Round-Up: E3 Covers Up, Froghop's Asia, Destination PlayStation

Today's wrap-up includes news on changed regulations for this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo, a planned expansion into Asia for transmedial game firm Froghop, and a retailer event from Sony that may have confused some online scribes, as well as today's GameSetWatch news and Gamasutra job postings. - The ESA, in organizing the 2006 Electronic Entertainment Expo, has issued new restrictions against the "character of exhibits," specifically the scantily-clad "booth babes" previously common to the trade expo. According to information passed on to an IGDA-related weblog from the new exhibitors' handbook, "Material, including live models, conduct that is sexually explicit and/or sexually provocative, including but not limited to nudity, partial nudity and bathing suit bottoms, are prohibited on the Show floor, all common areas, and at any access points to the Show. ESA, in its sole discretion, will determine whether material is acceptable." The language appears addressed at live models rather than content within the games, meaning that Rumble Roses XX kiosks would be safe, but Konami may have to back down on using Reiko cosplayers to demo them. - Froghop, Inc, providers of "transmedial" bridging technology between cell phone games and PC titles, has announced plans to expand into the Asian market. With online MMORPGs and cellular phones both extraordinarily popular in Asian markets, Froghop hopes to make full use of its transmedial technology to provide links between the two trends. "Providing the ability to play a mobile mini-game on a commute and then upload experience points into a favorite MMO is like adding jelly to a peanut butter sandwich," said Froghop CEO Vicky Wu, "it’s expected and we are confident that this concept will be well received by the cutting-edge Asian gaming market." - Sony will hold a retailer event to demonstrate its 2006 lineup with the Destination PlayStation at Loews Miami Beach in Florida in late February, according to an official website. The event, which had caused some online buzz as a possible location for a press PlayStation 3 unveiling before its true nature was revealed, will instead be "two and a half days for meetings, discussions, and planning for the challenges of the coming year." The event is primarily focused at retailers, with most of the time given over to retail appointments with Sony and its licensees, so if the PS3 is on the agenda, it will likely remain out of the media spotlight for the duration. - The latest posts on Gamasutra sister weblog GameSetWatch include some news on Nintendo's Brain Training European promotions, a new article on video game writing, and a look at spooky new Japanese PS2 title Rule Of Rose, among others. - Also updated today: the latest Gamasutra job postings, including positions from Amaze Entertainment, ATI, Disney Buena Vista Games, Eurocom Developments, FASA Studio, Gameloft, and IGN Entertainment.