Washington - The Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the video game industry trade group that organized the annual E3 convention that was recently downsized and received some negative reviews this year, has confirmed that it will hold the event in 2009 and said changes may be made to suit its members, GameSpot reports. Noted game analyst Michael Pachter's review of last weekend's E3 was that the event is "headed for extinction." "As we do every year, we're beginning the process of surveying exhibitors and attendees to determine potential changes to the Summit," an ESA spokesperson told GameSpot. "Once this is completed and shared with the ESA's Board of Directors, we will make an announcement about the specifics of the 2009 E3 Media & Business Summit, which will occur."

New York - Time Warner's (NYSE: TWX) AOL on Wednesday announced the release of Tour Tracker, a free Web service that lets users track upcoming concerts in their area, and offers discounts on tickets from Ticketmaster through a partnership with American Express. The site uses concert listings from JamBase, and includes maps and venue directions via MapQuest.

Tokyo - Nintendo has partnered with Fujifilm to allow Japanese owners of its Wii video game console to order prints via the Internet of photos uploaded through memory cards to the console. The service will let users print singles, photo books, or even business cards that display their own photos, personalized "Mii" avatar, or characters from Nintendo's various properties. Wired.com reports that Nintendo plans to launch the service in North America and Europe some time in the future.

San Diego - Microsoft (NASD: MSFT) said on Wednesday that it has partnered with Safran Digital Group to produce a series of exclusive short comedy films from noted horror directors for distribution on its Xbox Live service in the fall. Free comedy shorts will be offered by horror genre directors including James Wan ("Saw"), James Gunn ("Dawn of the Dead"), David Slade ("30 Days of Night"), Lucky McKee ("The Woods"), Andrew Douglas ("The Amityville Horror") and Marcus Nispel ("Friday the 13th").

Seattle - RealNetworks (NASD: RNWK), which in May said it would spin-off its casual games unit into a separate business, on Wednesday announced a number of new partnerships that will expand its casual games into retail stores, and onto new platforms like the Nintendo Wii. The company aligned with Topics Entertainment to distribute RealArcade titles in retail stores, including "UNO Undercover," based on the classic card game from Mattel. Real also developed a game specifically for National Geographic Channel, and will provide titles for the network's new games site. The company recently announced plans to publish games for the Nintendo Wii and DS; created "South Park Imaginationland" for the iPhone; and is looking to distribute games on Xbox Live Arcade and WiiWare.

Silver Spring, Md. - Worldspace, a provider of satellite radio services in foreign markets, said that it has changed its name to 1worldspace. The company said that the new name, developed in conjunction with PIR Marketing, highlights its ability to "bring together people from all over the world through the power of satellite communications." The company's stock, which has dropped by nearly 75% since its IPO in 2005, was up 33% in mid-day trading on Wednesday to trade at $3.03. The company also has unveiled a new tagline -- "I am many; my world is 1" -- and a redesigned website, aimed at creating global communities of listeners. "Our new bold brand will be the backbone of our business and our corporate culture," said Noah Samara, the chairman and CEO of 1worldspace.

San Francisco and Seattle. At the OMMA Gaming Conference in San Francisco yesterday, Alex St. John, CEO of Wild Tangent, opened up the day's discussion by making the bold statement that the game console is dead. At Casual Connect in Seattle this morning, Trip Hawkins, CEO, Digital Chocolate and founder of Electronic Arts, said that the iPhone and new touch-screen displays have made the mobile medium into one of the most interesting areas for the gaming industry today. Paul Thelen, Founder & CEO, Big Fish Games, gave a more balanced overview of the state of the industry. He said that the gaming industry is actually growing in a number of different categories and on multiple platforms at once. In fact, Thelen has identified 2,380 distinct areas in which a gaming company could possibly focus.

Mountain View, Calif. - Following eight months of testing, Google (NASD: GOOG) said on Wednesday that it has officially launched its rival to Wikipedia, known as Knol.

New York - The New York Times Co. (NYSE: NYT) announced on Wednesday that in June its total company revenues from operations decreased 10% compared with the same month a year ago.

Washington - The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has closed public comments on a proposal from the Hollywood studios that would give content owners control over the recording capabilities of devices like digital video recorders, with service providers like AT&T (NYSE: T) and DirecTV (NYSE: DTV) weighing in in favor of the proposal, while groups including the Consumer Electronics Association, Public Knowledge and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) opposed it.

Redwood City, Calif. - Video game publisher Electronic Arts (NASD: ERTS) said on Wednesday that it has signed on with Hollywood talent agency UTA, in a bid to help turn more of its game properties into film and TV series.

New York - New York Gov. David A. Paterson has signed a new law that forces retailers to provide clearer video game ratings and game console makers to include parental lockout features by 2010, while civil liberties groups have said they plan to mount a legal challenge.

San Francisco - Time Warner's (NYSE: TWX) Warner Bros. said Wednesday that it has taken action against a number of websites that have posted "camcorded" copies of its new Batman movie "The Dark Knight" online, CNET News.com reported.

New York - Following similar actions taken against other broadband providers, New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has sent a letter to Comcast (NASD: CMCSA), the nation's second-largest broadband firm, threatening legal action if it does not agree to take specific steps to block child pornography. The previous letters have resulted in ISP's including Time Warner Cable, Verizon, AT&T and Sprint Nextel blocking access to all or some newsgroups on Usenet -- a pre-Web online forum that hosts tens of thousands of discussions groups, a handful of which have been used to host child porn images.

Santa Clara, Calif. - A consortium of consumer electronics and wireless technology developers -- including Sony (NYSE: SNE) and Samsung -- announced on Wednesday that they have partnered to jointly develop a new industry standard for wireless high-definition video. The WHDI (Wireless Home Digital Interface), a technology developed by Israel-based Amimon that includes a video-modem that operates in the 5GHz unlicensed band, will form the basis of the standard, which the companies hope to complete yet this year.

Washington - The fate of XM Satellite Radio's multi-billion merger with rival Sirius has come down to two votes at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the Wall Street Journal reported. So far, two Republican FCC commissioners -- chairman Kevin Martin and Robert McDowell -- have voted in favor of the deal, with Democratic commissioner Michael Copps voting against it Monday night.

San Diego - Verimatrix, a developer of anti-piracy technology for pay-TV networks, announced on Wednesday that it has closed its third and largest-to-date round of financing, led by Goldman Sachs.

New York - Meetup, an online social network that helps grassroots groups organize and create real-world events, announced on Wednesday that it has received an investment from Union Square Ventures.