Sales charts are imminently useful tools to discover the popularity of games, but they tend to focus solely on what’s hot at the moment. They are poor indicators of which games continue to captivate the hearts and minds of players.

That’s what makes Tweet My Gaming so interesting. The site monitors the popularity of video games not by sales or players, but by the chatter about the games on Twitter. Not surprisingly, there’s a big cross over between video game enthusiasts and the social networking site, so it’s a pretty accurate representation.

Believe it or not, “The Sims 3” has a larger buzz factor than “World of Warcraft,” with over 144,000 tweets vs. roughly 116,000 for the Blizzard game since the site's launch on June 1.

Stats are viewable in a 24 hour, weekly, monthly or all-time format. There's also a feed of all gaming-themed tweets that demonstrates quite remarkably how much Twitter users like to talk about video games.

The first fiscal quarter was not a happy one for Sony or Nintendo. Both companies reported sharply lower year-over-year earnings.

Sony’s game business was off 18 percent in the April-June time period. Nintendo saw profits tumble a whopping 60 percent, largely due to a tough year-to-year comparison. 

The poor results are likely to result in an increased focus on hardware price cuts, despite ongoing denials from both companies.

Sony sold just 1.1 million PS3s last quarter, compared to 1.6 million in 2008. 

The PS2, meanwhile, is doing quite well, despite its age. The legacy platform sold 1.6 million units in the quarter - a rise over last year's number, thanks to its recent price cut. The PSP was dead in the water, selling just 1.3 million units, versus 3.7 million last year. 

That's not surprising, though, as rumors of the PSP Go were active early this year, possibly scaring off buyers. 

Over at Nintendo, Wii sales fell from 5.17 million to 2.23 million. And the DSi, while off to a good start, is a little behind the pace the original DS set, selling 6.68 million so far. 

Perhaps in an effort to distract from the current numbers, the company updated the life-to-date numbers for all of its current hardware and software - and, indeed, they're pretty impressive. Take a look:

• Wii hardware: 52.62 million worldwide
• Wii software: 384.09 million worldwide
• Nintendo DS hardware: 107.75 million worldwide (including the 6.68 million Nintendo DSi units sold)
• Nintendo DS software: 596 million   

Between April 2009 and March 2010, Nintendo expects to sell 26 million Wiis. Even with a stronger software lineup in the back half of the year, it's going to have to cut prices or offer a very appealing bundle package to hit those numbers. 

It was bound to happen. Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has announced plans to release games based on ABC’s “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette”.

The games will be developed by Ludia, which has become something of a specialist in licensed products, producing games based on “The Price is Right,” “American Idol” and more. Look for the titles announced to day to hit shelves at the conclusion of season 14 of “The Bachelor” in 2010.

How they can build a worthwhile gameplay component out of hot tub encounters and awkward meetings with potential in-laws is a bit beyond me, but Ludia is the same company working on a video game version of “The Amazing Race,” so they’re definitely believers in the reality-tv-to-video-game conversion.

Let’s face it: It’s pretty easy to make jokes at the premise of the game, but there have been some successful reality TV games, mostly centered around the “American Idol” franchise. And while the game was terrible, there was actual excitement when Infogrames put out a “Survivor” game in 2001.

Put into hard numbers, as of June, "American Idol"-themed games have collectively sold some 1.6 million copies, according to the NPD Group, which tracks video game sales. "Hell's Kitchen," which is more comparable to "The Bachelor" in terms of potential audience, has sold 63,000 copies life to date. 

Don’t look for any more “Godfather” or “Grand Theft Auto” games in China.

The Chinese Ministry of Culture has forbidden websites from featuring or publicizing games that heavily feature gangs, obscenity or gambling -- and says it will severely punish sites that try to skirt the law.

“These games encourage people to deceive, loot and kill, and glorify gangsters’ lives. It has a bad influence on youngsters,” said a report from the Culture Ministry carried on the Xinhua news agency.

