games,game blog

NEW YORK (AP) — Casino-equipment maker Scientific Games Corp. should benefit from the National Football League’s recent vote to allow teams to sign license deals with state lotteries for instant tickets, an analyst said Monday.

Given its previous success with Major League Baseball and the NBA, we believe Scientific Games should be the primary provider of these license agreements, which could be a nice boost to instant ticket revenue, starting this fall,” Robert Evans of Craig Hallum Capital said in a client note.

While the NFL could provide a boon to business, New York-based Scientific Games faces some uncertainty on an existing Italian instant ticket contract which the company shares with Lottamattica and other local businesses.

Evans says local media reports indicate the contract may go up for bids instead of being renegotiated. But the analyst is still confident Scientific Games could retain the business.

“Given that this lottery has been built from $500 million euros ($703.1 million) to almost $10 billion euros ($14.06 billion) by the current consortium, with Scientific Games being a key reason for this success, we believe a renewal of this contract at a discounted price is the more likely scenario,” he said.

Evans maintained an “Accumulate” rating but lowered his price target to $23 from $24 after lowering his 2009 and 2010 net earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization estimates on some repriced contracts and a $225 million subordinated notes offering.

Shares of Scientific Games added 36 cents to $16.58 in morning trading.

Keterlibatan Rama dalam proyek game Nintendo memang bukan kali ini saja terjadi. Sebelumnya, ia pernah bekerja freelance sebagai sound engineer di Nintendo. Hingga kemudian di suatu waktu ditawari untuk membantu komposer utama — Koji Kondo — untuk membuat 2 - 3 lagu di game Super Mario Galaxy versi pertama.

“Kalau dalam game terdahulu saya bekerja sama dengan komposer lain. Tapi sekarang saya bertanggung jawab sepenuhnya untuk menggarap musik dalam Super Mario Galaxy 2,” ujarnya dalam obrolan santainya dengan detikINET.

Super Mario Galaxy 2 sendiri saat ini masih dalam tahap pengembangan dan direncanakan baru akan diluncurkan ke pasaran pada 2010 mendatang untuk gamer konsol Nintendo Wii.

Lantaran keterbatasan yang dimiliki, Rama memang hanya mengandalkan ketajaman insting pendengarannya. Untuk menyesuaikan alur musik dengan tampilan yang keluar di layar misalnya, ia hanya bergantung dari skrip yang diberikan. ( ash / faw )

Jangan sampai ketinggalan info gadget terbaru dan juga informasi lainnya. Ketik REG TEC kirim SMS ke 3845 (khusus pelanggan Indosat, Telkomsel, Hutch 3, Flexi).

Tetap update informasi di manapun dengan http://m.detik.com dari browser ponsel anda!

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The game between the Portland Beavers and Colorado Springs Sky Sox was suspended in the middle of the fifth due to weather with the Beavers leading 7-6 Monday night at Security Service Field.

Monday’s game will start again at 3 p.m. today when the teams will finish the final 4½ innings. Tuesday’s regularly-scheduled game will be seven innings, with the first pitch coming 30 minutes following the suspended game.

Chad Huffman and Craig Stansberry each had two RBIs and a run scored, and Mike Baxter and Sean Kazmar recorded two hits apiece for the Beavers (36-41).

Former Beaver Adam Eaton gave up seven runs (two earned) on eight hits in five innings and Matt Buschmann went four, allowing six runs on five hits before the rain came.

Baxter, hitting leadoff for the first time this season, hit a lead-off single to begin the first inning and Stansberry reached on an error, allowing Val Pascucci to knock in his first RBI as a Beaver with a groundout to third base. Huffman followed with a two-run double to give Portland an early 3-0 lead.

After Colorado Springs loaded the bases to start off the bottom of the first, Matt Murton hit a sacrifice fly and Christian Colonel followed with a run-scoring single. Sal Fasano added a three-run home run in the next at-bat as the Sky Sox (45-31) batted around in the inning to go up 5-3 on the Beavers.

Kazmar singled and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and a fielding error before Stansberry plated him in the second.

The Beavers retook the lead 7-5 in the third with two consecutive run-scoring singles by Kazmar and Buschmann and an RBI groundout by Stansberry.

Jonathan Herrera hit an RBI single in the bottom of the third frame to bring the Sky Sox to within a run.

The rain intensified in the middle of the fifth, causing a 90-minute delay that eventually led to the suspension.

NOTES: After entering the series against Colorado Springs in an 0 for 27 slump, Huffman has gone 5 for 10 with seven RBIs and a home run in three games against the Sky Sox.

