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Gamer claims identity stolen through Xbox Live
2008-02-24 01:57:00
In Conway, Arkansas, a man claims that his identity was stolen through his Xbox Live account. Johnathon Herbert, 28, called authorities to report the theft. Logged on to his wife's Xbox Live account, Herbert told the officer over the phone that his account was active with someone somewhere playing Halo 3, according to the police report. It was not long until the suspect gained access to two of Herbert's credit cards and his bank information. Fortunately, he notified his bank and credit card companies of the incident before at least three attempts for unauthorized transactions were made, all of which were denied. Herbert contacted the company responsible for handling Xbox Live accounts, passport.net. However, they refused to disclose the Internet protocol (IP) address of the person using Herbert's account to play the video game. Read the full article
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Sony to sell chip facility to Toshiba for $835 million
2008-02-20 08:18:00
In a move to focus on their core businesses, Sony Corp. announced Wednesday that it will sell its microchip production facilities in western Japan to Toshiba Corp. for 90 billion yen ($835 million). The equipment will be used by their semiconductor joint venture that will make high-performance Cell chips and RSX graphic chips, both used in Sony's PlayStation 3 game console, as well as other microchips that go into Toshiba products, according to Reuters. Sony has been pulling away from heavy investments for cutting-edge chip production equipment and focusing on image sensor chips for digital cameras. Last year, Sony said that it would sell production facilities for making key microchips used in the PS3 to Toshiba, but the price has been unavailable. This announcement comes at the heels of Toshiba's decision Tuesday to pull out of the HD DVD business, giving Sony's Blu-ray camp a free run. Read the full article
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Official: Toshiba out of HD DVD business
2008-02-19 09:43:00
Toshiba Corporation today announced that it has undertaken a thorough review of its overall strategy for HD DVD and has decided it will no longer develop, manufacture and market HD DVD players and recorders. This decision has been made following recent major changes in the market. Toshiba will continue, however, to provide full product support and after-sales service for all owners of Toshiba HD DVD products. HD DVD was developed to offer consumers access at an affordable price to high-quality, high definition content and prepare them for the digital convergence of tomorrow where the fusion of consumer electronics and IT will continue to progress. "We carefully assessed the long-term impact of continuing the so-called 'next-generation format war; and concluded that a swift decision will best help the market develop," said Atsutoshi Nishida, President and CEO of Toshiba Corporation. "While we are disappointed for the company and more importantly, for the consum...
More About: Business , Toshiba , Official

Tournament organizers ditch gamers, keep prize money
2008-02-19 06:43:00
In Mentor-on-the-Lake, Ohio, a video game tournament hosted by The Gaming Nation (TGN) has left many gamers and parents disappointed and outraged. TGN, which organizes tournaments across the country and claims to have a following of over 15,000 registered players, hosted a "$5K Regional Open" Saturday at the Cold Fusion LAN Center video game store. However, during the event, consisting of Halo 3, Call of Duty 4, and Guitar Hero III matches, TGN left the tournament without paying all the promised prize money or the rental money owed to the LAN Center. According to Todd Metzendorf, co-owner of the LAN Center, TGN claimed that they had to leave for a family emergency. That's when teams started to demand refunds, but TGN refused. When police were called, TGN decided to give a full refund to some of the teams, but only partially to others. Participants are now calling the entire tournament a scam, including one parent who spent nearly $2,000 to take her 15-year-old...
More About: Money , Gamers , Tournament

'I have killed them all' phone call lands gamer in jail
2008-02-19 02:00:00
In Delhi, Louisiana, a gamer's telephone call touting his latest victory in a video game led to his arrest Monday morning. Thomas Ballard, 29, reportedly wanted to call a friend to share the news. However, instead of reaching that friend, Ballard unintentionally contacted a woman shortly after midnight saying, "I have killed them all." The concerned citizen, with Ballard's telephone number on caller ID, then called the authorities. When police arrived at his residence, Ballard explained to the troopers that he had killed the "bad guys" on his video game. Police searched the home to ensure that no one had been murdered at the scene, however, they found a 5-year-old warrant on Ballard from Baton Rouge for failure to appear on a possession of cocaine charge. According to a report from The News Star, Ballard was booked into the Richland Parish Detention Center and will be extradited to Baton Rouge. Read the full article
More About: Phone , Gamer , Call , Jail , Killed

