Intellivision, Keyboard Auctioned For $4000 Say what you will about this or that classic console: the former programmers of (just about) everything "Intellivision" still have a web site going, and to look at the latest eBay auction results; with good reason! While the auction's official page will probably be offline by the time you read this, upon the auction's closing last Sunday (April 20th), the final bid was $4000. The auction was for an original Mattel Intellivision with some of the rarest accessories, games, and add-ons for the system, including the ultra-rare keyboard for the system (which was supposed to make it into a small computer of sorts, back in the day), along with the intellivoice module and well over 30 games. In short, however; the real sales draw of this auction would clearly be the keyboard add-on, which is extremely rare. As Intellivision Games' official web site summarized, when reporting on the auction's results: "Only 4,000 of the Keyboard Components were manufactured and those were only sold in limited test markets. When Mattel Electronics decided not to release them nationally, they recalled all the ones sold for a full refund plus free products. Those who wanted to keep their Keyboards had to sign a waiver stating that they understood Mattel would not support the unit nor publish any more software for it. To find a working Keyboard Component (with its original box!) is one of the rarest finds in video game collecting."

From Conan To Leno To...Fallon? You probably heard already that Conan O'Brien will take the reigns of the Tonight Show as soon as Jay Leno steps down. The inevitable question then is: who will replace Conan, once he leaves The Late Show? That answer might be Saturday Night Live alum Jimmy Fallon, who has been on the top of a very short list for the job as far back as February 2007. "I think he'd be terrific, and he is at the top of our short list," said NBC late night chief Rick Ludwin to Broadcasting & Cable that same year. The official word might be given in just the next few weeks.

Spore Demo June 17th. There has been talk about the video game Spore for as long as I can remember. That talk might come to a close ---at least in rumor form--- when the game is finally (hopefully!) released this fall...though what happens until then? Gamers get their first look at the much ballyhooed title when the first demo of the game is released June 17th, along with a $9.99 "Creature Creator." For just under ten bucks you will be able to design a few oddball creatures to use in the Spore universe, almost a quarter of a year before the game is even out. Those who would rather save their money for the game itself can download the demo for free, sans "creature" editor.

Echochrome: First Thoughts. Back when everyone was interested in what exclusive titles were scheduled for the Playstation 3, one downloadable game stood out: Echochrome, a sort of optical illusion in video game form, where rotating a game environment caused the path of the character to change, allowing the character to move from point A to point B. It sounds simple enough, though Echochrome is actually one of those intriguing puzzle games that is easy to get started with yet enjoyably challenging to master. It is currently available for the Playstation 3 and PSP; the PSP version can be downloaded via any PC and then downloaded to your PSP system.

A DS Download Channel For Wii? Not to miss out on the same opportunity as their rival portable system: Nintendo will soon offer a "channel" that allows Nintendo DS owners to download games to their DS via their Nintendo Wii. The offer sounds similar to the Playstation 3's ability to download games for the PSP, which can then be copied to your PSP system when connected via USB cable. The new Wii "channel," which is slated to be online next month, will also offer the latest Wii News, according to the original article by Wired. The same channel was already offered in Japan last November.

Spielberg Goes Gaming. While Uwe Boll does no gamers any favors when translating popular video games to not-so-critically-acclaimed movies; what would happen if a popular director started making video games? The answer will arrive May 9th on the Wii, when none other than Steven Spielberg will offer his own contribution to the gaming world, Boom Blox, via the Nintendo Wii's upcoming "Wiiware" titles. These are game titles that will be available for download via the Nintendo Wii system which, unlike Virtual Console "classics," are completely new games made exclusively for the system. Okay; maybe not "exclusively" for Boom Blox, which is rumored to be ready for translations for the PS3/Xbox360, if the demand for it arises. This demand might come sooner than anyone might expect: according to Videogamer.com, the Wii version of Boom Blox has "the best physics on any platform." In short: Boom Blox is a puzzle game with a rumored 300 levels and lots of interesting characters to play as.

Final News Byte This Week: Highway Jam Caused By Jello. What does this have to do with entertainment or the gaming community or Hollywood? Not much...though when it comes to surfing the internet for the most intriguing and entertaining news each week, I just had to offer this news byte from First Coast News, which tells the tale of a rather unusual traffic jam...or is that traffic "Jell-o?" Seems that a truck filled with Jell-o had a bit of a fender bender with another truck, leading to the driver of the Jell-o truck to slam on his brakes in such a way that sent the truck out of control and a whole lot of Jell-o packs flying all over the highway. Suffice to say that several people were delayed due to a whole lot of gelatin all around. I can only hope the people in this traffic jam were going home and not going to work. Can you imagine explaining this one to your boss?

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