Big news coming in for Europe, as we announce that preparations are underway for this year's London Games Festival. Wondering exactly when 2008's celebrations begin? Visit the full article for the rest of the details!

Nintendo Australia is sending word that it will be holding a beginner class this Thursday for DS owners in their region. The class will teach visitors about the basics of handling titles like Animal Crossing, and Nintendogs. Further details are available in the full article.

Here's some good news for those folks who've been wondering about the fate of E3. Tecmo has announced that it'll be heading to E3 this year. Want to know what we've been speculating about their appearance? Head on over to the full article for more!

What exactly characterizes video game addiction? Writer and researcher Neils Clark recently tackled this and other related questions at the 2008 Games for Health Conference. In his talk, Clark elaborated on the problem, its elements, real world relationships and possible solutions. More on those in the full article after the jump.

Mention Ico or Shadow of the Colossus to PlayStation 2 owners and chances are you'll conjure up WAFFU memories of young love and enormous beasts. No, the sequel to the latter game isn't out, but the creator of the two games, Fumito Ueda, will be a speaker at the Nordic Game 2008 event. More on this in the full article after the jump.

It's one thing to look at the past in order to learn from it; it's quite another thing to examine the present and to see which direction you're heading toward. In the light of recent developments, various game industry insiders have taken to doing precisely those things. More reflection ensues in the full article after the jump.

Normally, a major event such as E3 would have all the big name companies attending it.  This year will be different, though, as five publishers have decided to drop out of the event altogether. Part of the reason may be due to reported bad blood between them and ESA president Mike Gallagher. More on this after the jump.

We got an update on the upcoming Nordic Game Conference which is set to happen in a few weeks in Sweden. Things are definitely shaping up as the top names from the industry gather for the multidisciplinary Game Creation Sessions. Find out who they are in the full article.

Simply can't wait for the release of 2K Games' Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution (Xbox 360, PS3, DS)? You can try your hands on it even before it reaches store shelves. All you have to do is visit the MCM Expo which is going to take place on May 24 and 25. Details can be found in the full article.

Okay, so you've got your agenda finalized. What's the next thing to do? Why, it's to announce the All-Star Speakers, of course.

Evergreen Events, the organizer of the 2008 ION Game Conference, has done precisely that. It's mentioned four important names to take note of. Find out who these four people are after the jump.