The Wall Street Journal nudged Walt Disney CEO Robert Iger this weekend to say Hey, look. EA's stock is down 18%. You should buy that!

Yeah, owning EA would be nice for any company, even though the publisher's market value is down from $19 billion to just $7.2b. Just. 

I don't see it happening, though. Tech Trader Daily says that Disney would have to borrow some cash to make the purchase, and even WSJ said “Disney would be gutsy to step up during the current economic uncertainty." 

TTD does point out that Disney owns ESPN, and drawing on EA's strength in sports game publishing could be interesting.  

The WSJ's reasoning? With EA stock plummeting and the company entering fiscal straits in which it has been forced to lay off 540 employees, there will be no better time for Disney to purchase the firm.

By doing so, the WSJ believes, Disney would instantly bolster its recent attempts to enter the gaming world.

"Disney could afford it," the article says. "At June 30, its net debt was $11 billion, roughly 1.2 times Pali Research's estimate of 2008 earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization. Also, Disney's stock has massively outperformed EA's this year. At a 40% premium, EA would cost $7.7 billion excluding the cash."

Disney Could Raise Its Game With EA[The Wall Street Journal (subscription required)]

See Also:

• EA to Lay Off More Than 500 Employees
• EA's CEO: How I Learned To Acquire Developers And Not Screw Them Up
• Riccitiello and EA: Don't Ask Me, Ask These Guys

WSJ to Disney: Buy EA originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 04 Nov 2008 15:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Disney is celebrating the first anniversary of Pirates of the Caribbean Online in a big way with an All Hollows’ Eve online event and contest. The event kicks off Friday October 31 as the sun sets on the Caribbean leaving it to the night. The press release warns that all people of the Caribbean should take cover inside lest the Curse of the Muertos Moon leave them enslaved to Jolly Roger.

“To help celebrate the first anniversary and “All Hallows Eve,” Jolly Roger will cast a wicked curse on the populace of the Caribbean and stir up an epic in-game event. Starting October 31, the Pirates of the Caribbean Online world will permanently turn to night, and when the moon is at its fullest, any Pirate that doesn’t take cover will become cursed and turn into an undead skeleton. Chaos will ensue, and all of the cursed Pirates will be forced to attack the towns, and one another, all in the name of Jolly Roger.”

The Curse of the Muertos Moon runs from Friday October 31st through Sunday November 2nd. If you’re eager to get in on the action or avoid it altogether the full moon will rise three times each day of the event. Look for the moon to reach its zenith Friday at 12 noon, 5 pm and 8 pm; Saturday at 12 noon, 4 pm and 9 pm; and Sunday at 1 pm, 4 pm and 7 pm Pacific Standard time. The event also brings the zombie emote into play.

A special Anniversary contest also kicks off All Hollows’ Eve. Both Basic and Unlimited access members will have a shot at winning the Grand prize:

• Meet the Pirates Online crew and lead developer for a one-on-one Q&A and a lunch at Walt Disney Studios to see where the films are made
• Receive a three-day trip to Disneyland and two nights stay at the Disneyland Hotel, with one night in the Pirates of the Caribbean Suite

Participants can also score a $100 shopping spree in the Pieces of Eight shop, a MacBook and an iPod. Nano

Players have until December 19 to submit a short video declaring their love for Pirates Online and explaining how they “Live the Pirates Life.”

---
Related Articles at Gaming Today:

• Pirates of the Caribbean Online Newsletter
• Celebrate “International Talk Like a Pirate Day” with Pirates of the Caribbean
• New Content for Pirates of the Caribbean Online Coming in February
• Pirates of the Caribbean Online: Interview with Disney's Mike Goslin
• New Content and Contest for Pirates of the Caribbean Online

Wondering what games are expected to hit store shelves next month? Here is what you can expect for the month of November, assuming there are no delays.

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa - 11.04.08
Platformer - Rated E10+

Features (from Xbox.com) :

Get more characters, more fun, and more multiplayer action than ever before in Activision and DreamWorks Animation’s Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa Video Game! Join the zany Madagascar crew on a new adventure based on the sequel to the blockbuster Madagascar movie, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa.

