how it has spent every dime, Zoeller said.

Separately, Pabey is indicted on a federal corruption charges and awaits trial.

Source: Office of Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller

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“Immigrants rally for reform - Asbury Park Press”

2010-04-10T19:04:00.001-07:00

“Immigrants rally for reform - Asbury Park Press”

Immigrants rally for reform - Asbury Park Press

Posted: 10 Apr 2010 05:43 PM PDT

LAKEWOOD — They want reform, now.

That's what about 300 people, mostly Hispanics, chanted Saturday as they marched along Route 9 and Clifton Avenue, carrying red, white and blue balloons, American flags and megaphones.

"We are marching because we want immigration reform passed in 2010," said Jose Villanueva, a march organizer. "We need it passed to fix a broken system we have now."

There are more than 10 million illegal immigrants living in the United States. Now that an overhaul of the health care system has been passed, immigration reform is quickly becoming the new issue of the day.

The march was organized by New Labor, an advocacy group with an office here. Protection for undocumented workers when they are threatened or not paid by their employers and protection for families who are torn apart by deportations are chief among New Labor's reform wish list.

The marchers on Saturday simply wanted to grab the attention of one congressman, Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., who represents Lakewood.

"We know that Chris Smith will do the right thing," said Marien Casillas, the executive director of New Labor. "We need to get the support of Smith. He understands the rights of families."

Smith, a staunch Roman Catholic, has lobbied for human rights throughout the world during his long tenure in the House of Representatives. A Smith spokesman did not immediately comment Saturday afternoon.

The march here was one of many throughout the country. The most notable was the march in Las Vegas, where a crowd of 10,000 people was expected. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., was slated to speak.

The marches throughout the country were a follow-up event to a march on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. late last month attended by tens of thousands of people. New Jersey sent the third largest contingent to the capital, Casillas said. Her group sent 15 buses full of people.

In a videotaped message presented on giant screens to thousands marching on the National Mall last month, President Barack Obama warned of the cost of inaction. He said problems with today's immigration system include families being torn apart, employers gaming the system and police officers struggling to keep communities safe.

Obama said he would work to forge a bipartisan consensus on immigration reform this year.

ON THE WEB: Please visit

APP.com to see a gallery of more photos of this event.

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“Midwest Gaming & Entertainment, LLC Completes Financing ... - Biloxi Sun Herald” plus 1 more

2010-04-09T19:52:00.001-07:00

“Midwest Gaming & Entertainment, LLC Completes Financing ... - Biloxi Sun Herald” plus 1 more

Midwest Gaming & Entertainment, LLC Completes Financing ... - Biloxi Sun Herald

Posted: 09 Apr 2010 10:49 AM PDT

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DES PLAINES, Ill., April 9 -- /PRNewswire/ -- Midwest Gaming & Entertainment, LLC and its affiliates ("Midwest Gaming") announced today they have successfully closed on $295 million in aggregate debt financing and invested $150 million of equity for its casino project in Des Plaines, Illinois. Midwest Gaming also purchased the land on which its casino and entertainment complex will be developed, clearing the way for construction to begin next week on the long-awaited $445 million development. The casino is anticipated to open in late summer 2011.

On March 30th, the Illinois Gaming Board approved Midwest Gaming's financing package and construction project. As part of the closing, Midwest Gaming paid $47.5 million as a downpayment on the 10th Illinois casino license, bringing its total license payments to the State of Illinois to $50 million. Another $75 million is required to be paid when the casino opens for business.

"Today's closing is the culmination of years of hard work. Now we will begin building a showplace that we believe will create tremendous revenues for the state and local governments, put people to work and generate tourism," said Neil Bluhm, Midwest Gaming Chairman. "We look forward to being a great neighbor for Des Plaines, the surrounding communities and the State of Illinois."

"We would like to thank the Illinois Gaming Board, the City of Des Plaines and their respective staffs for their hard work which helped us reach this important milestone," said Greg Carlin, Midwest Gaming's CEO.

"We are excited to have closed on our financing, and we look forward to moving ahead quickly to build a first-class casino and entertainment facility," said Jeff Parr, Co-CEO of Clairvest Group Inc., an investor in Midwest Gaming.

Midwest Gaming's casino is anticipated to generate hundreds of construction jobs and approximately 1,000 permanent jobs. In addition to supporting the local economy and businesses by bringing activity to the area, the casino anticipates paying more than $150 million in gaming taxes annually that will benefit the State of Illinois, the City of Des Plaines and economically burdened communities.

As part of the debt financing, Midwest Gaming closed on its previously announced offering of $175 million of senior secured notes due 2016. Simultaneous with the closing of the notes offering, Midwest Gaming closed on a $120 million senior secured credit facility consisting of a $110 million delayed draw term loan facility and a $10 million revolving credit facility—for which Credit Suisse, Goldman Sachs and Macquarie Capital were the joint lead arrangers and joint book-runners. Macquarie Capital was also the exclusive financial advisor to Midwest Gaming.

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Heroes of Newerth Celebrates Open Beta/Countdown to ... - Businesswire.com

Posted: 06 Apr 2010 10:20 PM PDT

Team "Loaded" Victorious in Blistering Finals Match

KALAMAZOO, Mich--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Independent game developer S2 Games today announced that Heroes of Newerth (HoN) is nearing official launch. The S2 Games team celebrated this huge milestone with a launch event late last week, at which the finals were held for the HoN North American Cup. The two semi finalist teams, "Loaded" and "Five," both battled feverishly, but team "Loaded" ended up taking the win. The event and finals were held at the SupperClub in San Francisco and sponsors included Alienware, Razer and Iron Will Innovations, makers of the Peregrine Glove. Video from the event, including the finals match, can be found at http://www.honcast.com.

"I have an amazing team that worked tirelessly to make HoN the best online, multiplayer game of its kind and it's a real sense of accomplishment to hear the positive feedback from our fans as well as from the competitive gaming and e-sports communities."

HoN quietly slipped into Open Beta late in the evening on March 31, 2010, just prior to the celebration. Since then the number of registered players has grown by 250,000 to a whopping two million active beta accounts and reaching concurrent player numbers surpassing 55,000. The team at S2 Games will continue to monitor servers and growth in order to ensure complete stability. Players will be introduced to NEW Heroes during Open Beta and rewarded with additional Heroes upon the games transition to retail.

"After working on this game for over three years it feels incredible to finally be at this point," said Marc DeForest, CEO and Founder, S2 Games. "I have an amazing team that worked tirelessly to make HoN the best online, multiplayer game of its kind and it's a real sense of accomplishment to hear the positive feedback from our fans as well as from the competitive gaming and e-sports communities."

HoN, a session-based, multiplayer, Action-RPG, is heavily inspired by the popular Warcraft 3 mod, Defense of the Ancients (DotA), but with vast improvements in graphics and gameplay. Heroes of Newerth is available for the Windows, MAC and Linux platforms for $30.00 (USD). Gamers can currently "try before they buy" by accessing the open beta at http://www.heroesofnewerth.com

About HoN:

In Heroes of Newerth, two teams of up to five players each take on the role of special Hero units. With the assistance of AI-controlled armies, each team sets out with the sole objective of destroying the other team's base. As a match progresses, players can earn experience and gold which can be used to upgrade skills or purchase items to make their character more powerful. The team-oriented design of HoN coupled with unprecedented in-game Voice-Over-IP controls and Clan Support allow for an incredibly deep, tactical team-based experience.

Some of the unique features of HoN include the following:

Dozens of playable Hero characters, over 100 items as well as regular content updates to ensure no two games of HoN will ever be the same.
Client/Server Architecture eliminates lag, cheats and map hacking
Quick reconnect feature allows players to jump right back into their game should they get disconnected
In-game VOIP for fast and easy communication with teammates
Game archives and replay support for all games played on official servers (players can rewind, slow down, fast forward, and otherwise pinpoint the exact part of a match that they wish to view)
Built upon the proprietary K2 engine to deliver enhanced graphics while maintaining low system specs
Powerful map editor and mod capabilities
Available in six language translations: English, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese and Russian.
Available for PC, Mac, and Linux

Heroes of Newerth is currently in open beta and release can be expected very soon. Players can visit the website to be notified of future release dates. www.heroesofnewerth.com. More information on this title can also be found at www.s2games.com and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/heroesofnewerth.

About S2 Games

The core S2 Games team is an experienced group of developers from diverse backgrounds, including film, fine art, computer science and business. Through this mix of skill and experience, a synergy is born creating a fresh perspective in game design. The mission of the S2 Games team is to create the next level of multiplayer gaming. With the creation of the K2™ Engine, they have the freedom to take online multiplayer games to heights not reached before. For more information, visit the company's website at www.s2games.com.

All related assets available here: http://www.heroesofnewerth.com/fsk/fan_site_kit.zip

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“iPhone OS 4.0: Apple Hits Mobile Out of the Park - BNET” plus 2 more

2010-04-08T20:44:00.001-07:00

“iPhone OS 4.0: Apple Hits Mobile Out of the Park - BNET” plus 2 more

iPhone OS 4.0: Apple Hits Mobile Out of the Park - BNET
Tama lobbies for new gaming license - Waterloo Cedar-Falls Courier
New casino in White Hall: Battle over electronic bingo ... - Montgomery Advertiser

iPhone OS 4.0: Apple Hits Mobile Out of the Park - BNET

Posted: 08 Apr 2010 01:20 PM PDT

The iPad may arouse some head-scratching, but Apple (AAPL) just scored an undeniable win with iPhone OS 4.0, the new operating system for Apple's mobile devices.

With iPhone OS 4.0, not only has Apple shored up its defenses against Google (GOOG) Android, but it has jumped the competition in user-ease, set the stage for an improved iPad that will kick-start the tablet category, practically guaranteed huge iPhone upgrade and new-adoption sales, and added a big new revenue stream with mobile ads. There are some potential problems, but overall, very impressive.

The implementation of multitasking not only shows that Apple takes mobile operating systems seriously, but that it has gone beyond the technology to provide something that will appeal to both techie and "regular" users. Apple's technique — creating the ability to lift the app window and see a slider with all the currently running apps — is a great way to keep track of what you are doing in a more efficient way than the old PDA trick of showing a list of applications.

Apple was smart in pointing out the different ways multitasking could work, as well: keep your previous place with the app exactly as you left it, even in a game, or run important tasks in the background. Remember, too, that all of this will apply to the iPad, so making it instantly more versatile. Another feature that will likely be more important for the iPad than iPhone is adding folders and the ability to group applications.

Business users get more of a nod than ever before from iPhone OS 4.0, in the form of a single inbox that can handle multiple email addresses. The emails are threaded, so a single message shows how many others are associated with it. Apple has also added some enterprise features, furthering the evidence that business users will be a major market for the iPad. There will be data encryption available to enterprise programmers, mobile device management, and wireless app distribution, to make rollout easier.

Gaming gets even more attention in iPhone OS 4.0 by adding social gaming features, which, from what I've seen first hand, are some of the biggest drivers in the success of gaming communities.

The other major addition to iPhone OS 4.0 is mobile advertising, which will be called iAd. App developers will be able to incorporate ads so they generate income from free applications, with Apple getting 40 percent of the revenue. Yes, if you thought that the iPhone was a money printing press before, it's just become the U.S. Mint.

So as not to go too far into a starry sky, I do see a couple of short-term downsides. One is that the announcement will probably slow both iPhone and iPad sales until the new OS comes out this summer, but I don't think Apple could wait any longer and let competitors create a sense of advancing ahead of it. Also, unless the company provides free upgrades for early purchasers, virtually every current owner of an iPad will get horribly ticked off.

But those are issues that Apple can easily manage if it's smart. And, given the product that the company rolled out today, there's no question of that.

Image: Apple

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Tama lobbies for new gaming license - Waterloo Cedar-Falls Courier

Posted: 08 Apr 2010 01:28 PM PDT

TAMA - The words on the big red buttons conveyed the message well enough: Organizers want another casino.

"Vote Yes for Tama County," each said.

The message was meant for members of the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, who came through the Tama-Toledo area Wednesday on a whistle-stop tour of possible sites. Visits to Fort Dodge and Ottumwa also were on the agenda. A fourth to Lyon County is scheduled next week.

Four years have passed since the initial proposal cropped up, but little movement has been evident until now. A decision on the gaming licenses will come next month.

"We're very excited," said Chris Bearden, Tama's mayor.

The Prairie Hills Resort facility would be east of the city on 146 acres. Aside from gaming, the $42 million project also would include an 80-room hotel, outdoor amphitheater and motor sports park. The casino also would have about 500 slot machines and 18 gaming tables.

Though a lot of uncertainty exists about whether Tama County will be awarded a license, John Pavone, president of Signature Management, seemed optimistic. His group was hired to develop the proposal.

"We think we've given them all the tools to pull the trigger," he said.

Bearden said both communities largely favor the plan, and more than 60 people showed up Wednesday to show support.

Community backing is important since other areas of the state have squabbled about how a casino might affect the area or existing gaming operations.

Tama County also is aware of the revenue generated by the gambling industry. The Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa has operated its own casino for two decades, and the operation is the largest employer in Tama County.

"We've had gaming in Tama County all these years," Bearden said. "We just haven't had any of the benefits."

Pavone and others stress they want to work in tandem with the Meskwaki Bingo Casino Hotel to make the area a destination. Those backing Prairie Hills also don't want to "cannibalize" the tribe's casino.

"If our job is only to take business from the Meskwaki, we will fail," Pavone said.

In a letter to commissioners, however, tribal officials expressed concern another casino in the area would oversaturate the area and hurt existing facilities, including the Isle Casino Hotel Waterloo.

"We believe that a casino in Tama County is not a positive investment for our neighbors," the letter read.

Some in the audience Wednesday noted the Meskwaki casino already is a destination for bus trips from across the region. A partnership with Prairie Hills could build on that success, said Verlyn Strellner of Chicago, who previously lived in Toledo.

"Rural Iowa needs something," he said.

The odds of success aren't clear, which hasn't exactly persuaded Toledo resident Tom Gearing. He remains interested in the project, however.

"I'd say flip a coin on it, 50-50," he said.

The commission will decide by May 13 whether to issue additional gaming licenses.

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New casino in White Hall: Battle over electronic bingo ... - Montgomery Advertiser

Posted: 08 Apr 2010 09:17 AM PDT

(2 of 2)

A search using the company's official street address, 8924 Spanish Ridge Ave., shows that is the same address for a company called Gaughan Gaming.

Mike Gaughan, president and chief operating officer, was present at the job fair Wednesday. At that time, he referred questions to Clark.

Gaughan Gaming, according to its Web site, is a company that develops casinos, mostly in smaller communities and on Indian reservations. It also offers casino management consulting.

The Gaughan family has long been a leader in development of casinos and gambling in Las Vegas, and several family members are in the Nevada Gambling Hall of Fame.

The company's Web site lists ongoing projects but does not include Southern Star.

Southern Star plans to support a charity called White Hall Enrichment Achievement Team, according to Clark.

Esther Jackson is director of the group, which she said provides educational activities to students after school and in the summer.

