APRIL 24, 2009 • Apple Inc.’s App Store passed the 1 billion download mark, based on 21 million iPhones sold to date. The ratio of purchased downloads to free downloads is estimated to be between 1-to15 and 1-to-40. Impact: The App Store model from Apple is very .....

APRIL 22, 2009 • Sweden’s SimBin Studio’s PC racer, Volvo: The Game, is slated for a free downloadable release at the end of May. The sponsored title allows players to race Volvo’s new S60 concept car, plus five other vehicles, on two racing tracks. Volvo: The Game is ava.....

APRIL 21, 2009 • First super heroes, now rock stars. What Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment’s Lego franchise has done for Batman, Star Wars and Indiana Jones the popular game franchise will soon do for budding musicians. Lego Rock Band is expected to release in time for the holidays on curren.....

APRIL 20, 2009 • Adobe Systems is bringing its Flash platform to consumer electronics devices such as Blu-ray players, televisions and set-top boxes. The move will make it much easier to  play the large number of Flash-based games available, plus other existing Web content on Internet-capable TVs. .....

APRIL 19, 2009 • Much better than expected sales of Hanuman: Boy Warrior in India has led Sony Computer Entertainment to up its estimate of first year sales of the 499 Rupee ($10) PS2 game from 30,000 to 50,000 units. Most international PS2 games sell 15,000 a year in the country. The game, released last March, is the fi.....

APRIL 18, 2009 • Retailer Radio Shack is rolling out a console buy-back program to 4,400 of its stores. Depending on condition, Radio Shack will pay credits worth up to $77 for an Xbox 360 Pro, $115 for a Wii, and $175 for an 80GB PS3. The program has been run on RadioShack.com as a trial. .....

APRIL 18, 2009 •  Hall of Fame pro football coach John Madden may have retired from the broadcasting booth, but he told the Contra Costa Times in Northern California that he would become more involved with the EA Sports game that carries his name. He didn’t disclose exactly how his involvement in Madden NFL Football would increase. Impact: It is always risky to tie a franchise to a specific celebrity name. However, the Madde.....

APRIL 17, 2009 • Emulating Warner Bros., which bypassed retail in making its Watchmen video game a download only game, Paramount Studios is distributing its Star Trek game connected to the franchise’s May theatrical release directly to Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network.   Pricing is expected to be around $15......