I met Victoria Young a little over a year ago in working on the social media and digital campaigns for King of Fighters XII and Muramasa. I was quickly impressed by her ability to create order out of chaos, and soak up information like a sponge. I don’t think there was one conference regarding Social Media in the Los Angeles area that she missed out on, or one article that slid by without her reading it.
I hope that Victoria represents a new type of marketer, especially for the video game industry. One that truly tries to understand her customers, and realizes the power that Social Media wields, and when it’s NOT the best tool to use as well.
Ryan: What was your experience like at Disney Interactive Studios?
Victoria Young: It’s always interesting to work for the Goliaths of the world because you get a lot of insight into how a company that big functions. Disney Interactive has so many components that all fit together like clockwork to put out all the products for each quarter. You get to see the level of attention to detail that Disney has for the branding of its products, the messaging, and quality control. For instance, the shade of blue has to be a specific shade for the front of box of a game or it can’t go to print. The artists, brand managers, and PR people have to really be aware of all branding guidelines and craft all messaging very carefully. They are conservative for a reason and the time and money that goes into each of the products is clear when you see it on the shelf next to some other products.
Hit the title/read more to continue reading the interview with Victoria Young...
Could this be the greatest sports mash-up ever? Me thinks, YES!
DJ Steve Porter made his second trip to Sportsnation debuting a video mash-up of the top celebu-athletes and the crazy stuff they say. Athletes such as Tiger, Favre, Randy Moss, Chad Ocho Cinco and yes, Lebron make an appearance along with numerous others.
There is no need for anymore text...just watch the video already and be amazed.
Most people love LEGO's enough to never, and I mean NEVER, part with the smallest the pieces. I could be 67 years old and never trash the box that holds thousands of pieces that will never be put together solely for the reason of keeping my toy options available.
Well these guys in the following video have decided to take their love of both Metallica and LEGO's and create their own concert complete with stop motion Lego guitar rifts, a headbanging crowd and even a drum solo.
Is there better things to do with your time? Sure, but this is why the internet is awesome, so much time wasted on making this video and even more time wasted on watching.
Doesn't mean we all still can't enjoy the hell out of it.
"Now THAT'S a Guys Girl" is a series based on women who passionately bring sports and gaming into our world"
Michelle Beadle is the host of a popular afternoon sports show by the name of Sportsnation. It's also the first place where most of us saw Michelle in action.
Colin Cowherd is the other host of the show that originally drew me into watching Sportsnation but its Michelle's quit wit, humor and overall sports knowledge that keeps me continually interested in what's going on with the show on a daily basis.
Hit the title/read more to discover why we think Michelle Beadle rocks...
Well...except for the whole "not drafting Tebow" part
In the NFL playoffs of 2007, I experienced one of the best highs as a sports fan when I witnessed my Jaguars beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in the playoffs. After a tough game with the Steelers, the Jags ultimately got sent home by the Patriots who would go on to lose to the Giants in the Superbowl. But little did I know, that would be one of the last Jaguar highs I would feel for quite a while.
Though its always tough to lose in the playoffs, Jag fans were pretty excited for what the following 2008 season would hold. Even Peter King picked the Jaguars to win the Superbowl the following year. But since 2007, the Jags haven't seen the playoffs or double digit wins. Thanks SI Curse (for my own satisfaction SI is the sole cause for everything bad that has happened to the Jags since).
After the debacle on the field of the next two seasons with a combined record of 12-20 it was off the field news that the franchise lost 17,000 season ticket holders, strapping the organization for cash that has worried many fans. Going 7-9 sure didn't boast well to any potential new ticket buyers for the 2009 season either.
The fickle fan base took another hit in the 2010 draft for not taking hometown hero Tim Tebow in the first round. But this time we didn't just hear it from whiny Gator fans, we heard it from local and national media as well.
It was after the draft, that the Jag fans stood up like the little brother who is tired of being picked on.
Hit the title/read more to continue reading on community efforts, stadium naming rights and even a Superbowl Victory....
Boba Fett meets with Vader and an unlikely new hero does something that Anakin never could; Shun the dark side
Since the new trailer for Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2 was debuted at E3, fans have been craving more information the back story of the unlikely new hero, Starkiller.
In the Force Unleashed 2, Starkiller is the secret apprentice to Darth Vader but when Darth Vader has no need for him any longer, he is ordered to be killed.
In the game, Starkiller's mental state is comparable to Anakin Skywalker before he fully committed to the dark side. After being betrayed, he sort of comes to a "self awakening" and realizes he's better than what he has been doing and decides to "make things right" by killing an entire fleet of enemies using his superb lightsaber skills. Works for me!
What's best about Starkiller is the re-imagined use of the force. Instead of merely moving objects with this hands, he can literally crush any time of machinery and throw it into a building or power up the force to take out any nearby enemies.
Hit the title/read more to see both new videos released at Comic-Con for Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2...
Grab a pen and paper, you'll need to start on this NOW For the past 6 years, I have been one of those rare females that have played fantasy football. When I first started out, we had a 5 team league consisting of myself, my brother, my dad, my uncle and my current boyfriend at the time.