She said the group hopes to eventually build a library in White Hall.

Online records show the non-profit group has not filed a federal tax return since 2004.

The group is funded by grants from public and private sources and by small fundraisers, she said.

It is the contract beneficiary of the proposed casino, but had little to do with building the facility. It invested no money in the building and has no real experience running such an operation, she said.

Jackson said she was unaware of how much money the group expects to receive from its ties to the casino.

"We have got to make money first," she said when asked what benefits the group hoped to receive.

"I have not thought that far into the future. We will just have to see what we can do as a group as that time comes."

She insisted she is not bothered by the delays in opening the casino.

"I am not frustrated at all," she said. "When it opens, it opens. It is going to take time, and we are patiently waiting."

Clark is at least a little less patient.

He wants to get the business operating so that work can start on a second phase that will bring an additional 40,000 square feet, hundreds more video games, a restaurant and probably more employees.

Todd Stacy, a spokesman for Gov. Bob Riley, cautioned that a community welcoming a casino runs the risk of seeing it shut down.

"Any community that is being enticed by organized gambling to get involved with a casino ought to take a good hard look at what the law is in Alabama that pertains to slot machines," he said. "It is crystal clear that slot machines are illegal in Alabama no matter what they are called."

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“Lawyer for mob kin blasts NJ's innuendo in AC case - Morris County Daily Record” plus 3 more

2010-04-07T20:42:00.001-07:00

“Lawyer for mob kin blasts NJ's innuendo in AC case - Morris County Daily Record” plus 3 more

Lawyer for mob kin blasts NJ's innuendo in AC case - Morris County Daily Record
Video gaming debate something to chew on - Batavia Sun
Gov. Perry puts his game face on for tech symposium - News 8 Austin
Bringing FarmVille To Your Browser Bar - Kotaku Australia

Lawyer for mob kin blasts NJ's innuendo in AC case - Morris County Daily Record

Posted: 07 Apr 2010 01:29 PM PDT

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — The lawyer for the owners of a concrete reinforcing business accused by state casino investigators of having ties to mobsters blasted the agency for implying that an official who recommended the company be allowed to work in the Atlantic City casino industry is biased, stupid or corrupt.

John Donnelly, the lawyer for Joseph N. Merlino and his mother, Phyllis, fired back Wednesday at the state Division of Gaming Enforcement, which on Monday leveled blistering criticism at state Casino Control Commissioner William Sommeling.

Sommeling, who had acted as the hearing officer for Bayshore Rebar of Pleasantville, said he believed the Merlinos' claims that they had cut ties to the criminal side of their family. Merlino's father, Lawrence "Yogi" Merlino, was a mobster who died in the witness protection program. Merlino's cousin is jailed Philadelphia mob boss Joseph "Skinny Joey" Merlino.

In its criticism, which was nearly unprecedented in its level of harshness, the gaming enforcement division said Sommeling ignored voluminous evidence that the Merlinos continue to have contacts with organized crime figures, despite their protestations to the contrary. The division said Sommeling reached "a predetermined result," which it characterized as "a travesty."

In a 30-page response made public Wednesday, Donnelly wrote that the gaming enforcement division "engages in name-calling and unsupported allegations that the hearing examiner was biased, incapable of understanding, or corrupt."

He asserted that gaming enforcement division knows the Merlinos are not associated with organized crime.

"Yet it has pursued a scorched-Earth prosecution, and now makes a disrespectful and dishonorable personal attack" on Sommeling. "Adjectives, adverbs and allegations, no matter how vile, are not proof. The DGE's position has been, from Day One, if it says it is so, then it is so. No proof is needed."

A spokesman for the New Jersey Attorney General's Office, which includes the gaming enforcement division, declined to comment Wednesday.

Dan Heneghan, a spokesman for the Casino Control Commission, said none of the commissioners would comment Wednesday because they have to consider the matter and render a final decision, probably in early May.

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Video gaming debate something to chew on - Batavia Sun

Posted: 30 Mar 2010 04:59 PM PDT

I, for one, am jumping on the video gaming bandwagon.
Put those darn machines in every bar. In every restaurant. In every private club, hotel lobby and ladies' bathroom. The more the merrier, because the money generated from these machines will build our roads and schools and sewers and bridges. It will put the unemployed back to work, more policemen on the streets, and, heck, it might even save the planet from global warming and alien invasions.
And the really cool thing? None of this revenue that's going to get our financially anemic state back on track will come out of my pocket. Not one quarter.
That's because I don't gamble.
Well, that's not entirely true. Once upon a time I had a real problem with little portable machines taking my hard earned cash.
In fact, I couldn't walk past one of those tempting slots without dropping some serious coin. And the problem was much more sinister than a sugar addiction.
I fed those machines hoping for the big payoff.
The blue gumball wouldn't do. Left teeth and tongue that disgusting Tidy Bowl hue. The white ones tasted like toothpaste; pink reminded me of Pepto-Bismol. In retrospect, I should have stopped with yellow: The banana flavor was at least tolerable. But when you're hooked, you dig deeper in your wallet until you walk away a winner.
For me, it was having the big red gumball drop into my hand.
I was not proud of my problem. But with the right support and a jaw-dropping dental bill, I overcame it. And I've been slot-free ever since.
Which is why I welcomed the Back to Work Illinois folks to our editorial board on Tuesday with open arms. The four visitors, part of a coalition of civic, business, labor and community leaders, are on a whirlwind tour to explain why communities shouldn't opt out of the gaming act signed into law last summer. It's expected to bring in $375 million annually; yet 74 government bodies have said no thanks, including Kane and DuPage counties, along with such nearby towns as Naperville, Batavia, Campton Hills and East Dundee.
The Back to Work Illinois coalition claims to be impartial, that this tour of editorial boards is purely educational. But it's obvious the group is made up mostly of those standing to gain from this gaming.
They also told us some 15,000 businesses will be eligible to operate up to five machines apiece. So it was no surprise the big concern around the table was how the new law will be implemented and regulated.
The BWI insists these machines, the first of which will be in place in November, will be easier to keep tabs on than the "gray games" now operating. They also say the amount that can be wagered is similar to Bingo; and that all the money will go into state and local coffers, rather than the pockets of the bad guys.
All of which makes sense, until you remember what got us into this fiscal mess in the first place. The biggest gamble might be assuming the state can get this right.
Still, I say we take a shot. Sure, allowing more gambling could further erode the fabric of our society. But at this point, I'm more concerned about eroding schools and highways -- not to mention savings accounts.
As we all now realize, being in the red's no fun -- unless you're talking gumballs.

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Gov. Perry puts his game face on for tech symposium - News 8 Austin

Posted: 07 Apr 2010 09:11 AM PDT

Gov. Rick Perry and city and business leaders are putting their game faces on for the inaugural Game On! Symposium Wednesday at the campus of Advanced Micro Devices.

The symposium will bring together leaders from the video gaming industry as well as education and business communities.

The groups will strive to strengthen Texas' digital media and video game education programs.

Texas is already home to more than 120 video game development companies who employ more than 3,500 workers and spend more than $234 million in the state.

The symposium runs all day at the AMD Lone Star campus.

For more information on the event, click here.

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Bringing FarmVille To Your Browser Bar - Kotaku Australia

Posted: 31 Mar 2010 02:42 PM PDT

From the FarmVille toolbar to a virtual pet that runs on your browser bar, Conduit's Ltd is helping gamers connect with games without having to change their web page.

You might have never heard about Conduit Ltd, but odds are you've seen some of its technology. Conduit created a technology that allows publishers an easy way to create browser bar nested applications that bring games, players and gaming communities together in the tiny spaces at the top of your web browser.

Toolbars are certainly nothing new, and most traditional examples are intrusive programs that change your home pages, redirect your searches and generally make themselves so much of a nuisance that you're looking for a way to remove them almost as soon as they've installed.

Not so with Conduit.

Conduit allows its customers to create browser-based applications that run in the chrome of the browser window. The FarmVille toolbar that shows you how much time you have to harvest your crops? That's Conduit. The Xfire toolbar that keeps track of your friends, lets you send messages and updates you on the latest live streaming videos? That's them as well.

Any company can use Conduit technology to create a quick and easy application that runs in the browser bar, from simple RSS feeds with instant notifications of new stories, to entire game, such as Pitsi, a tiny virtual pet that currently has more than 3.5 million users. That's a whole hell of a lot of Tamagotchi.

The company has more than 220,000 publishers creating applications and more than 100 million active users, according to company president Adam Boyden, and with the amount of flexibility the Conduit technology allows, that number will only grow.

So why is Conduit important to games?

"It's been very popular within the game space because companies have been able to build tools which have helped them make their games more easily accessible or interact with their game-related content more easily within the browser," says Bowden. "It gives game publishers, developers, and community sites a constant engagement potential with end users."

It's not just games, either. The Conduit App Store features applications for Facebook, Twitte and many different categories, making it possible to have most of the content you browse the web for easily accessible at the top of yours screen.

Best of all? It's all free.

Head over to the official website to see how Conduit can improve your internet gaming experience.

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“Blizzcon® 2010 Announced - Gamers Hell”

2010-04-02T19:53:00.001-07:00

“Blizzcon® 2010 Announced - Gamers Hell”

Blizzcon® 2010 Announced - Gamers Hell

Posted: 26 Mar 2010 03:59 PM PDT

IRVINE, Calif. -- March 25, 2010 -- Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. today announced plans for its fifth BlizzCon® gaming convention, to be held at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California on Friday, October 22 and Saturday, October 23, 2010. BlizzCon is a celebration of the global player communities surrounding Blizzard Entertainment's Warcraft®, StarCraft®, and Diablo® universes.

"BlizzCon offers us a great opportunity to meet with our players and share our enthusiasm for gaming with one of the most passionate communities in the world," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "We're looking forward to providing another great show filled with entertainment, competition, and the latest information about Blizzard Entertainment games."

In addition to serving as a gathering place for Blizzard Entertainment gaming communities, BlizzCon will offer attendees a chance to enjoy:

Hands-on play time with upcoming Blizzard Entertainment games
Discussion panels with Blizzard Entertainment developers
Competitive and casual tournaments for players to showcase their talents
Community contests with great prizes
Commemorative merchandise based on Blizzard Entertainment's game universes
More exciting activities and attractions to be announced
The previous BlizzCon was held in Anaheim in August 2009. Tickets to the event sold out in minutes, and some of the highlights included the announcement of World of Warcraft®: Cataclysm™, the unveiling of a new playable class in Diablo® III, the first public hands-on with the single-player campaign of StarCraft® II: Wings of Liberty™, and a closing concert featuring rock legend Ozzy Osbourne.

About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft® and the Warcraft®, StarCraft®, and Diablo® series, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating some of the industry's most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard Entertainment's track record includes eleven #1-selling games and multiple Game of the Year awards. The company's online-gaming service, Battle.net®, is one of the largest in the world, with millions of active players.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Blizzard Entertainment's expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Blizzard Entertainment generally uses words such as "outlook," "will," "could," "would," "might," "remains," "to be," "plans," "believes," "may," "expects," "intends," "anticipates," "estimate," "future," "plan," "positioned," "potential," "project," "remain," "scheduled," "set to," "subject to," "upcoming," and similar expressions to help identify forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause Blizzard Entertainment's actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include, but are not limited to, sales of Blizzard Entertainment's titles, shifts in consumer spending trends, the seasonal and cyclical nature of the interactive game market, Blizzard Entertainment's ability to predict consumer preferences among competing hardware platforms (including next-generation hardware), declines in software pricing, product returns and price protection, product delays, retail acceptance of Blizzard Entertainment's products, adoption rate and availability of new hardware and related software, industry competition, rapid changes in technology and industry standards, protection of proprietary rights, litigation against Blizzard Entertainment, maintenance of relationships with key personnel, customers, vendors and third-party developers, domestic and international economic, financial and political conditions and policies, foreign exchange rates, integration of recent acquisitions and the identification of suitable future acquisition opportunities, Activision Blizzard's success in integrating the operations of Activision Publishing and Vivendi Games in a timely manner, or at all, and the combined company's ability to realize the anticipated benefits and synergies of the transaction to the extent, or in the timeframe, anticipated. Other such factors include additional risk factors identified in Activision Blizzard's most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Blizzard Entertainment and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Blizzard Entertainment nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Blizzard Entertainment or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.

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“Blizzcon® 2010 Announced - Gamers Hell”

2010-04-02T19:52:00.001-07:00

“Blizzcon® 2010 Announced - Gamers Hell”

Blizzcon® 2010 Announced - Gamers Hell

Posted: 26 Mar 2010 03:59 PM PDT

In addition to serving as a gathering place for Blizzard Entertainment gaming communities, BlizzCon will offer attendees a chance to enjoy:

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“Miner Wars – a video game featuring: 6DOF, Fully ... - Gamasutra”

2010-04-01T20:20:00.001-07:00

“Miner Wars – a video game featuring: 6DOF, Fully ... - Gamasutra”

Miner Wars – a video game featuring: 6DOF, Fully ... - Gamasutra

Posted: 01 Apr 2010 09:54 AM PDT

[This unedited press release is made available courtesy of Gamasutra and its partnership with notable game PR-related resource GamesPress.]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

London, UK, April 1st, 2010 – Keen Software House is pleased to announce the forthcoming premiere of the Miner Wars video game.

Miner Wars is a 6DOF underground and space shooter played in a fully destructible environment and is a combination of single player story game and MMO.

As a player, you operate an advanced mining ship in an open world asteroid belt area. You dig kilometers of tunnels, harvest the ore, travel the solar system, fight your enemies and discover mysterious alien secrets.

Game play is led by an epic story and is a combination of a single/multi-player game, cooperative, or you against everyone.

The story will introduce you to many types of missions: rescue, exploration, revenge, base defense, theft, transportation, stealth, search and destroy, pure harvesting, racing or just flying around and destroying everything you see.

Dear 6DOF and space-shooter fans,

we have been patiently waiting for what is to become one of the greatest days of the history of our Miner Wars. It seems that our hard work and focus to bring you something special is finally bringing some results. More and more our game is getting into the spotlight and important people are beginning to notice the game.

We are slowly growing the development team and it is my greatest honour to introduce you to our new team members.

One of them is very special and I believe that you will all understand why.

Dan Wentz - has been appointed as the Audio Director! - Dan is a game development veteran who has been in the industry from 1995. Working in Parallax Software which later became Volition Dan has an impressive record of working on over 17 AAA titles. Dan worked on their sounds, music, level design and 3D modelling. Most of the titles that Dan has been a part of are seen these days as genuine works of art. Many of the projects that Dan helped to create inspired our team to make Miner Wars itself! Dan has in record such titles as Descent, Descent 2, Descent: Freespace, Freespace 2, Red Faction, Red Faction 2, Red Faction guerilla, Summoner, Saints Row and many other good quality titles. We are very very pleased to have Dan on our team and you can expect excellent quality sound and music coming out of Dan's hands :). Dan's nick on our forums is Vertigo1 :).

Other team members might be overshadowed by such a juggernaut that Dan is but we value their work also very highly.