My colleague Clifford Coonan has more on the ban itself, but the implications for the gaming industry are notable.

Gang games are still a big part of the industry these days. Beyond the examples above, there’s also THQ’s “Saint’s Row,” Take Two’s “Mafia II” and the upcoming “APB” – a massively multiplayer online game for the PC, which are the most popular types of games in China.

And, depending on how broad a definition of the word ‘gangs’ the Ministry of Culture decides to take, the “World of Warcraft” juggernaut could even find itself at risk. While Blizzard Software banned casinos in the game four years ago, zealots could label Horde guilds as a gang – particularly in the PvP zones (where players are permitted to kill each other’s characters).

There are implications beyond big, traditional publishers as well. Facebook’s most popular game is “Mafia Wars” – which could give the government further reason to continue blocking the social networking site. (After the riots in Xinjiang earlier this month, China blocked access to Facebook and Twitter. It’s unknown if that ban will be permanent or not.)

Like it or not, the ‘gang’ subgenre of gaming is not going away anytime soon. And China is a growing market for the industry, as developers and publishers finally begin to get a handle on ways to combat the country’s significant piracy problem. This move by the government could eventually have notable effects on the industry as a whole. 

The exodus of high-profile games from the holiday season is getting longer – and more painful.

Ubisoft today announced it will delay “Splinter Cell: Conviction” and “Red Steel II” until its fourth fiscal quarter. In the real world calendar, that means we won’t see the games until sometime between January and March 2010.

Meanwhile, “Ghost Recon” and “I am Alive” – which were slated for early next year – have been moved back to unspecified dates in the 2010-2011 fiscal year, making them both candidates for holiday 2010 releases.

Major title delays are the ‘in’ thing with publishers lately. Take Two pushed back “BioShock 2” earlier this month. Sony has delayed “Heavy Rain” until early next year. And Activision bumped “Singularity”. 

Add on rumors that “Starcraft II” and “MAG” may not make their release dates.

For other industries, such as film and television, that have seen their audiences affected by busy gamers, this could be an opportunity to steal back the eyeballs, even if it’s only for a brief period of time. 

If you’re an old school gamer, you may remember the name Rocket Science Games. 

In the early- to mid-1990s, Rocket Science was, in the eyes of the media, one of the star developers of the industry. It raised over $12 million from venture capitalists. It was on the cover of Wired magazine. And it had the film industry captivated with its “Hollywood meets Silicon Valley’ pitch.

There was a problem, though. Despite the incredible publicity and hype for the company, it hadn’t yet released a game – and when the games did come out, they weren’t that good. “Loadstar: The Legend of Tully Bodine” and “Cadillacs and Dinosaurs: The Second Cataclysm” probably don’t ring too many bells.

Rocket Science ended up getting emergency funding from SegaSoft and the games got a little better (you might recall “Obsidian” or “The Space Bar”). Ultimately, though, they still didn’t catch on with players. In 1997, four years after it burst onto the scene, Rocket Science was gone.

Steve Blank, a serial entrepreneur who now teaches at U.C. Berkeley, Stanford University and the Columbia University/Berkeley Joint Executive MBA program, was CEO of Rocket Science Games. And he has recently begun writing a blow-by-blow account of what went wrong at the company.

It turns out the problems started before the company was really up and running.

Electronic Arts unveiled its latest multi-platform franchise at Comic-Con Thursday with the 14th century epic poem-turned video game/animated film/comic book, "Dante's Inferno." Breaking dramatically from the philosophical depths of Dante Alighieri's seminal work, the game reimagines the protagonist as a sword-wielding medieval knight who ventures violently through the nine circles of hell.

The Comic-Con panel featured executive producer Jonathan Knight, art director Ash Huang and writer Christos Gage, who showed slides depicting game play as well as the artistic process that went into the geographical development of hell's nine distinct circles. Knight emphasized EA's desire to build on the established narrative by creating a more thorough and engaging plot that would translate into a videogame format.

