video games – News Stories About video games - Page 17

Dell Gets Behind Alienware for Gaming PC Push

May 13, 2008 11:48 AM CDT

Dell Gets Behind Alienware for Gaming PC Push

Computer giant tries to recapture geek hearts with languishing brand

(Newser) - Dell is dumping its popular XPS line of gaming PCs so it can focus exclusively on the once-hot Alienware brand it acquired in 2006, the Wall Street Journal reports. The PC giant is in the midst of a full turnaround push, having fallen behind arch-rival HP, so it’s hoping...

Spielberg Launches
Puzzle Game

NEW RELEASE

May 12, 2008 4:02 PM CDT

Spielberg Launches Puzzle Game

Boom Blox hopes to engage kids and adults alike

(Newser) - As if the release of the next Indiana Jones film wasn’t enough to keep him busy, Steven Spielberg launched a new video game for the Wii last week, called Boom Blox, ABC News reports. A puzzle game with cute characters and engaging animations, it was created with the intent...

Grand Theft Auto
Burns Up Sales
Record

May 7, 2008 1:59 PM CDT

Grand Theft Auto Burns Up Sales Record

Tops Halo 3's first week take

(Newser) - Grand Theft Auto IV made off with a clean $500 million in its first week on sale, the biggest bow ever for a video game, MTV reports. The take left in the dust Halo 3’s $300 million debut, the previous record holder. It also surpasses any movie or music...

Grand Theft a Joy for Gamers

video game review

Apr 29, 2008 6:24 PM CDT

Grand Theft a Joy for Gamers

Today's launch is well worth the wait

(Newser) - The latest installment in the widely acclaimed and controversial Grand Theft Auto is more than worth the wait, writes Justin Calvert in GameStop. Preserving the basic play mechanics but adding a breathtaking level of complexity and a fantastically detailed and humorous mock-up of New York City, "Grand Theft Auto ...

New Grand Theft
May Shatter Sales
Records Today

Apr 29, 2008 8:55 AM CDT

New Grand Theft May Shatter Sales Records Today

Controversial game could change math in EA takeover bid

(Newser) - Everyone’s favorite controversy magnet is coming back to consoles—and it’s going to make a lot of money. Grand Theft Auto IV went on sale today, and it’s expected to shatter sales records, the Wall Street Journal reports. One analyst predicts $400 million in its first week....

Grand Theft Auto
Pushes Buttons

new release

Apr 25, 2008 4:24 PM CDT

Grand Theft Auto Pushes Buttons

Parents, legislators fight to limit sales

(Newser) - Ahead of Tuesday’s release of the latest game in the hugely popular Grand Theft Auto series, the violent games—and others like them—face widespread controversy, USA Today reports. Chicago is pulling ads from buses and parents’ groups are urging retailers not to sell to kids; meanwhile, legal action...

Competitive, Social Aspects Make Video Games Addictive

Apr 22, 2008 7:23 PM CDT

Competitive, Social Aspects Make Video Games Addictive

No shortage of horror stories about fun-seekers-turned-junkies

(Newser) - The American Medical Association may not yet rank video gaming as addictive, but players who call World of Warcraft “World of Warcrack” know the score, writes Kristin Kalning on msnbc.com. But what is it that drives obsessed players to neglect their jobs, their health and even their kids?...

50 Cent Battles Desert Gangsters in Video Game

Mar 26, 2008 4:40 PM CDT

50 Cent Battles Desert Gangsters in Video Game

Follow-up to 'Bulletproof' has the rapper traveling far and wide

(Newser) - 50 Cent has a new video game coming out in the fall in which he battles international gangsters in desert warfare, MTV News reports. "Blood in the Sand" follows the hop-hop star's “Bulletproof” of 2005, though it's not being pitched as a sequel. Details of the game’s...

UK Teachers Blame Parents for Bratty Kids

Mar 22, 2008 3:50 PM CDT

UK Teachers Blame Parents for Bratty Kids

Pupils poor at behaving, good at manipulating adults

(Newser) - UK teachers complain that classrooms are getting tougher to control because kids throw more tantrums—and parents are to blame, the Daily Telegraph reports. A Cambridge University study says that parents are letting children indulge in video games, junk food, and TV. "Teachers described highly permissive parents who admitted...

Gibson Sues Over Guitar Hero

Mar 21, 2008 1:00 PM CDT

Gibson Sues Over Guitar Hero

It wants retailers to stop selling game, claims patent infringement

(Newser) - Gibson Guitar has sued Guitar Hero retailers, saying the Activision video games infringe on a patent it holds for a virtual-reality concert. The federal suit seeks to stop Wal-Mart, Target, Kmart, Amazon, GameStop, and Toys "R" Us from selling the games, reports AP. But Activision is fighting back—earlier...

