John Carmack has been in the news a lot lately. Most recently, the id Software co-founder shared some of his thoughts on who he thinks will be the first to roll out an eighth-generation console. His bet? Sony will be out of the gate first.

Despite fears that the on-going trend of digital distribution may be bad for retailers, analyst Arvind Bhatia of Sterne Agee believes that retailers and walk-in stores have nothing to worry about. At least not yet. Meeting with four key GameStop execs, the analyst shares his thoughts and predictions regarding digital downloads.

Before, we've seen a handful of studies on video games and their varied effects on kids, teens, and even adults. Usually, the studies have to do with violence or sex or stress relief and whatnot. This new study is the first I've actually seen linking video games to civic development and political awareness. Check out the full article for an outline of findings that the research team has gathered. It's a treasure trove of interesting little snippets of gaming goodness.

""In a report by Next Generation, ABI Research director Mike Wolf speculated that North American Internet-to-TV video solutions will reach US$ 1.5 billion in revenue. However, instead of the available Internet-to-TV hardware solutions, Wolf believes that it will be consoles to spur the immediate growth of the market.

 

Wolf speculates that all this will happen in the next five years. So according to his estimates, customers on next-gen consoles such as the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 will comprise almost 60% of the market revenue by 2012. He even notes that consoles could overtake even Steve Jobs' Apple TV.

Because of the multiple entertainment capabilities of such consoles and their requirement for broadband connections, consumers would find more value and appeal in game consoles as capable Internet-to-TV products. That doesn't include the roomy hard drive storage and the fact that the console is already next to a TV.

However, the console has a long way to go to make waves in the market. ABI Research's recently conducted study entitled "Over-the-Top Internet Video to the TV" pointed out that 71% of people who purchase video over the Internet do so on a PC. 16% of the remaining simply burns the video into DVD and watches it on TV, while 8% download and view videos on their video console.

Aside from the fact that only 12% of the surveyed people do purchase videos online, the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii will also have to contend with next-generation Internet-to-TV products from Comcast and Netgear, aside from the Apple TV and Sony's own future Internet-to-TV entertainment products.

But consoles already have an edge in growth: Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft all provide online purchase options by drawing funds from accounts. If Wolf's predictions do come true, analysts believe the console rise in the market will be phenomenal. "“This is just the beginning,” Wolf concluded.

UK's first major trade show event since 2004, the London Games Festival, started the week-long celebration of interactive entertainment. It includes a variety of events that will surely delight gamers.

First is GDC London, an annual gathering of video game developers which comprise an expo and a variety of tutorials, lectures and roundtables by industry professionals on game-related topics covering programming, design, audio, production, business, legal issues, and art. Next is the London Games Summit which provides the most hard-hitting business content specifically developed for the industry. This is where top industry executives and key government ministers provide honest insights on the gaming business today.

Gamers will be in paradise as London Games Festival features other events which may interest them like the HMV's Games Showcases which feature a handful of playable games like Pro Stroke Golf, PDC World Championship Darts, Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2007 and Rockstar Games' Table Tennis, to name a few. It'll also feature The Game/Play and the Artful Gaming Exhibition.

The festival does not only cater to the gamers audience as it also provides diverse events that cater to parents who need advice on games or people who want to learn more about games and where the future of entertainment is currently heading. So its a festival that caters to almost everyone, not only to the gamers. And this also reflects that gaming is serious business. The festival aims to add learning to fun. Families can attend this celebration and take part in the activities. Check out the schedule of events here.

In PricewaterhouseCoopers' (PWC) "Entertainment and Media Outlook: 2006-2010," the firm predicts that the worldwide game market will grow from $7 billion in 2005 to as much as $47 billion in 2010. This astronomic growth is expected to come largely from the Asia Pacific. Increased broadband access, computer literacy and government promotion will contribute to the huge sales in the region. The combined region of Europe, the Middle East, and Africa is expected to be the globe leader in terms of growth. I guess America has to step aside; but if it's any consolation, it will outpace Latin America. See, it's not so bad.

Worldwide market growth will be driven by demand for next-generation consoles and software. PWC predicts that the titles that are likely to be catapulted to the top of the charts are those that "build off a movie title, sport or a franchise that has already been built up."

Game companies have been reporting disappointing financial results due to their transition to next-gen systems. Well, those days will soon be over. With the PS3 and Wii completing the next-gen triumvirate, we'll have our games, they'll have their money.