Boston - The $4 billion global market for online games is expected to triple in the next five years, and in 2011 one-third of games software revenue will be generated online, according to a forecast from market research firm Strategy Analytics. [more..]

Beijing - Hulu, the online video distribution joint venture between News Corp. and NBC Universal, has made its first acquisition, buying video distribution firm Mojiti for around $10 million, TechCrunch reported, citing a source with knowledge of the deal. [more..]

Tokyo - Heating up the next-generation DVD format war, Sony has announced plans to launch four new Blu-ray Disc recorders in November in Japan, while Toshiba plans to introduce a new triple-layer, 51GB capacity HD DVD disc. [more..]

Los Angeles - Universal Music Group is experimenting with a service called TotalMusic, where customers of Internet service providers or mobile carriers would pay a blanket monthly fee for the rights to freely trade unlimited music downloads on the network, Digital Music News reported. [more..]

Montreal - Vantrix, a provider of mobile multimedia adaptation and delivery technology, announced on Wednesday that it has raised $12 million in its second round of funding, led by JK&B Capital. [more..]

Paris - Kewego, a European video-sharing site, has raised $6.9 million in its second round of financing, led by Banxei Venture Partners and CDC Enterprises, PaidContent.org reported. [more..]

Reston, Va. - Avail Media, a provider of Internet television and other media services to broadband operators, said on Wednesday that it has acquired ViewNow, a California-based supplier of video-on-demand programming. [more..]

Montreal - Audiokinetic, a provider of tools that game developers can use to create soundtracks to their titles, announced on Wednesday that it has raised about $5 million in new financing, led by Business Development Bank of Canada and Investissement Quebec. [more..]

Tempe, Ariz. - vSocial, a provider of hosted social networking for video services, announced on Wednesday the closing of its second round of financing, led by Biltmore Ventures and previous backer Consor Capital. [more..]

San Francisco - Socializr, a provider of online event planning services, has raised $1.5 million in its second round of venture capital financing, led by Rembrandt Venture Partners, VentureBeat reported. [more..]

Fairfield, Conn. - AmericanTowns.com, a network of local community-oriented websites, has received a strategic investment of undisclosed amount from Idearc Media, the Dallas-based publisher of Verizon Yellow Pages. [more..]

San Diego - Tapioca Mobile, a provider of mobile video delivery technology, has raised an undisclosed sum of seed funding from Venrock, PEHub.com reported. [more..]

Kanye West is beating 50 Cent in sales of their new albums, both of which were launched Tuesday, and if 50 sticks to his word, he'll retire when West's album officially outsells his. [more..]

The White Stripes have cancelled a tour that was set to begin tomorrow in New Mexico, citing drummer Meg White's "acute anxiety." [more..]

Robert Plant didn't quite confirm the rumors that Led Zeppelin will reunite for a concert in November, but he came close. [more..]

Kanye West declared he was finished with MTV following the VMAs, but don't count the network out in a fight: no one, it appears, knows how to kill their enemies with kindness better than MTV. [more..]

A mock anti-piracy ad has been viewed on YouTube nearly 400,000 times, and it drives at the heart (and humor) of the issue. [more..]

San Francisco - Yahoo has struck a deal to sell display advertising on U.K.-based social network Bebo, the Associated Press reported. [more..]

Washington - The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has ruled that cable TV operators will have to ensure that their analog-only subscribers can receive local TV stations for three years after the digital TV transition, scheduled for Feb. 17, 2009. [more..]

San Francisco - Since Apple began selling ringtones for its iPhone last week for $2, enabling owners to create custom tones from songs they have purchased from the iTunes Store, the company has also been updating its iTunes software to block hacks that allow users to create their own iPhone ringtones from any music on their computers for free, Wired reported. [more..]

Sunnyvale, Calif. - Online music service Mercora, which lets users create their own Internet radio stations, said on Wednesday that it has launched a new service and changed its corporate name to Social.FM. [more..]

New York - Viacom will fold a number of its Web properties into its Spike.com destination, including its video site iFilm, gamer community service Xfire, and gamer news site GameTrailers, Variety reported. [more..]

New York - MusicNet, a provider of digital music services, said on Wednesday that it has partnered with La Curacao, a Hispanic mega retailer in the U.S., to create a Hispanic-focused digital music service. [more..]

Atlanta - Internap, a provider of content delivery network and other digital media services, said on Wednesday that it has partnered with Microsoft to launch live audio players built on Microsoft's Silverlight platform for its radio station group customers. [more..]

Palo Alto, Calif. - Universal Music Group announced on Wednesday that it has partnered with BUZ Interactive to offer Universal tunes for use with the GETaBUZ voicemail messaging service. [more..]

New York - SpiralFrog, the developer of an ad-supported, free music download service, said on Wednesday that it has signed an agreement with independent digital music distributor INgrooves, to include the company's audio and video catalog on its service. [more..]

New York - CineSport, a producer and distributor of syndicated online sports video highlights, said on Wednesday that it has signed a deal with Major League Baseball Advanced Media, to offer licensed baseball video highlights to its network. [more..]

Somerville, Mass. - Washingtonpost.com has launched a new technology reviews channel with Somerville-based Reviewed.com, a publisher of consumer products reviews. [more..]