Gotta love a media blitz! Today via press release, Funcom's let out a whole big batch (and by big, I mean "a huge number of" and "hugely insane resolutions of") screenshots, screenshots, and more screenshots for Age of Conan. We get to see the expansion teaser art too, as well as comparisons of Age of Conan on DirectX10 vs DirectX9. Plus a sneak peak at the free content that's coming within the next few months! It's thumbnail enlargement time!

Major Nelson revealed that the Xbox 360 demo for Kung Fu Panda is now available for download on the Xbox 360 in certain regions. Don't fret though because he did mention that the demo will eventually be available in all the regions where this movie will be coming out. To find out more, head on over to the full article.

Microsoft plans on lowering the price of its Xbox 360 in its Asian markets to revitalize sales - a move similar to when it cut the prices in Europe. For more information on these price cuts and the specific regions to be affected, head on over to the full article by clicking on the "read more" link below.

Take-Two Interactive Software, the distributor of Grand Theft Auto 4 (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3) and other games, has given word that it is planning to expand into Asia Pacific markets. The company has tapped an experienced senior executive to help them establish a foothold in Asia. For more information, don't hesitate to click on the "read more" link below.

You read that right - professional gaming now has a huge venue in China where the best players can train and compete. The Championship Gaming Series league went all out, and it's expected that the CGS 2008 Pan-Asia Final which will be held in the facility will be the most explosive yet. Find all the details at the full article.

Here's another movie turned video game from Luxoflux and Activision: Kung Fu Panda (PC, Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, and DS). Play the role of Po the Panda as he trains with five of the best Kung Fu masters in China to fulfill his destiny of becoming the Dragon Warrior. You can read more about the game in our full article after the jump.

Frank Yu, former Casual Games Producer for Microsoft in China, recently gave a report on the state of piracy in China following the Hong Kong raid where authorities seized 10,000 mod chips for Nintendo consoles. The last major news of piracy in China was last year; at that time it was for the Xbox 360.

Remember our report about Xbox 360 and Wii piracy in the Philippines? Turns out piracy is popular for both the Xbox 360 and the Wii in China as well.

According to Yu though, there isn't much demand for the PlayStation 3 so there's no modding or any distribution of pirated games in China that he is aware of and he doesn't even mention the PSP, which is a popular victim in many other areas. The Nintendo DS isn't spared however, as the Supercard (R4 card) is being sold in China.

Yu states that the Japanese Wii is a more popular candidate for modding since the US Wii has more protection. Modded Wiis can still download firmware although some of the more recent games, like Metroid Prime 3: Corruption won't work (although Yu believes this won't be true for long).

As for the Xbox 360, piracy is still very much active and rampant in the country. While Xbox 360 consoles in China will still be shut out of Xbox Live when MS detects that the console is modded, Yu has heard of a rumor that talks of a mod chip you can switch on and off. One just has to turn it off to log on to Xbox Live.

Hacking and modding is rampant but also incredible efficient - so much that the "folks at MS are always impressed by the speed and workaround that hackers and modders do to the motherboard." Hacking in China is also popular with foreigners, who aren't strangers with hacking shops at all.

Now that Peter Moore has taken the helm of EA Sports as president, big plans are about to be carried out for the company. Not only does he want games of the brand to be successful in multiple platforms, but also wants EA Sports to go global.

In an interview, Moore discussed about how he looks at other countries where the gaming industry could be in three years time. India, Russia, and mainland China are the biggest bets as future major players within the interactive entertainment world. For instance, EA Sports is looking at cricket as a sport that can become more than just India's favorite.

Other goals in Moore's checklist include capitalizing on various platforms and making sure his company can make games that sell to a wider audience. He also expressed interest in getting another tattoo, one of John Madden, if his back is wide enough.

When asked why Moore left his position in Microsoft as corporate vice president, he replied:

[EA] is a company I have enjoyed competing with over the years and more recently collaborating with. I have strong Bay Area roots with my kids being born here, being Cal Berkeley kids, and the timing was right for me both personally and professionally to come here.

He also mentioned how he knew Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitello for a long time and figured out that being where he is now is the suitable place for someone with his background. Some may remember EA also offered him good salary and compensation for leaving his previous job.

For the full interview, click on the Read link below.

 

Koei's new game Warriors Orochi has gone gold and will be reaching the U.S. on September 18 for the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 2. Warriors Orochi is part of Koei's continued line that delves into the legends and histories of the ancient Eastern Civilization. This time, Warriors Orochi crosses the universes of Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors.

Warriors Orochi features a legendary line-up of 77 playable characters from both games to battle the Serpent King, Orochi. Using his powers, Orochi tore through time and space to kidnap the legendary heroes of Ancient China and Feudal Japan. The video game from Koei features co-op play and will give players a chance to pit their favorites from both games against each other.

Here are some screenshots from Warriors Orochi! Enjoy the sword-slashing fun, people!

   

Check the full article for more screenshots!

Slipping back to our business suits, we've gotten word that U.S. market research firm Parks Associates has discovered that online gaming still outweighs video streaming or social networking over the Internet. The report entitled "Casual Gaming Market Update" claimed that at least 34% of adult Internet users play online games on a weekly basis. Games they play include casual games, confirming the rise in popularity of the casual gaming sector.

 

In contrast, 29% of those surveyed watch short online videos, and a smaller 19% visit social networking sites at least once a week. Additionally, online gaming is also experiencing a major surge in the North American region. Parks Associates observed a 79% year-on-year rise in online gamers, compared to the 46% climb of social networking users.

Still, video streaming users are ascending at a steep 123%, and the online gaming sector would do well to challenge that rate in the following years. The online gaming sector is becoming a ripe source of income, and Parks Associates still recommends the tried-and-tested Western business models for the region.

In the Eastern front, the online gaming sector is becoming a blossoming playground for the Asian gaming industry, as Taiwan, Korea, and China have experienced phenomenally market booms in the previous year. Market predictions are also off-the-roof for the Far East, and it may have already grown leaps and bounds in the first half of 2007.

Because people WoW and click Flash more than they Facebook or Youtube, we'll be monitoring for more developments as they come clicking by.