At the end of the discussion, a trailer for Universal Pictures'upcoming "Dante's Inferno" animated feature received its world premiere. Though screen time for the anticipated 2010 release was limited, the footage appeared to be highly stylized, bearing heavy influence from Japanese anime. -- Matt Kivel

Metalhead toon lovers rejoice: The world's most brutal band, Dethklok, is heading into the videogame world.

Cartoon Network and Xbox have teamed to develop "Metalocalypse: Dethgame," a game based on the Adult Swim toon "Metalocalypse." Gamers will play as Klokateers, Dethklok army members who battle mutant fans to protect their beloved metal band. The game will include new songs from the "Deathklok 2" album, which is set for release this fall.

“We have gone above and beyond and found the biggest nerds in the industry to help develop and deliver what will without a doubt be the most successful downloadable cartoon death metal game in recorded history,” said Brendon Small, co-creator of the series.

Developed by Frozen Codebase, "Metalocalypse: Dethgame" is slated for release later this year. -- Erin Maxwell

A year after unveiling “DC Universe Online” to fans at Comic Con, Sony Online Entertainment is beginning to talk about the game’s early story lines. Speaking exclusively to The Cut Scene, the company has unveiled the heroes and villains you’ll meet as you start the game – and what your first mission will be.

A little refresher first, though, for those who aren’t up to speed on the game:

“DC Universe Online” is a massively multiplayer online game for both the PC and PlayStation 3 that will blend action and role-playing elements. Players can choose to be a hero or villain in one of several cities, including Metropolis or Gotham City.

You’ll create a custom character to fight alongside icons from the DC Universe – and you won’t have to worry about building up your powers slowly. From the minute you enter the game you’ll be a full-fledged super hero (though, obviously, you’ll enhance your skills as you progress).

While DC and SOE are keeping the game’s full story under wraps - and, make no mistake, there is an evolving plot to the game - DC writer Marv Wolfman (who will lead a panel on the game Wed. evening at Comic Con) says everything you do in “DCUO” will be centered around that storyline.

Once you’ve signed up, you will be able to choose one of three areas of specialty – Super powers, Tech powers or Magic powers.

Superheroes will find themselves involved in a Superman storyline the minute they begin playing. Tech heroes will work alongside Batman. And magic heroes will apprentice with Wonder Woman.

Conversely, super villains will work with Lex Luthor. Tech villains start off the game with the Joker. And magic villains will have Circe get them started.

For simplicity’s sake, let’s assume you have created a superhero.

Heading to Comic Con this year? You’re going to see a lot of gaming companies vying for your attention.

It’s hardly news that the annual gathering in San Diego has been evolving for the past several years. While comics are still the heart of the show, a sizable percentage of the attendees are there to get sneak peaks at upcoming films, television shows and, increasingly, video games.

Publishers have taken note of this and will be there in force this year.

Sony, Microsoft, Activision/Blizzard, Capcom, Electronic Arts, LucasArts and RockStar Games are among the more than 20 developers and publishers who will be on hand.

To help you with your schedule planning, here’s a sample of some of the demos and announcements you might want to make some time for at the show.

• Dragon Age: The latest RPG from Bioware will be on the show floor for attendees to play. The game is grisly, gory and beautiful. Bioware makes some of the best RPGs in the industry – and since there’s no word about a demo of the game, this could be your only chance to play it prior to its release in late October.  
• Left 4 Dead 2: EA and Valve Software will be unveiling new content for the upcoming zombie game at Comic Con. The “Swamp Fever” campaign will make its debut, marking the second of five campaigns in the game. Valve’s also promising to show off a few more of “L4D2’s” new items (which already include a cricket bat and a frying pan to pimpslap any nearby undead).The levels will be playable from 2 pm to 9 pm on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and between 12 pm and 5 pm on Sunday, but you’re going to have to leave the show to do so. It will be set up at the EA Gaming Lounge in the Hilton San Diego Gaslamp Quarter Hotel.

