gaming news stories on Newser

Gamers' Brains Have Bigger 'Reward Hub'

Rob Quinn — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 05:10:00 CST

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 addiction—was bigger...

Fate of Nintendo Wii U Likely Hangs on Price Tag

Fri, 10 Jun 2011 09:12:29 CDT

The upcoming Wii U, part tablet computer, part game machine, could help Nintendo surpass its rivals once again. But not until we know how much it will set us back—investors so far are skeptical of that and other unknowns, and the company's stock has fallen 10% since the Wii...

Angry Birds Soar Into Reality

Matt Cantor — Tue, 17 May 2011 13:54:05 CDT

You’ve played the game, you’ve seen the “movie” trailer —now, witness Angry Birds in real life. A giant replica of the game’s birds, pigs, and barricades was set up at Plaça Nova de Terrassa in Spain in an effort to promote Deutsche Telekom. The setup isn’t completely functional, notes Mashable...

Angry Birds Launches on the Web

Matt Cantor — Thu, 12 May 2011 13:29:05 CDT

You no longer need a smartphone to shoot furious fowl at evil swine: As its international popularity continues to soar, Angry Birds is taking off on the Web. Maker Rovio has teamed with Google for a beta version of the game, which was developed for Google’s Chrome OS and is...

How CityVille Sucked In a Hardcore Gamer

Matt Cantor — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 14:55:33 CDT

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 lifelong “hardcore...

New Sega Games Let You Play With Your Pee

Matt Cantor — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 19:00:05 CST

The Wii lets us play by moving controllers; with the Kinect, we simply wave our arms; now, Sega’s got a game system controlled by your pee, reports AOL News . “Toylets” will inject a little competition into the public urination experience: a screen installed above select metro-station urinals in Tokyo will...

Loughner Sought Help on Gaming Forums

Rob Quinn — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 07:15:00 CST

Jared Loughner sought help and advice from a community of online gamers, postings unearthed by the Wall Street Journal show. "Does anyone have aggression 24/7?" he asked last May in a forum associated with the game Earth Empires. Loughner complained about being spurned by women and having trouble finding a...

Interactive Porn Reaches Kinect

Rob Quinn — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 04:42:54 CST

It took them more than a month, but the adult gaming industry has managed to crack Kinect and use it for interactive porn. Sex simulation gaming company ThriXXX has released a demo showing how the motion-controlled gadget for Microsoft's XBox gaming system can be used for porn pleasure, ABC News...

Gambling Industry Bets on Harry Reid

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 08:51:34 CST

Harry Reid's poll numbers make him look like an easy mark, but casino owners who have a history of disregarding party and going with the winner in Nevada politics are putting their money on the majority leader's reelection. Reid is counting on decades of close ties with the gambling industry...