Video Games

Jerry Bruckheimer, the producer of action films and television shows such as "Top Gun," "Black Hawk Down" and "C.S.I," now thinks video games are where the action is. Bruckheimer is the latest Hollywood kingpin to dive into the $50-billion-and-growing global game industry.

Sony Corp. slashed $100 off the price of its entry-level PlayStation 3 game console to $299 on Tuesday in an effort to goose sales ahead of the crucial holiday shopping season. The Japanese electronics giant also unveiled a thinner model of the PS3 that packs a 120-gigabyte hard disk drive. The newer model, 36% smaller and 32% lighter than the 80-gigabyte version, is expected to hit store shelves by Sept. 1. The 160-gigabytye PS3 also took a price cut, and is now $399. "This is a game-changing moment for us," Peter Dille, Sony's senior vice president of marketing, said in an interview.

The video game industry is splintering into the haves and the have-nots. THQ Inc. falls in the less fortunate camp. The Calabasas publisher was at the top of its game two years ago. The company's $68-million profit and $1 billion in revenue put it within striking distance of crosstown rival Activision Inc. THQ released an ambitious plan to expand its game lineup and began acquiring development studios across the country.

Aficionados of the computer-based game Tetris describe the manipulation of its geometric shapes as mind-bending, time-expending and utterly absorbing. But an inoculation against the mental anguish of war memories? Who'd have guessed it?

While other sectors hit the reset button during the bleak holiday season, the video game industry rang up a 9% increase in U.S. sales during December as consumers hunkered down at home, many with their Wii game consoles. The gain was led by a 15% uptick in sales of games, including Call of Duty: World at War, Wii Fit, Mario Kart and Guitar Hero World Tour, market research firm NPD Group Inc. said Thursday. For the year, sales of games, consoles and accessories grew 19% to $21.

Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia strides to the plate and begins his ritual. Tap the bat twice on the ground. Circle it overhead. Adjust the gloves. Stand straight, bat upright, awaiting the pitch. A voice interrupts: "And cut!" Pedroia is in a Sony Corp. studio in San Diego, suited up in a spandex bodysuit studded with 55 white sensors.

YAZAN AMMARI Gamer -- How did the renowned "clowN" -- dreaded, revered and awesomely lethal with a SG552 commando high-powered assault rifle -- end up back home with Mom and Dad? ClowN, not so long ago, was a hero to every kid whose parents ever nagged that computer games were a waste of time.

Nirvana for the video game industry looks a lot like World of Warcraft, except without the arcane rules that mystify the average player. That vision is the driving force behind Lego Universe, a new online game that's based on the toy building bricks franchise and is scheduled for release in 2010. Developed by a San Mateo, Calif., firm called Gazillion Entertainment, the game is designed so that even a 5-year-old and his grandfather can play together.

Video game players shrugged off the recession last month by taking out their economic anxieties on fighting and exercise games. Game revenue grew 9% in February to $733.5 million, powered by the release of titles based on popular franchises such as Street Fighter and Killzone, according to a report Thursday by tracking firm NPD Group Inc. "Software sales were remarkable, given that last February's sales spiked 48% with the release of Super Smash Bros.

Shoppers are buying an increasing amount of their music and movies via Web downloads. But video game sales remain firmly rooted in old-fashioned stores because many games require enormous software files that can take hours to download. That's now poised to change. One company, OnLive Inc., showcased one such effort at the Game Developer Conference on Tuesday night. The service promises to let players buy or rent the latest games and start playing within seconds on their television or computers.