A quick one before we head off for the weekend. Kotaku recently put together a wonderful feature on the gaming tie-ins to some of the biggest summer movies of all time.

The majority were terrible, though to be fair, the majority discussed here are fairly old titles - and movie tie-ins have slowly been getting better. The lesson for Hollywood to learn, though, is that while a bad movie might ultimately be regarded as a camp classic, a bad game never gets any better.

Check out the feature here.

Did you buy a video game last month? No? You weren’t alone.

Video game sales in June posted the biggest year-over-year decline in nine years. Put another way, we haven’t seen this big of a fall since September 2000 (when sales dove 41 percent).

Game software sales fell to $626 million, a 29 percent plunge compared to the 2008 numbers, according to market research firm NPD Group. Hardware sales tumbled 38 percent to $383 million.

For the year, the industry is down 12 percent versus the 2008 numbers, with sales of $7.3 billion.

The numbers are worse than analysts were expecting – and even NPD analyst Anita Frazier, who typically takes a rosy outlook whatever the numbers, had some glum comments on the month.

“The first half of the year has been tough largely due to comparisons against a stellar first half performance last year, but still, this level of decline is certainly going to cause some pain and reflection in the industry,” she said. “This is one of the first months where I think the impact of the economy is clearly reflected in the sales numbers. The size of the decline could also point to consumers deferring limited discretionary spending until a big event (must-have new title, hardware price cut) compels them to spend.”

In other words, you won’t hear the words “recession proof” or “recession resistant” used to describe gaming for a while. And you will hear the words "price cut" a LOT more. 

A month or so ago, we’d be able to shrug this off, saying the games coming out in the back half of the year would save us – but the number of potential blockbusters in the holiday season continues to shrink. And there are rumors of even more delays coming for big games.

The month’s top 10 selling games are listed below. See if you can spot the one that’s missing: 

Despite analyst predictions, it looks like we won’t see a new full-scale installment in the “Grand Theft Auto” franchise next year.

Take Two Interactive Software shot down the whispers today in a call with analysts after delaying “Bioshock 2” and drastically lowering its earnings expectation for the year.

“Our goal for fiscal year 2010 is to operate the company profitably  … without a new multi-platform ‘Grand Theft Auto’ release,” said Ben Feder, president and CEO of Take Two.

Pressed by analysts on whether that would mean a new GTA is completely out of the question for next year, he added “I don’t think any more clarification is required.”

The chatter about “GTA V” started in March, when Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst Michael Pachter predicted the game would hit next year.

"When the next version of GTA comes out in late 2010 (not yet announced, but a reasonable expectation), there should be an installed base of approximately 60 million consoles in the addressable market,” he wrote. “We don't think it is reasonable to estimate that sales of GTA will double the prior version, but we think that a 25-30% penetration is reasonable, suggesting 15-18 million units sold."

More downloadable content is likely next year, but it now appears the next ‘full’ game won’t be hitting until sometime in 2011. 

It's hard to blame Take Two for keeping the game in 2011. For years, the company has tried to prove it's not a one-trick pony, but investors have remained doubtful. If they're able to pull in record profits without a "GTA" in that year's release list, they may finally convert some of those skeptics into believers.  

Two big titles that were originally planned for release this holiday season have fallen out of the pack.

Sony has delayed “Heavy Rain” until 2010, while Take Two Interactive has done the same with “BioShock 2”. The moves are bound to upset some fans, but could ultimately prove beneficial for both titles.

“Heavy Rain” is an original IP – and would have found itself up against some serious competition during the holiday period. Historically, big sequels rule the sales charts at the end of the year. With eagerly awaited installments in the “Call of Duty” and “Splinter Cell” franchises leading the way, it’s very possible that “Heavy Rain” would have fallen by the wayside as consumers curb their spending.

It happened to EA and “Mirror’s Edge” last year. The game was a sales dud, never gaining any traction against bigger titles.

