Gaming

Zynga and Facebook's Chill Turns Icy
March 22, 2013

Zynga announced Thursday that it will be rolling out the full version of Zynga.com next week as part of the gaming company's ongoing process of decreasing its dependence on Facebook's social platform. Currently, gamers looking to play Zynga offerings such as Farmville have to sign in with their Facebook login.

SimCity Is More Magical Than Mundane
March 22, 2013

The latest version of the long-running SimCity was a long time coming, and when it finally arrived, server issues kept many gamers from getting to the good stuff. It's been nearly a decade since the release of SimCity 4, and now the fifth version -- titled simply SimCity -- is offering gamers the chance to once again build the city of their dreams.

Riccitiello Booted as EA Reboots
March 19, 2013

John Riccitiello, who was at the helm of video game publisher Electronic Arts as it tried to navigate major shifts in the industry, will step down as CEO on March 30. Chairman Larry Probst, EA's CEO when Riccitiello took over in 2007, will serve as the company's executive chairman and temporary leader while it searches for a new chief executive.

Year Walk Is a Creepy Yet Delightful Stroll
March 18, 2013

Year Walk -- an iOS game by Simogo -- is a story-adventure-puzzle that creepily evokes what it might be like to wander the Swedish countryside in the middle of night, in the middle of winter, after spending a full day without food in a very dark room. That is, of course, if you're some dude from 1894 desperately in love with a woman -- and you embark on a Swedish folklore "Year Walk" in the hope of seeing your future.

Nintendo Caught in Winter Doldrums
March 15, 2013

February saw a 25 percent drop in sales compared with the same period a year ago, according to an NPD Group report released Thursday. Hardware sales were down 36 percent to $244.2 million. Surprisingly, it wasn't Nintendo's Wii U, the only new system released this past holiday season, but the still-going-strong Microsoft Xbox 360 that claimed the top spot in console sales.

SimCity Mod Gives Gamers a Glimpse of What Could Have Been
March 14, 2013

Since it was announced months before its official release that SimCity would require an online connection to play, fans of the urban planning game have voiced their frustration. Their angst only intensified after this month's launch, which was plagued by crashes and server connection issues. However, a game modder has just released a demo that suggests the game can be played in an offline setting.

Yahoo Could Take Zynga Under Its Wing
March 13, 2013

It appears Yahoo may be interested in acquiring Zynga. Both companies have been through rough patches in recent times, but Zynga's stock actually spiked 10 percent following speculation in an analyst's research note. While some things have been looking up at Yahoo since Marissa Mayer took over as CEO, the same can't be said of Zynga, which seems caught in a downward spiral.

Swamped Servers Barricade SimCity From Players
March 07, 2013

Virtual city planners faced a crisis this week as a plague of server issues kept SimCity 5 gamers from connecting. This meant that building virtual roads, zoning communities, and all other jobs involved in creating a city in the game couldn't be accomplished. While essentially a single-player game, SimCity 5 requires that players have an Internet connection to play.

Tomb Raider Refresh: Lara Croft Before She Got So Tough
March 05, 2013

After years of running, jumping, swimming and shooting, Lara Croft is going back to the beginning. The heroine of the sometimes loved, sometimes loathed video game series Tomb Raider is back for her "first adventure." Just as Star Trek and James Bond were rebooted on the big screen, Tomb Raider is getting a fresh start.

Hackathon's Goal: A Smartphone Game That Scores Points for Cancer Research
March 02, 2013

A UK-based charity is sponsoring a weekend hackathon, but those invited won't be using their coding talents to advance any business causes. The 40 programmers, gamers, graphic designers and other specialists will spend the time designing a smartphone game that can let average users help with cancer research.

Week of Weird: Sony Jumps the Gun, Google Luxury-Prices Its Yugo
February 25, 2013

This really has been an entire month of the strange. We had Boeing's Dreamliner sidelined for batteries that catch fire. We had Tesla locking horns with the NYT. We had Sony announce its new game system nearly nine months before it would be available -- but not actually show it. Biggest of all, despite Chromebooks failing to sell in the $250 range, we had Google offer a refresh priced at $1,500.

Sony's PS4 Launch: Too Little Too Soon?
February 22, 2013

Sony unveiled its PlayStation 4 video game system this week -- sort of. It didn't display the console itself or reveal its physical dimensions and form factor. It also left unanswered a raft of questions about its capabilities. How compatible -- or incompatible -- will the PS4 be with Sony's current-generation PlayStation 3 system, for example, which was launched in November of 2006?

Sony Debuts PS4 With More Whimper Than Bang
February 21, 2013

Sony officially introduced its long-anticipated PlayStation 4 video game console at a media event in New York City on Wednesday. However, Sony merely showed off its new controller -- it didn't actually unveil the physical console, likely saving that newsworthy moment for the upcoming E3 in Los Angeles in June.

In Search of Linux's Greatest Moment
February 21, 2013

There's no denying that Linux has had a lot of great moments since the turn of the millennium, and Linux Girl has done her best to highlight each and every one of them -- at least over the past six or so of those years. Recently, however, the question was the subject of a new poll that prompted vigorous debate.

Toy Tech: In Search of the Light App-tastic
February 12, 2013

The tablet computer craze that has users of all ages launching Angry Birds and making Temple Runs is profoundly influencing toy makers as well. "We are moving into a new realm of toys that the industry finds quite exciting," said Jackie Breyer, editor-in-chief of The Toy Book.

Wikipad Tablet Gets Back in the Game
February 08, 2013

It could have been game over for Wikipad after a flaw in the initial production run of its gaming tablet forced a launch delay late last year. The company used the extra time, however, to rethink the Wikipad, and this week it said the revised version will debut this spring. The new version will be smaller.

Stan Lee Sketches Web Portal for Kids
February 08, 2013

Comic book legend Stan Lee wants kids to join him on his next superhero adventure. The 90-year-old creator of Spider-Man and cocreator of Iron Man, Thor and the rest of the Avengers, this week launched Stan Lee's Kids Universe as part of a joint venture between his POW! Entertainment and 1821 Comics. The online property was announced at New York Comic Con.

Wall Street Renews Its Zest for Zynga
February 07, 2013

Zynga's shares got a lift from better-than-expected earnings reported earlier this week. The picture wasn't entirely rosy, though. The maker of once-popular social media games such as FarmVille and Mafia Wars reported revenue of $311 million for Q4, flat compared to the year-ago quarter.

Little Inferno Gleefully Ignites the Deep Dark Pyro Within
February 04, 2013

From what I've seen of humanity, there's a little pyro locked inside most of us. Maybe it's a universal longing to chase away the darkness with warmth and light, or maybe it's just a genetic quirk coded into our DNA from the days of the Ice Age when cooking up a wooly mammoth meant survival. Or maybe we just really like to see things burn.

Sony Poised to Fire Next Shot in Next-Gen Console Wars
February 01, 2013

Sony issued an invite Thursday to an event on Feb. 20 that could give gamers their first glimpse at the PlayStation 4, the company's next-generation console to go head-to-head against Nintendo's Wii U and whatever Microsoft unveils later this year. Sony had previously hinted that it would provide PS4 details in advance of this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo trade show in Los Angeles in June.