Gaming

A 19-year-old who took to eBay in search of a rare Xbox One 'Day One' edition console thought he had found the perfect gift for his four-year-old son. The only problem: the Xbox One he found listed on the auction site for $735 was for a photograph ... of the new Microsoft video game system, not the console itself. Peter Clatworthy, a resident of Nottingham, England, says he went on eBay in search of the Xbox One shortly after the console launched in late November. Because most stores were sold out of the device, Clatworthy was willing to pay a little more to acquire the new Microsoft hardware. ... (view more)

SimCity, one of the PC gaming industry's most renowned franchises, has finally received an update. Unfortunately, the new game, while visually attractive, is suffering from some paralyzing technical problems. SimCity is the first game of its kind in ... a decade. If you never played the original (or one of the updates, like SimCity 3000), the game challenges players to build their very own city. Along the way, they must deal with all of the problems faced by city leaders, including crime, natural disasters, and controversial business operations. DRM Presents Problems The problem with this new ... (view more)

Personally, I find video games both relaxing and a lot of fun. And it appears that this isn't just the case for thirty-somethings like me; in fact, a new study shows that seniors who play video games are less likely to become depressed. Researchers ... at North Carolina State University recently studied the impact video games had on people aged 63 and older. Researchers separated the study's subjects (whose median age was 77) into three groups: regular gamers (who play games once a week), occasional gamers (who play games less than once per week), and people who never play video games. Senior ... (view more)

Microsoft has revealed a new video game technology that turns the space around a television set into an extension of the screen, completely altering the gaming experience for the people playing. During this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las ... Vegas, Microsoft unveiled 'IllumiRoom.' It's a new technology that draws part of the room into the gaming experience and delivers additional game content. The 'IllumiRoom' technology relies on Microsoft's Xbox 360-based Kinect device and a projector. IllumiRoom uses the Kinect peripheral to capture the geometry of the gamer's surroundings and ... (view more)

As Microsoft prepares for the debut of Internet Explorer on the Xbox 360 video game console, it's also gearing up for the first time release of adult video content on the popular gaming device. An adult entertainment site is planning to take full ... advantage of the Xbox 360's upgrade to web browsing capabilities. According to the company's online blog, Xbox 360 gamers can "rejoice" because "you can now tap into and stream all of your favorite free [adult] videos right from your Xbox!" Gamers Targeted in Illicit Ads Additional messages from the site have been specifically crafted ... (view more)

Microsoft has confirmed its "Do Not Track" feature will be switched on by default in the new Internet Explorer 10 (IE10) web browser. The decision is intended to protect user privacy. However, it has earned a frosty reception from some online ... advertisers. The feature was introduced to prevent users' online activity from being reported to third-party groups, a concern when advertisers began gathering information from multiple websites to compile very detailed pictures about what individuals do online. Since then, browser makers have worked on a variety of measures to combat this ... (view more)

Amid rumours that a new Xbox has recently entered production, Microsoft is attempting to maintain interest in its current video game console with a special promotion. Under the terms of the deal, customers who sign on for a two-year Xbox Live ... membership will receive a 4GB Xbox 360 and Microsoft Kinect peripheral for just $99. Purchased separately, the 4GB Xbox 360 retails for $199.99, the Kinect attachment for $149.99. That means that buying the two systems together would cost roughly $350, or $251 more than the price of this specially-priced hardware package. Xbox Live Membership Adds Up But ... (view more)

The world's biggest video game retailer has been forced by courts to compensate customers who bought used games and weren't informed they'd have to pay extra for "free" downloadable content. The retailer, GameStop, will also have to post clear signs ... in its stores to explain when used games will require gamers to pay additional fees. The court case covers the situation where additional content can and often must be downloaded once a player has installed a game on his or her console. Examples of such additional content can include new and different missions in an action game or updated rosters ... (view more)