The news that Spielberg will be working with leading games developer Electronic Arts to develop three original game properties is confirmation of the broader integration between gaming and the entertainment world that had to happen.

Whether it be chasing online eyeballs or trading for silk and spices, the West has had a long fascination with expanding Eastwards. The lure is part growth fetish, part colonial fervor. But there is a catch. Unlike the Opium Wars of an earlier age, this time round the Orient may have the technology advantage.

Hang out long enough in LA, and you could be forgiven for thinking that Hollywood is an approximation of hell – people without talent chasing people with money without heart. Fortunately, it also happens to be a highly efficient machine for the creation and exploitation of
entertainment franchises. But as many are finding out the hard way – the Web, like love, changes everything. And the film industry will be no exception.

The outcome of the Kazaa case in Australia is a win for the music industry's slash and burn approach to peer-to-peer file sharing networks. On the face of it, their objections seem reasonable. Content creators should be able to protect their intellectual property, otherwise it
would be harder than it currently is to earn a living from singing, dancing or pretending to be able to do either. But there is more to it than that. What makes the record labels nervous is not copyright infringement per se, but any form of distribution that is not entirely within their control.

Following the tech market these days is a bit like watching a Japanese b-grade disaster movie. While Microsoft has long held the title as the heavyweight Godzilla, there is no doubt that the new 1000 pound gorilla is Google as King Kong. First it was search. Round one to the Kong.
Now, if you believe the hype – the next showdown will be over web operating systems.