Last year was the first year in over a decade that I missed the annual Game Developer's Conference. Ironically,  last year was also the first (and only) year I actually qualified as a "game developer."  (I learned last year that most game developers are too busy developing games to attend conventions.)  But this year, now that I'm back writing about stuff than making it (yay!),  I actually get to go to the show again.  And there was much rejoicing.This year, my role is a tad ambiguous.  I'm attending anything that is vaguely EA-related--given that they're the ones paying me--but I'm also just keeping my eyes/ears open for any panels that might either help me personally in my job, or simply that sound cool to me as both a gamer and as someone paid to think about gaming culture.Yesterday, for example I attended a dubiously named "fireside chat" between EA's Chief Operating Officer, John Schappert, and LA times writer Alex Pham, who I've been reading for years and yet didn't know un...

I don't know about you guys, but I love Apple and I get excited when I hear about a new Apple patents. One recently released patent from them outlines the ability to control an iPhone by swiping your finger over the camera on the back of the phone.Now as odd as this sounds, what if we here at EA want to make some weird video game where you have to swipe your hand over a camera for some random reason. Would Apple sue us? Well, that's a bad example, but I'm just trying to give you an idea of what Linda Beach does as Patent Attorney."Patents are like landmines," Linda explained to me, and it's her job to help us navigate around them. If you're curious just how she manages that, read on.Can you tell me your name, job title, and what that job entails?I'm Linda Beach, EA's in-house Patent Attorney. I do all things related to patents, plus I'm involved with the review of open source software, but that's separate from my patent role.Is there a team of patent attorneys or is it just you for all...

Hadouken! may well be Britain's most forward-thinking and dynamic young band. They may be envelope-pushing. They might also be experimental, genre-hopping and rooted firmly in the here and now. All thatis unquestionably true. But even with a band as committed to blasting off into thrilling new sonic territories as Hadouken!, one can still peer through the mists of time to locate their ancestors. For every decade, a British group weaves together underground dance and rock influences into a new sound that then vaults without invitation into the mainstream.In the 80s, it was The Shamen. In the 90s, it was The Prodigy. Now, in the dog days of the 00s, it is Hadouken!Their second album, For The Masses, recorded in Holland with gilded Dutch electronic producers Noisia and released in January 2010 on their own label Surface Noise Recordings, cements their reputation as Britain’s mostexciting young band.It also represents extremely good news for the legions of rabidly loyal young Hadouken! f...

British envelope-pushing genre-hopping underground dance meets rock band has come aboard the Artwerk/EA ship and we are PROUD to be working closely with this band!Expect to see this band on game soundtracks, music festivals and everywhere else where you can find great music!MIC CHECK!THAT BOY THAT GIRLTURN THE LIGHTS OUT

We sent over a few questions to our Rock n Roll heroes...Ryan was kind enough to answer the questions!Name your 4 favourite games of all time: Battlefield seriesCall of duty seriesCrysis seriesFar cry series When you think of music and video games, what's the first thing that comes to your mind?Need for speed and road rash! Pick one: FM Radio, Spotify or iTunes?Love 'em all! Favourite track on the new album?Back on the bottle.

MSN's GAMEON took some time to speak to World Wide Executive of Music at EA/President Artwerk Music Group Steve Schnur about the new music age where video games are becoming increasingly important for an artists career.Also they caught up with Bryn Bennett from Bang Camaro to get a bands side of the story too..."Less than 10 years ago, videogames were barely on the music industry's radar as a medium for breaking new bands. But what used to be a basic buy-sell licensing relationship is today an ongoing series of groundbreaking co-marketing partnerships. Today, labels are launching artists's entire careers around their inclusion in a top-selling title like Madden or Need For Speed."Read the interview with Steve Schnur on MSN and Bryn from Bang Camaro here!

Golden MomentsHere's a look at some of the most memorable moments for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver:Apolo Anton Ohno I'll just get this off my chest up front. I'm a hater. Have been ever since the media hype machine started pumping up this superstar weeks prior to the 2002 Salt Lake games. I'm not even sure why, really. I think I was just tired of hearing his name ... over and over again. Perhaps it was the soul patch. Or was it the bandana? Maybe it's the fact that he only spells his first name with only one "l".Now I'm just nitpicking.Whatever the case, here he was again, eight years later, speeding around the ice and chasing history in one of the most wild and chaotic sports of the Olympic games, short track, or NASCAR on ice. Coming in with five medals to his name, Ohno needed just one more to tie speedskater Bonnie Blair for the honor of being the most decorated American Winter Olympian of all-time. Although I wasn't a fan, he had my respect. And the sport had my atte...

Some dance tunes before the weekend by our favourite DJ... ;-)

Hello and welcome once again to PSR's blog! It's been an interesting start to the year and we've been busy as usual. We've spent most of January and February in our Coventry bunker writing new material for the new year and it has been interesting to try some new ideas. We're looking forward to getting out on the road and testing it out live soon.Our main task this month, however, has been preparing for our next single release. We've been listening to various re-mixes we've had commissioned and deciding which, if any would work as a B-side.We've had some positive results and it's been weird to hear our music de-constructed and re-formed as Drum 'n' Bass and House music! I think we've chose the best tracks and we'll definitely put them out on the single.We've also just finished filming the video for the single which was a fantastic day. We worked with some very creative directors and the most beautiful model I've ever seen to make something truly breathtaking! We certainly had a blast so...

Well now, this has been a weird week in the gaming world, hasn't it? So much drama, when all we want to do is play games. It's enough to give a fellow the vapors!Anyway, I myself don't have any drama to add to the mix this week, unless we want to talk about the rather extreme case of Helmet Hair I had the other day when I got to work, which, omigod, just totally stressed me out and almost made me had a meltdown in the men's room when I tried to comb it out. Okay so I just made that whole thing up. (OR DID I?) Work with me here....it's been kind of a slow week on MY end.But today, friends---today is different! Why? Well, I will tell you. Today we have not one, not two, but THREE (3, trois, tres) game announcements to make. That's like, a lot. A lot more than one or two, anyway. You know what I'm sayin? But I guess clever web trickery demands that I make you click the More button to read about 'em.First, we have the news that my pals over in the Sims group have announced the second expan...