Apparently consumers just love microtransactions so much that EA has decided to put them in every game it makes going forward. Those ideas sprang forth from the mouth of CFO Blake Jorgensen today during the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media, and Telecom Conference - as reported by GameSpot.

Ars Technica points out a new scam trolling internet users with legal threats demanding cash settlements for alleged incidents of infringement. An organization calling itself the Internet Copyright Law Enforcement Agency (ICLEA) recently sent out copyright infringement notices to victims warning them that "if this matter is not settled by Friday, March 1, 2013 then you may face serious potential criminal and/or civil charges filed against you.

As Republicans and Democrats publically spar over sequestration, House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) has decided to throw "wasteful spending" into the mix by mentioning research on smoking machines, a free cell phone program, and even the use of video games for research on the elderly into the national conversation (here is a great explanation of what 'sequester' means, if you are interested).

Video Game Developer and IGDA Member Daniel Greenberg has challenged Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) to a debate on whether video games are a bigger problems than guns in America. His comments were made awhile back during a segment on MSNBC.

While it is unlikely that the Senator from Tennessee will take up Mr. Greenberg's offer for a vigorous and substantive debate on guns, media violence, and real-world violence, he has thrown down the gauntlet anyway:

House GOP majority leader Eric Cantor called out a study by North Carolina State University related to World of Warcraft's ability to "boosts cognitive functioning in some older adults" a waste of tax payer dollars. The study was paid for by a $1.2 million federal grant. Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said in a statement released this week that this kind of spending is the cause of the country’s debt.

Ars Technica is reporting that the anonymous source that tried to sell an alleged Microsoft "Durango" development kit via EBay claims that he has been raided by the FBI and local law enforcement. Oops, that's what happens when you try to sell something you probably shouldn't on EBay. But beyond that, he leaked information about the new system ahead of Microsoft's official announcement which is expected to happen later this year.

According to a report from Xinhuanet (as reported on by Shanghaiist), the Chinese government is developing its own set of criteria for early diagnosis of online game addiction in young people. Chinese authorities announced plans on Sunday to develop "China-specific criteria" for diagnosing and treating online gaming addiction in minors.

Angry birds, meet real-life science. The John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida announced that it plans to open up a special attraction based on Rovio's number one franchise later this spring.

Update: Many of our readers pointed out that the question in the poll about video games was directed at Republican respondents, which explains why to was skewed negatively towards video games. Thanks to everyone who pointed that out to us.

Speaking at the DICE Summit today with a small gathering of game designers, executives, and reporters, former Junction Point founder Warren Spector said that he had no desire to retire and that games like Warner Bros. and Grasshopper Manufacture's Lollipop Chainsaw should not be made. During his presentation on how his taste as a gamer and a game designer has changed over the years, he showed a slide of Lollipop Chainsaw and said (from Kotaku):

Why did Microsoft enter the console market in 2001 with the original Xbox? Well, if you believe former VP of Windows Sales at Microsoft Joachim Kempin, the company jumped into the market because it wanted to "stop" Sony.

To paraphrase that Fresh Prince song, "there's no need to argue gamers just don't understand..." the Wii U. So says Xavier Poix, Managing Director of Ubisoft's Annecy, Montpellier, and Paris studios. Speaking to GameSpot, Poix says that the reason the Wii U has had such a slow start is that gamers don't get what the system is really capable of.

Microsoft's next Xbox system will use Blu-Ray and will require users to be always connected to Xbox Live, according to an Edge report citing sources with "first-hand experience."

The new raft of rumors are an echo of an older rumor post by VG247 back in April 2012 - also citing anonymous sources close to the company.

Bohemia is changing the name of the main island in its upcoming military shooter simulation, Arma III, GameSpot reports. The name change for the island from Lemnos to Altis is in direct response to the espionage charges two of its employees faced in Greece. The duo were recently released after spending 129-days in a Greek jail.

Indie developer Mat Dickie announced that his wrestling title for Android, Wrestling Revolution, is back on the Google Play store. In late December Dickie said that WWE somehow compelled Google to pull the game from the store. While he posited that this was done because his game was outperforming WWE's WrestleFest game, there was very little proof to back up that claim.

The UK tabloid The Sun is running a feature length story about a saucy calendar featuring gaming and scantily clad women that is apparently all the rage in Germany - right alongside David Hasselhoff... The article is titled "Nerd is the word," and highlights the fact that the "calendar featuring classic gaming consoles and sexy girls" is a "big hit.." We think it's a big miss personally because it objectifies women in the name of geek culture.

