video games

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World of Warcraft: the 'Cocaine of Gaming'

Fantasy game involved in nearly every case of game addiction, foundation says

(Newser) - World of Warcraft is the most addictive video game on the market, the Local of Sweden reports. WoW is the most popular of the online multiplayer fantasy games—by far the most addicting game genre, according to a study by the Swedish Youth Care Foundation. The Blizzard title is "...

Gamers, Beware This Skin Disorder

Console controller linked to painful hand sores

(Newser) - Dedicated gamers beware—researchers have identified a skin disorder just for you, the BBC reports. “PlayStation palmar hidradenitis” is characterized by painful lumpy sores on the palms. British researchers think it's caused by gripping the controller tightly with sweaty hands for extended periods. Good news, though: Symptoms appear to...

Calif. Court Blasts Violent Game Ban

(Newser) - A federal appeals court ruled today that violent video games can be sold to minors in California, GameSpot reports. Upholding a lower court's decision, the judges struck down a state law that sought to ban the sale of violent games to those under 18. The law violated free speech rights,...

Obama's Nightly Fix: BlackBerry Games

President plays BlackBerry game 'to unwind'

(Newser) - The president  uses his super-secure BlackBerry to keep in touch with pals back in Chicago. But he's also a closet gamer, Star reports. It seems Obama is a big fan of the game BrickBreaker. "He plays to unwind," an insider says. "Every night before bed, he gives...

GTA IV Rides Again in Lost and the Damned
 GTA IV Rides Again in 
 Lost and the Damned 
NEW RELEASE
Feb 18, 2009 10:22 AM CST

GTA IV Rides Again in Lost and the Damned

Download-only add-on episode revs new life into franchise's fourth outing

(Newser) - Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and the Damned brings gamers back to a Liberty City as gritty and darkly funny as ever, Seth Schiesel writes in the New York Times. The add-on episode, only available as a download through the Xbox Live service, swiftly ditches GTA IV's protagonist...

Amazon Yanks Video Rape Game
 Amazon Yanks 
 Video Rape Game 




Feb 15, 2009 11:32 AM CST

Amazon Yanks Video Rape Game

Finally decides it's not appropriate after consumer complaints

(Newser) - Amazon will no longer offer a video rape game, following consumer complaints, reports the Daily Telegraph. The Japanese game Rapelay instructs virtual players to stalk and rape women, then force them to abort any resulting pregnancies. "We determined that we did not want to be selling this particular item,...

Single App Nets $600K in Month
 Single App Nets $600K in Month 
Feb 13, 2009 10:42 AM CST

Single App Nets $600K in Month

The gold rush continues in Apple's App Store

(Newser) - With more than 20,000 iPhone apps available, it seems inevitable that most would make peanuts. But Ethan Nicholas’ tank artillery game, iShoot, raked in $600,000 in one month——$37,000 on its best day—proving the gold rush is on in the App Store, Wired reports. The...

Japan's Square Enix to Buy 'Tomb Raider' Maker

'Final Fantasy' firm pays dearly for Lara Croft

(Newser) - Looks like Lara Croft has a new sugar daddy: Japan’s Square Enix will buy Eidos, maker of the “Tomb Raider” videogame franchise, for $119.9 million, Forbes reports. That's more than double the per-share price at yesterday's market close. With Square willing to pay such a premium, it...

Phantom of the Xbox: Lloyd Webber Tries Gaming

You'll soon be able to play along with your faves from Evita , Jesus Christ Superstar

(Newser) - Andrew Lloyd Webber, the man behind musical hits such as Phantom of the Opera and Cats, is getting into the video-game business, paidContent reports. The burgeoning female gaming audience and the popularity of music-themed hits encouraged Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Group to begin developing games based on Phantom, Evita...

Are Video Games Art?
 Are Video Games Art? 
OPINION
Dec 28, 2008 8:14 AM CST

Are Video Games Art?

Outselling theater, music, and movies, but still not taken seriously

(Newser) - Video games are going gangbusters financially, but they're still generally relegated to "lowbrow" entertainment by the culturati. Some critics, however, are finally giving video games their due and deeming them art. "The best games are already beautiful, and I can see no reason why the look of video...

