Simon Nelson, the BBC's new-media guru, is delivering a keynote at next week's Edinburgh Interactive Games Festival. His speech, as described in the official literature, is why "the [BBC] had something to learn from games and how games will figure in the Beeb's new media folio in the future." The Internet interpreted this as a pending announcement of a BBC videogame strategy — the rumor strengthened by BBC's current portfolio of downloadable games based on its TV shows. And it's not like it would be that strange. Even the New York Times has started using newsgames to illustrate everything from the oil crisis to the E. coli outbreak. But the BBC is now denying everything. More's the pity.

Beeb spokesreaders quickly shot down such rumors. The keynote, they claim, will focus on the convergence of media and what games and television can learn from each other — not a new game strategy. Idiots. The fusty Beeb could use something to spice up its offerings. If PBS can run an alternate reality game, why not launch the British Broadcasting Company into the virtual world?