Redmond, Wash. - Nintendo of America on Monday debuted its WiiWare service, which allows owners of its Wii game console to download new games over an Internet connection from a range of large and independent publishers.

Austin, Texas - Bigfoot Networks, a provider of technology that decreases lag time for networked online gaming, has raised an $8.75 million second round of funding, led by North Bridge Venture Partners and Palomar Ventures, Austin Business Journal reported.

Los Angeles - Electronic Arts will acquire Rupture, a games-focused social network launched by Napster founder Shawn Fanning, for $30 million, according to a report from TechCrunch, which cited sources with knowledge of the deal.

New York - Video game publisher Atari (NASD: ATAR), which last week agreed to merge with its major shareholder, France-based Infogrames, announced on Friday that the Nasdaq has delisted its shares, effective today.

Redwood City, Calif. - Electronic Arts has launched a new sub-brand, EA Sports Freestyle, which will target what it says is the growing casual sports games audience. The label will publish at least three new games in the next 12 months, including an arcade-style boxing game called "FaceBreaker," and a title for Wii Fit, the new balance board accessory for the Nintendo Wii.

New York - Marvel Entertainment said on Thursday that it has entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with video game developer THQ (NASD: THQI), which will create video games based on the Marvel's kid-friendly Super Hero Squad franchise. The initial game is scheduled for release in the fall of 2009. Separately, THQ said it signed a deal with DreamWorks Animation to publish games based on the studio's 2010 fall animated feature film, currently under the working title "Master Mind." The film is billed as a satirical send-up of the superhero genre.

Seattle - RealNetworks (NASD: RNWK) announced on Thursday that it will spin off its casual games business, and distribute shares in the newly created company to its shareholders.

Burbank, Calif. - Dreamer, a Korea-based interactive TV developer, said on Tuesday that it has opened an office in Burbank, Calif. to market its Biddle technology, a platform that lets content distributors deliver customized, interactive programming and services to networked Blu-ray Disc players or PlayStation 3 consoles. Dreamer said its Biddle platform is currently in use by over one million subscribers in Korea.

New York - Video game publisher Take-Two Interactive (NASD: TTWO) has sued the Chicago Transit Authority and sales agent Titan Outdoor for pulling ads for its "Grand Theft Auto IV" game without any explanation, Reuters reports.

San Francisco - PurePlay, an online poker site that allows users to play for cash and claims to be compliant with U.S. laws, announced on Tuesday that it has raised a third round of venture capital, led by Bay Partners, with total funding to date now at $15 million.

Tel Aviv, Israel - Prime Sense, a developer of technology that can enable "3D vision" in electronic devices, has raised $20.4 million in its second round of venture capital financing, led by Canaan Partners.

New York - NBC News (NYSE: GE) on Monday launched iCue, a free online collaborative learning site that incorporates gaming, discussion and video resources. The iCue (Immerse, Connect, Understand and Excel) site was designed using research from the MIT Education Arcade, which explores integrating gaming and peer collaboration into traditional learning activities, and includes hundreds of videos from the NBC News archives.

Redwood City, Calif. - Electronic Arts has partnered with AOL Sports to market and promote "EA Sports GameShow," the company's new online sports trivia game. Under the agreement, AOL Sports now features GameShow as part of the content available to the 10.9 million unique visitors who visit the site monthly.

Los Angeles - Video game publishers Activision (NASD: ATVI) and Vivendi Games have discontinued their memberships in the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) industry trade group, and will also not be attending this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) trade show, GameDaily reports.

Shanghai - China’s online video game market is expanding rapidly, with sales forecasted to grow from $1.7 billion in 2007 to $6 billion in 2012, according to a survey released by Niko Partners today.
“This market is attractive because it is leading the way for online games,” said Lisa Cosmas Hanson, managing partner of Niko Partners, according to VentureBeat.