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Here's our round-up of games news and games/law developments over the last week.  Enjoy!


GAMES/LAW:

• Stargate studio goes bankrupt, or What is Chapter 11?
• Need to Know: Games and the Digital Economy Bill
• SouthPeak loses further CDV/Gamecock legal battle
• Nintendo 'wins' modchip lawsuit, but are modchips actually illegal Down Under?

• Warner/Rocksteady acquisition: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/warner-acquires-majority-stake-in-rocksteady-studios and http://www.vg247.com/2010/02/23/batman-bought-warner-acquires-rocksteady/
• Disney launches new MMO based on its Cars IP: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ct-disney24-2010feb24,0,5262369.story
• BBC talks about its potential mobile games: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/feb/25/bbc-worldwide-smart-phone-apps
• Sony to restructure its entertainment business: http://www.edge-online.com/news/sony-to-restructure-networked-services-business
• Asda/Tesco to enter second hand games market: http://www.mcvuk.com/news/37714/ASDA-and-Tesco-enter-pre-owned-market
• GameStop CFO resigns and joins Walmart: http://www.edge-online.com/news/gamestop-chief-financial-officer-resigns
  (Walmart has been trying hard recently to get into the US second hand games market, in which GameStop is currently the leader)
• EA acquires mobile developer Ironmonkey: http://www.edge-online.com/news/ea-acquires-mobile-dev-ironmonkey-%E2%80%93-report
• ngmoco acquires mobile developer Freeverse: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/ngmoco-buys-freeverse-completes-USD25m-funding
• UK developer Rebellion's latest game Aliens v Predator reaches top of the charts: http://www.develop-online.net/news/33958/Rebellion-elated-with-AvP-sales-wants-sequel 
• New venture fund Ergo Media Capital to fund games projects: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/ergo-to-fund-videogame-projects
• GAME group to close 43 stores and cut 247 jobs: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/game-to-close-43-stores-axe-247-jobs

• Gordon Brown "back on charm offensive" re games: http://www.develop-online.net/news/33965/Brown-back-on-game-charm-offensive
• Tom Watson MP starts cross-party motion for a UK games tax break: http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=40546&SESSION=903
• Ed Vaizey reiterates support for UK games tax break: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/industry-support-is-number-one-priority-vaizey

• Fascinating Wired article on virtual currency and the future of money: http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/02/ff_futureofmoney
• Games company launches scheme exchanging virtual goods for ad viewing: http://www.bizreport.com/2010/02/wildtangents_brandboost_exchanges_virtual_goods_for_viewing_ads.html
  (Another example of the very wide potential applications for virtual goods!)
• MMPORG.com claims US lagging behind UK in virtual goods uptake: http://www.mmorpg.com/showFeature.cfm/feature/3973/Richard-Aihoshis-Free-Zone-Virtual-Goods-Sales-2009-and-ChinaJoy-2010.html

• Zynga's Farmville now has 80m Facebook users: http://www.edge-online.com/news/study-farmville-serves-80-million-facebook-users
• CCP, developer of Eve Online, to open UK office: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/eve-online-developer-ccp-opens-uk-office

• EA talks about consoles and pricing in the next generation: http://www.edge-online.com/news/ea-talks-console-price-cuts-next-generation
• Edge analysis: music industry is the better model for games than films: http://www.edge-online.com/blogs/you-can-keep-the-popcorn
• Pachter claims Microsoft will sell Project Natal hardware at $50: http://www.edge-online.com/news/pachter-natal-to-launch-at-50