Because almost all of us did not have laptops back in 2004, (and some still don't), we decided to not use a hosted site like NFL.com and instead opt for keeping track of our fantasy scores----by hand.
We used the box scores after Monday Night games to calculate our scores and have weekly calls to confirm that each side had correct math. With the endless amount of sites that have fantasy football today, our method created just 6 years ago seems like cave drawings on a wall.
Since 2004 and after bouncing around a couple different fantasy sites, we have stuck with Yahoo Sports for a couple years now and haven't looked back. Seeing as how I have been commissioner of at least one league per year since 2004, I consider myself some-what of a quasi-expert on the topic and I'm here to offer tips and advice on how to get your own Fantasy Football league started. When starting your own league, be prepared to answer these questions when you ask someone to join your league.
Who else is playing in the league? What site are you using? How much does it cost? Are you having a live draft or using auto-pick format? Are you going to have a live draft party? If so, when? How do I play fantasy football?
Hit the title/read more to discover what you need to know before starting your own league...
Looks like Jak and Daxter on steroids and we kinda like it Enslaved dazzled at this year's E3 and with the release date looming in October, many expected to see more game footage and Comic Con has delivered.
The new gameplay footage is almost 3 minutes in length and shows a fighting stick that doubles as a cannon and battling with robots. With God of War-esqe slow-motion fight moves with an environment that has a feel of Ratchet & Clank, this looks like a game that you actually have fun playing it for hours.
The North American release date for Enslaved hasn't been confirmed but should be Oct 5th due to a confirmed UK release date of Oct 8th.
Concussions have become a focal point of of discussion among athletes of all sports whether young or old.
For years concussions were written off as insignificant mostly due to the fact that you cannot physically see a concussion as you would with a broken bone or laceration. But concussions are much more deadlier than a simple broken bone. They are the silent killer that causes slow and deepening brain damage over a period of time that more and more athletes need to be made aware of.
A new infographic was recently released on the topic of Concussions and the role they play in sports. The infographic detailed the startling statistics that should alarm any coach, spouse, trainer or parent.
During a concussion, neural tissue is violently jolted within the skull, which can directly damage brain cells and blood vessels that directly feed the neural tissue. A common misconception about concussions is the fact that you have to be hit in the head in order to suffer a concussion, when in reality, any blow to the body that causes a quick movement of the head can cause a concussion.
Hit the title/read more to continue reading on the toll concussions are taking on athletes young and old...
By David Rogers Xbox Live's Summer of Arcade series already has a major hit
Xbox’s Summer of Arcade event has officially been kicked off with developer Playdead’s anticipated Xbox Live Arcade title, Limbo. Limbo is a sidescroller meets platformer, meets puzzler. Highly addicting, creepy, eerie, deadly, disturbing, and extremely enjoyable. If you like to rack your brain with challenging puzzles or simply enjoy a good sidescroller showcasing modern 2D art, than Limbo is for you!
Uncertain of his sister’s fate, a boy enters the world of which is no cheesy dance at a party but rather the edge of hell. This is not a nice world for a young boy to be exploring just to find his missing sister! Limbo comes from the Latin root limbus, the edge or boundary, referring to the “edge” of Hell. I’m frightened already and I’ve survived the horrors of Alan Wake.
Hit the title/read more to continue reading on an already successful new game on XBL…
Bloguin is the revolutionary blog network specifically focused on helping bloggers get the most out of their websites. We're currently working on building a large network of online communities and hope to expand our blogging coverage to include a wide range of topics.
Advertisers
The Bloguin Network allows advertisers to promote their products and services to our ever-growing number of visitors. We offer both site-specific ad placements as well as the ability to run a network-wide campaign. If you're interested in working with Bloguin to meet your advertising needs, please contact us.
Bloggers Wanted
The Bloguin Network is always looking to expand. We're specifically looking for blogs in the sports, entertainment, and video games field, but are open to adding any type of quality site. If you're a blogger and interested in joining our network, please fill out our application form.
The Bloguin Login
The Bloguin Login gives you full access to everything our network has to offer. Your name and password will work for each and every one of our sites. Signing up is simple, and will allow you to post in all our forums, create member blogs, and access other cool features! What are you waiting for? Create an Account!
Bloguin is the revolutionary blog network specifically focused on helping bloggers get the most out of their websites. We're currently working on building a large network of online communities and hope to expand our blogging coverage to include a wide range of topics. 
The Bloguin Network allows advertisers to promote their products and services to our ever-growing number of visitors. We offer both site-specific ad placements as well as the ability to run a network-wide campaign. If you're interested in working with Bloguin to meet your advertising needs, please contact us.
The Bloguin Network is always looking to expand. We're specifically looking for blogs in the sports, entertainment, and video games field, but are open to adding any type of quality site. If you're a blogger and interested in joining our network, please fill out our application form.
The Bloguin Login gives you full access to everything our network has to offer. Your name and password will work for each and every one of our sites. Signing up is simple, and will allow you to post in all our forums, create member blogs, and access other cool features! What are you waiting for? Create an Account! 
