This issue is another one of those weeks where you could selectively stave off from spending hard-earned cash, but then there are millions of gamers who need their gaming fix. Gladly enough, third-party publishers on the Nintendo DS and Nintendo Wii have addressed the casual gaming populace, and that pretty much sums up this week's retail release line up. On second thought, no - we still have an MMO, EA Maxis' pre-Spore sampler, a formerly retail, now PSN game, plus the release of Rock Band on the Nintendo Wii. Check the full story for details.

People who are lucky enough to live near the Royal Festival Hall in Southbank Centre, London should take heed: Video Games Live is coming up, and Philharmonia Orchestra will perform various memorable video game music ranging from Mario, Zelda, Final Fantasy, Space Invaders, Tetris and yes, even Halo 3. The event is scheduled on October 22, 7:30 p.m.

The variety of video games to be covered, from retro-classic gaming to next-gen, will ensure that everyone who watches the event will leave the venue satisfied. We ourselves will be way over our heads with glee after hearing an orchestra play our beloved Space Invaders tune.

Those who are interested better get their tickets as soon as possible. The ticket prices (depending on the seating) range from GB£ 32.50 (US$ 65.25) to GB£ 19.50 (US$ 39.15), with additional booking fees worth GB£ 1.50 or US$ 3 (no booking fee for Southbank Centre members).

There's nothing like videogame music, really. From the simple mono thumpings of Space Invaders, made specifically to sound like a rapidly-beating human heart, to the epic, mountain-shaking chorus of an orchestra as you slay your very first colossus - it evokes a level of emotion that no other music form can even hope to emulate. It's an experience that's meant to be shared, definitely.

Video Games Live, an immersive concert event currently taking the world by storm, hopes to do exactly that, performing at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Not for one, but for two performances (June 29 and 30) of nothing but classic and contemporary video game pieces any fan will surely recognize.

While the fact of VGL actually playing at a national monument alone is already big news, the even bigger breakthrough is that it's going to be the first time video game music to be performed at a live audience in Washington DC - and co-creators Jack Wall and Tommy Tallarico can't stop gushing about it. The latter even gave a hint as to who would be strutting down the red carpet at the event, saying:

We've already started inviting as many local politicians and their families as possible. It's important for us to show everyone how incredibly creative, artistic and significant video games and the culture surrounding them have become.

Politicians, you say? Here's hoping a particular someone actually made it into the guest list, so he sees (and hears) how games aren't as bad as he makes them out to be. It's a long shot, but there's no harm in dreaming, is there?

You can check out the read link for more info about this spectacular event.

GameTap announced today that it will be adopting a new form to retail subscription and digital retail mechanics to include in its already successful broadband entertainment network. Biggest announcement is that Crystal Dynamics' own Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Anniversary is going to be offered over a "day-and-date" subscription play mode.

Being the first title to be offered over GameTap's new service, subscribers of the service will be able to purchase the title over the freshly established online store to go lie at the same time Tomb Raider: Anniversary arrives in the U.S.

The move was made following a "game changing" deal with Eidos, the major European publisher who also struck a deal with Valve Software for digital distribution of Eidos' classics.

And this means good news for Canadians out there, since GameTap just recently expanded its reach up north. For visitors who happen to drop in GameTap.com following its launch on May 31, 2007, a new all-access pass will be provided for GameTap TV, a long-running programming of music performances and celebrities talking about gaming.

Also at least 30 free games will be available (although it's unclear as to who could get them) on launch day, including Metal Slug from SNK Playmore, Taito's Bust-A- Move and Space Invaders, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend from Eidos, as well as Midway titles Joust, Robotron: 2084, and Rampage.

Not news, but entertaining anyway. If some of you folks are still playing any one of the various incarnations of the arcade classic Pole Position, on the many emulators available - emulators on the PSP, on the PC, etc. - then this video is likely to entertain. Behold, Game Over Project">Guillaume Reymond, his Game Over Project, and the Original Human Pole Position:

For your enlightenment, the Game Over Project is a project developed by Swiss artist Guillaume Reymond, and it is set to feature animation movies that should revive the retro videogames. Previous projects include an animation featuring Space Invaders and Pong.

For more info in this artistic gaming endeavor, feel free to click our read link below.

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.

Have you heard of the kid who played Space Invaders using only his brain? No, this isn't an opening for a lame joke. According to Live Science, with the help of a technique that takes data from the surface of the brain, a 14-year-old boy from St. Louis was able to play the two-dimensional Atari game without so much as lifting a finger.

The kid already had grids implanted to monitor his brain for epilepsy, and those same grids were linked to the videogame. He was then asked to move his hands, talk, and imagine things. These movements were then correlated by researchers to the different signals fired by the brain. They then asked the boy to play Space Invaders by moving his hand and tongue and then to imagine those movements without actually performing them.

"He cleared out the whole Level One basically on brain control," said Eric Leuthardt, a researcher at the School of Medicine at Washington University in St. Louis. "He learned almost instantaneously. We then gave him a more challenging version in two-dimensions and he mastered two levels there playing only with his imagination."

Leuthardt and colleagues actually performed this research on four adults a couple of years ago. The team observed quicker reaction times in the boy compared to the adults, along with a higher level of detail control. Chalk that one up to time spent playing videogames. If you're interested, you can check out a vid of the research here.