Michal "Comodorre" Stefan - is joining our team as a developer. He has been appointed the head of Level Design, AI scripting and mission design. Michal has already been working with Keen Software House on creating music for our iPhone games that are in preparation. Michal is a passionate gamer and has a 7 years experience with application development. Previously Michal worked on various Half-life modification projects as a level builder.

Lukas "Preacher" Kozak - is joining our team and is going to be helping us with marketing and sales. Lukas is very active in the pro-gaming community being a member of various counter-stike teams Lukas is mainly going to handle the communication with multiplayer webs and pro-gaming communities. In the future Lukas is going to handle a much bigger part of the whole marketing process.

Additionally we are preparing a 2 new videos. One of these videos will be visible to public and the other one only to the community members on our website. First video is going to show a chase of 3 players in a tunnel causing all kinds of havoc and shooting at each other. The other video is going to show the Asteroid Buster rockets that can basically vapourize a major part of an asteroid.

The rest of the team is working hard towards releasing a fly-through that will first be available to top 20 community members and then it will be released to the general public. The next step is a playable version of the game. The playable version will be released in a form of a single-player beta.

Furthermore I would like to especially thank all of the current members of the community for their never-ending support and for all of the hard work you are all putting into Miner Wars. All of those 3D models, word spreading and Ideas are helping us towards making a better game for all of you.

World premiere: end of 2010

Platform: Windows, Xbox 360 Live Arcade, iPhone (pocket version)

Please visit http://www.MinerWars.com for more information on the game, trailers and pictures.

About Keen Software House Ltd:

Keen Software House Ltd is an independent software development company focused on creating innovative video games. We are passionate gamers, who love developing games and we want to make games that people like to play.

###

NOTE TO EDITORS:

Game page: http://www.MinerWars.com/

(Feel free to use pictures, videos and texts from this site to preview or review the Miner Wars game)

Press contact: keenswh@keenswh.com

Company web-site: http://www.KeenSWH.com/

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“Colo. governor gives gaming impact funds back to ... - KDVR.com”

2010-03-30T19:45:00.001-07:00

“Colo. governor gives gaming impact funds back to ... - KDVR.com”

Colo. governor gives gaming impact funds back to ... - KDVR.com

Posted: 26 Mar 2010 02:47 PM PDT

By Associated Press

3:52 PM MDT, March 26, 2010

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“Colo. governor restores gaming impact funds - Denver Post”

2010-03-28T19:18:00.001-07:00

“Colo. governor restores gaming impact funds - Denver Post”

Colo. governor restores gaming impact funds - Denver Post

Posted: 26 Mar 2010 02:47 PM PDT

DENVER—Gov. Bill Ritter is giving $5 million in funding for the Local Government Limited Gaming Impact Program back to gaming communities.

The funding was taken away temporarily to help cover budget shortfalls and will now be made available to communities impacted by gaming activity.

The program was created by the Legislature after voters approved limited gaming in 1991. It is financed with a portion of state taxes on limited gaming activities in Black Hawk, Central City and Cripple Creek.

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“Colo. governor restores gaming impact funds - Denver Post” plus 2 more

2010-03-27T19:02:00.001-07:00

“Colo. governor restores gaming impact funds - Denver Post” plus 2 more

Colo. governor restores gaming impact funds - Denver Post
View more from General News BlizzCon 2010 Finally ... - Zam News
BlizzCon ® 2010 Announced - Businesswire.com

Colo. governor restores gaming impact funds - Denver Post

Posted: 26 Mar 2010 02:47 PM PDT

DENVER—Gov. Bill Ritter is giving $5 million in funding for the Local Government Limited Gaming Impact Program back to gaming communities.

The funding was taken away temporarily to help cover budget shortfalls and will now be made available to communities impacted by gaming activity.

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Posted: 25 Mar 2010 12:04 PM PDT

Blizzard finally has set a date for it annual fan convention. Mark your calendar for Oct. 22-23 and be prepared for updates and panels on StarCraft, Diablo and World of Warcraft. They probably have a new biombshell announcement planned as well.

Here's the press release:

IRVINE, Calif. -- March 25, 2010 -- Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. today announced plans for its fifth BlizzCon^® gaming convention, to be held at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California on Friday, October 22 and Saturday, October 23, 2010. BlizzCon is a celebration of the global player communities surrounding Blizzard Entertainment's Warcraft^®, StarCraft^®, and Diablo^® universes.

In addition to serving as a gathering place for Blizzard Entertainment gaming communities, BlizzCon will offer attendees a chance to enjoy:

Hands-on play time with upcoming Blizzard Entertainment games
Discussion panels with Blizzard Entertainment developers
Competitive and casual tournaments for players to showcase their talents
Community contests with great prizes
Commemorative merchandise based on Blizzard Entertainment's game universes
More exciting activities and attractions to be announced

The previous BlizzCon was held in Anaheim in August 2009. Tickets to the event sold out in minutes, and some of the highlights included the announcement of World of Warcraft^®: Cataclysm^™, the unveiling of a new playable class in Diablo^® III, the first public hands-on with the single-player campaign of StarCraft^® II: Wings of Liberty^™, and a closing concert featuring rock legend Ozzy Osbourne.

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BlizzCon ® 2010 Announced - Businesswire.com

Posted: 24 Mar 2010 05:56 PM PDT

Blizzard Entertainment's Fifth BlizzCon Gaming Celebration to Be Held at Anaheim Convention Center October 22-23, 2010

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. today announced plans for its fifth BlizzCon^® gaming convention, to be held at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California on Friday, October 22 and Saturday, October 23, 2010. BlizzCon is a celebration of the global player communities surrounding Blizzard Entertainment's Warcraft^®, StarCraft^®, and Diablo^® universes.

"BlizzCon offers us a great opportunity to meet with our players and share our enthusiasm for gaming with one of the most passionate communities in the world"

In addition to serving as a gathering place for Blizzard Entertainment gaming communities, BlizzCon will offer attendees a chance to enjoy:

Hands-on play time with upcoming Blizzard Entertainment games
Discussion panels with Blizzard Entertainment developers
Competitive and casual tournaments for players to showcase their talents
Community contests with great prizes
Commemorative merchandise based on Blizzard Entertainment's game universes
More exciting activities and attractions to be announced

The previous BlizzCon was held in Anaheim in August 2009. Tickets to the event sold out in minutes, and some of the highlights included the announcement of World of Warcraft^®: Cataclysm™, the unveiling of a new playable class in Diablo^® III, the first public hands-on with the single-player campaign of StarCraft^® II: Wings of Liberty™, and a closing concert featuring rock legend Ozzy Osbourne.

Further details about BlizzCon 2010, including ticket availability and pricing, will be announced on the official BlizzCon website, www.blizzcon.com, as the event draws closer.

To keep pace with the continued growth of World of Warcraft as well as development on other Blizzard Entertainment games, the company is currently hiring for numerous open positions. More information on available career opportunities can be found at www.blizzard.com/jobs.

About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.

Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft^® and the Warcraft^®, StarCraft^®, and Diablo^® series, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating some of the industry's most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard Entertainment's track record includes eleven #1-selling games and multiple Game of the Year awards. The company's online-gaming service, Battle.net^®, is one of the largest in the world, with millions of active players.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Blizzard Entertainment's expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Blizzard Entertainment generally uses words such as "outlook," "will," "could," "would," "might," "remains," "to be," "plans," "believes," "may," "expects," "intends," "anticipates," "estimate," future," "plan," "positioned," "potential," "project," "remain," "scheduled," "set to," "subject to," "upcoming" and similar expressions to help identify forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause Blizzard Entertainment's actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include, but are not limited to, sales levels of Blizzard Entertainment's titles, shifts in consumer spending trends, the impact of the current macroeconomic environment, the seasonal and cyclical nature of the interactive game market, Blizzard Entertainment's ability to predict consumer preferences among competing hardware platforms (including next-generation hardware), declines in software pricing, product returns and price protection, product delays, retail acceptance of Blizzard Entertainment's products, adoption rate and availability of new hardware and related software, industry competition, rapid changes in technology and industry standards, protection of proprietary rights, litigation against Blizzard Entertainment, maintenance of relationships with key personnel, customers, vendors and third-party developers, domestic and international economic, financial and political conditions and policies, foreign exchange rates, integration of recent acquisitions and the identification of suitable future acquisition opportunities, Activision Blizzard's success in integrating the operations of Activision Publishing and Vivendi Games in a timely manner, or at all, and the combined company's ability to realize the anticipated benefits and synergies of the transaction to the extent, or in the timeframe, anticipated, and the other factors identified in Activision Blizzard's most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Blizzard Entertainment and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Blizzard Entertainment nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Blizzard Entertainment or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.

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“Yearly Fan Fest BlizzCon 2010 Stays in Anaheim, Bumped ... - Orange County Business Journal” plus 3 more

2010-03-26T19:02:00.001-07:00

“Yearly Fan Fest BlizzCon 2010 Stays in Anaheim, Bumped ... - Orange County Business Journal” plus 3 more

Yearly Fan Fest BlizzCon 2010 Stays in Anaheim, Bumped ... - Orange County Business Journal
Colo. governor gives gaming impact funds back to ... - KDVR.com
Colo. governor restores gaming impact funds - Denver Post
Blizzcon® 2010 Announced - Gamers Hell

Yearly Fan Fest BlizzCon 2010 Stays in Anaheim, Bumped ... - Orange County Business Journal

Posted: 26 Mar 2010 04:32 AM PDT

Irvine's Blizzard Entertainment Inc., the world's top maker of online video games, said Thursday its yearly fanfest is set to stay in Anaheim.

BlizzCon, as the fan convention is known, is set to be held at the Anaheim Convention Center from Oct. 22 to Oct. 23.

The announcement laid to rest months of rumors that the convention, which attracts nearly 30,000 people, would jump ship for a bigger venue—in Las Vegas.

"BlizzCon offers us a great opportunity to meet with our players and share our enthusiasm for gaming with one of the most passionate communities in the world," Chief Executive and cofounder Mike Morhaime said in a statement. "We're looking forward to providing another great show filled with entertainment, competition, and the latest information about Blizzard Entertainment games."

Rumors about BlizzCon moving started in November, when word spread that this year's event was set to move to the Las Vegas Convention Center and take place at the end of July.

News got around fast after a handful of blogs and video game news Web sites posted the story that BlizzCon 2010 would be in Sin City.

Some die-hard fans even went so far as to snatch up cheap flights and hotel rooms.

Blizzard, part of France's Vivendi SA, sought to quickly dispel online reports and had been mum on its plans until now.

No details regarding ticket sales or prices have been disclosed yet.

The previous BlizzCon was held in Anaheim in August. Tickets to the event sold out in minutes and many thousands more fans watched online and via pay-per-view on television.

This year's show will mark the fifth BlizzCon put on by the company there.

Blizzard puts on the event for its fans.

BlizzCon also acts like a corporate retreat for Blizzard's development and creative teams, who get juiced up by the fans' zeal.

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Colo. governor gives gaming impact funds back to ... - KDVR.com

Posted: 26 Mar 2010 02:47 PM PDT

By Associated Press

2:52 PM MST, March 26, 2010

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Colo. governor restores gaming impact funds - Denver Post

Posted: 26 Mar 2010 02:47 PM PDT

DENVER—Gov. Bill Ritter is giving $5 million in funding for the Local Government Limited Gaming Impact Program back to gaming communities.

The funding was taken away temporarily to help cover budget shortfalls and will now be made available to communities impacted by gaming activity.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Blizzcon® 2010 Announced - Gamers Hell

Posted: 26 Mar 2010 03:59 PM PDT

In addition to serving as a gathering place for Blizzard Entertainment gaming communities, BlizzCon will offer attendees a chance to enjoy:

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“BlizzCon(R) 2010 Announced - StreetInsider.com” plus 3 more

2010-03-25T19:02:00.000-07:00

“BlizzCon(R) 2010 Announced - StreetInsider.com” plus 3 more

BlizzCon(R) 2010 Announced - StreetInsider.com
Gaming furniture moves into family rooms - Newark Advocate
BlizzCon ® 2010 Announced - Businesswire.com
BlizzCon 2010 Dates Announced - Legit Reviews

BlizzCon(R) 2010 Announced - StreetInsider.com

Posted: 25 Mar 2010 07:53 AM PDT

March 25, 2010 11:00 AM EDT

Blizzard Entertainment's Fifth BlizzCon Gaming Celebration to Be Held at Anaheim Convention Center October 22-23, 2010

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. today announced plans for its fifth BlizzCon(R) gaming convention, to be held at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California on Friday, October 22 and Saturday, October 23, 2010. BlizzCon is a celebration of the global player communities surrounding Blizzard Entertainment's Warcraft(R), StarCraft(R), and Diablo(R) universes.

In addition to serving as a gathering place for Blizzard Entertainment gaming communities, BlizzCon will offer attendees a chance to enjoy:

 -- Hands-on play time with upcoming Blizzard Entertainment games -- Discussion panels with Blizzard Entertainment developers -- Competitive and casual tournaments for players to showcase their talents -- Community contests with great prizes -- Commemorative merchandise based on Blizzard Entertainment's game universes -- More exciting activities and attractions to be announced

The previous BlizzCon was held in Anaheim in August 2009. Tickets to the event sold out in minutes, and some of the highlights included the announcement of World of Warcraft(R): Cataclysm(TM), the unveiling of a new playable class in Diablo(R) III, the first public hands-on with the single-player campaign of StarCraft(R) II: Wings of Liberty(TM), and a closing concert featuring rock legend Ozzy Osbourne.

Further details about BlizzCon 2010, including ticket availability and pricing, will be announced on the official BlizzCon website, www.blizzcon.com, as the event draws closer.

To keep pace with the continued growth of World of Warcraft as well as development on other Blizzard Entertainment games, the company is currently hiring for numerous open positions. More information on available career opportunities can be found at www.blizzard.com/jobs.

About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.

Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft(R) and the Warcraft(R), StarCraft(R), and Diablo(R) series, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating some of the industry's most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard Entertainment's track record includes eleven #1-selling games and multiple Game of the Year awards. The company's online-gaming service, Battle.net(R), is one of the largest in the world, with millions of active players.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Blizzard Entertainment's expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Blizzard Entertainment generally uses words such as "outlook," "will," "could," "would," "might," "remains," "to be," "plans," "believes," "may," "expects," "intends," "anticipates," "estimate," future," "plan," "positioned," "potential," "project," "remain," "scheduled," "set to," "subject to," "upcoming" and similar expressions to help identify forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause Blizzard Entertainment's actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include, but are not limited to, sales levels of Blizzard Entertainment's titles, shifts in consumer spending trends, the impact of the current macroeconomic environment, the seasonal and cyclical nature of the interactive game market, Blizzard Entertainment's ability to predict consumer preferences among competing hardware platforms (including next-generation hardware), declines in software pricing, product returns and price protection, product delays, retail acceptance of Blizzard Entertainment's products, adoption rate and availability of new hardware and related software, industry competition, rapid changes in technology and industry standards, protection of proprietary rights, litigation against Blizzard Entertainment, maintenance of relationships with key personnel, customers, vendors and third-party developers, domestic and international economic, financial and political conditions and policies, foreign exchange rates, integration of recent acquisitions and the identification of suitable future acquisition opportunities, Activision Blizzard's success in integrating the operations of Activision Publishing and Vivendi Games in a timely manner, or at all, and the combined company's ability to realize the anticipated benefits and synergies of the transaction to the extent, or in the timeframe, anticipated, and the other factors identified in Activision Blizzard's most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Blizzard Entertainment and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Blizzard Entertainment nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Blizzard Entertainment or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.

