According to a new report, tribal gaming resorts in California saw a 6% drop in revenue in 2008, and the report's author, Alan Meister, foresees a similar drop across the local industry in 2009. The states 65 casinos generated $7.3 billion in '08, compared to $7.8 billion in '07. California represents 27% of the nation's total tribal gaming sector, and almost half the states saw decreases in gaming revenue over the last two years. So we suppose this means that in times of economic trouble, people actually gamble away less of their social security and unemployment checks! Kudos, gamblers. more ›

It's probably not news to anyone who's played an internet-enabled, multi-player video game in the last few years (or anyone who's ever met a teenage boy, for that matter) that LGBT gamers often face name-calling and harassment in the game-o-sphere when they advertise their sexual orientation. The Bay Area Reporter just published this investigative report in which they speak to several people in the industry -- including Flynn DeMarco of gaygamer.net and Caryl Shaw, a senior producer for the Sims and Spore -- who discuss things they've heard and seen. The takeaways: The Sims welcomes all kinds of sexual proclivities, gender identities and whathaveyou, but the multi-player environment of Xbox Live -- which is particularly rife with children and teens -- does not allow players to display their sexual orientation in their profile, gamertag or elsewhere. more ›

Around 2 p.m. Friday on the 800 block of Southwood Drive in South San Francisco, an 18-year-old man was robbed of his PlayStation 3. (Mean!) According to KNTV, "he was sitting on a bench when a man approached him and demanded his backpack. The bag contained a PlayStation 3 system, three games and a controller." Initially the victim told his mugger to fuck off, more or less, but after one of the men pulled up his sweatshirt to reveal a black handgun tucked in his waistband, he relented. The suspect is described as "a white man around 20 years old, with short, dark hair and a medium build. Police reports estimate his height as between 5 foot 7 and 6 feet tall," who got into "a four door, silver vehicle parked on Haven Avenue." Alas, not all armed robberies have a happy ending. more ›

Laughing Squid broke the news that game designer Gary Gygax, co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons (1974)/co-founder of Tactical Studies Rules, died today at the ripe age of 69. According to LS, his death was announced on the Troll Lord Games forum. Steve (AKA the High Lord, Coburg the Undying, he who sits on the elephants back of the Castle and Crusade Society) had this to say on the forums: more ›