There's no stopping Microsoft from facing the competition head-on. Later this week, you will now see a brand new Microsoft retail store opening its door in Scottsdale, Arizona. Yes, imagine an Apple Store, only with a Microsoft sign.

The name Michael Pachter is no stranger in the gaming industry. Every so often, the Wedbush Morgan industry analyst makes a prediction, states an opinion, sometimes even throws a controversial comment. With that said, Pachter will be lending his voice and his knowledge of the industry to keynote the Game Investment Conference this November.

Turn 10 has announced that Forza Motorsport 3 is now gold and is racing into the final lap for its October release. To mark the occasion, they've also given the green light for a demo set to hit the Xbox Live Marketplace later this month. Demo details after the jump.

I was at the beach last year having a few drinks when this dude at the bar did a reggae cover of Jason Mraz's I'm Yours. Can't help but love the song more than I already did. While a lot of people give me crap about liking Jason Mraz music, I don't care. Apparently, neither does Lips: Number One Hits, which features the aforementioned artist, as well as other big names in the scene, including Lady Gaga, Kanye, and Mariah Carey.

Capcom gives you another reason to check out the Comic-Con happening next week at the San Diego Convention Center in California. The reason: Lost Planet 2. Apart from being able to play the game, you can also take home the Salamander boss you just slayed. Find out how in the full article.

Joshua Atkins and Amy E. Gilbert sent out a notice of their upcoming marriage last weekend. Congratulations to the now-newlywed couple. But perhaps you're wondering why their wedding is of any importance to this site. That's because the notice for their wedding published on the New York Times practically confirmed the existence of Fable III.

With 13 confirmed cases of the H1N1 Swine Flu in California, Governor Arnie's raised a State of Emergency. If the situation doesn't improve within a month, the E3 Expo might not push through. Despite these risks, the ESA event organizers are optimistic that the E3 will indeed happen, come hell, high water, or pandemic (and by pandemic, I'm obviously not referring to the studio).

Last year, Gibson Guitar Inc. filed a suit against Activision's Guitar Hero for allegedly violating patent rights. About a year later today, a U.S. District Court in the Central District of California has finally given out its decision, holding that the music game franchise does not infringe on a 1999 Gibson patent, which simulates musical performance using a 3D headset display and stereo speakers. Read more in the full article.

Remember the California game law? You know, the one that wants to restrict the sale and rental of violent video games? Well, they went to the Court of Appeals to challenge the ruling, and guess what they got. Their appeal was denied, and the US Court of Appeals has ruled against the 2005 California gaming law. More in the full article.

Studies on violent video games can be very fickle. One minute violent video games are a healthy way of releasing pent up energy, and the next minute they're murder simulators. Sometimes you just have to wonder if the studies are actually credible.

According to the ECA, the latest one - the one that says violent video games make you more aggressive - is one such example of a study whose credibility is questionable. Right on.