Reuters - Japanese video game maker Nintendo Co Ltd said on Thursday it would launch its new DS handheld game console on November 1 in Japan for 18,900 yen ($179).

AFP - Nintendo Co., riding high on the success of the Wii, said Thursday that it will launch a new version of its popular DS handheld console next month with a built-in camera and enhanced audio capabilities.

Reuters - Video-game retailer GameStop on Wednesday said it will acquire French video-game retailer Micromania from private equity fund L Capital for $700 million, including debt, to gain a presence in France.

AP - Is it possible for a video game to express an anti-war viewpoint? After all, most war games revel in jaw-dropping violence, from smoothly executed head shots to massive explosions. When you're mowing down hordes of aliens in "Halo" or "Gears of War," there isn't much time to reflect on the futility of the whole enterprise.

Reuters - Video game publisher Electronic Arts Inc has signed a deal for Hollywood director Zack Snyder, who made the hit 2006 film "300," to help develop video games, some of which may someday become movies themselves.