gamers

15 Stories

Will Amazon's Nearly $1B Acquisition End Up a 'Zombie'?

Retail giant bought video streaming platform Twitch in 2014, but it hasn't performed as hoped

(Newser) - Ten years ago, Amazon ponied up nearly a billion dollars to acquire Twitch, a video streaming startup popular among gamers that insiders now worry may become a "zombie brand" for the retail giant, per the Wall Street Journal . Both current and ex-employees tell the paper that the platform is...

13-Year-Old Is First Person to 'Break' Tetris
13-Year-Old Is First
Person to 'Break' Tetris
in case you missed it
Jan 7, 2024 7:25 AM CST

13-Year-Old Is First Person to 'Break' Tetris

No one thought the video game could be beat, but Willis 'blue scuti' Gibson proved everyone wrong

(Newser) - Since its inception, the NES version of Tetris had been considered an impossible game to beat. After more than three decades, however, a 13-year-old has now done the impossible. Popular Science reports on the "wunderkind" Willis Gibson, 13, who at the end of December reached what's called the...

Game Developer Was Attacked Mercilessly, Turns Merciful

Brianna Wu, a prime target of GamerGate, speaks out about forgiveness

(Newser) - As a female game developer who spoke out publicly against sexism in the industry a few years back, Brianna Wu received torrents—and we mean torrents—of threats and abuse online. Now the Washington Post reports that Wu is forcing a different kind of conversation, one about forgiving the trolls...

'Swatter' in Fatal Case Pleads Guilty
'Swatter' in Fatal Case
Pleads Guilty
Nov 14, 2018 10:25 AM CST

'Swatter' in Fatal Case Pleads Guilty

Tyler Barriss faces 20 to 25 years in federal case, still faces trial on state charges

(Newser) - The man who "swatted" another in a prank that ended with the second man dead pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday. Tyler Barriss, 26, pleaded guilty to 51 federal charges related to not just the fatal hoax 911 call on Dec. 28, 2017, but also bomb threats against FCC...

Man: Girlfriend's Samurai Attack 'Scared Living Poop Out of Me'

Alex Lovell was attacked on March 3

(Newser) - Alex Lovell says he spent 12 to 13 hours a day playing a computer game in which players fight to the death. But when his girlfriend allegedly came at him with a real sword, "it scared the living poop out of me." Emily Javier, 30, is charged with...

Odd Professional Title: D&D 'Dungeon Master'
He Makes a Decent Living
as a D&D 'Dungeon Master'
longform
Nov 22, 2017 10:20 AM CST

He Makes a Decent Living as a D&D 'Dungeon Master'

'Wired' profiles New York City's Timm Woods

(Newser) - Like a lot of kids, Timm Woods developed an intense fascination with the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons. Unlike a lot of those kids, the 30-year-old Woods is now making a living at it as an adult. Wired profiles the Brooklyn resident and his unusual profession: that of a "...

Dudes, All That Gaming Is Affecting Your Sex Drive
Two Ways Video Games
Affect a Man's Sex Drive
new study
Jun 16, 2017 10:36 AM CDT

Two Ways Video Games Affect a Man's Sex Drive

They have less interest, but less of a common problem, too, says study

(Newser) - For guys who game, researchers have good news and bad news. The good news is that guys who play video games "chronically," which at least for the purpose of one new study is defined as more than an hour a day, are less likely to ejaculate prematurely than...

Nintendo Fires Woman Who Became Online Target

It's because she was moonlighting, company says

(Newser) - A female Nintendo employee has been fired after months of harassment from gamers who blamed her for censorship—but the company says her firing has nothing to do with her being targeted by the "GamerGate" campaign, the Verge reports. "I am no longer a good, safe representative of...

Video Game Takes 'Death' to Whole New Level

When you get killed in 'Upsilon Circuit,' you can never play again

(Newser) - An upcoming video game is getting lots of buzz in the gamer community for a unique twist: If you get killed while playing Upsilon Circuit, you can never play again. "In most video games, death is a minor annoyance," notes a post at Smithsonian , but not in this...

Next Wii Will Go for the Gore

Nintendo to ramp up violent offerings this year

(Newser) - You'll still be able to bowl and play tennis, but the upcoming update to the Nintendo Wii also invites you to shoot zombies in the head and revel in the gore. The company releases its new console this holiday season, and the Wii is making its first serious push...

Gamers' Brains Have Bigger 'Reward Hub'
 Gamers' Brains Have 
 Bigger 'Reward Hub' 
STUDY SAYS
Nov 16, 2011 5:10 AM CST

Gamers' Brains Have Bigger 'Reward Hub'

Researchers unsure whether it's pre-existing or games change brains

(Newser) - This is your brain on videogames: The brains of hardcore gamers are wired differently than those who rarely play video games, according to a new study. Researchers who scanned the brains of more than 150 14-year-olds found that the brain's "reward hub"—which plays a role in...

Disabled Gamers: Industry Ignoring Us

Accessibility features are often lacking

(Newser) - Chuck Bittner has limited use of his arms because of quadriplegia, and yet he's an accomplished gamer. Or at least he is on the relatively few titles with accessibility features that allow controls to be reconfigured for players like him, reports Wired . On Brink, for example, he can tweak...

How CityVille Sucked In a Hardcore Gamer

Online game's accessibility and simplicity turns busy man into addict

(Newser) - The online city-planning game CityVille is meant for “casual gamers,” and there are plenty of them: 92 million active monthly users, to be exact. But such simple gameplay and basic graphics would turn off any sophisticated player, right? Wrong—as JP Mangalindan, writing in Fortune , found out. A...

3 Gamer Phrases We All Should Use

'It's on like Donkey Kong' has become liability

(Newser) - Nintendo’s trying to trademark “It’s on like Donkey Kong”—so we need a new video-game based catchphrase. Contenders from Unplggd :
  • I Got Mario Karted: Someone’s beaten you at the last minute, which often happens in Mario Kart. Example: “I almost got with this girl/guy,
...

Shoot 'Em Up Games Improve Decision-Making

Action gamers outperformed Sims players

(Newser) - Playing fast-paced shooter video games makes people better decision-makers, according to a new study. Researchers tested young people ages 18 to 25 who weren't regular gamers and split them into two groups. The group that spent 50 hours playing action games like Call of Duty 2 and Unreal Tournament performed...

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