I know a lot of our readers have been disputing Grand Theft Auto 4's (PS3, Xbox 360, PC) GOTY status, so it may come as a disappointment to that part of the gaming masses that Rockstar's latest GTA has been crowned as THE game of 2008 in the New York Times' own Best of 2008 list. Yeah, it's not exactly earth-shaking news, but what caught my eye in this list wasn't the GOTY, but the more unconventional awards that were handed out.

Photograper Robbie Cooper shows us all just how focused young gamers can be while playing with actual clips of kids of various ages while they're playing games. Watch all the triumph, the anxiety, the joy of the kill, and a little girl with no emotion. Catch all the different faces in the video.

 How did today's handhelds do in the holidays and for the duration of 2007? The answer shouldn't be too hard to figure out if you've been reading gaming news every so often. The Sony PSP had a solid year all throughout, while the Nintendo DS continued its dominance above all other platforms. Analyst Michael Pachter and PSP marketing manager John Koller share their insights why.

(Editor's Note: QuickJump QuickPeek just turned 16. Ah, sweet sixteen. Sixteen is definitely a lovely number. For those inclined to all things mathematical, four is the square root of 16. And that's just what we're going to try to get to the bottom of right here. The root of all things gaming. For this week at least. Here again is QuickJump's weekly article dedicated to the un-updated. A week's worth of great news, in bite-sized form!)

So here we are in QuickPeek 16. Last week's edition was pretty jam-packed with hot news items, confirmations, and releases, and there's also been a couple of heated debates between icons in the industry. This week will have you guys feeling good about the little big tiny giants that you have sitting in your living rooms - or handhelds snuggling comfortably in their respective pouches or carrying cases.

This isn't about one platform besting another. It's about shaking hands and welcoming people with open arms. As beauty pageant contestants always put it: World Peace! Because if Mario, Solid Snake, and Sonic can do it, then so can we. Err, that is barring the fact that Mario, Snake, and Sonic are in a Brawling game, but the essential thing remains: they're together.

Click the Full Article link below to check out this week's full issue!

QuickJump QuickPeek 16 originally posted October 13, 2007 at 02:00 PM.

In a recent interview with the New York Times, Entertainment Software Association (ESA) President Michael D. Gallagher revealed that one of the ESA's priorities is to infiltrate Washington.

The new ESA president noted that while the movie and music industries already have backers in Washington, the video game industry does not quite have the same privilege yet.

According to Gallagher, the main challenge lies in "connecting with decision makers and creating champions for the video game industry in the policy-making arena."

In addition to having a smaller budget, Gallagher also noted that the video game industry doesn't have the star power to seduce politicians.

"Washington is very enamored with glitz and the appeal of stars," said Gallagher. "Whenever Bono shows up he creates this bow wave as he comes through, and it's true that stars do help drive messages. And it is true that Master Chief and Mario are not yet household words on the Hill, but wait for the years ahead."

Gallagher also said that the ESA will be revealing its full agenda after E3.

This is excellent news. Our lawmakers make their decisions based on information. If that information only comes from anti-gaming lawyers and anti-gaming activists, then of course our lawmakers are going to develop an anti-gaming bias. So it's good that our industry strengthens its representation.

StarWars.com has revealed that Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is currently slated for novelization. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is the latest chapter in the Star Wars saga and puts players in the role of Darth Vader's secret apprentice.

Set during the largely unexplored era between Episode III and Episode IV, the game lets players assist Darth Vader in his quest to eradicate the Jedi from the face of the galaxy.

The novelization of the game will be handled by New York Times bestselling author Sean Williams. The novel will cover the events of the game, as well as provide fans with a more in-depth story than what the game alone has.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed features multiple endings, but this novel will be "one of the only places where fans will be able to find the official canon ending which will mold the events of the Star Wars galaxy for the future."