 Source: Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.

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Gaming furniture moves into family rooms - Newark Advocate

Posted: 25 Mar 2010 07:53 AM PDT

Furniture makers have long made pieces for storing gaming consoles and their accompanying equipment in children's room. Now they're starting to offer more stylish varieties for other parts of the house.

"Gaming consoles have really moved out of kid's bedrooms to family rooms," said Patricia Bowling, spokeswoman for the American Home Furnishings Alliance in High Point, N.C. Furniture makers have "kicked up a notch" the functionality of living room and game room cabinets, she said, and borrowed many of the storage ideas and organizational aspects of children's bedroom furniture.

The newer pieces can store the various controllers and specialized accessories, such as musical instruments and sports equipment, that are popular among video game enthusiasts. Designed to keep a room tidy and attractive, the furniture also can accommodate cords and plugs.

The trend toward hanging televisions on the wall rather than storing them in cabinets also has helped drive the need for new, family room-style furniture, designers and manufacturers said.

Huge growth in home gaming sales convinced Hooker Furniture in Martinsville, Va., to start designing furniture for games, said spokeswoman Kim Shaver, citing a 2009 Centris study that said more than 33 million U.S. households have systems.

The pieces are such an important part of the company's furniture line, she added, that it intends to create a gaming room at the International Home Furnishings Market in High Point, N.C., in April.

"We've decided to ramp our development of the gaming console," Shaver said. "It's extremely popular with retailers and designers."

Hookers' gaming cabinets come in three finishes and are designed to reduce clutter, she said. "The units are more casual in design," she said, and are meant for family rooms and recreation rooms.

Designer Eric Ross of Eric Ross Interiors in Franklin, Tenn., said he counsels clients putting together game rooms to choose furniture with doors that will hide the sets and accessories.

"You've got to conceal all the equipment," he said. "Children aren't neat."

A nice feature of some of the new furniture is full-extension, pull-out storage trays that let players see all the games at once, Ross said.

Before furniture makers started manufacturing consoles for gaming systems, homeowners often tried to create their own with shelving and baskets -- a do-it-yourself solution that Ross found lacking.

"You can see in the baskets," he said. "It's just not practical."

Van Shephard, senior designer at Lombards Furniture Galleries in Columbus, Ohio, agreed that a cabinet is best, to hide all the game parts. Some high-end retailers have starting making TV cabinets designed to accommodate the wires and plugs from gaming units, he said.

"It's very up and coming," he said. "It only makes sense."

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BlizzCon ® 2010 Announced - Businesswire.com

Posted: 24 Mar 2010 05:56 PM PDT

Blizzard Entertainment's Fifth BlizzCon Gaming Celebration to Be Held at Anaheim Convention Center October 22-23, 2010

"We're looking forward to providing another great show filled with entertainment, competition, and the latest information about Blizzard Entertainment games."

In addition to serving as a gathering place for Blizzard Entertainment gaming communities, BlizzCon will offer attendees a chance to enjoy:

Hands-on play time with upcoming Blizzard Entertainment games
Discussion panels with Blizzard Entertainment developers
Competitive and casual tournaments for players to showcase their talents
Community contests with great prizes
Commemorative merchandise based on Blizzard Entertainment's game universes
More exciting activities and attractions to be announced

Further details about BlizzCon 2010, including ticket availability and pricing, will be announced on the official BlizzCon website, www.blizzcon.com, as the event draws closer.

About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Blizzard Entertainment's expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Blizzard Entertainment generally uses words such as "outlook," "will," "could," "would," "might," "remains," "to be," "plans," "believes," "may," "expects," "intends," "anticipates," "estimate," future," "plan," "positioned," "potential," "project," "remain," "scheduled," "set to," "subject to," "upcoming" and similar expressions to help identify forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause Blizzard Entertainment's actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include, but are not limited to, sales levels of Blizzard Entertainment's titles, shifts in consumer spending trends, the impact of the current macroeconomic environment, the seasonal and cyclical nature of the interactive game market, Blizzard Entertainment's ability to predict consumer preferences among competing hardware platforms (including next-generation hardware), declines in software pricing, product returns and price protection, product delays, retail acceptance of Blizzard Entertainment's products, adoption rate and availability of new hardware and related software, industry competition, rapid changes in technology and industry standards, protection of proprietary rights, litigation against Blizzard Entertainment, maintenance of relationships with key personnel, customers, vendors and third-party developers, domestic and international economic, financial and political conditions and policies, foreign exchange rates, integration of recent acquisitions and the identification of suitable future acquisition opportunities, Activision Blizzard's success in integrating the operations of Activision Publishing and Vivendi Games in a timely manner, or at all, and the combined company's ability to realize the anticipated benefits and synergies of the transaction to the extent, or in the timeframe, anticipated, and the other factors identified in Activision Blizzard's most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Blizzard Entertainment and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Blizzard Entertainment nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Blizzard Entertainment or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.

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BlizzCon 2010 Dates Announced - Legit Reviews

Posted: 25 Mar 2010 08:44 AM PDT

Legit News

BlizzCon 2010 Dates Announced

Blizzard Entertainment has announced plans for its fifth BlizzCon gaming convention. This year's conference will be held at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California on Friday, October 22 and Saturday, October 23, 2010. BlizzCon is a celebration of the global player communities surrounding Blizzard Entertainment's Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo universes. Legit Reviews will be on hand once again to bring you updates and pictures from the convention floor.

"BlizzCon offers us a great opportunity to meet with our players and share our enthusiasm for gaming with one of the most passionate communities in the world," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "We're looking forward to providing another great show filled with entertainment, competition, and the latest information about Blizzard Entertainment games."

Legit Forums

Posted by | Thu, Mar 25, 2010 - 10:51 AM

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“Officials pitch plans for new casinos - Waterloo Cedar-Falls Courier” plus 3 more

2010-03-24T19:10:00.001-07:00

“Officials pitch plans for new casinos - Waterloo Cedar-Falls Courier” plus 3 more

Officials pitch plans for new casinos - Waterloo Cedar-Falls Courier
Gaming expo targets families, too - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
AMD Foots Bill for Gaming Workshop for Teachers - The Journal
Iowa casino projects make pitches - Quad-Cities Times

Officials pitch plans for new casinos - Waterloo Cedar-Falls Courier

Posted: 24 Mar 2010 09:06 AM PDT

By CHARLOTTE EBY, chareby@aol.com | Posted: Wednesday, March 24, 2010 11:00 am

JOHNSTON - Four communities hoping to land a gaming license allowing them to open new casinos pitched the promise of new jobs and revitalized local economies if they are selected.

Leaders from Lyon, Tama, Webster and Wapello counties laid out their formal proposals Tuesday to members of the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, which will make a decision on licenses this spring.

The applicants used slickly produced videos with testimony from locals about what a casino would mean for their communities. Detailed drawings showed what their casinos would look like if they are allowed to break ground.

The Lyon County contingent came dressed in lime-green shirts with slogans such as "700 Good Jobs" and "Lyon County Opportunity."

Tama Mayor Chris Bearden said community support for another casino in Tama County is enormous and that the increased tourism and jobs would help the local unemployment rate. The county already is home to the Meskwaki Bingo Casino Hotel.

"An addition of a casino will help Tama to continue to grow and prosper," Bearden said.

John Pavone, president of Signature Management Group, called the project the right size and right fit for Tama County, providing new opportunities for residents.

"With your vote, Tama County can begin a new era of economic prosperity in a time when all of Iowa is suffering under economic distress," Pavone told the commission.

Pat Leiting, a local investor for the proposed Fort Dodge casino, said their proposal was a solid plan for economic success. He said the casino will act as an anchor for future development.

"It's about the preservation of our community. With your help, we will set Fort Dodge on a path of economic prosperity, witnessed by so many other communities throughout the state," Leiting told the commission.

Backers of the proposed Ottumwa casino emphasized its downtown location next to the Bridge View Center, a convention facility, as well as a theater and water park.

The proximity to Missouri was also touted as a benefit to draw out-of-state gamblers.

Commission Chairman Greg Seyfer of Cedar Rapids called the presentations a first step that allowed applicants to expand upon the information they provided in their applications.

Commissioners are scheduled to make visits of the proposed sites next month. A public hearing is scheduled for May 4 in Johnston. The commission is expected to make a final decision May 13.

Gov. Chet Culver already has weighed in on the decision, urging the five-member commission to issue licenses for proposed casinos in all four counties.

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Gaming expo targets families, too - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Posted: 24 Mar 2010 02:00 PM PDT

Posted: March 24, 2010 4:00 p.m. |(0) Comments

The Midwest Gaming Classic rings, pings and dings this weekend with a new venue, an extra, early pinball tournament and turbo-boosted emphasis on family fun starting late Friday at the Sheraton Milwaukee Brookfield Hotel.

The pinball tourney is a prelude to the largest electronic gaming show in town, which begins Saturday. The new location means more room for all the different kinds of gaming, including pinball, arcade machines, retro home systems and the latest video game consoles.

"We are breaking up everything so all of the different communities have their own rooms they can use as a home base," said Dan Loosen, one of the Classic's organizers. "There will be events throughout the other halls constantly, and we are going to have these communities who have been involved for years really be the stars of the show."

In addition to helping veterans find their favorite flavors of electronic entertainment, newcomers will be able to more easily discover the diversity of games, Loosen said. Pac-Man-style dots on the hotel's floor throughout the hallways will guide attendees to different parts of the show, and Loosen promised that it will be easy for visitors to find everything that is going on.

"The goal is to help newcomers discover how much fun there is to be had with all these games and connect them with people who already know," Loosen said.

www.midwestgamingclassic.com/">The Classic also has added some new events for both hard-core and casual players in addition to the mainstays that make the event so popular, which include all-you-can-play pinball, the classic gaming and computing museum, expert speakers and hardware hacking demonstrations.

The Classic will begin with "Clock Chaos," a new pinball tournament designed for both professional and new players. A $20 entry fee gets contenders the chance to play 12 machines - one for each hour on a clock - with the 13 best players advancing to a final round for a share of more than $375 in loot. It starts at 10 p.m. Friday.

"The main pinball tournament has grown by leaps and bounds, and we wanted to add something more," Loosen said. "It is a neat kind of kickoff thing for people who want to get started before the whole show gets going."

Hard-core players can earn points toward their World Pinball Player Rankings, and newcomers can see how their skills match up with some of the best players in the world.

"A lot of people - wrongly I might add - think pinball doesn't take skill," Loosen said. "There is definitely skill involved, and this tournament gives people a chance to play the exact same machines on an even playing field."

For the casual crowd, the Classic is cutting the cost of admission for "family day" on Sunday from $20 to $10 to lure more parents and children for activities such as family pinball matches, where a parent and child each control one flipper on a pinball machine.

To help the cause, Kristine Minnich of Sisters in Gaming, which is part of the Vgevo.com podcast network, will host a "crafting mama" workshop where members will help attendees create game-themed crafts such as Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man puppets and Mario Bros. mushrooms as magnets.

And the Family Game Room, a dedicated space introduced last year, is going to provide more multiplayer video games and activities organized by Tom Legare of Crystal Lake, Ill., and sons Kevin, 13, and Justin, 15.

In addition to setting up several retro and modern game systems for people to play, Legare said he will walk parents through the rating system for modern video games and provide tips for picking child-friendly games published before that system was established.

"Something I really recommend is making it a family experience," Legare said about picking games. "Instead of just looking at the box, play it with them and have a little fun."

IF YOU GO

What: Midwest Gaming Classic

When: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday

Where: Sheraton Milwaukee Brookfield Hotel, 375 S. Moorland RoadCost: $20 Saturday, $10 Sunday, children 12 and younger are free with a paid adult admission

Web:www.midwestgamingclassic.com

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AMD Foots Bill for Gaming Workshop for Teachers - The Journal

Posted: 24 Mar 2010 07:40 AM PDT

Teacher Professional Development

AMD Foots Bill for Gaming Workshop for Teachers

By Dian Schaffhauser
03/24/10

AMD is sponsoring a day-long game design workshop this May for teachers at an annual game conference. The chip maker's foundation is awarding a $100,000 grant to fund the workshop during Games for Change, which is hosted in New York by Parsons The New School for Design and the Games for Learning Institute at New York University.

The workshop will help train teachers, non-profit leaders, and others to develop social issue game design programs for their school curricula or after-school programs. The workshop, to be held May 24, 2010, is being sponsored by AMD as part of the company's education initiative, AMD Changing the Game. The program is designed to promote social issue game development as a tool to inspire teens to learn; improve their science, technology, education and math (STEM) skills; and become more attuned to global social issues.

Games for Change is itself a non-profit venture that promotes the power of video games to address social issues, including poverty, education, and climate change.

"Each year, social issue games gain more prominence and visibility within the gaming and educational communities, as those communities increasingly recognize the potential of games to engage youth in meaningful ways on pressing global issues," said Alex Quinn, executive director for Games for Change. "This workshop can have a valuable and lasting impact in this space by putting educational technology tools in the hands of a broad network of leaders who serve so many of these young people."

The workshop will provide information on the software tools available for game design, showcase youth game development programs, and feature presentations by youth game design experts.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a writer who covers technology and business. Send your higher education technology news to her at dian@dischaffhauser.com.

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Iowa casino projects make pitches - Quad-Cities Times

Posted: 23 Mar 2010 08:49 PM PDT

JOHNSTON, Iowa - Four communities hoping to land a gaming license to open new casinos pitched the promise of new jobs and revitalized local economies if they are selected.

Leaders from Lyon, Tama, Webster and Wapello counties laid out their formal proposals Tuesday to the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, which will make a decision on licenses this spring.

The applicants used slickly produced videos with testimony from local officials and residents about what a casino would mean for their communities. Detailed drawings showed what their casinos would look like if they are allowed to break ground.

Lyon and Wapello counties brought supporters wearing brightly colored shirts to support their projects - the Lyon County contingency in lime-green shirts with slogans such as "700 Good Jobs."

Lyon County leaders stressed their proposed location just six miles from Sioux Falls, S.D., and close to the Minnesota border is part of an underserved market and would mean more than 80 percent of the casino's revenue would come from outside Iowa.

Designers of the casino proposal detailed its upscale amenities, including a golf course and luxury finishes, while local leaders talked about the jobs it would mean for the area.

Jeff Gallagher, president of the Lyon County Riverboat Foundation, said 1,500 residents leave every day to work somewhere else.

