As the news coverage of videogames continues to expand from magazines and Web sites to TV shows and podcasts, it was only a matter of time before the segment got its own version of "Capitol Gang" or "Crossfire." Last month, the popular gaming site GameTrailers launched just such a show with "Bonus Round," hosted by the telegenic and well-respected Geoff Keighley. "Some of the rivalries between the different console companies are as legendary as some of the biggest sports rivalries," says Keighley. "So I wanted to create a forum where a bunch of industry experts could get together to talk about the issues that everyone's talking about--and hopefully have a good time discussing them, but also bring some insight to the table in terms of consumers being able to watch it and say, 'Hey, I agree with this guy,' or 'That's an interesting new point that I hadn't heard before.'"

The staff at GameTrailers were kind enough to provide Level Up with an exclusive preview of the next "Bonus Round" segment--shown above--where an analyst (Wedbush Morgan's Michael Pachter), a composer (Tommy Tallarico) and the producer of the hit videogame Scarface (Vivendi's Peter Wanat) discuss Nintendo's Wii. In 2007, Keighley and the folks at GameTrailers plan to produce new episodes on a monthly schedule, with a wider variety of guests and a broader set of topics, including micropayments (such as the purchase of a 99-cent song from iTunes) and emerging trends in game design. So far, "Bonus Round" is off to a solid start as a cogent and entertaining discussion of what's on industry observers' minds, and we hope that Keighley and company keep it up in the New Year.