Here are the headliners, newsmakers, head-scratchers, back-stabbers, carpet-baggers, and trash-talkers:

Et tu, Apple?

Yikes. I just got shived in the back during mid-rinse in the jailhouse shower, and boy, does it sting [I don't even want to know what that means -Ed]. Thanks a lot, Steve. People had kept warning me about Apple's move to Intel - it wasn't so that PCs could run OS X, it was so Macs could run Windows - and I just wasn't having any of it. No matter how much evidence was thrown at me by colleagues, friends and industry experts, I just didn't buy it. My boundless contempt for Windows had blinded me, but now I can see: Boot Camp is the way of the future.

Currently in beta version and available for free downloading, Boot Camp allows Macs to run OS X as well as Windows XP. Apple's stock rose, of course, because Wall Street believes this will help Jobs & Company raise their computer market share. There may be a silver lining here, however. Early reports have indicated that PC games perform quite well on Windows XP via Boot Camp. This actually is great news for Mac people like me, who have gotten tired of playing Call of Duty and Alien Vs. Predator 2 on their G5s and would like to broaden their gaming horizons. Think F.E.A.R. will run on a G5 at some point? Nah...

Lionhead Trophy for Microsoft's Mantle

Speculation was finally put to rest last week when Microsoft confirmed it had indeed bagged a big one - British game develop Lionhead Studios. The deal makes perfect sense for the software giant, which will incorporate Lionhead into its Microsoft Game Studios. Lionhead has produced such titles as Black & White, The Movies, and, most importantly, the highly respected and successful Fable series. Lionhead was already pretty tight with Microsoft in both Xbox and the PC gaming space, but rumours had been swirling about a number of other suitors that were taking a long, hard look at the game developer, including Ubisoft and even Nintendo. While Fable and Fable: The Lost Chapters have been strong titles for Lionhead, the developer recently cut 20 percent of its workforce because of lacklustre game sales. The deal not only keeps Lionhead alive and purring but also gives Microsoft yet another source of exclusive content for Xbox 360.

"We could not be more excited about being part of MGS. They have long supported our creative vision, and this teamwork resulted in the hugely successful 'Fable' franchise," said Peter Molyneux, managing director of Lionhead Studios, in a press statement. "This acquisition gives Lionhead the stability and opportunity to focus on creating world-class next-generation titles. We are joining some of the most incredible game creators in the industry, the combined talent of which will truly take next-generation gaming to a new level."

With today's announcement, Lionhead Studios becomes the latest member of MGS, joining such prestigious and globally recognized game creators as Bungie Studios, Ensemble Studios, FASA Studio and Rare Ltd. on a team whose charter is to create exclusive entertainment experiences that differentiate Xbox 360 and Windows from other gaming platforms.