New York Post: Can’t Steal ‘Theft’

Gaming analyst Mike Hickey, after reviewing pre-sales of the game, anticipated shipments and other data, predicted “GTA4″ would sell 5.8 million units in the first seven days after its April 29 release – which would nearly double the current record set by “Halo 3″ last year.

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EA Looking To Rev Engine

With sales of its flagship Madden football video flattening out, Electronic Arts is looking to open up its offense. CEO John Riccitiello, who rejoined the company last spring, has extended EA’s pricey, exclusive NFL license, negotiated a new, exclusive in-game ad deal with Microsoft’s Massive Inc., jumped into iPhone game development and, in perhaps his boldest gambit, kicked off a hostile takeover attempt of Take-Two Interactive, the maker of the lucrative “Grand Theft Auto” series.

Rated “X” for XBox

Released last month, the sci-fi adventure “Mass Effect” (Microsoft for the XBox 360) hasn’t created as much of a stir as, say, the pornographic minigame Hot Coffee in “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas,” but it still has authorities buzzing.

A ‘Grand’ Chance For Vid Makers
There’s an extra $420 million up for grabs in the video game sector this holiday season and game producers Activision and Electronic Arts could grab a large chunk of the cash. The huge cash cache is an estimate of sales that Take-Two Games’ ill-fated “Grand Theft Auto IV” could have racked up – seven million units at $60 a pop

Wii Woe: Holiday Shortages Seen

Nintendo will be offering up nothing but disappointment to tens of thousands of kids this holiday season.

The red-hot video game company, whose stock has more than doubled this year on the runaway strength of the Wii game console, said it cannot keep up with demand and that U.S. consumers should expect shortages this holiday season.

Nintendo and Apple Platforms Are Gaming Each Other

Two of the hottest tech companies – Nintendo and Apple – appeared headed for a showdown after Nintendo moved to patent its tilt sensitivity on its best-selling portable system, Nintendo DS, essentially to turn it into a mobile Nintendo Wii.

Retro Replay

Looking to score a vintage arcade machine? Here are the rules of the game.

Let your fingers do the gaming
Cell phones used to deliver as much fun as a calculator, but today the newest games can be downloaded as easily as 50 Cent’s latest ringtone

• Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 07 (www.eamobile.com, price TBA) brings you to Pebble Beach and five other hot links. The visuals pack the same punch as the Wii version. Each round begins with a course flyover, followed by the traditional 3D behind-the-golfer view to swing. The 5 key starts the swing and the decent, which makes it easy to control your power, and other keys provide helpful backspin. The only thing missing is a multiplayer mode, but the long Tournament mode will keep you plenty busy.
• Lost (www.gameloft.com, $3.99) takes more after the classic Pitfall than the ABC’s cryptic hit series. Playing as lead character Jack, you must save party members, find crucial items and, most importantly, avoid the smoke monster. You’ll use your noggin, but this title is more about quick hits than quick wits.
• Scene It? Movie Edition (www.namcogames.com/sceneit, price TBA) is like those trivia games you used to play at the local bar. A continuous lightning round, Scene It? fires multiple choice questions at you and up to three “friends.” Points based on speed, winning streaks and, of course, accuracy, and you’re ranked accordingly from Studio President to Best Boy (hint: You don’t want to be ranked Best Boy). The questions are surprisingly current as they’re downloaded on the spot from the game’s server. It’s a great road-trip title.
• Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas (www.gameloft.com, $3.99) isn’t a sophisticated military sim like its big brothers on the Playstation 3 and XBox 360, but it has a great old-school aesthetic. The action/adventure is broken up into arcade games like 2D run-and-gun missions, Duck Hunt-style sniper modes and bomb-dismantling puzzles. No multiplayer here either, but the fast pace and variety is good for on-the-go mayhem. -Damon Brown

Groovy Attack

Video game makers are launching an all-out assault on the beleaguered music business by signing the musicians behind their original video game soundtracks to deals on newly minted labels.