Quantum of Solace - 11.04.08
Action - Rated Teen

Features (from Xbox.com) :

James Bond is back to settle the score in Activision Inc.’s Quantum of Solace: The Game. Introducing a more lethal and cunningly efficient Bond, the game blends intense first-person action with a unique third-person cover combat system. Seamlessly blending the heart-pounding action and excitement of the upcoming Quantum of Solace feature film with the Casino Royale movie, the title propels players into the cinematic experience of international espionage, allowing players to truly experience what it is like to be the ultimate secret agent as they use their stealth, precision shooting, and lethal combat skills to progress through missions. Based on the renowned Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare game engine which has been specifically engineered to immerse players in the Bond universe, Quantum of Solace delivers superior high-definition graphics, reactive A.I., and visually stunning locations inspired by locales portrayed in the films.

Tom Clancy’s EndWar - 11.04.08
Strategy - Rated Teen

Features (from Xbox.com) :

By 2016, the world is seized by an energy crisis of catastrophic proportions that sees many governments struggling to maintain civil and economic order.

By 2020, The United States, Russia and Europe are locked in a spiraling arms race. Each has put a dozen ground-effect weapons satellites into orbit. One spark will ignite what no one thought could ever happen … World War III comes to life in Tom Clancy’s EndWar.

Gears of War 2 - 11.07.08
FPS - Rated Mature

Features (from Xbox.com) :

Gears of War 2 is the highly anticipated sequel to the 4.7 million-selling blockbuster third-person tactical action game, and one of the most popular Xbox 360 games in history. Gears of War 2 picks up six months after the events of Gears of War, and thrusts you back into a deep and harrowing story of humankind’s epic battle for survival against a nightmarish force of underground creatures known as the Locust Horde.

Gears of War 2 is developed by Epic Games exclusively for Xbox 360. Continue the story of Marcus Fenix, a reluctant war hero, as he leads Delta Squad on a series of perilous and adrenaline-pumping missions. Gears of War 2 blends a best-in-class third-person shooter with unsurpassed high-definition visuals, all layered on top of an engaging story of survival, loss, and retribution.

WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 - 11.09.08
Wrestling - Rated Teen

Features (from IGN.com) :

The #1 fighting game franchise in the world upholds its commitment to providing gamers with the definitive simulation of live WWE programming. Featuring added depth and realism, along with a first-ever co-op story mode, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 enables players to come together and experience the virtual world of the WWE. On your own, you’re great, but together, you’re unstoppable.

Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts - 11.11.08
Platformer - Rated E10+

Features (from Xbox.com) :

Famed game developer Rare Ltd. is reviving one of its most beloved and successful franchises exclusively on Xbox 360 with the third installment of the Banjo-Kazooie series. Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts embraces new and old fans alike, as the famous bear and bird duo return in stunning high definition for a unique adventure of epic proportions. The Lord of the Games (aka LOG) is tired of the petty squabbling between Banjo and the evil witch Gruntilda (aka Grunty) over the years, and has arranged a showdown to decide the rightful owner of Spiral Mountain. Claiming to have created every video game ever made, LOG has built the game worlds in which the contest’s challenges take place. Banjo must complete LOG’s challenges to win, while Grunty tries to stop him using every method her devious mind can muster.

Call of Duty: World at War - 11.11.08
FPS - Rated Mature

Features (from Xbox.com) :

Call of Duty: World at War changes the rules of engagement by thrusting players into tension-filled, unforgiving battles against a new ferocious enemy in the most dangerous and suspenseful action ever seen in World War II.

Experience an uncensored edge to combat, as soldiers face the most harrowing and climactic European and Pacific battles in which an enemy, who knows no surrender and no retreat, fights to the last breath, unleashing an arsenal of lethal surprising tactics. Peril and danger lurk throughout the battlefield as players combat the unknown risk of the new chaos of battle.

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 - 11.11.08
RTS - Rated Teen

Features (from Xbox.com) :

For the first time ever, Red Alert comes to Xbox 360, as the bestselling and most-beloved series of the Command & Conquer franchise returns in Command & Conquer Red Alert 3. The desperate leadership of a doomed Soviet Union travels back in time to change history and restore the glory of Mother Russia. The time travel mission goes awry, creating an alternate timeline where technology has followed an entirely different evolution, a new superpower has been thrust on to the world stage, and World War III is raging. The Empire of the Rising Sun has risen in the East, making World War III a three-way struggle between the Soviets, the Allies, and the Empire with armies fielding wacky and wonderful weapons and technologies like Tesla coils, heavily armed war blimps, teleportation, armored bears, intelligent dolphins, floating island fortresses, and transforming tanks.

Team up with a friend in the first-ever full real-time strategy (RTS) co-op campaign on air, land, and sea, with over one hour of HD footage starring the biggest live-action cast ever in a video game! Welcome back, Comrade.

Mirror’s Edge - 11.11.08
Action - Rated Teen

Features (from Xbox.com) :

In a city where information is heavily monitored, agile couriers called Runners transport sensitive data away from prying eyes. In this seemingly utopian paradise, a crime has been committed, your sister has been framed, and now you are being hunted. Mirror’s Edge puts you in the shoes of Faith, a Runner who must traverse the vertigo-inducing cityscape, engage in intense combat and fast-paced chases, and survive in this very dangerous world.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 - 11.11.08
Sports - Rated Everyone

Features (from IGN.com) :

The 2009 installment of the award-winning sports franchise brings a raft of extensive new additions that will further bridge the gap between PES and the real thing. The new game has undergone a stunning graphical update to ensure its players look and move even more like their real-life counterparts. Similarly, all-new options allow users to tailor the game to their own tastes, while new moves, innovative new control elements and key online elements will further the realism of the new game.

Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe - 11.16.08
Fighting - Rated Teen

Features (from Xbox.com) :

For the first time ever, Scorpion, Sub-Zero and the Mortal Kombat warriors battle with Batman, Superman, and other popular DC Universe superheroes in Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe. Choose your side and challenge your opponents with an all-new fighting system including Freefall Kombat and Klose Kombat along with dynamic multi-tiered environments. Plus, pick your favorite character from the Mortal Kombat or DC Universe and pursue a fighting adventure in the new single-player mode with an intertwined storyline and two unique perspectives.

Shaun White Snowboarding - 11.16.08
Sports - Rated Teen

Features (from Xbox.com) :

Enter a snowboarding world of total freedom. Create your own experience and choose when, where, how, and with whom you want to ride. Developed in close collaboration with Olympic Gold Medalist Shaun White—the most successful snowboarder in the history of the sport—Shaun White Snowboarding is the next-gen game that redefines the action sports genre.

Left 4 Dead - 11.17.08
Action - Rated Mature

Features (from Xbox.com) :

Set in a modern day survival-horror universe, the co-operative gameplay of Left 4 Dead casts four “Survivors” in an epic struggle against hordes of swarming zombies and terrifying “Boss Infected” mutants.

The Survivor Co-op Game Mode is played out across four sprawling campaigns, set in urban and rural environments. The team of four Survivors may be comprised of one to four human players, allowing for single player and multiplayer co-op games.

Need for Speed Undercover - 11.17.08
Racing - Rating Pending

Features (from IGN.com) :

EA’s dominating racing series takes a left turn with this uniquely action-oriented entry in the franchise, where players use their driving skills honed in previous NFS games to control their vehicle in dangerous, high speeds encounters. The game features international movie star, Maggie Q, as the lead character in the big-budget live-action sequences that propel the story forward as players get behind the wheel. Undercover takes the franchise back to its roots and re-introduces break-neck cop chases, the world’s hottest cars and spectacular highway battles.

Karaoke Revolution Presents American Idol Encore 2 - 11.18.08
Music - Rated E10+

Features (from IGN.com) :

Live out your dream as a singing sensation with Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore 2! Play with friends and family online using the brand new co-op head-to-head mode, or compete in front of all three American Idol judges and sing your way to stardom. Tailor your game experience with all-new enhanced and customizable characters, features and downloadable songs. Are you ready to be the next American Idol?

Lips - 11.18.08
Music - Rated Teen

Features (from Xbox.com) :

Microsoft takes to a whole new stage with Lips, an all-new music franchise exclusively for Xbox 360. Lips is the only singing game offering wireless motion sensitive microphones and the ability to sing from your own collection of DRM-free songs. Start channeling your favorite pop star because it’s you, your friends, and most importantly, your music that makes this the ultimate party experience this holiday. Keiichi Yano, celebrated developer behind some of the industry’s most beloved rhythm games, brings his vision of collaborative and social musical entertainment to the first and only singing game offering interactive sound effects and the music to make your party rock all night long. Toss your apprehensions out the window and join the party.

Naruto: The Broken Bond - 11.18.08
Action/Adventure - Rating Pending

Features (from IGN.com) :

Building on the success of Naruto: Rise of a Ninja, this new action adventure takes the story to a deeper level within the Naruto Universe. Now a respected ninja, Naruto evolves into a mature and strong hero. However, with his new status comes responsibility, and Naruto will soon find himself surrounded by conflict. Forced to relive bitter memories, Naruto’s best friend Sasuke strikes out on a self-destructive quest for power. Now with the help of his friends, Naruto must confront Sasuke and save him before it’s too late. Team up with multiple characters, explore open 3D environments and challenge some of the fiercest enemies from the Naruto Universe.

Sonic Unleashed - 11.18.08
Action - Rating Pending

Features (from IGN.com) :

Everyone’s favorite hedgehog breaks new ground yet maintains his roots in a game that combines amazing next gen capabilities with classic Sonic 2D gameplay! Developed by renowned studio Sonic Team, Sonic Unleashed utilizes the powerful “Hedgehog Engine” to mesh seamless 3D and classic 2D camera transitions, whilst delivering a rich and expansive world with multiple paths to choose from.

Having been broken apart by the evil Dr Eggman, it’s down to Sonic to put the pieces of the world back together again by retrieving the power of the chaos emeralds. In doing so, Sonic will find himself in a race against time and faced with an unusual situation that will challenge him in ways never before seen. By completing a wide variety of action-packed stages, spanning the seven broken continents of the world, gamers will need to unleash Sonic’s amazing abilities to save the world, and himself!

Tomb Raider Underworld - 11.18.08
Action Adventure - Rated Teen

Features (from Xbox.com) :

Tomb Raider: Underworld represents a new advancement in exploration-based gameplay. As fearless adventurer Lara Croft, explore exotic locations around the world, each designed with an incredible attention to detail resulting in breathtaking high-definition visual fidelity that creates a truly believable world and delivers a new level of challenge and choice.

For generations, stories have been told of the fearsome weapon of Thor, the Norse god of thunder. Legend holds that Thor’s hammer had the power to smash mountains into valleys and to destroy even the gods. For more than a thousand years it has existed only as a myth … until now.

In an ancient ruin on the floor of the Mediterranean Sea, Lara Croft uncovers proof of the Norse underworld and the mythical hammer. As she attempts to unravel the secrets behind these myths, Lara’s perilous journey leads her toward a forgotten power that, if unleashed, could lay waste to all civilization.

Walt Disney Pictures Bolt - 11.18.08
Action - Rating Pending

Features (from IGN.com) :

In Disney’s Bolt, players take on the heroic personas of the TV star dog, Bolt, and his owner, Penny, from the high-action television series featured within the film. As Bolt, players can use his superpowers, including laser vision and his superbark, which sends out a sonic blast to devastate opponents, and as Penny, players utilize stealth, hacking skills and a wheelbar, inspired by her scooter seen in the movie, to outwit enemies.

The Last Remnant - 11.20.08
RPG - Rated Mature

Features (from Xbox.com) :

The first role-playing game (RPG) in a new series brought to you by Square Enix, THE LAST REMNANT signifies a new era for a next-generation world.

In ancient times, mysterious artifacts referred to as Remnants were discovered all over the world. People used these objects for their awesome powers—a choice that eventually began to cause a rift in the world’s balance. Equality was replaced by those who ruled and those who were ruled over. War was inevitable. A thousand years later is when this story begins …

The well-received offroad racer Pure is debuting this week from Disney-owned Black Rock Studios, game director Jason Avent talks to GameSetWatch about agile development and the concept of story in racing games.

Black Rock Studios has its roots in racing titles -- formerly Climax Racing, its team developed both the Moto GP and ATV Offroad Fury franchises, and was acquired by Disney in late 2006.

It's just now debuting its first Disney-published Pure for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, which combines speed racing with trick racing, with game mechanics that make the two elements interdependent on each other.

Thus, Black Rock's Avent recently spoke to us about the unique challenges in developing a race title with so many elements incorporated in it -- especially for a developer with a background in slightly more realistic titles.

You guys have been doing agile development since the Climax Racing days; is that correct?

JA: Aspects of it. We started off with aspects of it in Moto GP '06; they ran it a bit in Moto GP '07; we didn't do it, really, on ATV. So this is the first product, really, that we've really braced it and structured the teams completely differently around it.

So now, rather than having a quarter of the room full of programmers, a quarter of the room full of managers, quarter of the room full of designers, and the rest of them artists, now we have functional units.

We'll have the presentation team that [works on] the front end, the HUD, aspects of special effects, and networking -- because the lobbies, and the front-end, that's where most of the work is. You've got these kind-of autonomous units, so you set the overall goal over three months, they say what they're going to do each month, and you get to the overall goal.

And they define how they do the work, and what work they do, and what order. That means that because they're closest to the work, closest to the jobs that need doing, they make better decisions than the people who are further away.

So it makes people happier, it makes people much more productive, it means they don't have to work such long hours, and the product is better. It's such a hands-off management method, it does make you bite your fingernails a bit, initially, but once you see the results, it's huge.

Each of the different groups has a couple of programmers in it, a couple of artists, a couple of artists, a couple of designers -- depending on the needs of that group, and who the group [is].

And also, you keep it fairly flexible, so you've got these main groups, but if you've got a specific job for a specific milestone, then you don't mind breaking the groups up so that they can do their own thing, and, you know: I'll have that guy from here, that guy from there, and I go in and solve this problem.

And it's working well for you?

JA: It's really, really, really good. I mean, working with Disney means that we're lucky in that we have the freedom to do this. As an independent developer with lots of different publishers, trying to do this would've been pretty much impossible.

But Disney is very understanding, because, I think, they're a very creatively-led company; because they come from Walt Disney, and making films and things. We've had a lot of creative freedom; we've been able to say that these are our focuses, and they've backed us up and provided the support wherever we need it. So, it's been really, really, really good.

It can be difficult, with traditional milestones, sometimes, to work into new production.

JA: Right. Even how long the milestones are are usually dictated to you, you know? And the order, and what's delivered in each one... And the thing is, I've just said that I'm not close enough to make task decisions and mechanical decisions -- and I work at the developer on the project, you know?

If you don't work at the developer, and you work at the publisher, and you've got five projects, you can't make those decisions in an educated way, nowhere near as good as the programmer who's working on it, who's been working on it for years.

So yeah, it makes it really difficult if you're working with that; especially if you're working with lots of different publishers, because everybody's got different views; everybody's got a different mechanism.

What do you have to do differently when you're building tech specifically for racing, like your engine?

JA: Well, that's why we did it. We specialize in racing games because it means you can develop a really strong technology base; you don't have to be dependent on something like RenderWare who can get bought by somebody else, and suddenly you've not got an engine.

You try and predict what games you're working on; especially when you do get to have some say in what games you're going to work on, you can make sure that your two paths for two games converge; you can share technology much more that way. So there are huge benefits that way. Huge benefits.

The main things are that there are things that you don't have to focus on, you know? So you can focus purely on the things that are going to matter for a racing game. So, we have some height-field technology, and we blend it together with some polygon technology, so that's why our environments can look so rich -- we've got the best of both worlds.

So that technology has been built up from probably three generations before. And we've been able to keep that line of evolution, because we only work on racing games. And we don't need to plan lots of character-to-character interactions; we don't need lots of really complicated cut-scenes and stuff; you focus on what a racing game needs.

Do you ever feel constrained by racing, and want to go beyond it?

JA: Sometimes. But, I think, in a creative industry, it's good to have a framework, so you can define the problems.

You were talking about if players get off the track, the game puts them back on; is that how you're keeping people from breaking the world and getting outside of things?

JA: Well, during development, we actually had a mode called Free Ride, and inside Free Ride, there were lots of multiple ejectors and stuff. But we use an iterative approach to development -- we use agile development, so we commit to quite broad goals initially, and then as we go through the game, we refine, and refine, and refine.

So we wanted to be really focused during the development; to do a few things, but do them really, really, really well. We had this Free Ride [mode] -- you could go anywhere, you could do anything -- but as we went through development, we realized that wasn't actually the core of the game.

The core of the game was going really fast, going forwards all the time, and doing tricks. And the tricks were the core to the racing experience. If you're off the track, we put you straight back on again, so you're straight moving forwards.

But at any one point on the track, there are always three or four different route options. So there's a lot of perceived freedom... but if you're moving away from what's going to be fun, we bring you back and kick you forwards.