Brighton, England-based publisher Lace Mamba Global has responded to recent accusations by developer CBE Software that it broke its publishing agreements for J.U.L.I.A. and J.U.L.I.A. Untold when it failed to deliver money the two companies "mutually agreed upon" or royalty payments. The developer claimed that it tried to resolve the issue with the publisher amicably but gave up on that after it received no response from the publisher.

The brutal murder of a 31-year-old woman is being attributed to the tenuous association of the killer's time playing Final Fantasy XIV. These conclusions are being drawn by two German tabloids, according to this Kotaku report. The 31-year-old woman, Katrin M. (the last names of both the victim and the killer are being withheld) was reportedly murdered by 18- or 19-year old Marco F, who stabbed the victim 18 times using a katana.

Eurogamer reports that indie developer teamPixel has launched a crowdfunding appeal on Indiegogo to purchase the rights to THQ's cult classic space strategy series Homeworld. While Sega now owns the studio that originally made the game, team Pixel hopes that it can raise some funds to secure the original game and re-release it on Steam and Good Old Games.

The AFP reports (picked up by Polygon) that the French military has issued a statement saying that an unnamed French soldier acted inappropriately when he wore a scarf around his face with a grinning skull similar to the character Lieutenant Simon "Ghost" Riley from Call of Duty.

The Taliban apparently doesn't like England's Prince Harry. Big shock there, right? But the group accused of various attacks against U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan and other activities in Pakistan says that Prince Harry has a mental illness. Prince Harry returned from a four-month deployment in Afghanistan Monday, and has been conducting a series of interviews with the British press.

Dave Brevik of Gazillion, the developer behind the upcoming Marvel Heroes free-to-play MMO action game, is defending a pricey content pack for the game that costs well over $100. The pack, the Marvel Heroes Ultimate Pack, gives players every hero and costume the game, as well as in-game currency and early access prior to the game's launch. Being that this is a free-to-play title some have scoffed at the huge price tag for the package, but Brevik doesn't think it's that big of a deal.

We meant to mention this earlier in the week, because it is mildly amusing. While other organizations are offering their expertise on video game violence to the President and Vice-President of the United States, Sword of the Stars 1 & 2, Fort Zombie, and NorthStar developer Kerberos Productions offers some expertise in another area: the future weaponization of space.

After announcing that it would launch a planet in Star Wars: The Old Republic where players could engage in same sex relationships with NPC's, the gaming community's reaction has been mixed.  The new planet, Makeb, will be launched as part of the Rise of the Hutt Cartel expansion pack to be released later this year.

But the LGBT community is not happy with the relationships being isolated on one planet or the fact that they will have to buy an expansion pack in order to use it. Some are calling this little wrinkle "pay-to-gay."

When the NRA-branded iOS app NRA: Practice Range launched earlier this week (nearly on the one month anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting that took place in Newtown Connecticut on December 14, 2012) it carried a rating of ages 4+.

Politico put together a top-ten list of violent video games that are being mentioned by anti-game forces as part of a culture of violence influencing people. While they are citing groups like Common Sense Media and the National Rifle Association in their gallery of gruesome games, the most notable thing about the feature is how dated all the selections really are.

While it might be funny that Anonymous now has a petition up on the official website for the White House, it is doubtful at the Obama Administration finds it all that humorous. The loose-knit Internet hacking collective has taken some time out of its busy schedule of attacking various government agencies and other organizations it hates to launch a petition asking the Administration to make DDoS attacks a form of protected speech under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

In an interview on CBS This Morning Republican New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said that a frank discussion on a myriad of issues will be the only way to seriously curb gun violence in America beyond a discussion about gun control. That discussion should include violence found in some video games, substance abuse, and mental illness.

Speaking to GamesIndustry International, Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter says that Nintendo's continued weakness contributed to 11 percent of the decline in U.S. video game sector in the month of December. Pachter also said that there was evidence that consumer fatigue has set in - even when it comes to popular games like Call of Duty: Black Ops II.

Politico is reporting that regular Fox News contributor, syndicated talk show host, and psychiatrist Keith Ablow is considering a run for political office in Massachusetts. If he would attempt such a run it would be in the special election for Senator John Kerry's seat - assuming he is named the new Secretary of State replacing Hillary Clinton.