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Josh Lovison in Gaming Insider has been writing on developments in casual gamers’ gaming news (Bejeweled hits WoW: flash-based procrastination tools and night elves together at last! Plus: women play games while chatting on phone) which we found pretty interesting, including this little nugget:

Now Microsoft, feeling fairly secure with the core demographic for the Xbox 360, is pushing a multimillion marketing blitz to expand the console to casual players. Having dropped below the $200 price point for their Arcade version of the system, and with their Netflix exclusive, they are poised for solid sales this fall.

Also in casual gaming, a little repositioning news: Scott’s Blog notices Texas Hold ‘Em and a “mildly entertaining” Hexic have appeared on his Zune. These come with the 3.0 update, and let players use music from their own playlists to use as their game soundtrack. This would be the Hexic whose UX, design, and asset production work we had a hand in; a “quality title” and “a great way to kick off Zune gaming”.

The spooky season is upon us, and this October, you decide who controls Halloween! Every Sunday on Jetix, watch the Battle of the Halloween Heavyweights, but first, vote for your favorite biggest vs. baddest pairing to watch (this week: Mandarin vs. Iron Man or Carnage vs. Spider-Man), then tune in Sundays at 8/7C to see a full hour of the winning match-up! And if you send in a shout-out too, you might see it online!

The updated version of the award-winning ABC.com video player is now live: http://abc.go.com/player/index?pn=index. Watch your favorite new (and even “classic”) ABC shows in HD online. Watch full-episodes of “My So Called Life” and “The Last Lecture: A Celebration of Life” by Randy Pausch (something that everyone should watch) while you wait patiently for the “Lost” and “Pushing Daisy” premieres!

Emru Townsend, Editor of Frames per Second Magazine is scheduled for a bone marrow transplant on September 15th–the day he’s calling “my new birthday”. We’re excited about this news but also know that a transplant doesn’t mean a cure. Our fingers are crossed and our thoughts are with Emru and his family.

If you’d like to read more about Emru and what he’s been up to and what he’s been up against, check out his blog.

We’re excited to be able to support local animator Bruce Bickford with the Cartune Xprez: 2008 AMRCAN FALL tour.

Friday, August 29th
8pm
Northwest Film Forum
1515 12th Ave
Seattle, WA

Multimedia dance duo Hooliganship (Peter Burr and Christopher Doulgeris) present the freshest incarnation of Cartune Xprez, a 70–minute animation party that celebrates the wilderness of imagination through motion pictures. Featured artists include Bruce Bickford, Shana Moulton, Takeshi Murata, Paper Rad and others. Included in this cartoon theater will be their most recent piece entitled “Realer” in which audiences don 3D glasses and bear witness to a televised parade gone awry. This program provides a rare opportunity to see videos by emerging and internationally known artists. Collectively, their resumes include collaborations with Frank Zappa and major exhibitions at the Whitney Biennial, the MOMA in New York, the Sundance Film Festival and many other institutions throughout the world.

http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/41765

Sunday, August 17 | 4:00 PM
Henry Auditorium
FREE to Henry members or with museum admission
Tickets available at the Henry Admission Desk beginning August 10; seating is limited.

As part of La Semaine de la Bande Dessinée (The Week of the Graphic Novel), the Henry welcomes a powerhouse international panel to celebrate the visit of Parisian graphic novelist Pierre-François Beauchard (professionally known as David B.) When still a student, David B. co-founded the artist-run publishing group L’Association, a group that revolutionized European comics. The best example of L’Association’s daring approach is Beauchard’s own masterpiece Epileptic.

David B. is joined by two of Seattle’s own superstar bédéistes: Peter Bagge and Jim Woodring. These Seattle artists join David B. in a conversation moderated by Kim Thompson, the co-owner of Fantagraphics Books and English translator of Epileptic, about the different subtleties of their medium, how they employ its tools of image, space, and text to create narratives, capture visions, and change our views of the world. After the event, works by each artist will be available for purchase and signing.

Plexi’s own Ryan Worsley will be showing some of her award-winning film work this Thursday.
Check it!

The Nuthouse presents…
Thursday, July 17th
Rendezvous Jewlbox Theatre
2322 2nd Ave
10pm - 2am
$5
21 and over

The Shankers
The Femurs
Award-winning films by Aaron Bourget, Ryan Worsley, and others
DJ Winston Darling

“Nauseously Optimistic”
Shawn Wolfe at
Wall of Sound
315 E. Pine St.
Seattle, WA

Friday, July 18
7pm - 9pm

—

“I Die Daily: The Making of Matthew Barney’s Cremaster Cycle”
Opening Reception with the filmmaker Matthew Wallin
911 Media Arts Gallery
402 9th Ave N
Seattle, WA 98109
Friday, July 18th
6pm - 10pm

“I Die Daily” is a film that documents the making of Matthew Barney’s epic 5-part film “The Cremaster Cycle” as well as Barney’s rise in the contemporary art world. Filmmaker Matthew Wallin spent a decade of his life exploring the creation of the Cycle.

911 Seattle Media Arts will be presenting material from the documentary.

Kristi and I finally found some official stats from the Adidas Penalty Shootout Instant Messenger game we designed and developed last year. According to Microsoft, the game was “one of the five most successful online games in the world” with 13 million plays in the 2 months of the campaign.

With 5 million unique users playing the game, there were inevitably people like this:

“I’m going to kick him in the groin. High power! In the groin, in the groin, in the groin!”

I love how he says it’s “rather rubbish” but he does really get into the game, doesn’t he? Nice try pretending how you dislike it, Mr. Ikealord. LOL!

The Americans
at Grass Hut Gallery
811 E. Burnside
Portland, OR

Opens at noon on the 4th of July
Bar Bee Que, Fireworks, Beer, Lemon-aid and art.

Line up:
Dawn Riddle
Scott Barry
Ryan Jacob Smith
Claire Miller
Scrappers
Jesse Brown
Kim Scafuro
Justin Lovato
Nick doodles art
Shawn Wolfe
Brad Simon
Dr. Medz
Ross McSweeney
Ryan Berkley
Pete Toms
Bwana Spoons
Brett Superstar
Chuck Hill
John Black
Ademar Matinian
Sean Alexander
THE HANNA
BT Livermore
Arbito
Dickbird
Jimm Lasser
Caley Feeney
Aidan Koch
Amy Morrison
Devi Pellerin
Niles Armstrong
Tripper Dungan
Reverend Benny Bob
Steve Mathews
Shayla Hason
Tom Webb
Josh Herbolsheimer
Merideth Hamm
Mark Gunderson
David Wein