Electronic Arts has unveiled the games it will feature at E3 Media and Business Summit at the Los Angeles Convention Center July 15-17. The games -- scheduled to ship on multiple platforms in 2008 and early 2009 -- include riveting graphics, deep stories and online, socially connected experiences.

Windows gaming takes center stage, as today Microsoft Corp. hosts the Games for Windows Presents: The Big Picture showcase event in San Francisco, highlighting some of the most eagerly anticipated Microsoft Games for Windows titles of 2008, while also announcing exciting new additions to the portfolio.

Attendees will get hands-on experience with new games in a variety of genres, including debut gameplay of CALL OF DUTY: WORLD AT WAR, while some of the biggest names in the business will display new hardware that truly pushes the boundaries of gaming technology.

The Casual Entertainment label of Electronic Arts will bring America's top educational bestseller, BRAIN QUEST, to the Nintendo DS handheld system, just in time for back-to-school this September. In partnership with the New York based Workman Publishing Company, EA will release two BRAIN QUEST games centered on the curriculum-based series that has sold more than 28 million copies: one for third and fourth graders, and another for fifth and sixth graders.

Warner Bros. Interactive Ent. has announced a new hero -- Nightwing -- as well as two new villains, Clayface and Bane, from the anticipated LEGO BATMAN: THE VIDEOGAME, developed by TT Games, out this September.

A stampede of notorious criminals have busted out of Arkham Asylum, where Gotham City houses only the shadiest of characters. It's up to the famed Caped Crusader to sweep Gotham clean of criminal activity using everything at his disposal, including crime-fighting vehicles as well as several baddie-bashing bat gadgets.

Sony Pictures Ent. online video network Crackle will this summer release nine original series that encompass a variety of genres from comedy to music to gaming and lifestyle.

There's something for everyone in Crackle's new slate of short-form programming. For the gaming and pop culture community, Hollywood glitz meets gamer geekdom in THE JACE HALL SHOW, hosted by film, television and video game producer Jason "Jace" Hall.

Ben Kingsley will play the villain in Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer's feature adaptation of the Ubisoft videogame PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE SANDS OF TIME, per VARIETY.

Kingsley will play Nizam in the fantasy action flick, who plots to kill his brother King Shahrman and blame it on Prince Dastan (Jake Gyllenhaal) so he can take over the throne.

Gemma Arterton and Alfred Molina also are playing leads. The film, under direction from Mike Newell, starts filming in July in Morocco and England and will be released next year.

Summer movies mean big videogame tie-ins, and this week Janet Hetherington reports on how IRON MAN, SPEED RACER, LEGO INDIANA JONES, THE INCREDIBLE HULK, THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN and others create their own unique adventures. Also, summer movies require extensive previs, and we have an inside look at some of the planning and problem solving that went into IRON MAN, SPEED RACER and INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL. Plus, we additionally have Alain Bielik's interviews with Dean Wright and Wendy Rogers about raising the vfx bar on PRINCE CASPIAN.

Comics publisher Devil's Due and Capcom have signed a deal to turn some of Capcom's popular video games, starting with BIONIC COMMANDO and LOST PLANET, into graphic novels.

The first in the four-property deal will be BIONIC COMMANDO, VARIETY reports, with writer Justin Marks hired on for writing duties.

Marks has been busy recently spinning pop culture properties into pictures, including VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE, HE-MAN AND THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE, GREEN ARROW: ESCAPE FROM SUPERMAX and Fox's upcoming STREET FIGHTER: LEGEND OF CHUN LI.

Columbia Pictures has acquired from Scholastic Media the right to adapt Scholastic's bestselling GOOSEBUMPS book series into a theatrical feature. The film will be produced by Deborah Forte and Neal Moritz.

GOOSEBUMPS is one of the most popular series of books for children ever -- in fact, only the HARRY POTTER novels have surpassed GOOSEBUMPS in total sales.

Goosebumps has been published in 32 languages and sold more than 300 million copies worldwide.

Tapping the talents of two of Hollywood's rising young stars, JoWooD and DreamCatcher Games with Resnick Interactive Development, announced that they have signed on teen media titans Jesse McCartney and Cody Linley to lend their talents as the voices of Frank and Joe Hardy in the forthcoming PC game, THE HARDY BOYS: THE HIDDEN THEFT.