Video Games

Mediabistro’s Jason Boog is covering the Inside Social Apps conference in San Francisco, where he met up with Aunim Hossain, CEO of social gaming company Tista Games. Hossain argued that with the worldwide gaming audience of 500,000,000 people expected to triple in the next decade, the demand for writers who can craft compelling narratives will skyrocket.

“Storytelling is the best way of keeping people engaged and keeping them playing,” he argues.

For now, however, it looks like you need a solid programming background to work at Tista–narrative abilities or no. Still, we’ve already seen plenty of prominent Hollywood actors lend their talents to the gaming industry. How long before the best screenwriters start jumping ship?

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The Tribeca Film Institute is expanding their Tribeca Teaches program to Lennox Middle School in Los Angeles — the first pilot run outside of New York City.

TFI and non-profit Southern California Crossroads will focus on bilingual storytelling through video games. Experienced filmmakers will partner with teachers, community activists and parents in assisting students during the 18-week program.

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If you’re not in the industry and want to get your hands on the hottest new video games of 2012, it’s going to cost you.

Registration opened Monday for the 2012 Electronic Entertainment Expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center and a three-day pass will cost you $795 if you register before April 23 and $995 afterward.

That’s nearly twice as much compared to 2011 when registration was $400 prior to the April deadline and $500 afterward.

That price hike should keep the “outsiders” to a minimum. I don’t care how amazing Grand Theft Auto V looks, it’s not worth nearly $1,000 to play it early.

The NBA season might be in limbo, but Tuesday marks the start of the 2011-12 campaign for video gamers as NBA 2K12 hits stores everywhere.

Hundreds of fans lined up outside Best Buy in West Los Angeles Monday night for the opportunity to have their video game cover signed by Earvin “Magic” Johnson. The Hall of Fame point guard is featured on this year’s cover along with longtime rivals Larry Bird and Michael Jordan.

“The technology is crazy. I’m happy about how I look and how I played in the game,” Johnson told FishbowlLA. “It’s amazing how far technology has come and I think the fans are going to be blown away as well, especially where you can play the old school against the new school. My Lakers can play Kobe’s Lakers or my Lakers can play LeBron’s Miami Heat.”

Jerry West, Michael Cooper, general manager Mitch Kupchak and new Lakers head coach Mike Brown joined Johnson on the NBA 2K12 red carpet.

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OK, you might not get this if you haven’t played the insanely popular video game L.A. Noire–set in 1950′s Los Angeles. But our inner geek (and by that I mean me) thought it was pretty funny.

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We haven’t been all that big into video games since we left our parents’ basement last year and managed to convince a real life woman to sleep with us. But Rockstar Games’ latest effort L.A. Noire is too big to ignore. The new game, which channels 1940′s Los Angeles, is drawing rave reviews–not just for its game play, but for its acting. And for good reason. Forbes‘ John Gaudiosi reports that Rockstar used Mad Men casting directors Carrie Audino and Laura Schiff to recruit over 400 actors–including Aaron Staton, who plays “Ken Cosgrove” on the show. Mad Men actors Alexa Alemanni, Ned Vaugn, Kate Connor, Randolph Adams, and Kevin Scott Allen also make appearances in the game.

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The last time a snazzy rap duo from Philadelphia hit town, the result was a 1990-1996 hit sitcom for NBC. Who’s to say something similar won’t start to materialize for Chiddy Bang, the headliners from the City of Brotherly Love, at tonight’s free 9 p.m. launch party at the Avalon in Hollywood for Electronic Arts video game Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit.

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Ever the trailblazer, the LBC’s own Cordozar Calvin Broadus is set to become the first rapper to have his songs made available on the popular video game “Rock Band.” Soon, you too will be able to rock out to “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” and “Sensual Seduction” in your underwear.

Love the Snoop, breaking down boundaries.

Photo: Reuters

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We here at FishbowlLA aren’t much for economics. A gig at the Wall Street Journal probably isn’t in our future. But this struck us as rather odd. Yesterday, at 5:03PM, the L.A. Times reported that video game company Activision plans to shutter its Santa Monica development studio Luxoflux, laying off about 200 people. The move wasn’t entirely surprising considering Activision posted a $286 million loss in the fourth quarter of 2009. What the Times didn’t note, however, were the findings of this Wall Street Journal story from eight hours earlier.

Activision Blizzard Inc. (ATVI) shares got a boost Thursday after the video-game publisher reported better-than-expected results for the fourth quarter and analysts predicted a strong year despite the company’s highly conservative outlook.

In recent trading, Activision was up nearly 8% to $10.89.

Interesting. Despite huge losses, stocks were up 8% on the day, hours before the studio closure was announced. The Journal attributes the stock’s surprising rise to “the fact that analysts widely expect the company to easily beat its numbers for the year, given a strong pipeline of new titles expected.”

But as we all know, Wall Street loves a good layoff.

Think the news might have leaked early? Just sayin’.

They once said all you need is love. That might be amended now to All You Need Is Videogames — if you’re a fan of the Beatles.

A new Beatles videogame from MTV Games will be in stores in time for the holiday season, according to Variety.

The partnership is the first time Apple Corps., EMI Music, Harrisongs and Sony/ATV Music Publishing have agreed to present the Beatles’ music in a video game presentation. Executives from Apple, MTV and game developer Harmonix announced the game today in London, giving few details beyond the game’s existence, noting further announcements would come in the next few months.

“The game is in development,” said Jeff Jones, CEO, Apple Corps. “We don’t want to talk about how it will turn out a year from now. We’re in the process of creating the game.”

The game will include songs recorded during the Beatles tenure within EMI, 1962 to 1969, and it is possible the entire catalog will be used.

Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Olivia Harrison and Yoko Ono Lennon have been part of the conversations regarding the design, layout and roll out of the game. Discussions, both creative and financial, between Apple Corps. and MTV began 17 months ago.