"We look forward to the opportunity of having nearly 700 jobs in Lyon County where those people can find work and stay in Lyon County, be close to their families and close to their residences," Gallagher said.

"An addition of a casino will help Tama to continue to grow and prosper," Bearden said.

John Pavone, president of Signature Management Group, called the project the right size and right fit for Tama County, providing new opportunities for residents.

Pat Leiting, a local investor for the proposed Fort Dodge casino, said their proposal was a solid plan for economic success. He said the casino will act as an anchor for future development.

Backers of the proposed Ottumwa casino emphasized its downtown location next to the Bridge View Center, a convention facility, as well as a theater and water park.

The proximity to Missouri was also touted as a benefit to draw out-of-state gamblers.

Commission Chairman Greg Seyfer of Cedar Rapids called the presentations a first step that allowed applicants to expand upon the information they provided in their applications. He said they have not made any conclusions on what they saw Tuesday.

Commissioners are scheduled to make visits of the proposed sites next month. A public hearing is scheduled for May 4 in Johnston. The commission is expected to make a final decision during a public meeting on May 13 in Johnston.

Gov. Chet Culver already has weighed in on the decision, urging the five-member commission to issue licenses for proposed casinos in all four counties.

Tama County

Prairie Hills Resort, Hotel and Casino

Location: U.S. bypass near Tama

Casino: 500 slot machines, 18 table games

Amenities: 80-room hotel, regionally themed restaurant and sports bar entertainment area, 500-seat conference center, outdoor amphitheater, upscale recreation vehicle park with executive clubhouse, motors sports complex

Jobs created: 300-400

Webster County

Diamond Jo Fort Dodge

Location: Intersection of U.S. 20 and 169

Casino: 600 slot machines, 20 table games, five poker tables

Amenities: Hotel, event center, multi-use arena

Jobs created: 350

Lyon County

Lyon County Resort & Casino

Location: Along Iowa 9 near the South Dakota border

Casino: 900 gaming machines, 24 table games

Amenities: Restaurants, bar, 100-room hotel, 1,200-seat event center, convention center, show lounge, spa, meeting rooms, retail outlets, indoor/outdoor terraced resort pool, 18-hole golf course

Jobs created: More than 700

Wapello County

Rippling Waters Casino

Location: Downtown Ottumwa riverfront, adjacent to Bridge View Center

Casino: 625 gaming machines, 10 table games

Amenties: 100-plus hotel rooms, two food venues

Jobs created: 367 full-time casino jobs

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“Casino backers make pitch for licenses - Cedar Rapids Gazette” plus 2 more

2010-03-23T19:06:00.000-07:00

“Casino backers make pitch for licenses - Cedar Rapids Gazette” plus 2 more

Casino backers make pitch for licenses - Cedar Rapids Gazette
Final Build Advice <1200 budget Gaming PC - Toms Hardware
CASINO PITCH: They already have the support of the ... - WHO-TV

Casino backers make pitch for licenses - Cedar Rapids Gazette

Posted: 23 Mar 2010 03:48 PM PDT

Casino backers make pitch for licenses

Posted on Mar 23, 2010 by charlotteeby.

JOHNSTON – Four communities hoping to land a gaming license allowing them to open new casinos pitched the promise of new jobs and revitalized local economies if they are selected.

Leaders from Lyon, Tama, Webster and Wapello counties laid out their formal proposals Tuesday to members of the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, which will make a decision on licenses this spring.

The applicants used slickly-produced videos with testimony from local officials and residents about what a casino would mean for their communities. Detailed drawings showed what their casinos would look like if they are allowed to break ground.

Lyon and Wapello counties made a statement by bringing supporters wearing brightly colored shirts to support their projects.

The Lyon County group came dressed in lime-green shirts with slogans such as "700 Good Jobs" and "Lyon County = Opportunity."

Designers of the casino proposal detailed its upscale amenities, including a golf course and luxury finishes, while local leaders talked about the jobs it would mean for the area.

Jeff Gallagher, president of the Lyon County Riverboat Foundation, said 1,500 residents leave every day to work somewhere else.

"An addition of a casino will help Tama to continue to grow and prosper," Bearden said.

John Pavone, president of Signature Management Group, called the project the right size and right fit for Tama County, providing new opportunities for residents.

"With your vote, Tama County can begin a new era of economic prosperity in a time when all of Iowa is suffering under economic distress," Pavone told the commission.

Pat Leiting, a local investor for the proposed Fort Dodge casino, said their proposal was a solid plan for economic success. He said the casino will act as an anchor for future development.

"It's about the preservation of our community. With your help, we will set Fort Dodge on a path of economic prosperity, witnessed by so many other communities

throughout the state," Leiting told the commission.

Backers of the proposed Ottumwa casino emphasized its downtown location next to the Bridge View Center, a convention facility, as well as a theater and water park.

The proximity to Missouri was also touted as a benefit to draw out-of-state gamblers.

Commission Chairman Greg Seyfer of Cedar Rapids called the presentations a first step that allowed applicants to expand upon the information they provided in their applications.

"This is the beginning of the process," Seyfer said.

He said they have not made any conclusions on what they saw Tuesday.

"There's still a lot of information for us to gather," Seyfer said.

Gov. Chet Culver already has weighed in on the decision, urging the five-member commission to issue licenses for proposed casinos in all four counties.

The proposals before the committee:

Tama County

Prairie Hills Resort, Hotel and Casino

Location: on Highway 30 bypass near Tama

Casino: 500 slot machines, 18 table games

Jobs created: Estimated at 300-400

Webster County

Diamond Jo Fort Dodge

Location: At the intersection of Highway 20 and 169

Casino: 600 slot machines, 20 table games, five poker tables

Amenities: hotel, event center, multi-use arena

Jobs created: 350

Lyon County

Lyon County Resort & Casino

Location: Along Highway 9 near the South Dakota border

Casino: 900 gaming machines, 24 table games

Amenities: restaurants, bar, 100-room hotel, 1,200 seat event center, convention center, show lounge, spa, meeting rooms, retail outlets, indoor/outdoor terraced resort pool, 18-hole golf course

Jobs created: More than 700

Wapello County

Rippling Waters Casino

Location: Downtown Ottumwa riverfront, adjacent to Bridge View Center

Casino: 625 gaming machines, 10 table games

Amenties: 100-plus hotel rooms, two food venues

Jobs created: 367 full-time casino jobs

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Final Build Advice <1200 budget Gaming PC - Toms Hardware

Posted: 23 Mar 2010 02:15 PM PDT

Hi there I'm not sure I'm doing this threat properly but I just wanted this communities opinion on the system I am building, took me a whole day to decide on part and what not, and I think this is what I am getting, let me know of your opinions, Thank you in advance. P.S. planning on possibly on using CrossfireX later.

All components are from newegg.com

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition Deneb 3.4GHz(COOLER MASTER RR-UV8-XBU1-GP)

Mobo:GIGABYTE GA-790FXTA-UD5 AM3

GPU: XFX HD-577A-ZHFC Radeon HD 5770 1GB Graphics Card

RAM: OCZ AMD Black Edition DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) 4GB

PSU: Corsair TX 750W

Hard Drive:Western Digital AV-GP 500GB 32MB Cache

LITE-ON DVD±RW burner iHAS424-98

OS: Win 7 64-bit

Case: Antec Three Hundred Illusion Mid Tower

thats pretty much it. Any advise is appreciate it

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CASINO PITCH: They already have the support of the ... - WHO-TV

Posted: 23 Mar 2010 03:05 PM PDT

Four counties want to add four casinos to the state's 17 state casino total

Emily Carlson Staff Writer

5:06 PM CDT, March 23, 2010

Four Iowa counties made their pitch for a casino Tuesday, hoping to cash in on what they say would be tens of millions of dollars in revenue. The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission heard from representatives of four Iowa communities vying for new gaming licenses.

The four contending counties are Tama, Webster, Wapello and Lyon. The Governor has already put his support behind all four casinos. The final decision is made by the Gaming Commission. All four counties say the licenses are about more than just a casino.

Iowa is already home to 17 state casinos. Today, counties are hoping to add four more to the list.

"This is the perfect fit for Tama County. We want to work with the Meskwaki tribe to grow the market and draw more conventions and more visitors that would benefit everyone in Tama County," says John Pavone of the Signature Management Group of Iowa.

Pavone isn't worried that there's already a casino in Tama County. He thinks his casino will make $135 million in the first five years, even with the Meskwaki casino just down the road. Bus loads of Tama residents showed up to support his message

"Since we already have one, two or more will have a synergetic effect that everyone will benefit from," says Tama resident Steve Burr.

Burr rode in on a school bus with about one hundred other Tama residents to tell the Racing Commission how much his town needs this casino. The recession has hit Tama hard, and the casino would bring about 300 much needed jobs.

"It's the right fit it's the right size it's the right project. The community has been behind this project for almost five years and it's very strong," says Pavone.

The state is in a financial crunch as well. The four casinos say they're ready to step in and help the state cash in.

"This is business that makes sense for the community and for the state. Frankly, I think it's a win-win situation," says Brent Stevens of Peninsula Gaming.

Some casinos are placing a strong bet on their chances while others are relying on lady luck.

"We hope at the end of the day we told our story to convince them that Tama is the right country to be a recipient. We're crossing our fingers and see what happens."

We asked the board how many licenses it would grant. Members say it depends on how economically sound each project is. The board could refuse all licenses, approve a few, or grant all four.

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“Riggs says statewide vote on expanded gaming is not ... - Bowling Green Daily News” plus 2 more

2010-03-22T20:15:00.001-07:00

“Riggs says statewide vote on expanded gaming is not ... - Bowling Green Daily News” plus 2 more

Riggs says statewide vote on expanded gaming is not ... - Bowling Green Daily News
3,000 from Charlotte attend immigration reform rally - WBTV
Grocery store clerk is a 6/49 multimillionaire - SooToday.com

Riggs says statewide vote on expanded gaming is not ... - Bowling Green Daily News

Posted: 22 Mar 2010 09:52 AM PDT

A state representative is promoting a new path for expanded gambling, which could impact Kentucky Downs horse racing track in Franklin.

Rep. Steve Riggs, D-Louisville, suggests residents in the seven counties with racetracks decide whether to allow electronic gambling. Expanded gambling, which is at the center of Gov. Steve Beshear's administration and has been criticized and debated, ordinarily would be put to a statewide vote.

While there is no written proposal, Riggs is pitching the idea that residents in counties with racetracks have the final vote on whether to bring expanded gambling into their communities - much like wet-dry votes on alcohol sales.

And, according to Riggs, many legislative leaders agree with him.

"I think the idea of a statewide vote is near dead, because I've convinced people there shouldn't be a statewide vote," he said. "If there needs to be a vote, make it county by county."

That's one way to let people decide, but expanded gambling is a constitutional issue and should first require a state referendum before being put to a county-by-county vote, Rep. Jim DeCesare, R-Bowling Green, said.

"It's a good idea, but I believe for us to expand gambling, it's a constitutional issue," he said.

Riggs wants gambling to be put to a county vote because he believes it's unfair to let all Kentucky residents vote on an issue that affects people in those seven counties, he said.

"Why should people in Todd County or McLean County be able to tell people in Fayette County whether they have expanded gaming?" he said. "Why should people in Pike County be able to determine (the outcome for) the folks in Simpson County? That's the neighborhood that's affected."

If the vote goes to county residents, Simpson County residents would be impacted. Kentucky Downs would greatly benefit from expanded gaming, said Ray Reid, a partner with Kentucky Downs.

Expanded gambling would bring in more customers who currently travel to neighboring states that offer slot machines and other casino gaming. A boost in revenue would allow the track to offer bigger purses for races and attract more horses, he said.

If the impact that expanded gambling legislation has on Kentucky Downs was measured on a scale of one to 10, "it's a 10," Reid said. "It's the difference between having something that's economically viable and economically not ... it makes all the difference in the world."

Kentucky Downs makes about $20 million to $25 million in annual revenue - about 90 percent of that is generated by off-track betting, Reid said.

Reid said he thinks there's a chance that Simpson County residents would vote for expanded gambling, but the legislation has a better chance if Franklin city residents cast their vote.

"I think certainly the town has a better understanding of the impact we have on them than people out in the county," he said.

Riggs said he believes casino gambling would have a better shot with a local-option vote.

"Look at other places, like in Indiana. Those local citizens and those local governments have prospered greatly," he said, "and I think it would stand a much better chance because local people would benefit from it."

For now, Reid is holding his breath, waiting for a vote that could determine the future of his racetrack. When Reid took over the track in 2007, it offered about $1.3 million in purses. Now its purses are worth about $650,000.

"We're all businessmen, and we came in here with a long-term plan," he said. "But, when you're losing several million dollars every year, eventually you go, 'I've had enough fun.' "

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3,000 from Charlotte attend immigration reform rally - WBTV

Posted: 22 Mar 2010 02:38 PM PDT

By Sarah Batista - bio l email

WASHINGTON, DC (WBTV/AP) - Thousands of people boarded charter buses outside of Eastland Mall in Charlotte Saturday evening to rally for immigration reform.

They joined 500,000 people in the nation's capital Sunday afternoon hoping to attract the attention of lawmakers.

The activists called on President Barack Obama to act on his campaign promise and move forward on a bill to reform U.S. immigration laws.

Groups traveled by bus from as far as California and Ohio.

I traveled with a group from Charlotte to document the trip.

Lucy Perez, 18, traveled to Washington, D.C. with her parents and sister. She is a U.S. citizen, but said she was marching for the people she loved who did not have legal status.

"I really want this immigration reform to go through so my friends can apply, go to college and better themselves, as well as for my parents because they haven't been able to get legal status here and they've been here for 20 years," said Perez.

Her story is one of millions in the U.S. This year, she'll be the first in her Mexican family to graduate high school. She plans to attend college as a pre-med major.

"[My parents] are really proud, they say it all the time," said Perez.

Many people in the crowd shouted "yes, we can" and held signs that had slogans such as, "President Obama, keep your campaign promise".

In a videotaped message presented on giant screens to the thousands who marched on the National Mall, President Obama warned of the cost of inaction. He said problems with today's immigration system include families being torn apart, employers gaming the system and police officers struggling to keep communities safe.

Obama said he would do everything in his power to forge a bipartisan consensus on immigration reform this year.

Activists have been frustrated about the pace of that reform. Obama's taped comments were released just as he worked to get last-minute votes on a health care overhaul.

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Grocery store clerk is a 6/49 multimillionaire - SooToday.com

Posted: 22 Mar 2010 01:55 PM PDT

By SooToday.com Staff
SooToday.com
Monday, March 22, 2010

NEWS RELEASE

ONTARIO LOTTERY
AND GAMING CORPORATION

*************************
London couple wins $21 million with golden Lotto 6/49 ticket

TORONTO, March 22 - When London resident Bonnie Preece, 49, pulled out $4 from her pocket to buy two Lotto 6/49 tickets, she wished that she had an extra $1 for Encore.