Plant to pull HD DVD lines, not waiting for Toshiba announcement
2008-02-18 09:43:00
The only indie multi-format high definition disc pressing plant, Blue Ray Technologies, will drop its HD DVD lines without waiting for the widely- reported and anticipated announcement of Toshiba 's retreat from HD DVD. "This is a victory for the consumers, who can now move in to the stunning high def disc world and build collections with confidence," said industry expert Erick Hansen, a DVD pioneer and chairman of Blue Ray Technologies. "Toshiba can take heart in that there is no shame: it was a battle well- fought and that they have several adaptable technologies and backup plans." In fact, no orders had come in to the full- service disc manufacturer for HD DVDs, even partial orders along with Blu-ray clients looking to service both markets, since November. The indie film companies that BRT serves had seen the death of the HD DVD format long before last week's announcement that Wal-Mart, Blockbuster and Netflix were dropping the format - and even before Warner B...
More About: Announcement , Lines , Waiting , Plant

Toshiba: No decision made, HD DVD under review
2008-02-18 03:26:00
Toshiba Corp. has confirmed that it may pull the plug on its HD DVD format for high-definition video, the Japanese electronics maker said Monday. However, according to The Associated Press, Toshiba has not made a final decision, but acknowledged that it had started a review of its HD DVD business strategy. Like the Betamax-VHS battle in the 1980s, the format war between Toshiba-backed HD DVD and Sony's Blu-ray has slowed development of what is expected to be a multibillion dollar high- definition DVD industry. Wal-Mart may have delivered the final blow to Toshiba Friday, when it said that it will abandon the HD DVD format, becoming the latest of top retailers and movie studios to support Blu-ray. Read the full article
More About: Review , Toshiba , Decision , Made

Report: Format war over, Toshiba to exit HD DVD
2008-02-17 03:26:00
Toshiba Corp. is reportedly planning to stop production of equipment compatible with the HD DVD format for high-definition video, giving the competing Blu-ray camp a free run. According to the report from Reuters, which cited public broadcaster HDK as its source, as Toshiba scraps production of HD DVD players, recorders, and takes other steps to exit the business, losses are expected to hit hundreds of millions of dollars. Like the Betamax-VHS battle in the 1980s, the format war between Toshiba-backed HD DVD and Sony's Blu-ray has slowed development of what is expected to be a multibillion dollar high- definition DVD industry. Wal-Mart may have delivered the final blow to Toshiba Friday, when it said that it will abandon the HD DVD format, becoming the latest of top retailers and movie studios to support Blu-ray. Toshiba plans to continue selling HD DVD equipment at stores for the time being, but will not put resources into developing new devices. Toshiba was n...
More About: Report , Toshiba , Format

Police blame old video games for city graffiti problem
2008-02-16 04:55:00
In Corpus Christi, Texas, police believe the ongoing graffiti problem in the city, which most recently caused over $1,000 in damage to a bay front park, is fueled by video games that they say target and encourage teens to become taggers. "Yesterday, we cleaned and sanded and painted the roof, but from one day to the next they just tag it up. I think something needs to be done," Burt Vargas of the City Parks and Recreation Department said. Vargas told local KRIS-6 News that he wants to see a crackdown on curfew violators and provide better security at the park. Investigators say they can barely keep up with the graffiti vandals and the suspects are getting younger and younger. Police cited Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure, which was released two years ago, Tony Hawk's American Wasteland, released back in 2005, and Tony Hawk's Underground, released in 2003, as the video games that some students get ideas from. "That's where they develop a base o...
More About: Video , Video Games , Games , Graffiti

ECA 'disgusted' with activists blaming games for NIU tragedy
2008-02-16 03:45:00
On the heels of anti-video game violence activist Jack Thompson appearing on Fox News this morning and blaming the shooting rampage at Northern Illinois University on video games, Hal Haplin, president of the Entertainment Consumers Association (ECA) has issued the following statement: We'd like to extend our condolences to the families, friends and classmates of those who were affected in the school shooting at Northern Illinois University. Separately, we are disgusted, but no longer shocked, to find that anti-game activists are again rushing to conclusions about what drove Stephen Kazmierczak, the clearly disturbed 27- year-old who police say was responsible for this tragedy, to commit such an act. Blaming video games for the behavior of the mentally-challenged is vile on many levels. And, as Generations X and Y mature, it is extremely likely that just about all of us have played at least one video game at some point in our lives. Drawing a parallel between g...
More About: Games , Tragedy

