Gaming piracy is a serious problem that seems impossible to eradicate. But is there hope for game developers? According to Atari founder Nolan Bushnell, there is, thanks to the TPM encryption chips that are being built into some of the latest motherboards. More in the full article.

It's not uncommon for game industry icons to express their preferences for or against something. This time around, it's American electrical engineer and entrepreneur Nolan Bushnell. Simply put, Bushnell believes that typical in-game advertising doesn't work. More on his opinion in the full article after the jump.

A gathering of the top gaming industry executives was the grand finale to the MI6 conference. This panel included big wigs such as Peter Moore, Laurent Detoc, and Alex St. John, among others. During the panel, they discussed the future of the gaming market. According to the panel though, it seems the word "gaming" will disappear by 2020. You can read more on this in the full article.

Nolan Bushnell, the man who created the video game, started a media frenzy when he let slip many a jagged word about our today's games. Bluntly put, he said games today are nothing but "pure, unadulterated trash". That, however, wasn't true for every game, and Bushnell knew that.

Clarifying "pure, unadulterated trash," the founder of Atari pointed out that he was describing those games that were repetitive and mundane.

"There’s a lot of people think that bigger, faster, better is an innovation. It’s not. It’s just bigger, faster, better," said Bushnell in an interview.

The creator of Pong enumerated several games that upon first look, could easily be considered different from the rest. Games such as Will Wright's Spore, Konami's Dance Dance Revolution, Alexey Pajitnov's Tetris, and Harmonix' Guitar Hero were all named in particular.

"When you pick up the controller of the Wii, you know that you haven’t done that before. Even though the bowling is the same, doing it on the videogame, using the Wii controller, that’s an innovation," he added. Obvious differences aside, there were many other unsung heroes in the gaming industry. These many games continue to lie buried in the outpour of mainstream games.

More developments on this as they drop by.

 

In a press release today, Atari president and CEO David Pierce stated that Atari was undergoing another structural reorganization to reduce the company's general and administrative costs. The company is now eyeing an approximately 20% decrease in staff, which includes a 26% reduction in administrative employees.

Approved by the company's Board of Directors back in April 10, 2007, the plan is expected to be completed by the end of July. The company's entire staff have already been notified at the end of April, although there are no announcements of how many have already left Atari following the announcement.

"These actions, though difficult, are a significant first step in reorganizing Atari and demonstrate our commitment to restoring shareholder value," said Pierce. The restructuring is expected to charge an estimated US$ 0.8 to US$ 1.1 million during fiscal year of 2008.

What this means for their "PlayStation Home beater" project, we cannot tell. Things just aren't looking up for ol' Atari without the legendary Nolan Bushnell.

Mark your calendars! July 28 and 29 would be the days that Space Invaders and friends would take over Las Vegas. The 2007 Classic Gaming Expo will be held at the Riviera Hotel, Las Vegas promising to offer more classic gaming fun for fans who love the old stuff. Organizers love the vibe of Las Vegas, hence they're bringing back the love and the spirit of old games by giving it one grand party at the Riviera's expo area.

According to Joe Santulli, co-organizer of the Classic Gaming Expo, a lot of organizers and celebrity guests felt it was best to bring he convention back to Las Vegas. The event had started as the "World of Atari" expo in 1998. Who knew that one Atari event could bring the love back for the old consoles and arcade games?

The organizers have said that the Classic Gaming Expo is not only for those who love classic games but also for those who love modern games as well. The expo will have guests from the video game industry who would love to share their experience of the old games and how these inspired them to make new ones. Former guests of CGE include Steve Wozniac, David Crane, and Nolan Bushnell.

So remember boys, July 28 and 29, 2007! Bring lots of quarters and let's beat those Space Invaders.