Hi everyone,

I'm Stephen Totilo, games reporter for over three years at MTV News, blog editor for MTV Multiplayer, journalist by master's degree, and fill-in for Brian Crecente this week.

I hope Brian won't have to cancel his trip over my guest-blogging nor that you'll cancel your Kotaku Gold membership.

I do think you should know a few things about me:
-I've loved reading Kotaku most of the time — just not when they published That Picture.
-I created "Hogan Knows Best" (You're welcome? Sorry?)
-I edit MTV's Multiplayer video game blog.
-I believe Metroid Prime 2 was better than Metroid Prime
-MTV Multiplayer published N'Gai Croal's analysis of Resident Evil 5 and the sketch of the Microsoft Wii-mote. But I didn't write either of those excellent pieces! Blame me for the Metal Gear Solid 4 NDA thing instead.
-I never owned an Atari
-I will occasionally link to Multiplayer work this week because I think we do pretty good work.
-I face a wall in the MTV News newroom, on the other side of which sits Kurt Loder
-I believe Oswald acted alone

Looking forward to blogging for you for the week!

Championship Gaming Series Coming To G4

G4 is about to get another dose of genuine video game focused content as it has struck a deal with the Championship Gaming Series—the only worldwide professional video gaming league, according to them—to air four 90 minute episodes of other people playing video games beginning this summer. They will, of course, be playing video games much better than you or I ever will, if that sort of thing appeals to you.

If you're a "young male viewer" you might be "passionate" about the CGS-G4 announcement, which is just after the jump. The release doesn't specifically mention what CGS teams will be playing, so we'll assume it's everything, from Counter-Strike to Dead or Alive 4 to World Of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade.

Moments In Awkward Wii Fit Product Placement: Bravo's A-List Awards

GameStop Teams With CBS To Further Annoy You

GameStop's in-store promotional bombardment is about to get a little more...intensive. The company is to launch an improved in-store "TV station" in conjunction with CBS and Reflect Systems, which will see not only select CBS programming (ie TV shows, sports, etc) broadcast directly into stores, but also a range of faux-journalistic services like "previews" and "interviews" with developers. It's to be installed in around 4000 stores across the US, and should begin rolling out next year.

GameStop launches TV network [MCV]

Sci-Fi Merging MMO With TV Show

Imagine playing a massively multiplayer online game where the actions of you and your friends help shape the storyline of an ongoing television series. That's exactly what the Sci Fi Channel has planned for 2010, as they work with game developer Trion World Network to create the ultimate merging of the TV and gaming mediums.

"A television show that is on once a week isn't enough. The fans today want the experience to go beyond that," Howe said. "For example, we can tell them that there will be an alien invasion at a certain place in the game, at a certain time, and to be there with all their friends and be ready. The outcome depends on them. And then that battle will be part of the universe in the show."

Sci Fi had originally planned to do something similar with their hit Battlestar Galactica, though decided to start fresh in order to create a world in which the players decide who the heroes and villains are.

"Human Tetris" Game Show Comes Stateside

Remember the Japanese game show that featured a "Human Tetris" challenge? If not, you'll most likely see a local version of Tunnels no Minasan no Okage Deshita soon, as FreeMantle Media is bringing Hole in the Wall just about everywhere. The Hollywood Reporter writes that Fox will be bringing 13 hours of the game show to North American TVs next season, just one of over a dozen international versions of the concept.

The American version will add cash prizes, a potentially more dramatic fall and might switch up the "substance" that losing players fall into. I vote for a tub of slithering eels!

Fox's 'Wall' taking shape [The Hollywood Reporter]

Undeserving Ellen Fans Get Wii Fit

I said it before, and I will say it again...I need to start attending more daytime talk show tapings. In case you have trouble getting your hands on a copy of Wii Fit today, feel free to direct your blame to Ellen Degeneres, who today gave out not only the sought after fitness device but a Wii to play it on to everyone in her stupid, stupid studio audience. Not only that, but they also received an Indiana Jones DVD 3-pack and the entire run of Sex In The City. Now I'm really jealous.

You can hit up here website to see the giant piles of Nintendo products in action. I'd like to thank Kotakuite dArk_stAr for sending in the tip, all the while wondering what the hell he is doing watching Ellen.

The Ellen Degeneres Show [Official Website]

Lies, Damn Lies and PTC Press Releases

The Parent Television Council is apparently making the rounds among newspaper reporters trying to drum up a little attention at the cost of Grand Theft Auto IV and the truth.

Arizona Daily Star reporter Phil Villarreal received one of their emails this morning, asking if he'd be interesting in talking about GTA IV: Liberty City, a game with content "too deplorable and disgusting to describe in detail" which "appeal to the lowest common denominator by actually rewarding criminal activity and offering the gamer everything from a chance to drive drunk to the opportunity to solicit services from a prostitute."

Villarreal, a gamer himself, decided to take the PTC up on their offer and was not-so surprised to find that the council's copy of GTA IV seems to be slightly different from the one the rest of the world received. Among other additions to the PTC's copy of the game: You get points for drunk driving.

