The creative forces behind downtown Mesa’s Royale independent moviehouse are back with an online “horror host show” in the vein of classics like Elvira, with wrap-around segments to be filmed on a laboratory set at downtown Mesa’s Monsterland Bar & Grill.

According to The Associated Press, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer has signed a new version of a bill that once threatened to make it a crime to “annoy or offend” someone online. Now, it only makes it a crime to use a digital device with the intent to intimidate or threaten, and the threat must be directed at a specific individual or group.
It was part of an effort to update Arizona’s harassment and stalking laws to include smartphones and online communication.
Read more at The East Valley Tribune.

Diablo 3 players are being asked to be patient as Blizzard works to repair the servers that crashed when the game was finally released after 12 years. Confusion over the server crash sent throngs of people to Battle.net to get answers, downing that site, as well.

The TRON: Uprising prelude “Beck’s Beginning” has hit the Web, but it’s worth noting that the 30-minute episode will also be aired 9:30 p.m. Eastern and Pacific this Friday, May 18, on Disney XD, where the series will live when it officially launches June 7 at 9 p.m.
The series stars the voice work of original TRON icon Bruce Boxleitner (pictured above) as well as Elijah Wood, Mandy Moore, Tricia Helfer, Lance Henriksen, Paul Reubens (yes, really) and more. I found “Beck’s Beginning” an impressive beginning indeed and I’m looking forward to …

This movie trailer for Hotel Transylvania, opening this fall, seems to be giving Halloween the Monsters, Inc. treatment. And I approve.

Remember the Nintendo GameCube? How could you forget? Dry your eyes, old-school gamers, and enjoy this trip to the Console Graveyard with G4′s Kevin Pereira, Blair Herter and Matt Mira. Watch the video.

TRON: Uprising doesn’t premiere on Disney XD until June 7, but the entire pilot episode has been posted on YouTube — and it’s legit, not some Sam Flynn prank to annoy the Encom shareholders.

An interesting story this weekend in The Arizona Republic and recapped by Airlock Alpha sheds some new light on the case of Mesa-based Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment’s bankruptcy and failed efforts to develop video games based on MGM’s Stargate television franchise.
This is a long, twisted saga that I followed for years for Nerdvana readers and barely scratched the surface. My work was submitted among other entries that won recognition from the Arizona Press Club and was even cited in Saturday’s article by Republic reporter J. Craig Anderson.
Among the latest developments described …

Nintendo is lowering the suggested retail price of its two obsolete handheld gaming systems, the DSi and the old-people’s larger version, the DSi XL.

The company has been struggling with sales losses following a recent price cut for its latest model, the 3DS, and disappointing sales of its sunsetting home console, the Wii. A new version of that hardware, the Wii U, is expected to debut later this year.
Here’s how Nintendo spins the news:
Two of Nintendo’s top-selling video game systems are getting attractive new prices. Effective May 20, the suggested retail …

Patrick Stewart will NOT be appearing at Phoenix Comicon this year after all.