Here’s a rundown of some news off the AP, Reuters, and AFX wires:

360 to Launch in China

Microsoft is expected to release the Xbox 360 in China sometime in the coming months according to industry insiders. Talks with Chinese internet service providers and personal computer makers have gone on since late last year in preparation for the impending launch.
The company has also been checking with the Chinese culture and informations to be certain the government is comfortable with the system. The government reviews video game content in China and it’s stance on the 360’s games may be the determining factor on how soon the system launches.
“We take a long-term approach to each market and continue to evaluate the China market for opportunities,” Andres Vejarano, Regional Marketing Director at Microsoft’s Entertainment & Devices Division for Asia & Greater China, said in an e-mail to a Reuters.

Microsoft has giving no official comment on when the system will launch, however retail industry insiders speculate the system could launch in mid-February.

-Reuters

Gaming for Credit

Jacksonville State University this semester is offering a course that allows students to play video games for credit. But don’t be fooled, this is a high-demand computer science course according to course instructor David Thornton.

The course is an upper division video game design class based on the popular program at Southern Methodist University. The course to open to all majors rather than being computer science student exclusive. Students will pitch video game ideas to Thornton and then the instructor will select the best ideas and put together team to develop the ideas.
“It sounds silly, but they will have to play video games,” said Thornton. You have to see what’s out there on the modern market to make something good.”

The students, however won’t have a fully playable game at the end of the course. The courses aim instead is to present the story and graphics ideas, design the projects and develop market plans.
“In the old days, a video game could be developed by a couple of computer programmers and a dream,” he said. “Our goal is to assemble such teams from students who have skills in creative writing, art, music, theater, psychology, marketing and computer science. After that, we let them develop ideas and hope they can create something amazing.”

-AP

Columbine Game Pulled from Slamdance 

The Slamdance Film Festival, Jan. 18-27, pulled the Super Columbine Massacre RPG! game because of inability to justify keeping it in the Guerrilla Gamemaking competition said festival co-founder and president Peter Baxter.

“I spoke to people who are still suffering very much from Columbine,” Baxter said. “Some things are more important than one game or a festival.”

The downloadable game created by Danny Ledonne of Alamosa, Colorado has players take the roles of Columbine shooters Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. The game has cartoon graphic and shows pictures and writings of Harris and Blebold. Ledonne said he was a sophomore in high school when the shootings took place in April 1999.

“I had the same kinds of issues in high school that the two shooters did and I just dealt with it differently, fortunately,” Ledonne said.

Ledonne said he believed the game would spark serious discussion about the shootings, which were blamed in part on the teens’ exposure to violent games. Baxter said the festival would add a discussion session this year about the game.

“They picked up something that they, in the end, didn’t have the courage of their convictions to stand behind,” Ledonne said.

University of Southern California’s Interactive Media Division withdrew it’s planned of fellowships to the winners as did six gamemakers pull their entries from the festival.

“They courted very avant-garde, independent gamemakers and if you’re going to do that, in the same way you stand by a very avant-garde filmmaker, you need to be prepared to stand by a gamemaker,” said Tracy Fullerton, associate professor of USC’s program.
- AFX

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