Nintendo asks U.S. to address worldwide piracy problems
2008-02-15 01:26:00
Nintendo of America Inc. has asked the U.S. Trade Representative to encourage specific governments around the world to take a more aggressive stance to combat piracy of Nintendo video games and systems. Nintendo filed its comments under a "Special 301" process, in which the U.S. Trade Representative solicits input from the public to underscore specific areas of concern. While China remains the primary source of manufacturing pirated Nintendo DS and Wii games, Korea has emerged as the leader in distributing illegal game files via the Internet. Despite aggressive anti-piracy actions taken by Nintendo, Brazil and Mexico remain saturated with counterfeit Nintendo software. Meanwhile, Paraguay and Hong Kong continue to serve as major transshipment points for global distribution of illegal goods. "The unprecedented momentum enjoyed by Nintendo DS and Wii makes Nintendo an attractive target for counterfeiters," said Jodi Daugherty, Nintendo of America's senior direct...
More About: Piracy , Nintendo , Problems , Worldwide , Address

Microsoft hit with Xbox 360 shortages in U.S.
2008-02-14 01:24:00
Microsoft Corp. said Wednesday that it is experiencing shortages of the Xbox 360 console in the United States, citing that the company failed to anticipate post-holiday demand. "We are really running short of product here in the United States," Jeff Bell, head of global marketing for Microsoft's games business, said in an interview with Reuters. "You could say we misjudged demand." Tomorrow, market research firm NPD is expected to release video game sales data for the month of January and Bell said that Microsoft was hoping to "manage expectations." "We're literally out of stock in many stores. We think this will have an impact on our sales," Bell said. "It may cause the overall industry number to be down a little bit." Back in December of last year, along with the entire video game industry's holiday shopping boost, Microsoft sold 1.3 million Xbox 360 consoles in the United States. "Retailers have been really upset, they are on allocation. It is a lag I thi...
More About: Microsoft , Ages

Microsoft takes step towards portable Xbox with Danger purchase
2008-02-12 02:19:00
With Microsoft 's announcement today to buy cell phone software maker Danger Inc., the deal may not only strengthen the software giant's position in consumer mobile phones and strengthen defenses against Google's Android platform, but also mean a new addition for gamers. The acquisition will provide more applications to Xbox through existing Danger services, Microsoft said. However, the possibility of a portable Xbox arises from Danger's wide range of software, which can be made capable of playing some Xbox games, with the company's gadgets used as the foundation for a portable gaming device capable of making phone calls. "Microsoft is a global leader with our Windows Mobile software and expanding mobile services," said Robbie Bach, president of the Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft. "The addition of Danger serves as a perfect complement to our existing software and services, and also strengthens our dedication to improving mobile experiences c...
More About: Portable , Step

Gamer dies while trying to flee PSP attackers
2008-02-05 10:01:00
In Miami-Dade County, Florida, police have arrested two teens for fatally attacking a 17- year-old boy over his PlayStation Portable (PSP). According to an arrest report from Miami-Dade Detective Elvey Melagarejo, James Felton- Maitland, 17, was walking home from the library during Christmas vacation of last year. Jamila "Jam" Brown, 19, and Keith Lebrone Goa, 17, were "loitering on the library grounds and saw the victim and decided to rob him of his PSP," Melagarejo wrote. The two teens knocked Felton-Maitland to the ground and began beating him while trying to snatch the PSP. However, Felton-Maitland refused to let go of the PSP and tried to escape his attackers. As the teens gave chase, when Felton-Maitland crossed a street, a truck slammed into him, resulting in severe head trauma to the 17-year- old. He died on January 5 at Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood. Initially, Florida Highway Patrol characterized the case as an accident, The Miami Herald repo...
More About: Gamer , Dies

