It seems like SCi Entertainment is finally getting into the role of the reluctant "father", ready to give away his daughter (i.e. Lara Croft) at the altar. It was confirmed recently that SCi will be entertaining the possibility of opening a major business investment in the near future to help get the company back on track. You can read a statement released by the company explaining this move in our full article.

A lot of people have split opinions on the effectiveness of in-game advertising. However, Sony's chief executive Howard Stern expressed his doubts on the potential of that particular marketing trend. He wasn't alone in the idea either; other big names from major companies such as NBC Universal and Activision Blizzard voiced similar sentiments.

For more details, check out the full article after the jump!

 

Love the quirky and sometimes crazy television series The Office? Well, the NBC comedy series is coming to the PlayStation Portable, the Nintendo DS, and the PC. The port was announced by casual game developer, MumboJumbo who has just signed with Universal Pictures Digital Platforms Group.

The tag team combination will get the crew of Dunder Mifflin's Scranton branch as bobblehead dolls. Players will get the chance to pull pranks and complete tasks in this upcoming video game. Universal Pictures Digital Platforms Group's Bill Kispert, vice president and general manager (Interactive) expressed enthusiasm over the project:

The cast and creators of 'The Office' have done a fantastic job delivering a show with a personality all its own. MumboJumbo is an innovator in the casual games space, and developing a game with them that combines the quirky characters and humor of the show with a proven, addictive game mechanic we think will be welcomed by fans and casual game players alike.

Reportedly, The Office video game will be available for download online for PSP, DS, and PC around fall of this year.

   

Video game title Dead Head Fred features the dark, bizarre, and undead character of Fred Neuman. You see, he was a private detective savagely murdered and then resurrected in a bizarre scientific experiment. The thing is, upon his return, both his memory and his head are missing.

Developer Vicious Cycle software and publisher D3Publisher of America (D3PA) announced earlier today that Hollywood actor John C. McGinley will lend his voice talent to help re-animate Neuman. Vicious Cycle President Eric Peterson strongly believes that McGinley's personality and vocal style will perfectly suit Neuman's character.

The Hollywood veteran is currently portraying the character of Dr. Perry Cox on the NBC sitcom Scrubs. Before this, his acting experience transcends two decades including appearances in popular movies Identity, Are We Done Yet?, and Platoon among others under his belt, not to mention several roles in various TV shows and theater performances.

"Mr. McGinley is one of the most versatile and talented actors in the business and he is the perfect choice to bring the lead character in Dead Head Fred to life. The combination of Mr. McGinley's superb voice acting and Vicious Cycle's compelling storyline and gameplay will make Dead Head Fred a must-have title for the PSP system," commented D3PA's Brian Christian.

Dead Head Fred will be exclusively released on the PlayStation Portable (PSP) across North America this coming August 21.

 

In case you are not aware, Sony has a new guy manning the senior director post of their corporate communications. He's Dave Karraker and while he isn't new to the game industry, he never expected he'll eventually end up where he is now considering his background. He actually started out as a TV reporter for CBS and NBC in Santa Barbara and Reno.

Enough about the guy and on to why he's making news today. Recently, gaming-dedicated site GamaSutra interviewed Karraker. It was a rather long interview and it was all about their marketing strategy, the PS3 launch, and other Sony stuff. However towards the end, the discussion shifted to PSP and downloadable contents. The moment we read that, we were like, "Dude, now we're talking."

"I think handheld is incredibly important for us, particularly as we start developing more and more downloadable content. And I’m not just talking about games, I’m talking about entertainment content as well," Karraker reveals. He then specifically pointed out TiVo-to-go saying it actually is a big hit. He then went on saying the DS simply cannot be compared to their product, as the former is more about gaming while the PSP offers a whole wide array of things.

The discussion then proceeded to PS1 games on the PSP. When asked how the emulated download works, Karraker explains, "Basically you just download them to the PS3, and bounce it to your PSP, and those will all be under US$ 5. And then there will be downloadable content from hotspots." Hmm, just under five bucks. What do you think?

Anyway, they then capped off the conversation with the types of games different markets dig. While actions and sports games work well with the PSP, such titles are not big hits in Japan as they prefer RPGs. Karraker then reflects, "it’s just a matter of getting the consumer in Japan accustomed to the idea of playing an expansive RPG on a handheld device."