Gaming mag EGM is on its way back to printing and store shelves now that its founder, Steve Harris, has re-acquired its trademarks and publishing rights. According to the press release, Harris entered an agreement with Ziff Davis Media and the former now has plans to re-launch Electronic Gaming Monthly in the second half of 2009. More after the jump.

It's official. Ziff Davis has sold 1UP to UGO Entertainment and has closed EGM. This was confirmed by no less than an official press release from both camps earlier today. The axe has fallen, and it's fallen hard. GameVideos.com and others take the hit as well. Full details right after the jump.

Is the magazine industry already bust? You've probably heard a lot of print media transferring to the e-format due to various reasons (mostly because of the lack of demand and rising printing costs). Earlier this week, the publication firm has revealed their plans to cease print circulation of PC Magazine, and opt for the e-publication approach. It was also noted that they're currently considering Electronic Gaming Monthly to follow suit.

Sometimes, you just feel the need to move on. That's what Dan Hsu of 1UP feels, as he has recently announced his official resignation from the company. The former editor-in-chief of EGM also mentioned a who would take over after he left. More about that after the jump.

Interested in the whole Ziff Davis Media bankruptcy hub-bub that's been going around lately? Then here is 1UP Editor Simon Cox to clear up the entire matter for us, and how we shouldn't really worry about today's more popular videogame magazines. Bankruptcy is a scary word, yes, but for 1UP, it's anything but. Check out the full article for more info.

In a rather shocking development, Ziff Davis Media appeared before the court  today and filed for bankruptcy due to overwhelming debt that could reach up to US$ 1 billion. The company is responsible for entities EGM and 1UP.com among others. Know the full details after the jump!

We just got word that former gaming magazine editor John Davison has just opened up a new gaming website for parents. This particular website reportedly aims to be the "video games guide for parents" and was established due to the alleged proliferation of violent titles.

John Davison is not at all a stranger to the video game industry. He used to be the editor of magazines EGM as well as the Official PlayStation Magazine for U.S. Check the full story by clicking the "read more" link below.

For a good while now, we've been hearing various reports and rumors about the recent sale that Ziff Davis is intending to make. Well, apparently, the whole issue is expected to be finally put to rest "in the next day or two". Normally, this would have been good news.

The element in this whole saga which has been keeping the industry at the edge of their seats is the fact that Ziff Davis owns the widely popular gaming website 1UP.com, and its offline counterpart, Electronic Gaming Monthly. One has to remember that EGM has already been churning out reviews and features since the days of the NES, while 1UP has already established itself as one of the prime resources of gaming-related news on the web, so the prospect of these being sold off by its parent company will most definitely have major implications.

At the moment, many are waiting with bated breath on how the whole deal will affect the staff of both 1UP and EGM (and along with staff comes the content, of course), what sort of changes will the public be looking forward to, and whether these changes will be for the better or otherwise. Many have fears about the outcome of the deal, especially after the Official Playstation Magazine was cancelled just last November.

In the meantime, we'll be keeping an eye out for updates on this matter, so stay tuned.

With sports being a major category of video gaming, it makes sense that ESPN would one day want to get in on the action of covering it. In partnership with the Ziff Davis Game Group and GameTap, the sports news network launched the ESPN Video Games Channel as a section of their sports news site. Obviously, being a sports network, the ESPN Video Games Channel is dedicated mainly to covering the latest news and features in the world of virtual sports.
One of the main features of the site is a weekly video podcast that will be made available through ESPN.com's PodCenter. But what video game site could all itself a video game site without offering tons of game-related content, including game previews, demos and strategy guides, and interviews and special features on upcoming sports game titles.

One new feature that's due to come is the GameTap Video Game Vault, which will become a repository for information and features about some of the most hallowed and respected sports game titles from the past platforms of video gaming history. Okay, call it the Smithsonian for sports-themed video games - that's the idea!

Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes A Day doesn't really sound like the kind of fun you'd want to have on your DS, but it would seem that Nintendo has taken the risk with this game, with the intent of revolutionizing the gaming industry by placing brain exercises side by side with entertainment.

Released earlier this year, Brain Age was the first of a planned series of brain games from Nintendo. In it are several timed activities such as word and number puzzles, connect-the-dots exercises and other challenges. At the end of the game, the "brain age" is tracked on a graph to show progress over the weeks and months that the brain-exercise regimen is completed. The goal, ultimately, is for the brain age to be at least equal to or below the player's actual age.

This game was developed not only for entertainment, but more importantly, to tap into a growing body of medical research suggesting that brain teasers and problem-solving games can improve memory and brain function in older people, even those with dementia. Concurrently, researchers are now trying to quantify the effects of gaming in relation to aging. Some groups such as the Alzheimer's Association even recommend puzzles for therapy, all under the theory that these may improve memory, attention and problem-solving while warding off mental decline, thereby reducing the risk of Alzheimer's disease.

The popular number game Sudoku by Ubisoft and Perplex City also cater to such interests, along with other games such as MSN Games' Hexic, Bejeweled, Mozaki Blocks, Bespelled and Scrabble Blast! These "brain food" games are claimed to aid brain function as well as aid in combating memory loss.

John Davidson, editorial director for Ziff Davis' video game magazines, including Electronic Gaming Monthly, has this to say about the emerging puzzle games: "(Nintendo's) Brain Age, I'm sure, will be a huge phenomenon. The challenge is getting people to try it, because once they do, they'll be hooked. ... It taps in nicely to the emerging puzzle-culture thing that's gaining some momentum."

At the rate things are going for these brain-exercise games, the time will soon come when our grandparents will want to have their own Nintendo DS. Now, THAT I have to see!