Time and tide wait for no man ...

It's been a while, I know. A series of personal events have admittedly kept me from being able to focus on my writing. It's the classic snowball effect ... one thing gets the ball rolling, and other events build up its size and momentum until you find yourself unable to slow it down and just trying to stay out of its way. That having been said, I've decided to try and sidestep that snowball in order to get another ball rolling. With luck, it'll help. Okay, enough about that ... time to move on.

First off, what's new and in the works? Well, next week I should be talking with EGM about doing some previews for them. Originally, I was supposed to have done some work last month, but with the pending release of the PSP, things had to be cut to make way for a big feature on the launch. Anyway, this month things should be back to some semblance of normality and I should be about to contribute some material for the next issue. Next on the list is Video Game Collector. Never heard of it? No worries, it's a new magazine on the market with a very interesting concept. Video Game Collector is a quarterly magazine that features the usual news and such for the game industry. What makes VG Collector different is that it includes a price guide for various video games. Ever wonder what that old copy of Excitebike on the NES really goes for? Now you'll know. I should be talking with the guys there over the weekend, and we'll see how things develop. I'm also waiting to hear back from American McGee. I'm stoked about that interview.

And finally, construction on Visionary Ink has finally begun. The blueprints are wrapped and the site is finally under development. News, reviews, previews, columns, etc. It's something that's going to take a lot of work and coordination ... thankfully that's something I'm up for right about now. As always, I'll keep you posted.

So, moving right along, here's some news from around the industry:

• Vivendi Universal has just announced that it's going to do more than throw its two cents worth into the action game genre ... in fact, it's throwing in 50 Cent(s). VU has just announced a collaberation with the rap star to develop a game called 50 Cent: Bulletproof. According to the press release,

  "In 50 Cent's video game, which will be revealed at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles on May 18th, 2005, 50 gets caught in a web of corruption, double-crosses and shady deals that lead him on a bloody path through New York's drug underworld. Working with the unlikeliest of allies, the streets heat up as 50 Cent takes on the most dangerous crime families in the city, uncovering an international conspiracy with devastating implications. The streets are watching as 50 Cent blasts his way to the truth.
  
  Further blending the lines between Hollywood, music and games, Sopranos executive producer and Emmy-Award winner Terry Winter inked both the game's script as well as the screenplay for 50's forthcoming film, Get Rich or Die Tryin'.
  
  More information about the game can be found at http://www.the50centgame.com/."

  
  
• Nintendo has started its next major push folr the DS system in Japan. As a part of this push, the company is setting up various kiosks which will allow DS owners to download additional game content and trial versions of popular games. The new content will be stored on the DS cartridge allowing it to be accessed at any time. The demos, however, will be stored in the system's RAM similar to the way that single-cart multiplayer games operate, meaning that the demo will be lost once the DS is turned off.
  
  
• If any of you make your way out to the Chicago area, be sure to check out the Museum of Science and Industry. Beginning today, the museum will feature an exhibit called "Game On". The exhibit will feature all sorts of information, presentations, and yes games, from more than forty years of gaming history. From the pre-gaming days of Sony, Nintendo, and SEGA to the release of Pong and on up through the latest and greatest in gaming, the exhibit looks to be pretty cool. Admission is only $5 per person. You can find out more information at the exhibit's website.

I'll be adding more news a little later. Got to get cracking on a few extras over here first. Keep checking in, and let me know your thoughts.