It was announced today that four Lady Gaga songs are being released in the Rock Band Music Store for Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii. And in a classic case of lead-burying, it was additionally revealed that Eric Cartmans version of Gagas Poker Face would also be made available in the store.

Another thing thats awesome about Japan: Video game designers are often seen as rockstar celebrities.

Lets say youre playing poker and you need one more diamond for a flush. The dealer turns a card, reveals a diamond and you win the hand. Was it skill or luck? The answer is affecting the fates of people across the country accused of breaking anti-poker laws.

It’s time for change in the video game industry. Graphics are getting better, gameplay is evolving, and expectations are rising. The following games need to take that next step to stay relevant in the ever changing gaming landscape.

Though gaming support on the operating system could be considered as dead, Valve has announced that its Stream, gaming digital downloading service, will be coming to Macs.

If there was ever a greater feeling in the world than that of levelling up, we are yet to experience it. While this is true of you in-game, its also true of you and your own abilities themselves. Increasing with each game, your own attributes are advancing as gaming teaches you to evel-up yourself in ways that make you almost super-human.

More than 50 vintage Playboy issues can be browsed in Take Twos upcoming video game, Mafia II.

Never, in the entirety of history, has there been so much gaming to be done. Youll need great tools! Here is our list of vital tools for todays gamer. First up, because almost every game today has a multiplayer aspect, is communication tools. Read more:

Video games like “Halo 3” and “Modern Warfare 2” have made headlines for the amount of money they earned, but the Hollywood-sized budgets needed to create them are just as noteworthy. And like the box office blockbuster hopefuls, there is no guarantee that a huge budget will equal a hit – there is a bloated failure here for every critical success.

Joystick Division chats with the creators of Bejeweled about its humble beginnings and what its been like to work on the most successful casual game franchise of all time.