Just like that I have come up with what I consider to be a brilliant strategy.  That Intel might be working on which may possibly destroy both Nvida and ATI/AMD in the graphics marketplace. Intel is the world’s leading computer processor manufacturer. Many people have been speculating that Intel, with their integrated graphics chipsets, may end up killing PC gaming. However recent events have lead me to believe that Intel is working on a massive plan that will for sure revive the pc gaming market for years to come if executed properly.

Nvidia may be secretly working on developing integrated graphics that are much superior to the highly prices Nvidia cards today and by integrating them into their motherboards along with combining their multi-core processing technology, Nvidia could develop a GPU that would blow away anything offered by the competition and at an affordable (easy and cheap to develop) price. Imagine being able to get a killer PC gaming system that could run all games on max settings for less then half the price of a current gaming PC today. I believe Nvidia might just be working on.  Click below to continue reading.

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In a not so surprising move, Electronic Arts has engaged in an attempted hostile takeover of Take Two Interactive. EA went directly to the shareholders and offered $26 a share in an attempt to buyout Take Two Interactive without their willingness. The Wall Street Journal has also published an article regarding EA’s move:

Following the rejection of its unsolicited bid to acquire Take-Two, EA launched a tender offer to acquire all of Take-Two’s outstanding shares for $26 each, the price it offered the company last month. The move signals that EA’s attempt to gain control of Take-Two, publisher of the blockbuster Grand Theft Auto game, is turning hostile.

In response to the move, Take-Two’s board recommended Thursday that its shareholders take no action at this time, saying it would advise investors on its position within 10 business days.

The EA bid places a value of about $2 billion on Take-Two, which temporarily traded above the $26 a share that EA offered, but later sunk below the offer price. The stock traded at 4 p.m. yesterday at $24.91, up 26 cents, on Nasdaq.

“This is a great opportunity for Take-Two shareholders,” said EA Chief Executive Officer John Riccitiello. “We believe Take-Two investors will see our tender offer as the best way to maximize the value of their investment in Take-Two.”

If Electronic Arts succeeds in acquiring Take Two Interactive, EA will then control much of the gaming industry. EA has a reputation of milking franchises and preventing innovation. If EA ends up controlling most of the game industry (which it looks like they may end up doing) will this severely hurt the gaming market and creativity?

[Via The Wall Street Journal]

Reuters is reporting that Toshiba has given up on HD DVD, ending the format war.  An official announcement should be coming soon.  This is very unfortunate news for Toshiba since they are set to lose tons of money in the wake of their defeat.  Technically DVD is still beating Blu-ray, but it’s only a matter of time before more people upgrade to an HDTV and want an HD movie format to go along with it.  I have always preferred HD DVD, but with last week’s announcement that Netflix was going Blu-ray exclusive, they made my decision for me.  The PlayStation 3’s high cost had been attributed to Blu-ray, and if Blu-ray hadn’t won Sony’s system would have been in serious trouble.  Now they are likely to benefit greatly from its inclusion.  Being one of the cheapest Blu-ray players on the market is nice, but in addition the PS3 has many other features making it an attractive purchase for anyone looking to upgrade to an HD movie format.

[Via Reuters]

It seems that Australians are always getting the short end of the stick when it comes to gaming.  Not only are release dates in their country much later than most, but they also have very strict standards when it comes to violence in games.  The latest problem for Australian gamers is that Dark Sector has been refused classification, essentially halting any chances of the game being released there in its current form.  IGN reports that the developers plan on modifying the game (essentially censoring it) so that it can be approved and released in Australia.  Though nothing has been announced I expect the game to have similar difficulties being approved in other strict countries, particularly Germany where Crackdown, Dead Rising, and Gears of War were never released due to their violent content.  I haven’t had a chance to play Dark Sector but it looks like a quality title that plays similarly to Resident Evil 4.  I’m looking forward to getting my hands on it this March when it releases in the US.  Check out more screenshots and video on their official site located here.

[Via IGN]