I interviewed Melissa Joan Hart a few month ago when she was still getting ready for Dancing with the Stars (she was eventually given the fancy dance boot late October 2009). Naturally, I had to ask if she played video games.

In our talking about things that she geeks out about, she mentioned two iPhone (and iPod Touch) games: Flight Controller and Uni Sudoku…

Three more game-relate print pubs have crumbled under the force of an economic recession and inexpensive online competition.

Fusion Publishing recently filed for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, essentially shutting down Geek Monthly Magazine, Play Magazine and Girls of Gaming.

The company has not been responding to inquiries from fans, subscribers and former writers so most of the news about the publications being shuttered comes from former writers. I can confirm from online contact with Geek‘s former Editor, Jeff Bond, that Geek has officially been shut down.

Gotta love when a good show throws down a few gaming references.

The episode of 30 Rock titled “Mamma Mia” that aired last week (May 7, 2009), included three noticeable nods to video games within a couple minutes. (Can you tell I’m a week behind with my TiVo?)

Around 35 seconds into the show, Tina Fey’s character tells Alec Baldwin’s character to stop being so “Irish:”

“Be Italian for like one second. [In fakey Italian accent] ‘I’m Jack, I dunno who m’ father is. I’m so emotional I’m gonna smash these barrels.’”

In a recent post at AfterElton.com entitled “The Week in Gay Geek”, writer LyleMasaki takes on the recent controversies surrounding the UK re-release of Bully and Fox News’ coverage of Mass Effect. LyleMasaki writes that the issues taken with Bully (thankfully) have nothing to do with the same-sex kissing in the game, but notes that the Fox News/Mass Effect fiasco was prompted by the (optional) queer content.

From the post:

“the lesbian-inclusive Mass Effect has become a target for conservative pundits. It started when one conservative news site claimed the game had “explicitly graphic” love scenes, with another columnist saying the game “can be customized to sodomize whatever, whoever, however the game player wishes”. Bastion of journalistic credibility, Fox News picked up the story, prompting (Mass Effect publisher) EA Games to demand a correction.”