Tag archive: Gaming

We've already taken a fun hands-on look at the iCade for your iPad, but the same makers have decided to put a similar spin on a controller that's a little more portable in nature. If you don't want to house your iPad in a small arcade replica while you play classic Atari video games, the smaller iCade 8-bitty companion controller ($25) might be just your style. This wireless controller will work with your iPhone, iPad, or iPod… Read More

The toy and game giant Hasbro has announced details of a deal with leading social game developer Zynga that will allow it to develop a range of physical products based on Zynga’s popular online games. In a statement released by the two companies on Thursday, Hasbro’s president and CEO Brian Goldner said he was “thrilled” with the arrangement. “Zynga is bringing more games to mainstream culture and is redefining how people play,” he said. “At… Read More

The US is turning into a gaming nation, according to a new study from the Parks Associates market research and consulting company. In a three year span, the number of gamers in the country has nearly tripled. The rapid rise in numbers is thanks to social gaming and free-to-play business models; people who wouldn't typically identify themselves as gamers, now game with gusto. According to the Parks' study, Trends in Digital Gaming:… Read More

With over 500,000 apps available through Apple’s App Store, it can be daunting for developers to get their apps noticed — let alone downloaded. Enter a recent thread on app developer site Touch Arcade, in which a poster who was recently shopping around for ways to get his app more exposure was contacted by a “marketing” company that promised it could break apps into the top 25 rankings in exchange for a lump sum payment — in this case $5,000.… Read More

An Oklahoma legislator is proposing a 'what about the children?' bill (HB 2696) that aims to tax violent video games. Former schoolteacher and current Democratic member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives, William T. Fourkiller, wants to levy an excise tax rate of one percent on the sale of violent video games; because these games supposedly spawn the obese bullies which plague our society. “Violent video games contribute to… Read More

A report last week suggested that to ward off brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s, constant cerebral stimulation through activities like games and reading could be the key. And one woman, 100-year-old Kathleen Connell, would certainly appear to back up such findings, with the centenarian putting her longevity and sharp mind almost entirely down to her Nintendo DS gaming device. Kathleen, who jokingly says she doesn’t feel a day over 80, clearly… Read More

There is a lot that goes into making a house green, and we don’t mean just slapping a coat of paint on it. Building an energy efficient home is hard enough, let alone maintaining a home that doesn’t harm the environment by wasting resources and over consuming energy. Little things like switching off the lights and adjusting the thermostat go a long way in conserving energy, but it isn’t always easy, and it can be difficult fiddling with all of… Read More

With the introduction of downloadable content onto the console scene, fans have become somewhat jaded. For every great bit of DLC that simply can’t be passed up comes two more that leave us scratching our heads instead of reaching for our wallets. While new content is always appreciated, there needs to be parity with price and overall value of DLC, which translates to offering something worthwhile for gamers — especially since plunking… Read More

Zynga, maker of hit games such as FarmVille and Words With Friends, told Reuters on Wednesday that it has bought four mobile game companies in recent months. The acquisitions include that of German company Gamedoctors last month, maker of the popular ZombieSmash game. It also bought Astro Ape Studios, located in New York, last August. Closer to its own Californian headquarters, Zynga also acquired San Francisco-based Page44 Studios, maker of… Read More

Following their recent attempts to terrify us into buying a gaming PC with the Aurora R4, Alienware has now come over all friendly and announced the X51, a gaming PC that's hidden in a console-style box. With the ability to stand vertically or lay horizontally, the new X51 could happily sit alongside other gaming machines under your TV too. Despite a footprint barely larger than an original PS3, the X51 still packs in plenty of tech, and… Read More

Originally debuting  during March 2010, the online Star Trek collaboration between Perfect World Entertainment and Cryptic Studios has moved to the popular free-to-play model as of today. Following the lead of DC Universe Online as well as Lord of the Rings Online, anyone can download and play the Star Trek MMORPG for free. While players get to experience the majority of what the game has to offer at the free Silver level, players will also… Read More

It’s pretty safe to say we are all eagerly awaiting the official announcement and release date of Blizzard’s upcoming sure-to-be-mega-hit, Diablo 3. But according to PC Gamer, it looks like the folks over at Blizzard had to wait for an announcement themselves as one of the more seemingly controversial aspects of the upcoming sequel, its real money in-game auction house, was a stumbling block in Blizzard’s quest to get South Korea’s ratings… Read More

Afterfall: Insanity is a survival horror game in a similar vein of the Resident Evil and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. franchises with a dash of Fallout and maybe even some Metro 2033 sprinkled in, but if you’re not familiar with it, you’re not alone. The game started off as an indie project by Polish fans working under the name Intoxicate Studios, looking to create a post-apocalyptic shooter. In 2008, Nicolas Games saw it and decided to legitimize the… Read More

Despite the decades of history, despite the millions of copies sold, and despite the cultural influence that video games have already had on the world, the gaming industry is still in many ways in its infancy. It is an entirely new form of art and entertainment, and although it shares more than a few traits with its closest frenemies–the music and film industries–it is something entirely different and must be considered as such. Both… Read More