Kristen Bell is more than just a perky blonde actress. This 27-year-old Michigan native may be rising in the mainstream entertainment world, but to geeks everywhere, Bell is royalty. So where did she come from and where is she going? Allow us to enlighten you on the career of Ms. Kristen Bell.

LAS VEGAS (AP) - Three critically acclaimed first-person shooters won top honors at the video game industry's most prestigious awards show. ''BioShock,'' ''Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare'' and ''The Orange Box'' garnered four prizes apiece Thursday night at the 11th annual Interactive Achievement Awards.

If you're reading this I'm assuming that you're a gamer. Perhaps your taste lies in homegrown first person shooters or maybe you anxiously await the new iteration of Madden every year.

Let's get this out of the way right now. Assassin's Creed has been out for over two months and if you don't know that there is a twist at the beginning of the game, then congratulations on your Amish community finally installing internet access.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - A Middle Ages assassin is helping game maker Ubisoft stand up to bigger competitors.

With the holidays right around the corner, this time of year is easily the hotbed for big video game releases. However, a lot of the great games coming out are drowned out by the enormity of the new releases – and plenty of those games are simple cash-ins that are going to be traded in in January. So, here is a rundown of what to buy for yourself or loved ones this year, listed by intended audience. Part 1 - Mature:

News from the virtual world: -LIVE WITHOUT A NET: Since its launch, Microsoft's Xbox Live has redefined console gaming. Whether I'm playing ''Halo 3,'' ''Madden NFL'' or ''Catan,'' or downloading pictures, game demos or ''Looney Tunes'' shorts, I spend far more time on Xbox Live than on the competing online services from Nintendo and Sony.

News from the virtual world: -FALL PREVIEW: The video-game industry's holiday season traditionally begins in mid-August, when EA Sports welcomes kids back from their summer vacations with the latest edition of ''Madden NFL.''

News from the virtual world: -COMIC CHAMELEON: When the San Diego Comic-Con started in 1970, about 300 people showed up. This year's event drew 120,000 fans - enough to get the attention of not just comic-book publishers, but movie studios, TV networks and video-game companies as well.