video game

So, Billy wants a new guitar this Christmas? By gosh, those things are expensive. He'll probably just give up, like he did with the drum set, piano, and karate. Why not just get him that Guitar Hero game? That's been the opinion of many parents and ... gamers in the last year, with video game sales -- led by a new music genre -- completely rocking other entertainment sources. According to a report from the NPD Group, total video game sales (including both hardware and games) have rocketed to $10.5 billion through October 2007, about $3.5 billion more than last year at the same point. (Source: ... (view more)

Scared off video game consoles because of their price? Many casual fans are, and until Microsoft and Sony can knock some buckaroos off the bottom line, many critics believe the industry will only play a tertiary media role. But, is that about to ... change? According to Activision executive Bobby Kotick, it just might. Kotick, a key player for one of the video game industry's most prominent and long-standing publishers, recently stated that he expects consoles to sell for under $200 before Christmas, 2009. (Source: gameinformer.com ) Why? To bring in the mass-market. Hey, it's worked for Nintendo ... (view more)

Somewhere in a small Silicon Valley cubicle stands a life-like replica of Darth Vader. The statuesque figure has the same ominous mask, cape and light saber that have become synonymous with the character since first appearing on the silver screen ... decades ago. What sets this replica apart from the millions of others that appear at conventions and theme shops all across North America is this one represents the next generation in technological innovation. If people were impressed with what the Nintendo Wii could do, they ain't seen nothin' yet! Darth Vader is actually a prototype for a mind- ... (view more)

Microsoft's Halo 3 is on a roll. Together, retailers Amazon, Best Buy, Wal-Mart and GameStop have so far exceeded over 1 million pre-orders for the game. This statistic can now be etched in the book of video game world records, seeing as how Halo 3 ... is now the fastest selling pre-ordered video game in history. The record is just what Microsoft needs right now. After Xbox 360 profits recently declined, Microsoft has high hopes that Halo 3 will revive the console's popularity. According to Microsoft's director of creative marketing, Chris Di Cesare, "Halo 3 will push video game entertainment ... (view more)

While video games regularly face a heat wave of criticism from politicians, "crusading" lawyers, and other members of the mainstream media, the industry is currently facing a particularly brutal firestorm. Not long after Florida lawyer Jack Thompson ... tried his hardest to connect the Virginia Tech massacre with PC sensation Counterstrike, Rockstar's Manhunt 2 has raised concerns to new heights. It's prompted a re-evaluation of video game ratings, in both the United States and United Kingdom (where the game has been outright banned). (Source: bloomberg.com ) Now, American physicians ... (view more)

Can the video game industry break the technology-created age barrier? Although nothing is certain at the moment, Microsoft has made attempts to do so. In conjunction with game maker Electronic Arts, Microsoft brought a day of gaming to a pensioners' ... settlement in Finland. This specific venue was a prime choice, since Finland is home to the most rapidly aging population in Western Europe. The motive behind this day of electronic recreation was to gauge interest in gaming among pensioners. For the seniors, however, playing video games was merely a way to strengthen relationships with their ... (view more)

Math, Science, English, and Philosophy: those are the types of courses university students expect to be confronted with. Will video games soon be added to that list? Yes, video games. David Williamson Shaffer, an education science professor at the ... University of Wisconsin-Madison, is pushing to have gaming adding to the curriculum. If he succeeds, students could eventually have chemistry and video games on the same class schedule. It's not as farfetched as it sounds. After all, video games *do* have their practical uses: The U.S. military uses games to train its soldiers. Teenage cancer ... (view more)

If you've ever seen a picture of Lord of the Rings and King Kong director Peter Jackson, you know that he's a big man with messy hair and a bushy, scruffy beard and mustache. It's kind of hard to picture someone of that description standing in the ... same room with Bill Gates: the essence of corporate tidiness. But in the business world, the only appearances that matter are the color of the cash being handed out, the size of the numbers on them, and how thick the wad is. Therefore, it's not too surprising that Jackson and Microsoft have come together in a Kong-sized deal to form a major video ... (view more)

Weren't The Xbox Murders enough? Just when you thought it was safe to pick up a controller again, there's been another suspected video game related fatality -- and I'm not talking about the kind found in Mortal Kombat. A 17-month old baby girl, ... Alayiah, was fatally wounded after her father allegedly beat her for pulling on the cords of his game system. "My baby is gone at the hands of her father," the child's mother, Mia Turman, said in tears. The father, 25-year-old North Philadelphia native Tyrone Spellman, was arrested and charged with "murder, endangering the welfare of a child, and ... (view more)

If you're the owner of a fifth generation video iPod, you can now turn your music machine into a bona fide pocket arcade, as Apple has officially added video games to the iTunes store. Leading the charge is the ultimate gaming classic: the ... dot-chomping, ghost-busting Pac-Man. The world famous Tetris and Internet favorites Bejeweled and Zuma are also on the lineup, along with several original titles. Each game can be downloaded for a very reasonable $4.99. However, they're only playable on an iPod -- not on a PC or Mac like regular iTunes video downloads. (Source: gamespot.com ) These are the ... (view more)