Items tagged with Video Games
The Boy Scouts just made it tougher for parents to crack down on kids for playing too many video games by introducing a new Game Design merit badge. That's right, there's more to Boy Scouts than learning how to whittle your way out of an emergency situation. Through Game Design, the Boy Scouts of America is looking to...
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If nothing else, give Electronics Arts (EA) credit for acknowledging how "dumb" it was to not be fully prepared for the demand its SimCity game would attract, given that the publisher is insisting on a DRM scheme that requires an always-on Internet connection. Unfortunately, that's not where the boneheaded decisions...
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The problem with DRM schemes is they tend to punish honest paying customers with a level of inconvenience that's annoying at best, and crippling at worst. Every once in awhile we're reminded of this, such as the current server SNAFU that's affecting SimCity, an otherwise well-received game with favorable reviews. Electronics Arts (EA) is a...
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The last Tomb Raider movie -- Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life -- grossed just $67 million domestically and $157 million worldwide when it debuted in 2003. Those kind of figures don't inspire subsequent attempts to capitalize on a franchise, but with Tomb Raider recently getting a reboot, Hollywood may once again give Lara Croft...
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It seems like most of the studies involving video games have to do with trying to link real-world violence with violent video games (intermittently broken up by voices of reason). It gets old, so try this on for size. In a refreshing change of pace, a new study shows that seniors who play video games have a higher...
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Believe it or not, there are some in Washington who don't blame real-world violence on violent video games. Shocking, we know, but it's true. Former FBI profiler Mary Ellen O'Toole is one of them, and during a panel discussion over the weekend, she pointed out that there isn't evidence to support the notion that video...
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The life of a PC gamer isn't always easy. Sometimes we have to watch our console brethren play a particular title while we wait months for the PC release, as will probably be the case with Rockstar's upcoming Grand Theft Auto V, and in other instances, we're saddled with crappy ports (Resident Evil 4, anyone?). We only bring this up to underscore...
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At its New York City event earlier this week, Sony unveiled the PlayStation 4. The device, which will be designed to compete with the next Xbox and Nintendo’s Wii U, includes a beefed up processor and a new GPU that the company says will deliver dramatically improved graphics in games. In fact, the console's GPU alone will be able...
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Last month the NPD Group reported that Call of Duty: Black Ops II led slumping game sales in the U.S., noting that the video game industry as a whole declined 22 percent in December. Fast forward to today and NPD Group is now reporting a 9 percent increase in game sales in January, but that's only because January benefited from an extra week...
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Nintendo now expects to sell fewer Wii U consoles than it initially anticipated, the Japanese video game maker said Wednesday as it slashed its sales outlook for its newest gaming device. The company said it sold 3.06 million Wii U consoles to date, and only expects sales to reach 4 million through March, down from a previous forecast of 5.5...
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Give it some time and when Grand Theft Auto V is released this Spring, underage gamers who somehow manage to get their hands on the title will be stuffing people in trunks in real life, right? You know that's nonsense, and I know that's nonsense, but there's a general consensus among parents that violent video games...
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The video game industry industry declined 22 percent in December, dropping from $4.1 billion in retail sales in 2011 to $3.21 billion in 2012, according to the latest data published by the NPD Group. Software sales were hit the hardest, dropping 27 percent because of fewer releases. "A major culprit in the decline in retail sales in 2012 was...
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It's a sad thing when you step into a GameStop or Babbages (formerly Software Etc.) and see just a single rack dedicated to PC games, but hey, we don't have it so bad. Valve has picked up the torch with its Steam platform, and it seems there's always a major sale going on. The most recent was the Steam Holiday Sale, which saw big discounts...
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Sony may have already lost the next generation console wars before stepping foot on the battlefield. That is, if it's granted a patent for a technology that would effectively eliminate the ability to play used games on the PlayStation 4, a move that would prove mighty unpopular among gamers and second-hand game shops...
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Here's a curious thing. If you direct your browser over to the Major Nelson blog, which covers Xbox Live related topics, you'll find a countdown timer to the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in 158 days and some odd hours from now. Above the timer is a three word statement: "And it's on..." Yes folks, it's on indeed. Perhaps one of the worst...
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Hard times have fallen on video game maker THQ, which reportedly filed for Chapter 1 bankruptcy this week. Affiliates of private equity firm Clearlake Capital Group L.P. will acquire THQ's assets for around $60 million, taking control of the company's four studios and any games currently in development. The sale will allow THQ to shed certain...
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The Humble Bundle is back for a seventh iteration, and in a throwback to its earlier days, the newest package includes indie titles. As always, you get to name your own price for the bundle, after which you're afforded instant access to the games on Mac, Windows, and Linux. The seven titles up for grabs include: The Binding of Isaac + its...
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Valve has some great news for the open source gaming crowd. The Steam for Linux beta program is now open to the public, meaning anyone and everyone can join. All that's required is that you download the latest Steam Linux client (or upgrade your current Steam for Linux client to the latest release) and you're good to go. The new client introduces...
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Video games aren't just for kids, nor have they ever targeted just a single demographic. In fact, the average gamer is 30 years old and has been playing games for 12 years. And the average age of those who purchase games most often is 35 years old. Are you at all surprised? These statistics come courtesy of the...
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PC gamers are in for a treat. I can confidently say that after watching the latest Dead Space 3 trailer, which looks every bit as spooky as fans of the franchise were hoping, but also features great voice acting and sound effects. In the event Dead Space 3 turns out to be a turd, it will have nothing to do with cinematics or the ambiance....
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Hobbit game publisher Kabam announced that it secured investments from Warner Bros. Entertainment and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios (MGM). Terms of the deal were not disclosed, though it should be noted that Warner Bros. owns the rights to the upcoming trilogy of Hobbit films. "Partnering with Warner Bros. and MGM is a...
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The online game company responsible for Farmville, Mafia Wars, and other online games that clutter your Facebook feed with various requests has an request of its own. Zynga wants Nevada Gaming Control Board to approve is application for online gambling in the U.S., a process that could take up to 18 months. Zynga already offers real-money...
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