Hit up the full interview for all of the new PTC features.

You Get Points for Driving Drunk in this Game [Arizona Star]

Advocacy Groups Want Games Locked Up

As the GTA IV launch is once again trotted out as a controversy flashpoint, there's one thing the gaming audience tends to agree on: This game is not for children. Of course, just how zealous they are about enforcing such a mandate varies wildly.

Nonprofit advocacy group the Parents' Television Council takes their position on enforcement beyond just demanding legal consequences for retailers who sell M-rated games to kids under the age of 17. The council wants games like GTA IV locked up behind store counters, like cigarettes, tobacco and porn.

Doctor Who is coming to the Wii...sort of! The BBC has announced that their iPlayer replay service will now be functional on the Nintendo Wii. The service, made available last month on the iPod Touch and iPhone, presents time-limited replays of BBC shows, such as Doctor Who, Torchwood, and whatever else they have worth watching. Wii owners in the UK will be able to browse to the page and grab their favorite shows.

"This exciting alliance with the BBC is yet another way in which Nintendo is looking to broaden the market for its products by offering compelling and relevant content to families," added David Yarnton, general manager of Nintendo UK.

Wii gets BBC iPlayer [GamesIndustry.biz]

NBC Readying XIII Mini-Series, Forgettable FPS To Remain Forgotten

Ubisoft's cel-shaded first person shooter XIII—based on the Belgian comic book series of the same name—didn't exactly blow back the gaming community's hair. Despite a fairly big marketing thrust from the French publisher and a four platform push on the PC, Gamecube, Xbox and PlayStation 2, it would appear we won't ever see a XIII II. Fans of the series will be thrilled to learn, however, that broadcaster NBC has picked up the property for a mini-series to air this winter.

XIII will feature the electric performances of white hot superstars Val Kilmer and Stephen Dorff, chronicling the adventures of a tattooed amnesiac in the wake of a presidential assassination. Its said to be both "adrenaline-charged" and "gripping", leaving audiences "gasping for more." I'm so excited to potentially asphyxiate while watching!

NBC Reveals Complete 52-Week Programming [Coming Soon]

I'm glad I'm not a giant Doctor Who geek, as this is exactly the sort of news that would drive me insane. Eidos has revealed that they will soon be ready to reveal their game based on the long-running British TV series, currently in development for the PlayStation 2, DS, and PC. Other than the fact that they'll be showing it to the press soon, that's all the information available, leaving us with many questions. Which Doctor will the game feature? Current Doctor David Tennant? Fan-favorite Tom Baker? Perhaps Paul McGann from the failed Fox TV pilot? Peter Cushing from the two 1960's feature films? Perhaps a combination? If the first Doctor were featured, would they use the likeness of William Hartnell or Richard Hurndall, who played him in the 1983 episode The Five Doctors due to Hartnell's dying 8 years prior? Man, I'm sure glad I'm not a big old Doctor Who geek, or this would drive me nuts! *twitches*

Eidos Doctor Who game "not too far away" for PC, PS2 and DS [videogaming247]

Dexter's Murderous, Forensic Fun Comes To Consoles

The Showtime television drama based on author Jeff Lindsay's forensic scientist by day, serial killer by night series of novels Dexter is getting its own video game, IGN reports. Showtime Networks and Marc Ecko Entertainment are said to have partnered to bring the bloody, award-winning show to unspecified platforms at an unspecified date.

Yes, details are scarce, but the folks who brought you Mark Ecko's Getting Up are apparently working closely with Showtime to get it right. We just hope it turns out better than all that CSI dreck Ubisoft keeps shoveling out.

Darkly Gaming Dexter [IGN]

Game Developers Choice Awards On Tonight

For those who didn't attend GDC last week, there's another chance to catch the Game Developers Choice Awards/Independent Games Festival Awards megashow. Condensed to a 30-minute segment for an X-Play time slot, to catch the event, set your DVRs for G4 at 8pm (eastern) tonight. (You could watch it in real time, but we were pretending you had plans or something.)

Not only is this the first developer-powered award show to make it to mainstream television, but everyone who attended was entertained by some extremely funny acceptance speeches. Tune in and enjoy.

G4 To Show Game Developers Choice Awards Tonight [Gamasutra]

Rachel Ray Gives Away 360s

SNL Threatened By Guitar Hero

Saturday Night Live boss Lorne Michaels spoke with the New York Times about the trails and tribulations of a live weekly comedy show trying to regain its footing after the Hollywood writer's strike left viewers hanging for nine weeks. He's worried about getting viewers back - not from other shows, but from video games.

"Our competition is not so much other television shows as it is Guitar Hero," he said, referring to the popular video game. The strike wiped out nine scheduled "SNL" shows, and it came at the worst possible time.

'SNL' Is Ready to Make Up for Lost Time [The New York Times]

Forget Starcraft, Korea Has Xbox 360 TV Show