Hasta La Gadget!

Gaming and snacks go together like Grand Theft Auto and parental disclaimers. Surely anyone who can combine the thrill of playing a video game with the satisfaction of ordering–and ultimately consuming–a pizza deserves a wing in the gamers hall of fame.

That dream becomes a reality today. Papa John’s can now be ordered directly from the PS3’s main startup page, right next to the YouTube link. Clicking on the Papa John’s link brings up a PlayStation version of the pizza chain’s site.

And, lest you want to seek out other gut-busting options: there’s Chipotle burritos via the iPhone, Pizza Hut via Facebook and Domino’s via TiVo.

Now just make sure you wipe off your hands before picking up the controller.

Additional reporting by Mark Hachman, with an assist from Joel Santo Domingo.

Get ready, Wii fans, because Wii Fit Plus is launching in North America on October 4. While delivering the keynote address at the 2009 GameStop Manager Conference, Nintendo of America president and COO Reggie Fils-Aime offered that tidbit and much more:

• Wii Fit Plus is an enhanced version of the bestseller with new exercises, yoga activities, and balance games. Players will be able to customize their workouts to target specific body areas or to fill specific intervals of time.

• Bundled with the Wii Balance Board, Wii Fit Plus will sell for $99.99. Current Wii Fit owners will be able to get an upgrade disc for $19.99.

• Nintendo will release a black version of the Wii remote bundled with a black Wii MotionPlus accessory during the holiday season.

• Black nunchuks will also be available this holiday as a standalone purchase.

• Also, a little DSi news: White and pink DSi versions will go on sale September 13, for the standard DSi price of $169.99. So far, only blue and black versions have been available.

Are you ready for some football (-based gaming controllers)? Nintendo hopes so. The company has filed a patent for a football-based controller–essentially a Nerf football with some holes carved out in it where you can shove your controller.

The football has slots for the Wiimote and Nunchuk. There’s also a handle on the ball so you can, you know, make believe you’re throwing the thing. Judging from the above shot, the controller is also ideal for ballet practice.

I’ve got some news. Are you sitting down? If you’re a gamer, the answer is almost certainly “yes.” According to a recent survey by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Emory University, and Andrews University, the average American game is 35, fat, and depressed. Wait, that can’t be right…

The study, culled from 552-Seattle area residents aged 19 to 90, discovered that, on average, gamers weigh more and have “a greater number of poor mental health days” than non-gamers. Researchers who conducted the study for The American Journal of Preventive Medicine claim it “reveal[s] important patterns in health-related correlates of video-game playing and highlights avenues for future research.”

Jeez, where’s Dr. Mario when you need him?

Sony, it seems, was so intent on keeping the existence of the PS3 CECH-2000A (that’s the PS3 Slim for the rest of you) a secret that the device was officially filed as Sand Dollar Enterprise, Inc’s Computer Entertainment System for the FCC. The address for Sand Dollar Enterprise, it turns out, is actually registered to Sony.

Said filing revealed something that yesterday’s Sony announcement didn’t yield–the PS3 Slim CECH-2001B, a 250GB version of the svelte new console, which, of course, is much bigger than the new 120GB version.

No word on pricing or availability of course, but one wonders if we won’t see a new addition to the P3 family before the holidays.