When you play an MMORPG, part of the fun is having a social network of your own. Now if imagine a company were to buy a social network gaming startup for its MMORPG? That may be the case with EA Mythic, which is supposedly about to purchase Rupture from Shawn Fanning for possible use in Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. More on this topic in the full article after the jump.

Does the prospect of turning your PvP gaming skills into cash sound interesting to you? If so, you may want to participate in the Fury League. Simply put, it's Auran Games' latest skill-based, online competitive format for the MMORPG whose name it bears. The trick is to win Fury Gold in the league, which may then be converted into real cash. For more lucrative news, turn to the full article after the jump.

What exactly characterizes video game addiction? Writer and researcher Neils Clark recently tackled this and other related questions at the 2008 Games for Health Conference. In his talk, Clark elaborated on the problem, its elements, real world relationships and possible solutions. More on those in the full article after the jump.

In this day and age of online games, it's important to take the necessary precautions against those who would steal your virtual stuff. That's why Disney Online has taken the time to politely remind players of Pirates of the Caribbean Online regarding this. The company came up with a few guidelines to keep in mind; you may view them after the jump.

If you're a concerned parent or guardian, it makes sense to want your protect your kids from sexual exploitation, either in real life or in Second Life. Unfortunately, the potential for such abuse is there, according to Illinois Congressman Mark Kirk. Find out more about what he had to say in the full article after the jump.

In the story of Hellgate: London, survivors often relayed messages to each other via communiques. Metagaming-wise, Flagship Studios is doing the same with players of the game. In fact, the developer has recently released Underground Communique number 5. More on this weekly update in the full article after the jump.

For some people, auctions are important events, regardless of whether they're held online or in the real world. That's probably why Internet Gaming Gate is regularly submitting Auction Reports to players of Tales of Pirates. Turn to the full article after the jump to see who the highest bidders are.

It's one thing to look at the past in order to learn from it; it's quite another thing to examine the present and to see which direction you're heading toward. In the light of recent developments, various game industry insiders have taken to doing precisely those things. More reflection ensues in the full article after the jump.

These days, it's usually a wise choice to go around looking for deals on your favorite video games. Gamestop is offering a few deals of its own from the week of March 2 to March 8. These include a buy two, take one promo, discounts and what not.

In fact, we'll make you a deal as well: if you turn to the full article after the jump, we'll give you more details on Gamestop's Deal of the Week. How about it?

It's not uncommon for MMORPG companies to release newsletters pertaining to their games. That way, players can catch up on the latest goings-on. EA Mythic has been doing that lately with Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. In fact, the company's April newsletter is already out. Find out what's in it after the jump.