YouTube Opens to Developers

Mar 14, 2008 1:12 PM CDT

YouTube Opens to Developers

Expect more options for videos soon—including watching them on TiVo

(Newser) - YouTube is opening up to software developers, the company said Wednesday. Programmers can create new interfaces to play videos, for example, or let users upload clips to YouTube directly from other sites. And later this year, viewers will be able to watch YouTube videos via TiVo. The open platform won’...

Smoking May Be
Harmful to Your Wii

Mar 13, 2008 12:41 PM CDT

Smoking May Be Harmful to Your Wii

Nintendo cleans lenses damaged by cigarettes

(Newser) - Here's another reason to stop smoking: It damages your Wii. Some cigarette-wielding users in Japan last month noticed that the much anticipated "Super Smash Brothers Brawl" wasn't working properly, prompting Nintendo to provide free shipping and cleanup of tar-covered disc readers, the Boston Herald reports. Nintendo says the issue...

D&D DNA Endures in Digital Era

Mar 11, 2008 3:00 PM CDT

D&D DNA Endures in Digital Era

Co-creator's death comes on eve of game's reinvention

(Newser) - Dungeons & Dragons co-creator Gary Gygax valued interaction and innovation above all. He devised the game with friends equally inspired by war games and bedtime stories, starting with tabletop battle re-enactments, then injecting magic and mythology into his creations. Wired visits Wisconsin for a lengthy profile that was in the...

EA Maneuvers to Nab 'Grand Theft Auto'

Feb 25, 2008 8:08 AM CST

EA Maneuvers to Nab 'Grand Theft Auto'

Video game giant pushing $2B hostile bid for rival Take-Two

(Newser) - Video game kingpin Electronic Arts disclosed yesterday a $2 billion hostile takeover bid to acquire rival Take-Two Interactive Software, and capture the popular “Grand Theft Auto” franchise. EA, publisher of Madden NFL titles, said the $26-a-share offer represented a 50% premium over Take-Two’s closing price on Friday, but...

Wii Fit Among Highlights of Gamers' Conference

Feb 22, 2008 12:53 PM CST

Wii Fit Among Highlights of Gamers' Conference

Video game industry converged in San Francisco

(Newser) - Fitness program Wii Fit for the Nintendo Wii system, video games that let players warp Disneyized fairy tales, a parents-oriented video game review site, and initiatives by major publishers to let independent designers and even players develop games—those were the highlights of the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco...

Golf Finds Itself in the Rough

Feb 21, 2008 10:47 AM CST

Golf Finds Itself in the Rough

Economy, family dynamics, even bad weather blamed for downswing

(Newser) - The number of American golfers is dropping—and those who do play aren't playing as much as they used to. Busy people aren't as willing to spend four hours on 18 holes, and the rise of electronic games has hurt outdoor activities. Golf professionals are trying to think up innovative...

Microsoft Opens Game Creation to Users

Feb 21, 2008 4:01 AM CST

Microsoft Opens Game Creation to Users

Games made by gamers for gamers coming to XBox Live

(Newser) - Microsoft says it's going to bring democracy to video game creation and distribution, MSNBC reports. Microsoft's game-making kit has been a popular download, and the company is now introducing a way for gamers to share the games they make with millions of fellow enthusiasts. They plan to launch a YouTube-style...

Aerosmith Rocks Guitar Hero

Feb 15, 2008 12:30 PM CST

Aerosmith Rocks Guitar Hero

Veteran rockers headline first one-band edition

(Newser) - Aerosmith can add another big honor to its already-lengthy list: first solo act on a Guitar Hero release. Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, due out in June, will include realistic animations of the band's 30-year history, from high school band to Super Bowl halftime act, reports USA Today. The Hall of Famers...

'Spore' to Finally Debut in Fall

Feb 12, 2008 6:12 PM CST

'Spore' to Finally Debut in Fall

It's for real this time, EA assures gamers

(Newser) - EA said that its “Spore” videogame, long in development, would be released September 7, Marketwatch reports. The company is expecting the game, designed by “Sims” and “SimCity” creator Will Wright, to generate big revenues, given the near-mythical status its long gestation time and solid-gold pedigree have endowed...

Wii Points to Gaming's Future

Feb 11, 2008 3:56 PM CST

Wii Points to Gaming's Future

Broader demographics and a bond between multiplayer games and social networks key

(Newser) - The upset Nintendo has secured against Microsoft and Sony as its simple-but-innovative Wii continues to dominate their processor-heavy rival consoles portends much for the future of gaming, writes Michael Noer for Forbes. Expect much more casual gaming and gamers, Noer writes, as low-time-commitment experiences and Wii-like intuitive controls snag demographics...