WebProNews

Amid Economic Woes, Microsoft Pushes Into Your Home

More money spent on gas and groceries means less for luxuries. In the past that meant more people going to the movies and picking up used musical instruments. Now, Microsoft wants to be an entertainment outlet, serving games, videos, and oh yes, advertising.

Domain Kiting, PPC Abuse Dropping In Tandem

Through a subtle change in policy for displaying AdSense on domains, Google managed to reduce the impact of domain kiting and pay per clicks associated with misused brand names.

Gaming Does Not Lead To Poor Social Skills

People who play video games for long periods of time are not necessarily lonely nerds without social skills according to an Australian study.The study by Victoria University psychology graduate Daniel Loton revealed that 15 percent of 621 adult respondents were flagged as "problem gamers" who spend more than 50 hours a week playing games.

SciFi To Fidgit With Games

The SciFi Channel opened a new site in an extremely crowded niche - gaming blogs - with the debut of its Fidgit blog.

Massive Deal As EA, Microsoft Ink Game Ads Pact

Look for more dynamic advertising in EA titles on the Xbox 360 and on Windows machines, as they expand an existing deal with Microsoft's in-game ad firm, Massive.

Blizzard Loses A World Of Warcraft Player

An inexplicable banning and no way to contact Blizzard Entertainment for an explanation other than by email adds up to this: forget about having me as a player.

Headset Allows Users To Play Mind Games

A new gaming headset, which can read the interaction of neurons in the brain, will go on sale, later this year.The Emotiv EPOC a high-fidelity brain computer interface for gamers will be available in late 2008 for $299. "It picks up electrical activity from the brain and sends wireless signals to a computer," said Tan Le, president of US/Australian firm Emotiv, the BBC reported. "It allows the user to manipulate a game or virtual environment naturally and intuitively," she said.

GameSpot Roasted By Rival Editor

1Up.com's Sam Kennedy posted one of the most thoughtful and in-depth pieces anyone could hope to read about GameSpot's November dismissal of editorial director Jeff Gerstmann.

ESPN To Cover Gaming

I might let you call me a prophet, a little earlier than expected. I kid, I kid, and I was kidding in March 2006 when I asked readers not to call me that for another 20 years. It wasn't too hard to predict, thanks to a Microsoft patent about it, and in 2008 comes the next stage: ESPN's coverage of professional video gaming.

Gaming Blogs Abuzz Over Reviewer's Firing

Jeff Gerstmann's negative review of massively promoted Eidos title Kane & Lynch: Dead Men may have contributed to his dismissal as gaming editorial director from CNet's Gamespot.