Lucky for her, one of those $2 tickets that she bought for herself and her partner William (Bill) Rollings was a match for all six winning numbers from the March 20, 2010 draw and they are now $20.6 million dollars richer.

"I was supposed to go into work Sunday morning and I was in my uniform already when I checked the numbers on the TV and realized that I had won," said Preece, who works as a clerk at a grocery store in London. "When we went into the store to check, everyone was hugging us and shouting congratulations, but it didn't really sink in until friends started calling and saying they saw me on the news."

Her partner Bill Rollings, 57, who shares the winning ticket with Preece, has a new lease on life.

A heart attack seven months ago sidelined him from work, but he says this win is exhilarating.

"It's like two extremes," he explained. "I almost died, but now I have a world of opportunities ahead of me."

Travelling is first on the couple's agenda.

"We've been abroad in the past, but we're definitely going to relax and travel more," said Rollings.

Preece is already planning a visit to the passport office, so that she can start organizing a dream trip to Scotland and England, where she says she has family and friends, including a pen pal she has had since 1978.

Preece has lived all her life in London, while Rollings was born in Montreal and moved to London in his youth.

OLG is a provincial agency responsible for province-wide lottery games and gaming facilities.

Since 1975, OLG lotteries, casinos, slots, and resort casinos have generated more than $28 billion for the benefit of the Province of Ontario.

Gaming proceeds support Ontario's hospitals, amateur sport, recreational and cultural activities, communities, provincial priority programs such as health care and education, and local and provincial charities and non-profit organizations through the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

*************************

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“Immigration activists crowd National Mall - NECN” plus 2 more

2010-03-21T19:22:00.001-07:00

“Immigration activists crowd National Mall - NECN” plus 2 more

Immigration activists crowd National Mall - NECN
President Obama Vows Commitment to Immigration Reform - Lasvegas Now
Hundreds From Tri-State Rally For Immigration Reform - New York's PIX11 / WPIX-TV

Immigration activists crowd National Mall - NECN

Posted: 21 Mar 2010 05:02 PM PDT

(NECN/WJLA: Washington, D.C.) - Thousands of immigration rights supporters crowded the National Mall in Washington, D.C. for a rally Sunday.

Demonstrators chanted and sang, waving American flags and signs.

Protestors watched a taped address by President Obama on a giant screen. The president said he would do everything in his power to forge a bipartisan consensus on immigration reform this year. He said some of the problems include families being torn apart, employers gaming the system and police officers struggling to keep communities safe.

Demonstrators chanted "yes we can" in Spanish and held signs such as "Legalization yes, deportation no."

Some young protesters admitted being here illegally but said they hoped to be allowed to attend college.

Organizers said tens of thousands have flocked to the rally from across the country.

Material courtesy of WJLA.

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President Obama Vows Commitment to Immigration Reform - Lasvegas Now

Posted: 21 Mar 2010 03:29 PM PDT

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama is reassuring immigration reform advocates that he is committed to working with Congress on a comprehensive bill to fix a "broken immigration system."

In a videotaped message presented on giant screens to thousands marching on the National Mall, Obama warned of the cost of inaction. He said problems with today's immigration system include families being torn apart, employers gaming the system and police officers struggling to keep communities safe.

Obama said he would do everything in his power to forge a bipartisan consensus on immigration reform this year.

Activists have been frustrated about the pace of that reform.

Obama's taped comments were released just as he worked to get last-minute votes on a health care overhaul.

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Hundreds From Tri-State Rally For Immigration Reform - New York's PIX11 / WPIX-TV

Posted: 21 Mar 2010 06:00 PM PDT

WPIX NEWSROOM

9:07 PM EDT, March 21, 2010

NEW YORK (WPIX / AP) - Hundreds of construction workers from the tri-state area went to Washington, D.C. today to demand immigration reform.

Eighteen hundred people boarded buses in Manhattan. They met up with thousands of other immigration advocates representing labor, civic, community and business organizations.

Some lawmakers oppose any attempt to help an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants become U.S. citizens while others insist on stronger border controls first.

President Barack Obama, who promised to make overhauling the immigration system a top priority in his first year, sought to reassure those at the rally with a video message presented on giant screens at the National Mall. The president said he was committed to working with Congress this year on a comprehensive bill to fix a "broken immigration system."

Obama said problems include families being torn apart, employers gaming the system and police officers struggling to keep communities safe.

Political experts say the comprehensive immigration reform has been put on the back-burner because it is such a hot topic, especially in an election year.

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“Newsmakers: Brighton native takes part in gaming summit - Livingston Daily.com” plus 1 more

2010-03-20T19:25:00.001-07:00

“Newsmakers: Brighton native takes part in gaming summit - Livingston Daily.com” plus 1 more

Newsmakers: Brighton native takes part in gaming summit - Livingston Daily.com

Posted: 13 Mar 2010 10:24 PM PST

Miami University senior Coolie Calihan, an architecture major from Brighton, participated in the Global Game Jam, which took place in 35 countries, including at Oxford, Ohio, which was the only site in the region.

Video-game creators around the world united to spend one intense weekend Jan. 29-31 designing games that may potentially become free downloads for game lovers everywhere.

Five teams — each with at least one team member from Miami — consisted of designers, developers, high school students and postgraduate gamers from around the region. Their only guidelines were to use deception as the theme and incorporate rain, plains or Spain.

Area student's work in literary magazine

Cory Lakatos, a Hope College sophomore from Howell, submitted two written pieces titled "A Canticle for Yankovic" and "The Chapel of Doom" to Opus, Hope College's student-run literary magazine that is published once each semester.

He is the son of Larry and Laurie Lakatos of Howell and a 2008 graduate of Howell High School.

Ferris State awards December degrees

Ferris State University has awarded degrees to area students for the semester that ended in December.

From Pinckney are Adam Keally, Jacilyn Sanch and Brian Winn.

From Fowlerville is Colt Nutter.

From Howell are Christopher Spensley and Robert Vaughn.

Students make the grade at university

Ferris State University has named the following students to the academic honors list for the semester that ended in December.

From Brighton are Brandon Danowski, John Horning, Alyssa Spohr, Jaime Willoughby, Chelsea Abend, Rachel Ducker, Matthew Logghe, Tina Yahr and Merideth Wetterholt.

From Pinckney are Melissa Hanson, James Kropp, Troy Rojewski, Zachary Smith, Ashley Sudney, Lesleeann Ball and Farah Khoshnegah.

From Fowlerville are Casey Baldus, Danielle Brownlee, Ann Taylor and Joshua Scott.

From Howell are Jamie Allore, Zachary Carrasco, Katy Cleyman, Keith Lewinski, Marie Markell, Mitchell Russell, Benjamin Thayer, Robert Vaughn, David Huff, Lisa Malinas, Meghan Montrose, Brian Konkle and Kevin Konkle.

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Koczera to discuss bill for aid to towns surrounding ... - South Coast Today

Posted: 14 Mar 2010 09:50 PM PDT

ACUSHNET — If the dice are tossed on casinos in Massachusetts, the town doesn't want to come up with snake eyes.

Selectmen will invite state Rep. Robert Koczera to an upcoming meeting to discuss the New Bedford Democrat's bill that would direct financial aid to communities affected by gaming but not necessarily hosting a casino.

Selectmen said last week the bill would send money to towns in the form of enhanced local aid.

"We don't know what will happen with casinos yet, but Acushnet could be a surrounding community and any impact we might receive could be great," Selectmen Chairman David E. Wojnar said.

Selectmen have not publicly endorsed casino construction in New Bedford or elsewhere, but they have said that this form of gaming could help Massachusetts escape economic doldrums. But planning is necessary.

"Traffic would be an impact," Wojnar said. "The emphasis has been on host communities for casinos and those impacts there, but surrounding towns would also have impacts, and Mr. Koczera, always an advocate for Acushnet, has been giving that some thought as the potential for casinos is explored.

— Paul Gately

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“AMD Foundation to Sponsor Game Design Workshop at 2010 ... - Businesswire.com” plus 2 more

2010-03-19T19:04:00.001-07:00

“AMD Foundation to Sponsor Game Design Workshop at 2010 ... - Businesswire.com” plus 2 more

AMD Foundation to Sponsor Game Design Workshop at 2010 ... - Businesswire.com
Gaming Minister Calls for Online Auction - The Shout
Electric Bat Interactive previews free browser-based ... - YAHOO!

AMD Foundation to Sponsor Game Design Workshop at 2010 ... - Businesswire.com

Posted: 17 Mar 2010 06:59 AM PDT

2010 Marks Foundation's Third Year in a Row to Sponsor G4C Programs

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced the AMD Foundation, in support of AMD Changing the Game, has awarded a $100,000 grant to Games for Change. The funds will be used to sponsor a day-long game design workshop for educators at the upcoming 7^th annual Games for Change Festival.

"AMD and Games for Change share a belief that through digital gaming and game development, we can help create an entire new generation of creative, critical and civic-minded thinkers, with a particular emphasis on enhancing important science, technology, engineering and math skills."

Games for Change (G4C) is a non-profit that promotes the extraordinary power of video games to address contemporary social issues, including poverty, education and climate change. As part of G4C's signature event, the Games for Change Festival, AMD will sponsor a day-long workshop to help middle and high school teachers, non-profit leaders, and others develop social issue game design programs for their school curriculums or after-school programs. The workshop will be held on May 24, 2010, at Parsons The New School For Design in New York City, and is designed to accommodate up to 150 participants. The sponsorship supports AMD's signature education initiative, AMD Changing the Game, which is designed to promote social issue game development as a tool to inspire teens to learn, improve their science, technology, education and math (STEM) skills, and become more attuned to global social issues.

"Our nation's teachers are the most powerful resource we have to advance digital game creation as a learning tool for teens, and this workshop is geared specifically for those influential educators," said Allyson Peerman, President, AMD Foundation. "AMD and Games for Change share a belief that through digital gaming and game development, we can help create an entire new generation of creative, critical and civic-minded thinkers, with a particular emphasis on enhancing important science, technology, engineering and math skills."

"Each year, social issue games gain more prominence and visibility within the gaming and educational communities, as those communities increasingly recognize the potential of games to engage youth in meaningful ways on pressing global issues," said Alex Quinn, Executive Director, Games for Change. "This workshop can have a valuable and lasting impact in this space by putting educational technology tools in the hands of a broad network of leaders who serve so many of these young people."

The workshop will inspire and help educators by providing them with information on the software tools available for game design and will showcase past and present youth game development programs. The workshop will also feature presentations by youth game design experts and thought leaders. Workshop participants will receive discounted registration to the remainder of the Games for Change festival which will also feature a panel dedicated to the workshop's subject matter. More information on the workshop can be found here.

AMD Changing the Game

AMD Changing the Game is designed to take gaming beyond entertainment and inspire youth to learn critical education and life skills by equipping them to create digital games with social content. The program's purpose is to promote the use of youth game development as a tool to inspire learning and improve science, technology, education and math (STEM) skills. The initiative is rooted in AMD's commitment to and experience in supporting education, and the company's passion and expertise in the graphics processor and gaming industries.

Since its launch in June 2008, AMD Changing the Game has:

Funded 14 organizations that enable youth game development
Provided a grant to help fund the new video game design category for the 2010 and 2010 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
Funded the development of a youth game development curriculum with PETLab and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America (BGCA). Earlier this year, BGCA chapters in Larimer County, Colorado and Marlborough, Massachusetts kicked off new "Game Tech" programs that teach club members how to understand game design and create their own games.
Co-sponsored the Malaysian Cybergames Festival 2010, including the "Dare to Create" digital game design and development workshop
Co-sponsored the 2008 and 2009 Games for Change Festival
Funded an online toolkit to help nonprofits create games on social issues
Sponsored a video contest with the Learning Games Network that explored the intersection of education and gaming

About the AMD Foundation

The AMD Foundation connects and empowers individuals with knowledge, thereby opening doors to opportunity. The Foundation's signature program, AMD Changing the Game, supports initiatives designed to help youth harness the power of digital games with social content, while learning critical Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) skills and life skills. The Foundation also funds the AMD Employee Giving Program which supports AMD employees' community interests by matching their personal donations of time and money to local organizations and schools.

Supporting Resources

About AMD

Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD) is an innovative technology company dedicated to collaborating with customers and technology partners to ignite the next generation of computing and graphics solutions at work, home and play. For more information, visit http://www.amd.com.

AMD, the AMD Arrow logo, and combinations thereof are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Other names are for informational purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.

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Gaming Minister Calls for Online Auction - The Shout

Posted: 18 Mar 2010 07:36 PM PDT

By Andrew Starke

Victoria's gaming minister, Tony Robinson, has announced the online auction of gaming machine entitlements will start on 20 April 2010.

Robinson said registered hotels and clubs would bid for 10-year gaming machine entitlements in an online auction held over a series of rounds starting on 20 April 2010 and concluding on 10 May 2010 at a one day, final bidding round to be held at the former Melbourne Convention Centre.

"Under the post-2012 structure, venues will bid directly for 10-year gaming machine entitlements," he said.

"The gaming machine industry has matured in Victoria, and the time is right to empower local venue operators to make local decisions about their gaming operations – giving them more responsibility and accountability within their local communities."

Robinson said the online auction system had been purpose-built to allocate gaming machine entitlements in line with Government policies limiting machine numbers across Victoria.

"The online auction will encourage competition while ensuring entitlement allocation is consistent with regional caps and municipal limits on gaming machine numbers," he said.

"The number of machines outside Crown Casino will remain fixed at 27,500, split evenly between clubs and hotels and with at least 20 per cent in country Victoria. The limit per venue will be maintained at 105 gaming machines.

"The Government will also enforce a cap on machine ownership to ensure no one venue operator can own more than 35 per cent of entitlements available to hotels."

Registered bidders will be advised of their eligibility to participate in the auction shortly after 23 March 2010.

For more information about the restructure of Victoria's gambling industry, click here.

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Electric Bat Interactive previews free browser-based ... - YAHOO!

Posted: 12 Mar 2010 03:59 PM PST

Typically, players in a game battle for fantastical lands, important landmarks, or some other pre-determined acre of game territory. But what if the land you played for wasn't a mere kingdom or country, but the entire Internet?

That's the basic premise of WebLords, one of two browser-based games in the works by developer Electric Bat Interactive. WebLords is a strategy game with role-playing elements that tasks you with battling against other players to take and hold Web sites. Any site is part of the game, and each one captured grants you ore, crystal, wood, or gold resources. With these resources, you can buy units, upgrade your character, and further strengthen your armies.

The genius of the game is that it appears as a simple bar in your browser. Talking to Electric Bat's Jonathan Hanna, it's clear they wanted to make a game that allows people to multitask; on your computer or on your iPhone, you can surf the Web and play. If you stumble upon an unclaimed site, with a simple click you can deploy your armies to take and hold it.

Not all Web sites are created equal, of course. The most popular sites will get you the most resources and will often be the most closely contested. You'll have to build up your armies and perhaps even recruit your friends to take an extremely popular Web site like Macworld.com.