NVIDIA to acquire AGEIA Technologies
2008-02-04 23:47:00
NVIDIA, the world leader in visual computing technologies and the inventor of the GPU, today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire AGEIA Technologies , Inc., the industry leader in gaming physics technology. AGEIA's PhysX software is widely adopted with more than 140 PhysX-based games shipping or in development on Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii and Gaming PCs. AGEIA physics software is pervasive with over 10,000 registered and active users of the PhysX SDK. "The AGEIA team is world class, and is passionate about the same thing we are -- creating the most amazing and captivating game experiences," stated Jen-Hsun Huang, president and CEO of NVIDIA. "By combining the teams that created the world's most pervasive GPU and physics engine brands, we can now bring GeForce-accelerated PhysX to hundreds of millions of gamers around the world." "NVIDIA is the perfect fit for us. They have the world's best parallel computing ...
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Folding@home project hits one million PS3 users
2008-02-04 21:38:00
Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) today announced that since PlayStation 3 (PS3) took part in Stanford University's Folding @home project on March 22, 2007, the total number of registered users has reached over one million users. This equates to roughly 3,000 PS3 users registering for Folding@home per day or 2 new registered users every minute worldwide. "Since partnering with SCEI, we have seen our research capabilities increase by leaps and bounds through the continued participation of Folding@home users," said Vijay Pande, Associate Professor of Chemistry at Stanford University and Folding@home project lead. "Now we have over one million PS3 users registered for Folding@home, allowing us to address questions previously considered impossible to tackle computationally, with the goal of finding cures to some of the world's most life-threatening diseases. We are grateful for the extraordinary worldwide participation by PS3 and PC users around the globe." ...
More About: Home , Project , Hits , Users

Study: Video games generate rewarding feelings in men
2008-02-04 21:04:00
Allan Reiss, MD, and his colleagues have a pretty good idea why your husband or boyfriend can't put down the Halo 3. In a first-of-its-kind imaging study, the Stanford University School of Medicine researchers have shown that the part of the brain that generates rewarding feelings is more activated in men than women during video-game play. "These gender differences may help explain why males are more attracted to, and more likely to become 'hooked' on video games than females," the researchers wrote in their paper, which was recently published online in the Journal of Psychiatric Research. More than 230 million video and computer games were sold in 2005, and polls show that 40 percent of Americans play games on a computer or a console. According to a 2007 Harris Interactive survey, young males are two to three times more likely than females to feel addicted to video games, such as the Halo series so popular in recent years. Despite the popularity of video an...
More About: Video , Video Games , Games , Study , Video-Games

Raid on gamer's apartment uncovers 'mushrooms', no Nintendo
2008-02-01 08:10:00
In Kalamazoo, Michigan, a raid on a gamer's apartment turned up quite the stash of "mushrooms," but surprisingly, the Western Michigan University student apparently wasn't a big fan of Mario or Nintendo , favoring a PS2 and Xbox 360. After receiving a tip, authorities reportedly served a warrant and raided the apartment of the 23-year-old student at around 6:00pm Wednesday. It was there that officers found psilocybin mushrooms, as well as marijuana, heroin, and prescription pills, all for sale at the residence, as photographed above from local WOOD TV. The student's laptop computer, PlayStation 2, and Xbox 360 were forfeited. The student was not taken into custody, but an arrest warrant was issued. Read the full article
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Japanese Super Smash Bros. Brawl selling for $240 on eBay
2008-02-01 04:01:00
As Super Smash Bros. Brawl (SSBB) fans in North America anxiously await the March 9 launch of the highly anticipated title, the wait in Japan is over. Japanese gamers came by the masses throughout Tokyo today to pick up a copy of the game, with shortages now appearing evident in the region. With that, like some distributors in Japan, at least one eBay seller is looking to profit over the huge demand for SSBB that Nintendo simply cannot meet. Putting the title up for auction on eBay, the seller warns that the "game is NTSC, but unless you have a Japanese region or region-modded Wii, I cannot guarantee that this game would work." At the time of this writing, with 38 total bids, this copy of SSBB will set you back $242.50. However, with shortages in Japan and months before the rest of the world receives stock of the game, that price is bound to increase further. Read the full article
More About: Selling , Ebay

Xbox Live member touts pedophilia on Halo 3
2008-01-28 09:49:00
A pedophile has openly admitted to combining the two things he loves, Halo 3 and children, to lurk Xbox Live for underage boys in a quest for "boy love." "Most of the time I'm with boys there is no sexual involvement," YouTube user Myidisphat wrote following posting video in which he spells out "I 'heart' little boys" on Halo 3 . "They think I'm cool as hell because I do crazy [expletive deleted] all the time. Of course they love to ruff play. I'm not saying there is sexual involvement, but I'm not saying there isn't." "Like many vocal pedophiles on YouTube, Myidisphat touts pedophilia as a matter of freedom of expression. 'I think that boy lovers are the most open minded people of this earth,' he writes. 'We are extremely caring. Your children would tell us things that they would never tell you. We are better than any parent with children,'" R. J. Carter chronicled on The Trades. "His video work draws, as one might expect, a great amount of irate comm...
More About: Xbox Live