ARLINGTON, Texas — Texas Rangers slugger Josh Hamilton started his comeback from abdominal surgery by going 1 for 4 with a walk and a run scored for Double-A Frisco on Monday night.

Hamilton

Hamilton, who led off as the designated hitter, started with the walk. He also had an RBI single and stole a base in the seventh inning. He appeared to be running with no problems, even sliding into second base.

“Everything felt OK physically,” Hamilton said. “Sliding’s fine. I stole third so the media wouldn’t think anything was wrong with me.”

The Rangers said Hamilton, who has missed all of June, will work out with them Tuesday before their game against the Los Angeles Angels. Hamilton will then fly to Des Moines, Iowa, to join Triple-A Oklahoma City and play multiple games there, including in the outfield.

“What I have to do is just see pitching. There’s nothing like game experience,” Hamilton said. “I need to make a progression, make some adjustments.”

Hamilton, who had surgery June 9, got hurt when he crashed into an outfield wall making a catch May 17. That came less than a week after he came off an earlier stint on the disabled list because of a strained ribcage muscle sustained when he crashed into another wall on another catch.

General manager Jon Daniels has said Hamilton could be back in the lineup as early as this weekend. Hamilton said being back for July 4, which is Saturday, was realistic.

“My legs are sore. I’m getting into the swing of things. But I don’t see it being a problem.” Hamilton said.

Hamilton, who hit .304 with 32 homers and an AL-high 130 RBIs last season, is hitting .240 with six homers and 24 RBIs in 35 games this season.

SEOUL (AFP) -

South Korea’s normally publicity-shy intelligence agency is creating a stir among liberal groups with a “spot the spy” flash video game offering a variety of prizes.

The National Intelligence Service (NIS) is hosting the game on its website (www.nis111.co.kr) to mark the anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War on June 25, 1950.

The game, which runs from June 22 to July 21, challenges users to pick out spies and those who sympathise with communist North Korea.

Two hundred lucky winners will receive laptop computers, digital cameras and game consoles. Bloggers who link the game to their personal web pages will get premium watches.

“This is designed to promote public awareness about security” especially among “young people who do not know North Korea well,” an NIS spokesman told AFP.

He refused comment on criticism by some liberal groups that it could spread the perception that pro-unification activists are potential spies.

The game asks users to keep a close eye on those who praise North Korea, and on reunification activists who frequently mention economic cooperation and family reunions between the two Koreas.

The first stage invites users to identify suspicious characters in a crowded park. One figure is shown holding a placard reading “Love Kim Il-Sung,” the North’s founding president who died in 1994.

The game urges players to look out for people who leave Internet cafes quickly after posting “impure” articles, or protesters who spread groundless rumours or incite violence at anti-US and anti-government rallies.

Other suspects include those who photograph sensitive military and industrial facilities, people who cover their mouth with their hand when they talk, and those who bring sticks to street demonstrations.

The Korea Times said Friday the NIS seems to be trying to appear hip and humorous with the game’s cartoon-style characters, but that Internet users are ridiculing the approach.

“I never met a spy before as far as I know, but I don’t think they will be waving ‘I love Kim Il-Sung’ signs or carrying walkie-talkies and pro-North Korean documents and books in public parks,” it quoted one blogger as saying.

The Kyunghyang Sinmun, an independent daily, has accused the agency of suggesting that pro-unification activists should be seen as spies or leftists.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Phillies slugger Ryan Howard’s consecutive games streak is in jeopardy after he was hospitalized with flu symptoms.

The 2006 National League MVP has played 342 straight games since May 25, 2007, the longest active streak in the majors. But manager Charlie Manuel said Howard was unavailable against the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday night.

Howard was 0 for 3 with a walk in Friday night’s 7-2 loss to the Orioles. He chugged home from first on a double by Jayson Werth in the first inning.

Howard went to the hospital after the game. Manuel said Howard’s temperature had reached 104 degrees, but the first baseman was released after midnight.

Matt Stairs replaced Howard in the cleanup spot and Greg Dobbs filled in at first base.

Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

The 2006 National League MVP has played 342 straight games since May 25, 2007, the longest active streak in the majors. But manager Charlie Manuel said Howard was unavailable against the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday night.

Howard was 0 for 3 with a walk in Friday night’s 7-2 loss to the Orioles. He chugged home from first on a double by Jayson Werth in the first inning.

Howard went to the hospital after the game. Manuel said Howard’s temperature had reached 104 degrees, but the first baseman was released after midnight.

Matt Stairs replaced Howard in the cleanup spot and Greg Dobbs filled in at first base.