Orson Scott Card, author of Ender's Game (the Hugo Award winner and Nebula Award winner), is a recovering game addict - or at least that's one interpretation you can give his interview over at Gaming Today. Ender's Game is being turned into a movie by Warner Brothers, and at the same time Orson Scott Card is open to the possibility of his book becoming a video game.

For those not familiar with Ender's Game, just understand that it's one of the best sci-fi books ever written (in our honest opinions). A fast-paced story about violence, evil, war, and leadership. It's required reading, or so Wikipedia claims, at the Marine Corps University at Quantico.

And if it's good enough for the US Marines, it should be good enough for you gamers out there, right? Anyway, back to the interview. Orson Scott Card talked about being addicted to gaming:

The weird thing was that even when I wasn't playing, I felt a tremendous anxiety. I had responsibilities - there were cities waiting for me to tell them what to build! Now, I'm not insane. My conscious mind knew that it was just a game, and when I wasn't running the program, nothing was happening at all. But I invested so much tension in the playing of the game that it didn't go away when I left the computer. The call of duty was still there.

The interview also tackled what goes into writing a story for video games. Card said:

Games CAN'T have the kind of storylines that movies and books have, or they wouldn't be playable. ... What makes a game work is the opposite of what makes a story work. In a story, you are seeking to find out what really happened - why people do what they do, what the results of their choices are. ... In a game, the opposite illusion must be created. Even though most games absolutely force you to follow preset paths, the gamewrights try to give you the illusion that you are making free choices (even though you are actually, in almost all games, still being channeled through certain puzzles with fixed solutions).

As for Ender's Game, it won't just be one game in Card's vision:

• The Battle Room. This pivotal set in the book can be several game modules in real life.
• Space war games. The three wars (back in Mazer's time all the way to Ender's time).
• Story-based games. Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow.
• MMORPG. This one is based on the Battle School in Ender's Game.
• The Fantasy Game. The "mind game" from the novel.
• The Hive Queen. It's like Civilization (a game franchise that Card was addicted to).
• Post-war war. Card describes this as being like Risk.

Well, Mr. Card, there are quite a few fans here at QJ.NET who would be first in line to get a game that follows the Hegemon.

UK-based distributor Pinnacle Software has just announced their new partnership with Indeca, a Madrid-based handheld accessory manufacturer in Europe. This partnership is expected to churn out a new line of carry cases and combination packs for the PSP and DS portable consoles, in line with Indeca's licensing partnership with Disney and Warner Brothers.

The first product batch will be themed on Disney's Mickey Mouse, Princess, and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End franchises and will include a carrying case for the PSP.

The DS/DS Lite products include a carrying case and a combination pack containing a console case, game case, in-car charger, screen protectors, screen cleaner, wrist strap, headphones and stylus. These products are expected to hit retail in the UK on June 22.

Other items expected to go on sale are for Warner Bros.' "Looney Tunes" and "Harry Potter" franchise, although these product lines aren't expected to launch until 2008. Pinnacle Software's managing director, Peter Sleeman, said:

I am delighted to be distributing such leading well known brands as Disney and Warner and we are looking forward to working closely with Indeca. I am confident that these accessories will be a highly successful compliment to children's handheld games in the UK market.

Collision Studios and Warner Brothers Games announce the unveiling of their latest weapon in 300's promotional attack. The link below takes you to the official site for the PSP-exclusive bloodfest 300: March to Glory. Like any good official site, 300's site features the fact sheet, trailers and screenies, and info about the game dynamics. Well, not all the game dynamics, but it did feature the Spartan (in-game) decapitative* armory, something we haven't checked on before. Yum.

(* Note: Decapitative = kiss your head goodbye)

Based on the info on the site, you've got two offensive weapons and two defensive armaments to outfit yourself with, Your Majesty Leonidas. There's the sword and the spear as well as the shield and the rather scant armor (thank goodness that shield is big) - all the basic implements of a good Spartan. Each can be upgraded from your basic "meh" status to legendary or heroic status, although exactly how they're upgraded hasn't been revealed yet.

If you are a PSP fanatic and you so love cute cartoon characters, then SCi Entertainment Group and Eidos Interactive are going to be your next best pals. Why? Because the two have just acquired the rights to 11 Warner Brothers franchises, that's why! According to estimates, the total worth of the deal will not be lower than US$ 80 million.

So, what WB franchises are we talking about here exactly? Well, most characters come from Looney Toons and Hanna Barbera and here's a rundown of some of them:

• Bugs Bunny
• Daffy Duck
• Road Runner
• Speedy Gonzales
• Tom and Jerry
• The Flintstones
• Yogi Bear
• A Batman game based on the DC comics
• The OC

Batman? OMG. Batman. The OC? Well, we are really not keen on The OC, but it sure is included in the deal. As for the other characters, we say its about time they make an appearance to today's handhelds.

That's all folks!

Aquaman was one of the founding members of the Justice League of America. And what kind of a game Justice League Heroes would be if the King of Atlantis is not in it?

So, Warner Brothers announced that Aquaman is surfing his way to this upcoming superhero brawler as an unlockable character. With weapons like whirlpool, the Sword of Atlantis and water shield, this half man, half-Atlantean is sure to add depth and excitement to the already all-star cast game.

Aquaman and the Justice League Heroes will start ruling PSP and DS this fall.

Here are 2 additional artworks for Justice League Heroes that are pretty neat. The Superman artwork has a resolution of 299 dpi , while the Batman artwork has  resolution of 300 dpi.

Just a little history, Justice League is a fictional DC Universe superhero team. The team first appeared in The Brave and the Bold #28 in 1960 as a revival of the Justice Society of America (JSA) and gained its own title that same year. Its creator, Gardner Fox, decided to use the more contemporary word "league", rather than "society". On October of this year, Eidos will distribute an action role-playing game featuring characters from DC Comics universe like Batman and Superman in consoles like Xbox, PlayStation 2, PSP, GBA and the Nintendo DS. Its publisher is Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment.