The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), which assigns the official age and content ratings for computer and video games, announced a new public service announcement (PSA) campaign starring San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey and pitcher Ryan Vogelsong at AT&T Park. The PSAs, which feature the players explaining the ESRB rating system and encouraging parents to use it when buying games for their families, will soon begin running on television and radio stations throughout northern California as well as at Giants home games this season.  

According to Insights into the Freemium Games Market, the latest report from leading market research company, The NPD Group, 4 out of 10 of those who have played an upgradable freemium game report making an in-game payment to extend or enhance a game. A growing number of freemium, or free-to-play games are hitting the market, like Firefall, which can be seen in the exclusive video below.

Worldwide media tablet shipments into sales channels rose by 56.1% on a sequential basis in the fourth calendar quarter of 2011 (4Q11) to 28.2 million units worldwide, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Media Tablet and eReader Tracker. That represents an increase of 155% from the fourth quarter of 2010. The market experienced stronger-than-expected growth across many regions and at many price points, leading to a full-year 2011 total of 68.7 million units. Based upon the markets' strong 2011 finish, and the clear demand expected in 2012, IDC has increased its 2012 forecast to 106.1 million units, up from its previous forecast of 87.7 million units.

SAN FRANCISCO – Tablet games were everywhere at GDC 2012, which also marked the debut (next door) of Apple’s new iPad. On the show floor at the Game Developers Convention were plenty of new Google Android tablets. In a remarkably rapid ascension, media tablets in 2014 will become the world’s fourth-largest application for semiconductors, up from 35th in 2010, rising in just four short years from obscurity to a level rivaling the position of powerhouse chip markets like mobile handsets and PCs, according to the IHS iSuppli Application Market Forecast Tool  from information and analytics provider IHS.

What is it with old-school arcade revivals this year?  First The Simpsons Arcade Game made a comeback on both Xbox Live and PlayStation Network, entertaining a whole new generation of gamers without the need to break out a roll of quarters.  Now THQ is hitting the wrestling ring with a remake of WWE Wrestlefest, a game that originally body slammed into arcades back in ’91 under Technos’ direction.  And just like it did back then, Wrestlefest promises to be button-mashing fun.

The digital pinball market is on the rise again, thanks to some savvy developments being handled by development teams.  No longer is it an embarrassing affair of crappy ball physics or lame table design.  No, these guys are dedicated.  Take Zen Studios, who have been pumping out quality releases with their Pinball FX 2 and Zen Pinball compilations.  And that's just the beginning, as Farsight Studios is preparing for its own pin assault later this spring with The Pinball Arcade.  Luckily for us, we got a taste of what the company has in mind...

LAS VEGAS -- At CES 2012, Parrot debuted the AR.Drone 2.0, the new generation of its high-tech quadricopter that can be controlled by Wi-Fi using a smartphone or tablet. With a new high-definition camera, video recording, flight data sharing, new piloting mode, increased stability and brand-new look, the AR.Drone 2.0 will be available for purchase at selected retailers in Q2 2012 in the United States for $299. Check out this cool new toy, which comes with an assortment of videogames, in the exclusive video below.

At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2012) in Las Vegas, more companies were entering the Android smartphone and tablet spaces. And for good reason, Google is winning its battle against Apple for consumers interested in upgrading to the latest smartphones and tablets. This past Christmas saw Google overtake Apple for the lead in smartphones. And there appears to be no end in site with lower-priced devices entering the market throughout this year, including new NVIDIA Tegra 3 devices from Asus for just $250.

LAS VEGAS -- Last year at CES 2011, tablets were all the rage and they used the show as their coming out party. While CES 2012 was more evolutionary versus revolutionary for tablets, they were many bright spots in the tablet world especially for gaming. We roundup the best gaming tablets and tablet technology from this year's CES in Las Vegas.

The cloud gaming folks at OnLive may not have a booth on the show floor, but it's certainly leaving its mark at the Consumer Electronics Show.  It has announced a partnership not only with Google TV, but also with Razer, in an attempt to bring its gaming services to more devices, other than the PC, MicroConsole and, most recently, iOS and Android devices.

LAS VEGAS -- With more than 100 products introduced at the CES Unveiled and press day opening today, the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) announces that the 2012 International CES will be the association’s second largest show in history. For a sneak peek at the show floor before it opens, check out the video below.

LAS VEGAS -- At the AT&T Developers Summit keynote being held at CES 2012, Samsung's Kevin Packingham showed its new hybrid phone/tablet device - the Galaxy Note. With a 5.3-inch HD Super AMOLED display, 1.5GHz dual core processor, 8 megapixel back and 2 megapixel front camera, the new Galaxy Note is a tweener mobile device that sits in between a tablet and a smartphone. The hybrid device will support AT&T's fast new 4G LTE network as well as AT&T's legacy 3G network. It also has a stylus pen which Samsung is calling the S-Pen which will allow Galaxy Note users to input to the device using handwriting as well as do doodles when you're bored. Pricing and availabiity werre not announced.