Wii Music Offers Cute Fun and Some Lessons
Wii Music Offers Cute Fun
and Some Lessons
REVIEW
Dec 24, 2008 11:17 AM CST

Wii Music Offers Cute Fun and Some Lessons

Don't expect your teen to embrace (outwardly) Nintendo's new offering

(Newser) - You might not rock out with Nintendo’s new Wii Music the way your teen would with Guitar Hero, but that won’t stop the family from having a ball with the game, Katherine Boehret writes in the Wall Street Journal. The game stays true to the Wii tradition of...

Phelps Splashes Into World of Video Games

iPhone-ready product, due in spring 2010, will include, if not feature, swimming

(Newser) - It was probably inevitable: Michael Phelps, video game star. The Olympic swimmer is teaming with 505 Games to launch a Phelps-themed game in the spring of 2010, the Baltimore Sun reports. Swimming will play a role, but it won't be the main event. Beyond that, the game-maker is not revealing...

Analysts Fear Recession Will Kill the Video Star

November sales dip aside, titles remain popular with gamers

(Newser) - With many Americans singing the recession blues this holiday season, they may not be willing to shell out $200 to groove to Guitar Hero or Rock Band. Some analysts say the dueling, popular video game franchises are beginning to peak, MarketWatch reports. “The music game genre is getting a...

Wii Are the Champions as Holiday Sales Rocket

Game sales stay strong despite recession

(Newser) - Video game sales remain strong despite the flagging economy, reports USA Today. Nintendo Wii had its biggest month ever in November, selling more than 2 million systems, twice what the company sold last November. Microsoft Xbox 360 also had a strong month with best-selling games Gears of War 2, and...

Composers Score With Video-Game Gigs

Film-like scores have taken strides with technology—and pay as much as $2K/minute

(Newser) - The musical scores for video games have kept pace with the evolution of the games themselves, the Los Angeles Times reports, with composers bringing in as much as $2,000 per minute to create sweeping, film-like compositions. With sales projected to hit $50 billion this year, game developers can budget...

EA Offers Its Answer to 'Wii Fit'

Game maker plans line of products to get couch potatoes into shape

(Newser) - Electronic Arts has become the latest game maker to target the Wii-as-personal-trainer market, USA Today reports. EA Sports Active, developed with experts including Oprah Winfrey's trainer, hits the shelves in March and aims to help users lose weight through more than 20 exercises that work the upper and lower body...

Top Games for Holiday Play
 Top Games for Holiday Play 
GLOSSIES
Oct 25, 2008 6:39 PM CDT

Top Games for Holiday Play

The titles you want stuffed in your stocking this year

(Newser) - Are you ready to wear out your thumbs this holiday season? Looking at games slated for holiday release, Forbes thinks gamers "crave a lot of morally questionable mayhem."  Here are their top choices:
  • Gears of War 2 (Microsoft): This game promises hordes of aliens to shoot
...

Online Divorcee Jailed After Killing Virtual Hubby

Japanese woman charged with hacking

(Newser) - A 43-year-old Japanese woman whose sudden divorce in a virtual game world made her so angry that she killed her online husband's digital persona has been arrested on suspicion of hacking, police said today. The woman allegedly used her digital husband's identification and password to log onto popular interactive game...

Gaming Industry Slow to Find Its Feminine Side

Under 20% of workers are women—a demographic games have barely tapped, either

(Newser) - The video-game industry has yet to really tap into the female audience, the Los Angeles Times reports, and a big reason looks to be how male-dominated the business is. Women make up fewer than 20% of the industry’s total workforce, and a mere 3% of programmers. Some fault education,...

Sony Recalls Video Game for 'Islam Insult'

Koran quotes discovered in music track

(Newser) - Sony has held up distribution of a top video game after the discovery that it contains quotations from the Koran in a background music track, reports the BBC. Copies of Playstation 3 game LittleBigPlanet have been recalled and Sony has apologized. A modified version will be released next month. The...

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