Round-Up: Playlogic & Trymedia, Hip-Hop Gaming League, New Super Mario Date

Today's news round-up includes a partnership between Playlogic and Trymedia, the formation of the "Hip-Hop Gaming League," and an official release date for New Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo DS, as well as the latest product news, GameSetWatch posts, and Gamasutra job postings. - Playlogic is the latest company to partner with Trymedia, a division of Macromedia which specializes in offering downloadable try-before-you-buy versions of PC games. Playlogic will incorporate Trymedia's technology into its upcoming website relaunch, as well as offer a number of its titles through the Trymedia service. "By making games like World Racing 2 available via download, Playlogic is giving core gamers more options when it comes to how and when they get their favourite games," said Macrovision CEO Fred Amoroso. "Through the Trymedia Network, millions of consumers around the world will have access to Playlogic's games from their desktops." - In yet more e-sports news, rapper Snoop Dogg has announced the formation of the Hip-Hop Gaming League. The league, which will compete primarily on the Xbox 360, is open only to celebrity players from the world of music, sports, and other entertainment media personally selected by Snoop, who will also act as sole referee and enforcer of the league's rules. The league's first event was held during the NBA All-Star weekend. "I’m an initiator, you dig?" said Snoop of the league's formation. "This is something I’ve been cultivating in my mind for some time." - Nintendo has announced an official North American release date of May 7 for New Super Mario Bros., the first 2D Mario title to be released since Yoshi's Island on the Super Nintendo. The Nintendo DS game will feature 3D graphics and new moves for the famous plumber, such as the ability to ride on a blue shell and become gigantic by imbibing new super mushrooms. The company also announced a new DS puzzle game called Magnetica, which has players controlling marbles via the system's touch screen. Magnetica is scheduled for a June 5 release in the U.S.. - Recent posts on Gamasutra sister weblog GameSetWatch include a look at MMO "productivity", news on the Ultima series coming to Turner's Gametap service, more on this morning's Gizmondo-related car crash, and the Scooby-Doo detectives involved, and a little something for the Cave Story fan. - Also updated today: product news on Wondertouch's particleIllusion Professional Emitter Libraries, as well as the latest Gamasutra job postings, including positions from Pandemic Studios, Factor 5, LucasArts, FarSight Studios, Ubisoft Shanghai Studio, Airtight Games, Midway Games, SDI Technologies Inc., TikGames, LLC, USC /ICT Institute for Creative Technologies, and Stormfront Studios.