There's also plenty of strategy involved. You can only capture five sites at a time, though members with a subscription can gain access to more. When you capture certain sites, you'll be granted loot to outfit your anime-stylized character general. WebLords offers a diversity of gear and units to outfit for your armies, and each has its strengths and weaknesses. If you outfit your character with armor that increases dragon attacks and include several dragon units in your army, you'll have a pretty one-dimensional army and will likely be defeated by a more diverse group. When you attack, you'll want to pay attention to what units your opponent has and which ones will pose the most problem. Before battle commences, you'll want to prioritize what units you attack first and then sit back and watch as the battle enfolds. Afterwards, you can see how your strategy faired and if you succeeded or failed in your defense or attack of a site.

WebLords' social elements are also sure to attract the attention of gamers. In addition to Facebook integration, you'll have friend lists and the ability to ask your friends to join you in battle. The two or three of you can then decide how many troops you want to deploy to a battle and can share in the defense, attack, and resources of a site. There's no disadvantage to calling a friend, either: while you'll share the captured resources, your loot ultimately depends on how many troops you have. You increase your garrison, you increase your resources.

From an advertiser's perspective, WebLords presents a striking new business model. Jonathan Hanna explains that instead of a .5 percent click through, sites where WebLord battles take place have an 80 to 90 percent click through. Because players are still on the sites while battling, sites see a huge spike in hits. According to Hanna, Electric Bat Interactive is hoping to parlay this high click through rate among its users into deals with certain sites. By making a site more valuable in the game, more players will be drawn to the site as an objective. There are certain quests and items to find on certain sites for the game, and these also will increase traffic to certain websites.

This free to play title will have in-game purchases as well, but Hanna assures us that "players can't buy their way to victory." You'll have to strategize, build up your troops, and build up your character's experience like anyone else.

Combining strategy, RPG, casual, and social genres into one game seems like a precarious proposition, but Electric Bat seems confident in their product. They're shooting for a summer release, and already their games have become one of the bigger stories creating buzz at GDC.

While WebLords will likely appeal to a number of different gaming communities, Weblings is perfectly tuned to a young adult audience. Weblings is already live at the moment, but after talking to their users, Electric Bat Interactive decided to take the unusual step of completely overhauling the art of the game.

Now hoping to relaunch in April, Weblings is a free scavenger hunt/collection game with a player versus environment focus. The game's premise is that the Internet is sick with bugs and you and your friends must find these bugs and defeat them. The "bugs" in this case aren't technical errors in code, but rather cartoon mechanical menaces that you must defeat in battle with your digital pets, the Weblings.

Like WebLords, you'll be using a browser bar to log on and play. You'll also be able to travel to different web sites, in this case in a quest to eliminate bugs and unlock more weblings.

Your weblings are like Tomagachis, Pokemon, and badges combined into one. You're trying to collect the 20-plus weblings available at launch (not counting special holiday ones that are only available after completing time sensitive quests) and then use these weblings to take out bugs. Each player will have a special home, called a Haven, for his/her favored webling. Your friends can visit your haven and see your webling and the decorations you've unlocked or bought for its home. There's also a messaging system so you can keep in contact with your friends in the game.

By defeating bugs, finding special bugs, and accessing web pages that are special quests for the day, you'll be able to gain tokens. The six types of tokens available can be combined to unlock new weblings. There are seven different types of weblings that correspond to a different type of website: food, celebrity, popular, science, music, family and finally the elusive "wild" type. You'll only have access to five weblings at a time when battling, so you'll want a diversity of types (each has their own strengths and characteristics) and you'll want to make sure they keep up their stamina.

Weblings' "scavenger hunt across the internet" collection game formula will likely appeal to younger or casual gamers. From an advertiser's perspective, the game is also a great opportunity for traffic. Many weblings can only be unlocked through finding certain web pages and battling certain bugs, meaning players will be frequenting many different sites and sticking around until they've completed their quest.

GDC is privy to some of the glitziest and most anticipated gaming news items in the business. But developers like Electric Bat Interactive prove that some of the best gems are harder to find but just as rewarding. Both games offer cross-platform performance and rare depth for browser games; they're unique and clever formulas will hopefully give them a bit more than just a fleeting moment of spotlight in the GDC circus.

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“AMD Foundation to Sponsor Game Design Workshop at 2010 ... - Yahoo Finance”

2010-03-18T19:22:00.001-07:00

“AMD Foundation to Sponsor Game Design Workshop at 2010 ... - Yahoo Finance”

AMD Foundation to Sponsor Game Design Workshop at 2010 ... - Yahoo Finance

Posted: 18 Mar 2010 08:23 AM PDT

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AMD ( NYSE : AMD) today announced the AMD Foundation, in support of AMD Changing the Game, has awarded a $100,000 grant to Games for Change. The funds will be used to sponsor a day-long game design workshop for educators at the upcoming 7^th annual Games for Change Festival.

"Each year, social issue games gain more prominence and visibility within the gaming and educational communities, as those communities increasingly recognize the potential of games to engage youth in meaningful ways on pressing global issues," said Alex Quinn, Executive Director, Games for Change. "This workshop can have a valuable and lasting impact in this space by putting educational technology tools in the hands of a broad network of leaders who serve so many of these young people."

AMD Changing the Game

Since its launch in June 2008, AMD Changing the Game has:

Funded 14 organizations that enable youth game development
Provided a grant to help fund the new video game design category for the 2010 and 2010 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
Funded the development of a youth game development curriculum with PETLab and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America (BGCA). Earlier this year, BGCA chapters in Larimer County, Colorado and Marlborough, Massachusetts kicked off new "Game Tech" programs that teach club members how to understand game design and create their own games.
Co-sponsored the Malaysian Cybergames Festival 2010, including the "Dare to Create" digital game design and development workshop
Co-sponsored the 2008 and 2009 Games for Change Festival
Funded an online toolkit to help nonprofits create games on social issues
Sponsored a video contest with the Learning Games Network that explored the intersection of education and gaming

About the AMD Foundation

Supporting Resources

About AMD

Advanced Micro Devices ( NYSE : AMD - News) is an innovative technology company dedicated to collaborating with customers and technology partners to ignite the next generation of computing and graphics solutions at work, home and play. For more information, visit http://www.amd.com.

AMD, the AMD Arrow logo, and combinations thereof are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Other names are for informational purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.

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“Video Gaming 'Punishment' Viewed As Unreasonable - Journal & Topics” plus 1 more

2010-03-17T19:02:00.001-07:00

“Video Gaming 'Punishment' Viewed As Unreasonable - Journal & Topics” plus 1 more

Video Gaming 'Punishment' Viewed As Unreasonable - Journal & Topics

Posted: 09 Mar 2010 03:55 PM PST

Story posted Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Video Gaming 'Punishment' Viewed As Unreasonable

Local Legislator Thinks Bills Will Stall

By TOM ROBB Journal & Topics Reporter

Glenview village officials and state legislators representing Glenview in Springfield are outraged by bills introduced in the State Senate last month that, if passed, would financially penalize communities that choose to ban video gaming.

Glenview trustees were some of the first to ban video gaming machines shortly after the Video Gaming Act (VGA) became law last year.

Two bills both introduced by State Sen. Mike Jacobs (D-36th Moline) would charge a monthly fee to communities and counties that ban video gambling and would restrict state funds earned from machines from being used to fund Illinois infrastructure projects in areas where video gaming is barred.

"Such legislation would, in effect, 'punish' jurisdictions for making a choice that the General Assembly itself authorized them to make," wrote Glenview Village President Kerry Cummings in a letter to state senators Susan Garrett (D-29th) and Jeff Schoenberg (D-9th) and state representatives Elizabeth Coulson (R-17th) and Elaine Nekritz (D-57th).

Cummings letter continued, "To take such a punitive approach now is all the more disturbing as it directly contravenes the manner in which the original Video Gaming Act was presented to the public – and to municipalities. In fact, Governor Quinn used the 'opt out' provision as one of the legislation's major selling points.

"To penalize municipalities and counties for making a choice on behalf of their constituents who are already contributing significantly toward the capital (bill funding) is to place an unreasonable burden on the Village of Glenview and on any community," concluded Cummings.

"If there were legislators who felt that we needed that stick for the legislation they should have put it in there," said Nekritz. "For legislators to allow municipalities to opt out and then change our minds is outrageous."

"That's way too punitive," said Garrett. "I don't see them (the bills) going anywhere."

A spokeswoman for State Senate President John Cullerton said he does not support the bills meaning the powerful senate leader might block the bills from coming up for a vote.

Last year the VGA was passed allowing video gaming machines that would pay out cash winnings in bars, truck stops, fraternal halls and other liquor serving establishments across the state.

Included in the new law was a provision to allow municipalities or counties to opt out or bar legalized video gambling in their jurisdictions through a referendum vote of the people or a vote of village trustees, aldermen or county board commissioners.

In Des Plaines, the bills caused Mayor Marty Moylan to put a hold on hearings and consideration by aldermen on whether to ban video gaming.

The VGA was passed last year to fund infrastructure projects across the state outlined in the Illinois Capital Bill.

Since then 64 communities including Arlington Hts., Buffalo Grove, Glenview, Mt. Prospect, Northbrook, Rosemont, Park Ridge, Wilmette and Winnetka have voted to ban video gaming. Bans were also passed for unincorporated areas of five counties including Cook.

Calls to Sen. Jacobs' office were not immediately returned.

Back to Journal homepage

Speak Out!
Comments are edited first by Journal staff before running in print and appearing online.

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Culver's lobbying on casinos criticized - Des Moines Register

Posted: 17 Mar 2010 11:52 AM PDT

Terry Branstad says it was "absolutely wrong" for Gov. Chet Culver to ask state gambling regulators to issue four new casino licenses.

Branstad, a Republican who is running for governor, said Culver, a Democrat, is intruding on an independent state board's decision-making process.

"These people serve at the pleasure of the governor, and the governor should not be putting undue pressure on them," Branstad told The Des Moines Register in an interview. "They ought to be following the law."

Culver sent a letter to the five-member Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission on March 4, endorsing casino projects proposed in Fort Dodge, Lyon County, Ottumwa and Tama County.

The move surprised state regulators, who will not start evaluating license applications until they meet Tuesday in Johnston.

Three other candidates for governor - Republicans Bob Vander Plaats and Rod Roberts and Democrat Jonathan Narcisse - also criticized Culver's letter and said they oppose expansion of Iowa's gambling industry.

Culver's action marks the first time a governor has publicly intervened before the Racing and Gaming Commission on behalf of specific applicants seeking licenses.

Five years ago, after state regulators finished the process of awarding four new licenses, then-Gov. Tom Vilsack, a Democrat, publicly expressed disappointment that Ottumwa was denied a license.

But he declined to become directly involved with the commission, saying, "They are in charge of that process."

Branstad signed legislation in 1989 that established Iowa's casino industry two years later. He said it's critical for the Racing and Gaming Commission to be known for its integrity, noting that gambling corruption scandals have sent politicians to jail elsewhere.

Branstad said that's why he appointed former Iowa Attorney General Lawrence Scalise, a Democrat, as the panel's first chairman. It's also why he replaced former commission Chairman L.C. "Bud" Pike in 1992, because of a perception that Pike was too cozy with the casino industry, he said.

Culver, in his letter to the commission, said opportunities to create new jobs are difficult to come by and shouldn't be easily dismissed.

Representatives of communities seeking licenses have expressed to him "their frustrations caused by the lengthy decision-making processes of the Racing and Gaming Commission," Culver wrote. "The one thing that has been consistent in all of my discussions is an over-riding interest in creating new jobs in tough times. I am convinced it is now time to end frustrations caused by delays and to break ground on four new Iowa casinos. ..."

Culver said the casino projects would create hundreds of construction jobs initially, followed by hundreds of permanent jobs.

"While I am respectful of the fact that the Racing and Gaming Commission is an independent body, and that its members will make the final decision, I urge its members to approach this matter with an attitude of fairness and a consciousness of the economic circumstances that are challenging each of these communities whose citizens clearly support these gaming license applications," Culver wrote.

The five commission members have all subsequently declined to say how they will vote on the license requests. Final decisions on awarding licenses are scheduled for May 13, after a series of meetings and public hearings.

Vander Plaats, a Sioux City business consultant, said it would be detrimental to the state to increase its dependency on gambling.

"I won't send a letter to the Racing and Gaming Commission begging them for four new licenses, begging them to do Internet gambling or anything else," he said.

Roberts, a state representative from Carroll, said Culver might believe he has a relationship with the commission because he makes appointments to the regulatory board.

"But even from the Legislature's point of view, we have always looked at that commission as being an independent, deliberative body to make those decisions," he said. "In keeping with that attitude, it would probably be a better decision on the part of the governor to remain neutral and let those people make that decision."

Democrat Jonathan Narcisse, a publisher and former Des Moines school board member, said Culver has demonstrated he is willing to use the power of the Iowa governor's office on behalf of gambling industry lobbyists who contribute to his campaigns.

"Many of the people losing money in casinos are elderly and the desperate," Narcisse said. "Casino gambling has wrecked our economy, it has shut down businesses and it has destroyed families."

Some examples of gaming-related campaign donations to Culver, according to state records, include:

• Dan Kehl, chief executive of Kehl Management, which is proposing the Lyon County casino, donated a total of $50,000 to Culver's re-election committee in 2007 and 2008.

• Steve Daniel, president of Webster County Entertainment, which is seeking the Fort Dodge casino, gave Culver's committee $10,500 between 2007 and 2009.

• A political action committee for Dubuque-based Peninsula Gaming, which would be the majority owner of the Fort Dodge casino, donated $11,000 to Culver's campaign in 2009.

• West Des Moines businessman Gerald Kirke, chairman of Wild Rose Entertainment, which operates casinos in Clinton and Emmetsburg, donated $25,000 each to Culver and Branstad in 2009.

Culver aide Troy Price said Tuesday the jobs of the Racing and Gaming Commission members would not be in jeopardy if they don't approve all four gambling licenses.

"The governor has received substantial input from the four communities seeking a gaming license and felt compelled to communicate his position of 'local control' with the commissioners," Price said.

Culver's letter noted that, as required by law, residents in all communities seeking a casino license had voted in referendums in favor of the idea.

Vander Plaats, Roberts and Narcisse said they have no plans to solicit or receive campaign money from gambling interests.

Branstad said the industry is nearing saturation. He said he would be very skeptical about adding a lot of additional licenses. Branstad said he is not soliciting campaign money from gambling lobbyists, but he said he has a lot of donors.

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“DONNA BARNETT: Community gaming grants - Abbotsford News” plus 2 more

2010-03-16T19:38:00.001-07:00

“DONNA BARNETT: Community gaming grants - Abbotsford News” plus 2 more

DONNA BARNETT: Community gaming grants - Abbotsford News
What Are Your Favorite Destructoid Memories? (Happy 4th ... - DESTRUCTOID
Gaming taxes vary by state - Dothan Eagle

DONNA BARNETT: Community gaming grants - Abbotsford News

Posted: 16 Mar 2010 09:16 AM PDT

I am excited about the opportunities we have to enhance our schools and communities through the new B.C. Community Gaming Grants. Almost 6,000 community groups are benefiting. These groups support public safety, youth and disabled sport, festivals, museums, and community services such as preschools.

