Media Industries Project - Carsey Wolf Center

Australia's largest videogame retailer has joined the movement to add an R18+ rating category for interactive entertainment Down Under.

Analysts weigh in on whether Zynga will bring its games to Microsoft's popular online console service. Also, could MS be eyeing a Zynga buyout?

Location-based game Foursquare has found its groove, as U.S. visits to the site jumped 50 percent in January, according to Hitwise.

In a setback for Hollywood, an Australian judge has ruled that an Internet Service Provider (ISP) is not liable for the illegal downloads of its customers.

The company's marketing and PSN chief says it won't be long before PS3 outpaces Xbox 360 in global sales.

Brown, Defries and Cousens say 2010 will still be a challenging year, despite UK's return to economic growth.

Kongregate, which operates a web site for indie games, is announcing today it has had good success with its app platform for browser-based games.

Ever bought something online from a reputable dealer and then unexpectedly find yourself hit with fees, account charges and bills for programs you never knew you'd signed up for?

Electronic Arts will be moving away from distributing externally-developed games to focus more on its internal titles, which can generate higher margins, the company said Monday, and it plans to keep its headcount steady through its upcoming fiscal year.

Electronic Arts saw its fiscal third quarter revenue decline year over year, but at the same time shrunk its net loss from $641 million to $82 million, while reaching a company high for digital revenue.

In part two of this Wiire exclusive interview, Netflix bolsters their hopes for success on the Wii platform by downplaying their HD content.

Pepsi decided to pay millions for an online ad campaign that would "engage and interact with customers for months" rather than pay millions for 30 seconds of ad time during the Super Bowl. They also got a ton of free advertising from news agencies who reported on this decision.

The number of media and entertainment media and acquisitions deals fell by 49 percent in 2009, according to a report by PricewaterhouseCoopers. The accounting firm's 2010 U.S. Entertainment & Media M&A Insights report said the deals totaled $77.4 billion last year, the lowest level since 2004. There were 714 deals, down 29 percent from 2008 and the smallest number in seven years.

"The trial, which should begin by this spring, will transmit up to 20 channels of free and premium programming using signals from eight mobile DTV stations: WDCA (Fox Television Stations); WUSA (Gannett Broadcasting); WPXW (ION Media Networks); WRC (NBC Universal); WHUT (Howard University/PBS); WNVC (MHz Networks); WNUV (Sinclair Broadcast Group); and WFDC (Univision Communications). "One of the key advantages of mobile DTV is the built-in ability to measure viewer activity, giving broadcasters a much better picture of what consumers are actually watching, when they watch, and where," said Brandon Burgess, OMVC President and ION Media Networks Chairman and CEO."

"Chrysler's live mobile TV will also be at the show, available in the Chrysler Town & Country, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Commander, Dodge Grand Caravan, Dodge Nitro, Ram 1500 and Ram 2500/3500. The service offers live sports, news, kids programs and primetime network shows all from the convenience of the back seat. It's a $629 plus installation cost option, but it makes Chrysler the first carmaker in the U.S. to offer live TV on-the-go."

"Chrysler's live mobile TV will also be at the show, available in the Chrysler Town & Country, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Commander, Dodge Grand Caravan, Dodge Nitro, Ram 1500 and Ram 2500/3500. The service offers live sports, news, kids programs and primetime network shows all from the convenience of the back seat. It's a $629 plus installation cost option, but it makes Chrysler the first carmaker in the U.S. to offer live TV on-the-go."

"Anticipating the high growth potential in the global mobile TV market, our team of experts has done thorough research and analysis of the current and future prospects of mobile TV market worldwide."

"Just 30 or so of the nation's 1,600 digital TV stations are equipped to broadcast M-DTV. The upgrade requires a "relatively modest," $100,000 investment, said Arland. He believes 2010 will see 'many stations jumping on board . . . It's been a 'chicken or egg' thing. They're just waiting for the hardware to come out.'"

With SlingPlayer, the IPhone becomes a mini-TV and the iPad a comfortable portable TV, on AT & T's 3G Network

"Do American students have First Amendment rights beyond the schoolyard gates? The answer is yes and no, according to two conflicting federal appellate decisions Thursday testing student speech in the online world. "Ultimately, the Supreme Court is going to have to decide if there ever is a time students have full-fledged First Amendment rights," said Frank LoMonte, executive director of Virginia-Based Student Press Law Center. He's one of the attorneys in the cases the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decided."

"A federal court policy-making body is belatedly entering the internet age by proposing that judges clearly inform jurors they must not electronically discuss cases they are hearing."