Intel’s Sandy Bridge chip was perhaps the most impressive thing at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, but the rollout of the next generations processors has hit a stumbling block.

Intel today announced it had discovered a flaw in a support chip that works with next generation – or so-called Sandy Bridge – processors, and has suspended shipments and will be replacing those that have already shipped with the affected support chip.

To be clear: There’s nothing wrong with Sandy Bridge itself, which includes the ballyhooed “Intel Insider” technology that provides such sufficient security that major studios (including Warner Bros.) will begin releasing high-definition versions of films online in conjunction with DVD and Blu-ray releases. But it’s still a disappointing setback for the company that will cost it up to $1 billion in lost revenue and repair/replacement costs.

The problem was the support chip, code-named Cougar Point, had flaws in its Serial ATA (SATA) ports. Ultimately, that could have meant that SATA devices, such as hard drives and DVD drives, might not have work properly.

Intel expects to have an updated version of the chip ready to go in late February, but it will be April before it sees a full recovery of production volumes.

Because there are so many app games on the market, we don’t write about them too often here at Technotainment, but we’re willing to make an exception for “Angry Birds.”

The sequel to the most popular game on the iPhone, iPad and pretty much any other mobile device it’s on has finally been unveiled. And this time, the birds are turning their wrath on… other birds. The game – called “Angry Birds: Rio” - is due out this spring and will have 45 initial levels. But to get you pumped up, creator Rovio and 20^th Century Fox have put together one heck of a trailer (below).

It’s more than just a game, though. The new title is a tie-in with Fox’s upcoming film “Rio,” from the makers of “Ice Age”.  The app will show the original Angry Birds kidnapped and taken to the magical titular city of the film, where they eventually escape and attempt to save Blu and Jewel – the two stars of the flick.

Game titles in the app store have rewritten the rules of video game development – so it makes sense that they would rewrite the rules of tie-ins as well.

“Doodle Jump,” one of the most popular apps on iDevices, has announced a film partnership with Universal Pictures that will work a bit differently than the usual game/movie tie-in.

Under the deal, E.B. (aka Easter Bunny), the CG-star of Universal’s upcoming film “Hop” will replace Doodle Jump’s titular character for a stretch in February – and the game will also feature an unlockable Easter Level.

“To have Doodle Jump involved with the launch of a major motion picture demonstrates how influential apps have become in just a few short years,” said Igor Pusenjak, president and founder of Lima Sky, creator of the game, which was first released in March 2009.

As Disney was busy laying off a substantial portion of its games division this week, it was also doing some hiring.

The Mouse House has lured away Adam Sussman, vice president of Electronic Arts’ mobile division. Sussman will become Senior VP of publishing for Disney Games – further indicating the company’s plan to focus almost entirely on mobile and social titles moving forward.

Sussman is credited with making EA a powerhouse in Apple’s App Store, along with other platforms. That division was responsible for over $200 million in revenue, according to Sussman’s LinkedIn profile.

"Adam’s ability to grow businesses geographically as well as his talent for working across platforms and distribution channels make him an ideal leader in our games division," said Mr. Pleasants. “His passion for games and his understanding of all facets of the business will make him a key part of our success.”

Sussman’s a Disney vet. From 1999-2005, he worked at the company in a number or roles, including overseeing mergers and acquisitions. He also served as general manager at Take-Two Interactive Software.

He comes into a company that’s in the midst of an ugly transition. Over 200 people were laid off this week from Disney’s Interactive Media Group – and a second round of layoffs is said to be looming.

Most of the gaming world figured Sony would be rolling out the successor to the PSP at its Business and Strategy Meeting being held in Tokyo – but no one guessed it would embrace the smart phone market as well.

The company unveiled its next generation handheld system Thursday as well as a new initiative that would bring games from the original PlayStation to Android-based devices, as Sony prepares to launch its own ‘PlayStation Phone’.

The next generation PSP – currently codenamed NGP (for next generation portable) - will feature a 5-inch OLED touch-screen display as well as a rear touch panel, WiFi and 3G wireless connectivity, motion sensors, rear and front-facing cameras and dual analog sticks (making the controls similar to the familiar PlayStation controller).

Game quality on the NGP is said to be virtually on par with the PS3. Sony showed demos of the device playing “Killzone,” “Resistance,” “Little Big Planet,” “Uncharted” and “Metal Gear Solid 4” at the event.

The NGP will be available this holiday season, though Sony did not announce pricing information. (Look for that, most likely, to come around E3 in June.)

The tie-in with Android was the real shocker, though. Dubbed PlayStation Suite, the initiative is expected to kick off this year. Current generation won’t be ported to the phones and tablets, but select titles from the original PlayStation will (though the company did not announce which).

Sony plans to open a PlayStation Store in the Android marketplace to offer the titles and will offer new and original titles that will run on both Android devices and NGP.

Intel is taking a page from Polaroid’s playbook: Grab a hot musician, give them an official sounding title and hope the PR blitz surrounding that will result in something good.

