Author: by Staff

[UPDATED: 3:44pm PST] Today's regularly updated newsbriefs include industry vets Seamus Blackley, Lorne Lanning and more meeting for a games panel as part of Video Games Live, Majesco heading toward The Wild West on the Nintendo DS, and Saber Interactive's appointment of Rick Raymo as director of game content. - Representatives from the Video Games Live concert have announced that its March 31st concert at Yale University's Woolsey Hall will be preceded by a special industry educational panel the day before. Friday March 30th will see ex-Xbox team leader Seamus Blackley, OddWorld's Lorne Lanning, ECA's Hal Halpin and Video Games Live creators Tommy Tallarico and Jack Wall speaking as part of a panel discussion called "Video Games - Past, Present & Future" from 3-5PM at Yale's Sudler Hall. Yale's concert will also feature 'video game pianist' Martin Leung taking control of a 103 year old 3-story pipe organ to play a special arrangement of Castlevania music, as well as Ron Ragin of the Talisman African Choir reprising his role as vocalist on Civilization IV's soundtrack. - Publisher Majesco has announced a new game for the Nintendo DS called The Wild West. In development by Happy Happening (Bust-A-Move DS) for release this summer, the game us billed as offering both 2D and 3D levels that let players choose between two different animal characters with varying storylines. The game will also include a number of mini-games that once completed will unlock new weapons to be used in the game's main story mode, which will include touch screen shoot outs amidst gold rushes, train robberies, and stagecoach chases. - Officials from developer Saber Interactive (TimeShift, Will Rock) have announced the appointment of 19 year industry veteran Rick Raymo as the company's director of game content. Raymo has contributed to over 30 video game titles, including past titles in the Duke Nukem 3D series, as well as Blood, Shadow Warrior, Death Rally and Max Payne. He has worked with a number of different companies as well, such as I.D.G., GT Interactive, GameSpy, Red Jade, Interactive Studio Management, and Hudson Soft. Most recently, Raymo worked as the production executive for HBO Interactive Entertainment, where he led the effort to create interactive properties based on HBO's internal licenses. At Saber Interactive, he will work at the company's headquarters in New Jersey, as well as at Saber’s production studio in St. Petersburg, Russia. His focus will be on working with the design and production team on current and upcoming next generation titles. - Atari has announced the release of new downloadable content for the company's recently shipped Bullet Witch for the Xbox 360. This initial batch of downloadable content includes a free White Witch costume for Alicia, the game’s main character, as well as a Bullet Witch theme pack. In addition, for 20 points each, players can download one new mission titled “Dynamite Beauty” and two enhanced versions of the "Clad in Streaming Black" mission featuring unlocked ‘Great Spells’ and a higher level of difficulty. - The latest updates on Gamasutra sister alt.gaming weblog GameSetWatch include a collection of videos posted by Microsoft's officially unofficial blog On10.net, an interesting post and games and interactive art, and a turn based Halo machinima movie. - The latest updates on Gamasutra sister site Game Career Guide include a partnership between Carnegie Mellon’s Entertainment Technology Center and Walt Disney Parks for a collection of arcade games called Project Spaceship Earth for Disney’s Epcot Center. - Also updated today: the latest Gamasutra job postings, including openings from Disney Interactive Studios, K2 Network, LucasArts, MGA Entertainment, and The Art Institute of California.