Diamond Multimedia releases multiple ATI Radeon graphics cards
2008-01-28 07:34:00
Diamond Multimedia a leading manufacturer of PC graphics cards, sound cards, TV tuner cards and communications products, introduced today four ATI Radeon graphics card models: the HD 3870 X2 1024MB, the HD 3650 1024MB, the HD 3650 512MB and the HD 3450 512MB, all single slot. These GPUs are PCI Express 2.0 versions and feature DirectX 10.1 gaming power with 4.1 Shader Model support. As with prior 3000 series models, these cards run cool, quiet and efficiently with per watt and energy-saving features like the 55nm process technology and ATI PowerPlay. The Radeon HD 3870 X2 boasts dual 3870 processors, 1024MB of DDR3 memory and a clock speed of 775 MHz. The HD 3870 X2's dual processors work harmoniously to produce over 1 teraFLOPS of GPU computer power. Go ahead and Game Hard. The Radeon HD 3650 is configured with either 1024MB of DDR2 memory or 512MB of DDR2 memory, both with a clock speed of 725 MHz. The Radeon 3450 also comes with 512MB of DDR2 memory, but ha...
More About: Graphics , Cards , Diamond

Gamer harassed on Xbox Live, Customer Service does nothing
2008-01-27 10:11:00
Xbox Live's Customer Service has left one gamer "utterly disappointed" after failing to do anything about a member who has harassed his little brother though Xbox Live. According to egmfan89, the member previously harassed his brother at parties, school, and through phone calls. The attacks then turned towards Xbox Live when the member sent a message claiming to be a Microsoft employee and accused his brother of "stealing Xbox Live." "The username used was soon found by my brother's keen MySpace browsing under the bully's MySpace page, and the first name on the boy's friends list was a mutual friend of the bully and my brother," egmfan89 wrote. When he voice-messaged the member, telling him that he was not the person he was looking for in hopes that he would leave them alone, the member simply sent more messages, like this one. Fed up with the harassment, he contacted an Xbox Customer Service representative who empathized that a minor should not be harassed ...
More About: Xbox , Xbox Live , Gamer

Gamer emails Bill Gates, gets new Xbox 360
2008-01-26 03:48:00
The Consumerist is reporting about a story over a faulty Xbox 360 that eventually resulted in a new console sent to the gamer from Microsoft. According to the report, reader Jon wrote, "I was one of the first to get an Xbox 360 when they came out, paying way more than I should have. I had problems with the console right out of the box and after weeks of haggling with their normal customer service department, I was contacted by their escalation department. Within a week, my problems were solved and they sent me a bunch of free stuff (games & controllers). Fast forward two years, and I'm having the same problem. I emailed both Bill Gates and Kathleen Hogan (Corporate Vice President, Worldwide Customer Service, Support and Customer and Partner Experience) yesterday..." "I was contacted within twenty-four hours from the escalation department and a new console is on its way," Jon wrote. The reader claimed that in doing research, he figured out the email addresses fo...
More About: Gamer , Emails

Mass Effect's Shepard responds to Fox News in video
2008-01-25 22:42:00
On the heels of Fox News attacking Mass Effect, new video of Commander Shepard 's reaction to the controversy has been released. Read the full article
More About: Video , Fox News

Activision: Call of Duty 4 sales top 7 million
2008-01-25 21:35:00
Activision, Inc. announced today that Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was the #1 title in units worldwide for calendar 2007, according to The NPD Group, Chart Track, and The GFK Group. Developed by Infinity Ward, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare has sold in excess of seven million units worldwide since its launch in November. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare has garnered critical acclaim, securing more than 18 perfect score reviews and over 40 combined Editors' Choice and Game of the Year awards in the U.S. alone. The game has been nominated for 10 prestigious Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences awards, including Game of the Year. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare also currently is the #1 Xbox 360 title on Xbox Live, based on unique users, according to www.majornelson.com. "We're very excited about this achievement especially given so many competitive titles this year," said Will Kassoy, senior vice president, global brand management, Activision Publishing, Inc. ...
More About: Sales , Million , Activision

