Former Incubus bassist Alex Katunich moves from the rock and roll stage to the gaming world with Stickman Entertainment. Now Katunich is working on gaming soundtracks and a new invention called Traction In-Game Radio, which looks to shake up music and gaming.

Few bars set aside one night a week for a videogame but there's one in Los Angeles that hosts Wednesday Night Guitar Hero. We had to see it first hand and test our skills against the locals.

There's only one place where you can see a full orchestra playing the theme to Gauntlet followed by a guitar solo from Contra and that's the Video Games Live concert series. We took in a show recently and came out thoroughly entertained.

Hollywood plunged its face into the water-filled tub of our childhood and came up grinning with a shiny red apple called Transformers. But what other franchises await their discovery? Here's the top ten.

Rockstar Games has replaced Grand Theft Auto's guns, drugs and murderous mayhem with slingshots, dodge balls and teenage mischief in Bully. And the game even encourages players to go to class! Yet Bully is still under fire from critics and anti-gaming activists. Here's why.

Joystiq fired one of its bloggers, Robert Summa, after a heavily hyped "scoop" turned out to be a run-of-the-mill Nintendo press release. Did Joystiq overreact? Or did Summa fracture the laws of good journalism even though he was writing a blog post? And what does it all mean for the convergence of blogging and reporting in the video game industry?

Last week's story "Gaming's New Drug Culture" sparked a firestorm of criticism and spirited feedback from readers. But a central question remains: is it acceptable behavior for gamers to use drugs, either for simple enjoyment or to prolong and enhance their play?

In the wake of "Sex, Drugs and Counter-Strike: A Personal Account From The Edge Of Video Gaming", Aaron McKenna attempts to chronicle some of the social nuances of the drug culture in gaming and set the tone for future exploration

Is video game addiction an actual medical condition? Dr. Maressa Orzack, founder of the Computer Addiction Services program, says the answer is "yes". And she believes that up to 40 percent of the 6 million plus players of the mega-popular MMORPG World of Warcraft are clinically addicted to the game.

Energy costs are rising, and so is the energy consumption of your high-powered video game consoles and PCs. Is solar power the answer to reducing the high price of gaming? Also: the AMD-ATI merger; Germany bans Dead Rising without actually banning it; Rockstar Games gets off with a slap on the wrist and an Xbox 360 price cut may be on its way.

Mr. Wright goes to Washington - sort of. TwitchGuru's managing editor was interested to find out just what U.S. lawmakers talk about when they discuss video game legislation. So he tuned into a Webcast of a recent Congressional hearing. And what did the Congressmen talk about besides Grand Theft Auto?

Journalist and author Mike Sager has covered some truly dark and disturbing stories in his time, from porn star John Holmes to the late Rick James. Many of these folks are featured in his recent best-selling book, "Scary Monsters and Super Freaks." TwitchGuru's David Konow talks with Sager about his career and most memorable stories.

Every rose has its thorn, or so the saying goes. Rule of Rose, a psychological thriller from Sony and game developer Punchline, became a hit earlier this year in Japan, but it's a source of controversy here in North America.

What does it mean to be a true, diehard fan? To find out, TwitchGuru takes you back in time to the early days of heavy metal's biggest success: Metallica. See how a rag tag group of passionate fans built a grass roots network using guerilla marketing, bootleg tape trading, and an unrivaled obsession. In the process, they helped catapult their favorite band from the garage to new heights.

Critics of violent video games are coming out in full force - and urging the government to take action. What's causing the uproar? TwitchGuru spoke with leading media violence expert and psychology professor Dr. Craig Anderson about the issue. He discusses the newest studies and research that indicate harmful effects for long term play for both children and adults.

In an era when sales of traditional CD have dipped on a yearly basis, and the music industry has been caught off guard by digital distribution - going to the extreme of suing its customers - the one bright spot for music has been videogames.

A look at this popular cultural trend from the female perspective.

Recent months have seen the videogaming press attacking Jack Thompson like a bunch of missionaries on Lucifer - or more aptly, a bunch of 14 year olds in Counter-Strike. But what is the man really on about?

Every year, billions of dollars change hands for goods that exist solely as lines of code on servers. But at the moment it is almost an entirely unregulated market. Here are some arguments both for and against keeping it that way.

There are plenty of women who like to play games. Here are some of the sexier female characters that GeekWoman has seen.

My friend met his future wife playing games. And even made some cash selling his beta Warcraft accounts in the process. It is almost too good to be true!

Tom's Hardware traveled into the heart of Texas to bring you coverage of the largest professional computer gaming event on the planet. The Cyberathlete Professional League (CPL) has been striving to elevate computer gaming to ranks of other professional sports since 1997. We took a look inside the world of the professional gamer.

What are the ingredients in a recipe for the perfect LAN Party? THG put on its gourmand hat and went to the LANfest 2K4. The master chefs were au rendezvous.

The Viking Ship Olympic Arena, Norway. This is where The Gathering was held during Easter weekend. This is the venue the organizers tout as the world's largest "computer party." THG made the trip to Scandinavia to frag with the masses.

After covering LAN Parties for a couple of years, THG offers a how-to on what you need to know to get started.

There are all kinds of LAN parties, however PCA LAN is a one of a kind event that is different from the typical LAN gaming event. The thing that really sets PCA LAN apart from most is that it lacks in most of the areas that are required to make a successful event. We follow an old dirt road to take a look at a one of a kind event.