The story’s a bit different for “Bioshock 2”. As the sequel to one of the biggest games of 2007, it has an established fan base. The new game, though, isn’t being made by the same development team that created the original. Four studios are working on “Bioshock 2” at this point, which has set off warning bells for fans. The game did not have a particularly strong showing at E3 last month either.

 “The decision to shift a release date is never an easy one, especially with a product as highly anticipated as ‘BioShock 2’,” said Ben Feder, CEO of Take-Two in a statement. “We felt that it was essential to invest the additional time to ensure that this title will deliver what its fans expect and deserve.”

Technically, Take Two did not officially say the game (which was originally due in early November) will not be released this year. It simply moved it out of its fiscal 2009 earnings release schedule. But reading between the lines, it sounds like this could be a noteworthy delay.

The original “BioShock” was scheduled to be converted into a film helmed by Gore Verbinski, though that production was stuck in a holding pattern earlier this year. Producers are considering moving the production outside of the U.S. to take advantage of a tax credit.

I should warn you: This post will probably not be good for your productivity.

Bethesda Softworks has decided to release “The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall” as a free download starting today. The move comes as the company celebrates the title’s 10^th anniversary.

This is the title that really set the role-playing game franchise on its path and is generally considered one of the best RPGs ever released. It’s certainly one of the largest. The world of Tamriel here is bigger than any modern Elder Scrolls game, giving you well over 100 hours of gameplay.

Since the game is 10 years old, it may take a little maneuvering to get up and running on your system. Bethesda has put together a walkthrough to help people install the DOSBox emulator (and the game), so they can start playing.

Rob Thomas admits he’s not much of a gamer. And given his commitments to his burgeoning solo career and his duties as frontman of Matchbox 20, that’s not surprising.

That said, he does own an Xbox 360 and a PlayStation 3. And, as the father of an 11 year old boy, he’s been known to pick up a controller from time to time. The game of choice in the Thomas house? “Rock Band”

“There’s something great about watching [my son] playing a Pixies song with me on ‘Rock Band’,” he says. “[The game] puts a kid in a world they’re familiar with, but unbeknownst to them, they’re being exposed to this great assortment of music.”

It’s ironic, then, that the game features no songs by either Thomas or Matchbox. Fans of the game have requested them in forums, but haven’t gotten a response yet. As for Thomas, he says he’d love to see his music added to the game.

“We haven’t been asked,” he says. “If we were, we obviously would do it.”

Are you listening Harmonix?

(While he’s not a gamer, Thomas is one of the few musicians who’s on the cutting edge of digital marketing. Read more about how he’s using the technology to expand his fan base at Technotainment.)

Last July, when Microsoft took the wraps off of its Xbox Live Prime Time program, it promised the games would allow people to compete for “real world” prizes. So far, it has failed to deliver on that.

That begins to change this Friday, though, when players of the U.S. and Canadian beta of “1 vs. 100” will be competing for up to 10,000 Microsoft Points and a new Xbox LIVE Arcade title in every round. (Each two hour episode of the live show generally features between eight and 13 rounds.)

Players who are playing as part of the mob (or, the “100” in the game’s title) or “the One” will have a chance to win the points and games. The great unwashed in the crowd still just get to play for ego boosts and sweepstakes entries, which puts them in the running for a Zune or an HDTV home theater system.

That’s a bit nicer, though hopefully Microsoft will offer players in the game more than just points and LIVE Arcade titles when the game comes out of beta and launches its regular season. That (at least, according to Shane Kim -- corporate vice president of strategy and business development for Microsoft’s Interactive Entertainment Business -- was the plan at the beginning.

Time has a way of changing game plans, though.

It’s worth noting that residents of Connecticut, Iowa, Maryland and Vermont (as well as Quebec, Canada) are ineligible to win prizes due to laws in those areas.

LucasArts, which has resisted the digital distribution movement in gaming for the past several years, is jumping on board. The company today unveiled a partnership with Valve’s Steam distribution service to sell back-catalogue games online.

Ten titles will be part of the initial round, which will go on sale this Wednesday, July 8. The games, listed below, are a mix of older adventure games and more recent titles.