Police use Miis to locate owners of stolen Wii
2008-01-25 13:54:00
In West Yorkshire, England, police are hoping that Miis may help them trace the crime victims who have had a Nintendo Wii console stolen. Earlier this month, a 32-year-old man was arrested on property theft charges. The Wii was reportedly found in a distinctive burgundy bag. Police believe the console may have been stolen just after Christmas and that it could have even been a present. The main clues police have obtained to tracing the victims are 16 Miis recovered on the Wii. Authorities released Seb, Pheebes, Nicks, Ellie, and Evie as some of the names of the Miis, as well as the Wii's I.D. code, which is 7901 7431 3732 8898. "Nintendo Wii looks new and is thought to have been stolen before January 1," Detective Con Neil Johnson of the Kirklees CID intelligence unit told the Huddersfield Daily Examiner. "It may have been a Christmas present. If anyone has devised these characters listed and the Wii has gone missing, then please contact us urgently." Read th...
More About: Stolen , Locate , Owners

Police: Reckless teen drivers think they're playing video games
2008-01-25 10:59:00
In Victoria, Australia, police are cracking down on "hoon behavior," targeting teens who drive recklessly because they think that they are "playing the PlayStation or Nintendo." Over the past 12 months, police have impounded 18 vehicles for excessive speed and improper use, such as burnouts and fishtails. Those who engaged in dangerous driving practices or street raced other motorists had their vehicle towed away for an initial 48 hours. Last year, a total of 2,600 vehicles were impounded from dangerous drivers across the state of Victoria in Australia alone. Acting Senior Sergeant David Todd said that he has been advocating for "hoon laws" for some time. "The perception of kids doing this sort of driving is that they think they're in the lounge chair playing the PlayStation or Nintendo and that they're invincible," he said. "They're just not aware of the dangers of driving nowadays." "They have their 'doof doof' (music) going and their seats back," Todd to...
More About: Video , Drivers , Video Games , Games , Police

Wii to top PS2 next fiscal year as Nintendo doubles profit
2008-01-24 09:36:00
Nintendo today reported that its nine-month profit almost doubled after its Wii console outsold Sony's PlayStation 3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360. According to a statement released by Nintendo, an operating profit of 460 billion yen ($4.3 billion) is expected for the year to March, up almost 10 percent from a previous forecast of 420 billion yen. Nintendo lifted its full-year dividend forecast 9 percent to 1,190 yen from previously estimated 1,090 yen. Operating profit came to 394.04 billion yen in the first nine months of the business year to March, up from 167.63 billion yen a year earlier. Net profit almost doubled to 258.93 billion yen on sales of 1.32 trillion yen, up 84.7 percent, as gamers were drawn to its ground-breaking models, Reuters reported. The Wii will probably help the company overtake Sony as the world's largest maker of game consoles in 2008, according to the Daiwa Institute of Research Ltd. "Nintendo couldn't supply enough Wiis to the Nort...
More About: Nintendo , Profit , Fiscal , Year

5 minute Super Smash Bros. Brawl video emerges
2008-01-24 08:42:00
Tonight, new video of the highly anticipated Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Nintendo Wii emerged on YouTube. The 5:09 game footage shows off several versus matches and attack scenes. Check out the video below. Read the full article
More About: Video , Minute

Online gaming subscription growth key for Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo
2008-01-24 02:52:00
Though 2007 was another strong year for video game makers, the gaming console hardware business is costly, reports In-Stat. Therefore, the three main vendors have turned to online gaming either to generate additional revenue streams or to promote brand loyalty, the high-tech market research firm says. "The primary differences among Nintendo 's, Sony 's, and Microsoft 's online efforts are mainly of scope," says Stephanie Ethier, In-Stat analyst. "Microsoft is looking to create a number of revenue streams through its Live service, including its subscription service, paid casual games, and additional paid content. Sony is following a model similar to that of Microsoft's, except for the subscription service. Nintendo is limiting its revenue to paid downloads for Nintendo and partner games." Recent research by In-Stat found the following: - From 2004 to 2011, annualized growth of console subscribers will be 42.7%, and growth of handheld subscribers will be 37.1%. ...
More About: Gaming , Growth