We created a really fast-paced, intense experience, and I don't think that you can have that intensity if you're wandering around all over the place.

How much work did you have to do on the HUD? Because especially in the freestyle mode, you've got boost, you've got gas, and you've got multipliers, and you have which tricks are ready... There's a lot of information to pay attention to.

JA: Yeah. So we've done a lot of work on the HUD. We had one almost completely done, and then we threw it away and started again, and did what we've got now.

Also, freestyle doesn't come in the career mode, in the Pure World Tour, until the end of the second tour... so when you're ready for it, we've brought it in. We've been really careful of the learning curve, and bringing the mechanics online as you're ready for them. But also, yeah, we've gone through a lot of iterations on the HUD to get it right.

I think the success of the HUD can be judged by whether it teaches people mechanics of the game without having to go through much of a tutorial. If it does that, and it doesn't overwhelm, then it does a good job. If it looks cool and really dynamic as well, then that's a bonus.

Do you think you have a more hardcore audience for this game, besides?

JA: I don't know! I think it's surprisingly easy to get into. We've done a lot of user testing; usability with this product has been absolutely vital. Probably five hundred blind user tests have been done on the game, during the last five months.

We've literally just got people in from the universities, and from the rest of our building. We've always had people who have never played the game before, and have a wide range of abilities, and they can get into it now. It is, literally easy to get into and hard to master. So I think it's got quite a broad appeal.

I mean, we did ATV Fury 3, and ATV Fury 4, Moto GP... those are sims; those are hardcore games. This is just fun! It's a rollercoaster ride! It's fast, it's about jumping off mountains and flying through the air. Who wouldn't want to do that?

As a team, what was it like taking a departure from simulation games to do some more off-the-rails stuff?

JA: Well that's why the game has turned out how it has, really. There are rules that you have to abide by [in sims]; you can't just do something because it's fun.

And this is our opportunity to do something where if anybody comes up with an idea, you test and see if it's fun, and then you put it in the game. There's no, "Oh, it doesn't fit with the fiction," or, "You can't do that! It's against the license!" you know?

We've been able to do everything that we wanted to do, and it's a lot more creative freedom. So, we've taken some things from our past, and thrown away a lot of stuff as well.

I got an inkling that there was some story to this? Is that the case?

JA: It's really difficult to have a story in a racing game... There's a context.

You have this environment where racers are competing, and there's some character dialog -- how much time can you spend on something like that, when you know that most players are really going to just skip it?

JA: Well, I think that you need to have a background for the things that are in the game, otherwise it's literally just a game, rather than being a universe. This is an arcade game, right? So it needs to be fairly fast-paced, and it can't have a shitload of depth -- excuse me! -- in terms of story, because you just don't need it.

But each of the characters has a background, and it plays into their styles, the special tricks that they've got, and they've got a bit of a history. I think it's important to have a context for all the stuff in the game; it ties it together better as a universe, then.

By the way, there was Climax, and there's Climax Games, and there's Climax in Japan; how did everyone get away with having the same name?

JA: Don't know! I really don't know. I think because it was probably registered in Japan first, and then Karl [Jeffery] registered Climax fourteen years ago, and they found out about one another once they were both really well established. And one's probably called the Climax Group, and one's called Climax Co. or something.

Yet have you ever thought of having a party where you can play video games? Just imagine how video game enthusiasts will react to that kind of party! Well, if the idea is to your liking and you have some cash to spare, this is a very good idea – and something that can be done as well. Read this:

Scott Novis, 42, founded The Game Truck two years ago in Tempe with idea of bringing arcades to birthday parties. So far, the company has done nearly 1,000 parties. Novis calls it “social video gaming.”

“The kids love it. Hanging out and play(ing) games with your friends has to be one of the greatest, most fun things you can do,” said Novis, a 10-year industry veteran. He had worked as vice president for Fall Line Studio, an interactive entertainment affiliate of the Walt Disney Company.

The 50-foot mobile video game theater, from truck to trailer, is outfitted with four 50-inch flat-screen televisions, sound systems and 15 to 20 game consoles. They’ve got Xbox 360s, Wiis, PlayStations and more than three dozen multiplayer games.

How much will this kind of service set you back? A nice sum of $275 for two hours and $95 for every additional hour. For that many consoles and other equipment, I think that it is not such a bad deal.