The government's total Community Gaming Grant is $120 million, up from $113 million last year. The goal behind this year's grants is to support organizations important to the community fabrics of the Cariboo Chilcotin. At the heart of this are our schools and the parents who selflessly work to improve their children's academic experiences. Parent advisory councils will receive $20 per student, which is a $10 increase from 2009-10. Each District parent advisory council is receiving $2,500. That's 100 per cent more than what they were awarded last year.

This year, community organizations that work to enrich the lives of young people are being recognized by the government for their role in our communities. The Boys and Girls Clubs of Williams Lake and District are recipients of funding. In 100 Mile House, Educo School, which gives youth the chance to experience adventure outdoors, was also awarded a grant.

The 100 Mile House Food Bank Society received $40,000, the largest Community Gaming Grant in the Cariboo Chilcotin. The Cariboo Friendship Society and the 100 Mile House and District Women's Society also received grants. Our region is clearly represented well.

Of course, preservation of our heritage is an important part of the Community Gaming Grants. A new category of funding for museums, fairs and festivals will help sustain our local community gatherings like the upcoming Cariboo Festival, as well as the Museum of the Cariboo Chilcotin.

Our communities have some great organizations working toward making life better for our residents in the Cariboo Chilcotin. I'm proud of their work. Congratulations on your grants and all the best for this year.

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What Are Your Favorite Destructoid Memories? (Happy 4th ... - DESTRUCTOID

Posted: 13 Mar 2010 03:57 PM PST

It's hard to believe it's been four years already! Watching this site grow from a simple scam run by Niero to get invited to e3 into one of the best gaming communities ever has been amazing experience, and I'm proud to have been around to witness it.

Grim already wrote up a fantastic feature for the front page (which includes a must-see image gallery), but I wanted to create this thread for everyone to share the Destructoid-related memories that have stood out in your mind and affected you over the last few years. This isn't limited only to the long-time members of course; those of you who only recently joined are more than welcome to share any stories you have!

There are dozens of memories I could mention: the launch of the cblogs, WiiSucks, the Eternity's Child review, the How Many Wolves Must Die? ad, the Dprime - Also, Cats thread, the point when I realized I actually had a positive reputation around the site simply for my snarky front page comments... Some of the more bittersweet memories involve staff and community members who are no longer around for various reasons. I still miss most of them. Hell, a small part of me actually misses World Famous. A very, very small part.

The one that stands out most for me is when Hamza front paged our Left4Dead short on Christmas Day 08. The buzz for the game plus being featured on one of the slowest news days of the year created a perfect storm that led to the video getting a ridiculous number of views in a very short time. That was an incredible surprise, and the kind comments and support from the staff and community regarding all of our silly little videos touches me deeply to this day. It's an enormously fun creative outlet for me, and one I would never have even thought of attempting if not for Destructoid.

So now it's your turn! Whether it involves something that happened on the site, during a gaming event, or while hanging out with other Dtoiders online or IRL, what do you look back on fondly when you think of Destructoid? What makes you say "This is why I love this place"?

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Gaming taxes vary by state - Dothan Eagle

Posted: 16 Mar 2010 03:57 PM PDT

One of the debatable points on proposed legislation for a vote to authorize electronic bingo in Alabama is the rate of taxation.

Bingo bills have been all over the board on tax rates, from 20 to 50 percent of gross receipts.

What's fair?

The American Gaming Association's 2009 State of the States Survey of Casino Entertainment shows no consistency in taxation by state.

"It's set by the circumstances of the state," said Bob Faiss, a Las Vegas attorney who chairs the Gaming and Regulatory Law Department at Lionel Sawyer & Collins. "It's whatever they deem and there's no standard."

Gaming revenues from Mississippi's 29 privately operated Class III casinos, which includes those facilities with card games, slot machines, dog and horse racing, and other games played against the house, are taxed at a graduated rate of 8 percent, with up to another 4 percent imposed by local governments.

Louisiana has a varied tax rate, depending on the kind of operation. The state's 13 riverboat casinos are taxed at 21.5 percent, with another 4 to 6 percent tax for local governments; land-based casinos are taxed at 21.5 percent or $60 million a year, whichever is greater. Louisiana's four horse tracks with video gaming machines, called racinos, are taxed at 18.5 percent on gross gaming revenues, with 18 percent of net income going to horsemen and 4 percent of what's left going to the local parish (county).

Mark Nichols, professor of economics at the Institute for the Study of Gambling and Commercial Gaming at the University of Nevada, Reno, said competition influences taxation and gaming competition by state is varied. Maine has one racetrack, according to the 2008 AGA data, while Nevada has licensed 266 casinos and three tribal casinos.

"One of the main things that determine that is the level of competition the casinos face," he said. "In markets where there is less competition, states tax higher because the casinos earn more profit. They have the privilege to be able to offer gaming exclusively or nearly exclusively in those states.

"Here in Nevada where it is very competitive and a lot of groups are operating casinos, the tax is around 7 percent. In some riverboat states, you may see anywhere from a 20 to 50 percent range because there are restricted licenses."

In Florida, three racinos retained less than 50 percent of gross gaming revenues in 2008, which was $228 million. Operators allocate so much to horse and dog breeder funds, local authorities and public gambling awareness. In 2008 local and state governments in Florida received $210.5 million in taxes.

Nevada legalized gambling in 1931 and the state gaming tax rate is a maximum of 6.75 percent of gross, with local fees and levies adding another 1 percent. Nevada's gaming tax revenue for 2008 was $924.5 million.

Neighboring Mississippi casinos generated $326.9 million in tax dollars in 2008, with funds going to education, transportation, health care services, housing, youth counseling programs and local public safety programs.

Holly Thomsen, communications director for the American Gaming Association, said higher taxes are seen as the price of doing business in less competitive markets where there are no caps. That's why Nevada, New Jersey and Mississippi tax rates are lower.

"It is seen as a trade off. You have a low rate, but free competition."

More recently, however, Thomsen has seen tax rates being set higher because of state budget shortages.

"States are looking at the casinos as a revenue source. Pennsylvania is one of the more recent states to bring in commercial casinos. They have a 55 percent rate which is quite high."

Nichols said many states don't mind gambling as a revenue source because it is seen as a voluntary tax. "You don't pay it if you don't gamble," he said.

In 2008 there were 423 tribal casinos operating in 29 states. Some, like those in Alabama, operate Class II games only. The IRS defines Class II games as bingo, instant bingo, lotto, and other games not played against the house. They are not taxed like private casinos.

"Private and Indian casinos operate in 33 states (including Alabama). Some Indian facilities are paying taxes and some aren't," Nichols said. "Really, it's not taxes. They are voluntary revenue-sharing agreements. States are not allowed to tax Indian casinos, but they can come up with an agreement with the states. In exchange for the right to exclusively operate, the tribe may pay the state."

A spokesperson for the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, which operates Wind Creek Casino in Atmore, Riverside Casino in Wetumpka and Tallapoosa Casino in Montgomery, said the facility pays state and federal taxes. When asked for figures, the numbers presented are employee taxes. Public Relations Tribal Liaison Sharon Delmar said PCI Gaming paid $76 million in federal employee taxes in 2009 and $17 million in state employee taxes.

"We are proud to support our local communities by giving not only financially, but our time," she said by email. "Over the past two years alone we have donated over $1.2 million to our local county governments, charities and organizations."

She said the tribe also provides services to the community at large through its police and fire departments, but Escambia County Administrator Tony Sanks said the casino pays no county taxes and has no revenue-sharing agreement.

"In exchange for law enforcement, they pay us $100,000 a year," Sanks said. "Because they are on tribal lands, they pay no property taxes. There are other Indian properties, such as their housing authority, which do make an annual payment in lieu of property taxes."

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“NCC Media Partners With Premium Network - TMCnet”

2010-03-15T19:28:00.001-07:00

“NCC Media Partners With Premium Network - TMCnet”

NCC Media Partners With Premium Network - TMCnet

Posted: 15 Mar 2010 03:36 PM PDT

NCC Media, the ad sales, marketing and technology organization that represents every U.S. market has entered into an expanded partnership relation with Premium Network, Inc., the San Francisco-based online advertising and promotion firm with a total of 450 million monthly U.S. visits.

Greg Schaefer, president and CEO of NCC Media, has officially made the announcement of the partnership.

PremiumChannels.com, offering advertisers a high level of customization to a consumer audience of 45 niche category channels including entertainment, business, social communities, gaming, women, parenting, tweens and more will now be represented by NCC Media.

In addition, Premium also has carved a niche in 'out of the box' promotions including sweepstakes and tournaments that create engaging opportunities with target audiences. Premium Channels' inventory will be combined with local MSO inventory.

The Digital Online packaging of NCC Media will be built off the foundation of their ISP properties by utilizing the Digital Smart Buy and then adding the strength of endemically targeted online extensions.

"With over 19 billion monthly page views and their ability to target specific demographics and reach multiple audiences simultaneously, Premium Network perfectly complements NCC Media's unrivaled reach of every cable home in the United States," Schaefer, says. "We're very excited to be partnering with Premium Network to take both our businesses to the next level."

"Alone, Premium Network could not address the scale of the 20 billion dollar online market, but with the NCC sales team representing our media, we have complete coverage at all major brand advertisers and their agencies on a national and regional level," Ken Margolis, CEO of Premium Network, Inc, says. "Additionally, with television and online media convergence, NCC Media's ability to offer advertisers the opportunity to reach their customers on multiple screens allows us to provide greater reach and unmatched buying efficiencies to advertisers."

The customers of Premium Network are offered with a wide range of services including advertising representation, ad banner serving, account management and client billing. The niche promotional networks and broad promotional capabilities of Premium Network offer greater value to advertisers and sites than any other firm.

With the partnership Premium Network will be allowed to focus on expanding their product offerings and services while NCC will oversee the build out of a dedicated sales team.

In related news, NCC Mediahas appointed Greg Schaefer as the organization's president and CEO. This change reflects the wide range of media services the company provides to the advertising industry, whether delivered by cable, telecom, satellite or interactive platforms.

Deepika Mala is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Erin Harrison

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“ChildLine begins social media campaign to encourage ... - NetImperative”

2010-03-14T19:33:00.001-07:00

“ChildLine begins social media campaign to encourage ... - NetImperative”

ChildLine begins social media campaign to encourage ... - NetImperative

Posted: 09 Mar 2010 01:22 AM PST

This is the first time that ChildLine has used customised content with the aim of raising awareness and increasing buzz among influential online communities.

The 'how u feelin?' initiative features a number of assets including Blues Busters, an online game where teens have to sweep the city and collect as many negative 'moodies' as possible.

Celebrities have also lent their support including Marvin Humes from X Factor and Brit Award-winning band JLS who appears in a series of video clips talking about being bullied at school and encouraging teens to express themselves. BAFTA nominated actor Nicholas Hoult (Skins, Clash of the Titans) also appears in a clip talking about his time on the set of A Single Man.

As part of the social media campaign, Hot Cherry, whose clients include youth brands Sony Playstation, E4 and National Union of Students, will promote the assets among the most influential types of online audiences including celebrity, teen, music, film and gaming communities.

The agency will also promote the fact that young people can now get in touch with ChildLine on 0800 1111 but also via their website www.childline.org.uk.

The campaign will also be supported with posters in school, online advertising and a TV campaign.

According to a recent ChildLine survey, the number of children saying they felt stressed most of the time was more than double as they reached their teens, from 12% of 11-13-year-olds to 27% of 14-16-year-olds.

Emily Knee, Senior Digital Account Manager from NSPCC said: "The how u feelin? initiative marks a new milestone in the way the NSPCC has embraced social media to encourage young people to express themselves and get in touch with ChildLine via phone or online. Young people spend most of their time online which makes this type of strategy all the more relevant."

www.nspcc.org.uk

www.hotcherry.co.uk

********************************

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“Video Gaming 'Punishment' Viewed As Unreasonable - Journal & Topics” plus 1 more

2010-03-13T19:02:00.001-08:00

“Video Gaming 'Punishment' Viewed As Unreasonable - Journal & Topics” plus 1 more

Video Gaming 'Punishment' Viewed As Unreasonable - Journal & Topics

Posted: 09 Mar 2010 03:55 PM PST

Story posted Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Video Gaming 'Punishment' Viewed As Unreasonable

Local Legislator Thinks Bills Will Stall

By TOM ROBB Journal & Topics Reporter

Glenview trustees were some of the first to ban video gaming machines shortly after the Video Gaming Act (VGA) became law last year.

"That's way too punitive," said Garrett. "I don't see them (the bills) going anywhere."

A spokeswoman for State Senate President John Cullerton said he does not support the bills meaning the powerful senate leader might block the bills from coming up for a vote.

Last year the VGA was passed allowing video gaming machines that would pay out cash winnings in bars, truck stops, fraternal halls and other liquor serving establishments across the state.

In Des Plaines, the bills caused Mayor Marty Moylan to put a hold on hearings and consideration by aldermen on whether to ban video gaming.

The VGA was passed last year to fund infrastructure projects across the state outlined in the Illinois Capital Bill.

Calls to Sen. Jacobs' office were not immediately returned.

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Z2Live Rolls Out Voice Chat for iPhone Games, Announces ... - Xconomy

Posted: 09 Mar 2010 04:21 AM PST

Gaming, Entertainment, startups

Gregory T. Huang 3/9/10

This week is nuts for videogame companies: the annual Game Developers Conference starts today in San Francisco.

Z2Live, a Seattle-based social mobile gaming startup, kicked off what is sure to be a busy news week for local companies by making a couple of notable announcements. First, it unveiled a "voice chat" feature for games on the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad—this will let players talk to their friends while they're playing a mobile game. (I haven't seen the demo yet, but it sounds like it could be interesting.)

Second, the company has hired Lou Fasulo, the former head of publishing for Sonic Boom and senior exec at Vivendi Universal Games and AT&T Wireless. Fasulo will oversee Z2Live's development of what it calls a "next-generation mobile game community," which it plans to open in the next two months.

Z2Live's CEO and co-founder David Bluhm calls Fasulo "one of the best business minds in mobile gaming." (Bluhm also told me recently that he thinks the term "mobile gaming" will soon be redundant.)

The company's core technology is a software platform for developing multiplayer social games on mobile devices. Its gaming canvas runs the gamut from simple casual games like Solitaire to complex multiplayer games like Call of Duty. But Z2Live's real value is not just in the "plumbing" to allow multiplayer gaming to happen, but potentially in the deeper understanding of gaming communities—things like how to grow a community, how to encourage more social interactions, which metrics to track, which game mechanics developers should focus on, and, of course, how to make money from all of this.

"In theory, this could change the trajectory of game community growth—making sure the game itself is designed with the community in mind from the start," Bluhm told me last month in an exclusive interview.

Stay tuned for more news from other local game companies.

Gregory T. Huang is the Editor of Xconomy Seattle. You can e-mail him at gthuang@xconomy.com or call 206-624-2249.

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