• Armed and Dangerous
• Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis
• Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: The Graphic Adventure
• LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventure
• LOOM
• Star Wars Battlefront II
• Star Wars Republic Commando
• Star Wars Starfighter
• The Dig
• Thrillville: Off the Rails

LucasArts has made a recent vow to revitalize its portfolio of games. In addition to the distribution deal with Steam, it is also working with Telltale Games to create content revolving around its popular “Monkey Island” franchise for the Wii, Xbox 360 and PC.

Expect more titles to be added to Steam (and possibly other digital distribution services) in the coming weeks and months.

Personally, I’m gonna hold out for “Grim Fandango”.

Often demonized by parents groups, video games just got a high-profile child-advocacy supporter.

The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop has issued a report detailing the potentially positive effects of games in helping to educate children and promote their well-being.

The report urges educators, the government and even the healthcare industry to launch research and development initiatives in the industry, so they might learn to maximize the impact video games can have on kids.

“Despite their reputation as promoters of violence and mayhem, digital games have in fact been shown to help children gain content and vital foundational and 21st century skills,” the report reads.

The increase in active participation in gaming (as found in many Wii games and the upcoming Project Natal by Microsoft) is pointed to as a paradigm shift in the industry, moving it away from its sedentary reputation. Beyond physical fitness aspects, games can also be used to promote a healthy lifestyle, says the report.

Among the other things children can learn from games, according to the report, are:

• Content (from rich vocabulary to science to history)
• Skills (from literacy to math to complex problem-solving)
• Creation of artifacts (from videos to software code)
• Systems thinking (how changing one element affects relationships as a whole) 

Of course, the report notes that children who play games should do so with adult supervision – and, obviously, it’s not talking about M-rated titles.

“We know enough about digital games and how they work to recognize their promise,” says the report. “Now we need to invest time and resources to turn this promise into a real “game changer” for America’s children.”

With no other bidders emerging for Midway Games, Warner Bros. has bought most of the company’s assets for $33 million, including the “Mortal Kombat” franchise as well as the company’s legacy arcade games, such as “Joust” and “Spy Hunter”.

The bankruptcy judge overseeing the sale apparently wasn’t swayed by Threshold Entertainment’s argument that film producer Larry Kasanoff was the driving creative force in the franchise. (The Chicago Tribune quotes the judge as saying the objections, as well as those of Vin Diesel-owned development studio Tigon Games were ‘resolved’.

A pair of development studios that Warner opted not to buy will be shuttered in just under two months if no bidders emerge for them. The Newcastle studio has worked on the “Wheelman” franchise, while the San Diego studio has created the “TNA” games. Warner did purchase rights to the “Wheelman” games, but not the development studio behind it.

Warner picked up some valuable assets at firesale prices in this deal. Expect another “Mortal Kombat”/DC crossover in the years to come and possibly some re-imaginings of classic titles. The company has been beefing up its video game division steadily over the past few years and has managed to assemble some talented teams. It should be interesting to see what they do with some of the licenses they now own.

Danny, Sandy, The Pink Ladies and the T-Birds are headed to Nintendo-land.

505 Games today announced it has secured publishing rights for a video game based on the iconic musical “Grease”. Working with Paramount Digital Entertainment, the company will create versions of the game for both the Wii and Nintendo DS.

Details are scant right now, though the publishers says the game will take advantage of the Wii’s motion-sensing controller and microphone, meaning you may get the chance to sing along with some of the play/movie’s better known songs.

Movie-based games based on older properties are hot these days. The just-released “Ghostbusters” from Sony and developer Terminal Reality was cheered by critics, gamers and non-gamers alike and is expected to be one of June’s top selling titles.

Paramount last year announced plans to work with Legacy Interactive on a game based on the films “Clueless,""Mean Girls" and "Pretty in Pink." The studio previously worked with Electronic Arts on two games based on “The Godfather” franchise, which have boasted solid, though not remarkable sales numbers.