Leak Through Sega Of America Press Site Spills Sega And Sony Beans

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A document uncovered by game forum NeoGaf leaked out information on upcoming plans and products for Sega and Sony. Among details culled from the file are dates for the PS3 motion controller and the possibility of Dreamcast games sold through PS Network. This [a]listdaily post s opinion is that if the leak undermines the latter, we’ve all suffered for it.

Read more at Gamasutra.

Comcast Spots For Fancast Go For The Funny Bone

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On the heels of Hulu’s humorous Alec Baldwin spots, Comcast is promoting their web TV service with another funny premise. Anyone who ever missed a favorite show and had to rely on a friend, or in the case of these spots complete strangers, to recap can relate.

Ad Age features three of the spots and breaks down the campaign, calling it a direct assault on Hulu. Read and watch at Ad Age. 

Vitamin Water Parodies Infomercials With Steve Nash And 50 Cent

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The video promoting Vitamin Water s flavorcreator Facebook campaign is a mash-up of bad infomercials and late-night ads. Featuring NBA star Steve Nash and rapper 50 Cent, the video mostly relies on Nash’s surprising grasp of deadpan comedy, what BrandFreak blogger Elena Glowatz nails by calling out as a too soon Bill Mays parody.

Besides the video, Vitamin Water’s flavorcreator concept has merit. The heavily celebrity and sports star endorsed line has associated flavors and drink colors with personalities before, and now lets consumers do the same. Watch the clip and read more at BrandFreak.

The Next Twitter Is . . . Facebook, Google, Amazon And Xbox

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Four stalwarts of online services and networking are positioned to take over Twitter. In the article, IPG Emerging Media Lab argues that these companies, already playing essential roles in our networked lives, are arming themselves with new tech and lessons applied from everything that propelled Twitter’s popularity. The only new player among the four named by the firm is Foursquare, a well-funded location-based networking service going after the growing mobile networking trend.

Read their analysis at iMedia Connection.

Advertising Encroaches On NFL Hall Of Fame

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The NFL has opened its venerable shrine, virtually, to advertisers and marketers. Blitzing the play are men s apparel company Van Heusen and its partner retailer JC Penney. They are teaming up with the NFL in a campaign that gives fans a voice on future Hall of Fame inductions through branded web and social media sites. The game industry could collectively be wondering how EA Sports isn’t at the forefront of this move.

Read about the multi-prong campaign, and its potential pitfalls, at Ad Age.

The PR Renaissance Rambles On

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Ad Age uncovers the growing influence of PR in how major brands are marketed. Some companies are even combining the chief marketing and communication roles into a single position. The importance of consumer relations through social media is one part of it.

The story highlights how chief communication officers are defining the new role at big brand companies such as IBM, American Airlines and Intuit. Read more at Ad Age.

Deloitte Forecasts Holiday Sales Will Remain Flat For Retailers

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Lisa Baertlein reports for Reuters on Deloitte s retail sales forecast for the holidays, which the analyst firm sees weighed down by a host of economic problems plaguing consumers including credit availability. Mentioned in the story, conversely Best Buy revised up its full year forecast to reflect improving sales trends and store traffic.

Read the full report at Reuters.

Games For Windows Update Coming With Windows 7

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Games For Windows revealed enhancements and compatibility with Windows 7. The list of impressive improvements includes a promise of easier game installs, support for 32-bit and 64-bit platforms, support for ratings and parental controls in Windows 7, and better security and stability. All that, and according to the blog PC 2008 game revenue was up 18 percent over 2007.