A billboard spotted in Garland, Texas. Ugh.

Industry and multi-console news

• Activision will be holding a vote on the merger with Vivendi July 8. Gamasutra looks at what impact the merger will have.
• Nolan Bushnell talks to Atari about the upcoming movie about the early days of Atari. "I kind of thought that this might happen. I kind of thought that it wouldn’t happen until maybe after I was in the ground for a little while."
• A casting call job listing provides details on a character from Portal 2.
• The "possiblity" of co-op is being explored for the new Prince of Persia.
• GameCareerGuide has a review of the book Video Game Careers.
• Gamasutra has an interview with Nour Polloni about Alone in the Dark.
• GamerBytes is a new blog that focuses solely on console digital downloads such as Live Arcade, WiiWare and PSN.
• Game Politics has the transcript of Jack Thompson walking out on his Bar trial. "I want to wish you a very good day because I'm done here. Because I want you to understand that I cannot, Judge -- Referee, whatever -- object to the legitimacy of these proceedings and at the same time participate in them."
• A Swiss judge has declined a politician's request to ban Stranglehold. This is the first time a court in Switzerland has ruled on the sale of violent video games.
• THQ has finally gotten to the bottom of why girls don't play games as much as guys: they've "got better things to do."
• Video Game Price Charts finds that recent summer movies based on existing IP have given sales of old games based on those properties. Even the two old Speed Racer games got a boost, despite the fact that the movie flopped.
• Operation Sports talks to a MaddenMania forum member and regular Madden player who happens to be 66 years old.
• The Japanese box art for Soul Calibur IV will feature Darth Vader and Yoda on their respective versions.

PC and mobile news

New content: GRiD demo, Aces of the Galaxy demo, Space Empires V 1.74 patch, Harpoon 3: Advanced Naval Warfare 3.9.3 patch

• Realtime Worlds has hired a community manager, serving as an "important milestone" in the progress towards a public beta.
• A third-person action Final Fantasy VII fan game called AVALANCHE has been released. There's video at the link, because I know you're curious.
• Obsidian has announced Neverwinter Nights 2: Storm of Zehir, the game's third expansion.
• Nvidia's VP of content business development believes nobody will be making PC exclusives in the future. But don't doubt where his allegiances lie! "The PC version was better. That's something that people need to get their heads around - the console is a baseline, the PC is going to be an improved version. That's an exciting future, and that's why I don't see anything threatening about console at all."
• CNet points out a pair of simple browser-based games that let you play in Google Maps and Google Earth. They're not elaborate by any means (the driving game makes no distinctions between roads and objects or buildings, it's basically like pushing a Micro Machines car around on an aerial photo), but they're interesting demonstrations of implementing interactivity in Google Maps as well as what can be accomplished in a browser.

Nintendo news

• Several sources have confirmed that Rock Band Wii doesn't support Guitar Hero III's controllers.
• Daily Game' Robert Dusseau reviews Boom Blox a little differently by discussing how his family has taken to the game.
• Sid Meier says his company is still in the process of making a decision on whether to release Civilization Revolution for the Wii.

Sony news

New media: Metal Gear Solid 4 gameplay footage

• A Crisis Core PSP bundle is headed to Europe.
• Afrika is set for an August 28 release in Japan.
• Daxter and Chains of Olympus developer Ready at Dawn says they're "officially done with PSP development."
• Sony Computer Entertainment Spain has accidentally revealed the PSN title Ratchet & Clank: En Busca del Tesoro. That translates to In Search of Treasure, lining it up with previous rumors that mentioned a game called Ratchet & Clank: Quest for Booty.
• N'Gai Croal talks about MGS4's commentary on the "war economy."
• Amazon's deal of the day is The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian for $25.99. They also have Rainbow Six Vegas 2 for $39.99.

Microsoft news

New media: Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise trailer, Infinite Undiscovery screenshots and trailer, Star Ocean: The Last Hope trailer
New content: Rock Band tracks

• Square Enix has laid out their slate of 360 RPGs, with Infinite Undiscovery leading off with a September 2 release date. Also revealed was that Star Ocean: The Last Hope will be a 360 exclusive.
• At the same press event, Namco showed off its own 360 RPG, Tales of Vesperia.
• Remember that tomorrow's Live Arcade release of Commandos 3 will come with a Street Fighter II HD beta.
• Amazon's deal of the day is The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian for $25.99.