With the camera company having already snapped up Lady Gaga, the chip maker went with Black Eyed Peas front man will.i.am. His title: Director of Creative Innovation. His duties: No one seems to have any freaking idea.

The company says the agreement is "a multi-year, hands-on creative and technology collaboration" which will see the musican "collaborate and co-develop new ways to communicate, create, inform and entertain".

A press conference with will.i.am and Intel’s chief marketing officer Deborah Conrad was a rambling half hour that avoided hard answers and incorporated talk of the singer’s shoes, his new Intel ID badge and some of the strangest apropos of nothing comments to be heard in an Intel call.

“I’m not a race car driver, but the content I create races around the internet. It’s racing through you right now,” said will.i.am in describing how he began working with Intel.

While his role beyond brand ambassador is still unclear, it was hinted he might tinker with the company’s long standing jingle. And, judging by some of his comments, he might even be helping out the futurists at the company.

“Why do I have to use a microphone nowadays?,” he asked rhetorically. “Just because that’s what they did yesterday? Why can’t you use a smartphone and upload your performance?”

Disney is swinging the ax at Disney Interactive Studios, cutting hundreds of positions, sources have told Variety.

Disney declined to give a number of people affected, but speaking off the record, people who were affected by the move said it could be as much as half of Disney Interactive Studios. Several vice presidents and directors were among those cut. (Update: Further research by Variety has found the actual number of employees cut to be closer to 35-40 percent of the unit.) 

"“As part of setting a strategic direction for future success in the digital media space, the Disney Interactive Media Group yesterday began a restructuring process," the company said in a statement. 

More than 700 people work at Disney Interactive Studios, but many have been waiting for what they saw as inevitable cuts after upper management changes were made late last year after the June 2010 acquisition of social game maker Playdom.

First out was Disney Interactive Media Group head Steve Wadsworth, who left abruptly in September. The Mouse quickly replaced him with Yahoo! vet Jimmy Pitaro and John Pleasants, CEO of Playdom, an online game company that Disney acquired for $763 million in late July.

In November, that shift continued as Graham Hopper, who had guided Disney’s gaming division for the past eight years and had built the company into a viable force among game makers, announced his departure.

During holiday 2010, the company had two major releases: “Tron: Evolution,” which was a flop and “Epic Mickey,” its biggest retail release in years – and a video game re-branding, of sorts, for the company’s most famous character.

“Epic Mickey” sold 1.3 million units in December – a respectable number and one that Disney said made it the fastest-selling game in the company’s history. The figure wasn’t quire as spectacular as some insiders were likely hoping for, though. (Analysts blame the game’s late release date – and the fact that it was only available on the Nintendo Wii - for the numbers.)

Junction Point, which made “Epic Mickey” was not spared from Monday’s layoffs, but cuts at that studio were minimal compared to the larger employee reductions at the division. Star developer Warren Spector is not leaving the company. 

Another old-school video game is getting the live action treatment – but in a different way than its peers.

While Universal is trying to bring “Asteroids” to the big screen and Namco is shopping a 3D series AND reality series revolving around Pac-Man, Warner Premiere has announced plans to create a series of live action digital shorts around “Mortal Kombat”.

Directed by Kevin Tancharoen, who put together some popular unofficial shorts based on the game, the series will explore the history of some of the game’s warriors, including Scorpion and Johnny Cage. Shooting will being early next month.

The shorts will be available this spring through online digital retailers – likely in the weeks leading up to the release of the game’s latest installment – which is due April 19. Casting information will be announced in the coming weeks. 

This isn't the series first dip into the live-action waters, of course. "Mortal Kombat" was previously made into two feature films in the mid-90s.

“Duke Nukem Forever,” the longest running punchline in the video game industry, finally has a ship date – and all signs are the game will actually stand by this one. 

After more than a decade in development, an apparent cancellation, an IP ownership transfer and a miraculous revival, the long-in-development game will finally hit retail shelves on May 3.

To understand the impact of this announcement, you have to know a little history about the game. “Duke Nukem Forever” was announced at the end of the Clinton Adminstration. It has been in development for over 13 years, suffered innumerable setbacks and seemed doomed to remain vaporware when developer 3D Realms ran out of money last year and fired the development team.

Gearbox Software, which has a number of ex-3D Realms staffers among its ranks, will finish up development on the game, which will be released on the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. (Gearbox is the company behind “Brothers in Arms” and “Borderlands” and is respected by gamers.)

Duke the character is one of the game industry’s icons, but “Duke Nukem Forever” became an industry in-joke many years ago. The laughing stopped, however, when Gearbox brought a playable version to the Penny Arcade Expo last fall – surprising everyone.

The game has come a long way from that infamous 1996 interview, when 3D Realms’ George Broussard told 1Up that the game would be out “when pigs fly”.

The trailer for the game is embedded below – but be warned it contains offensive language and pixilated nudity. Duke has never been a game for the politically correct.