Gaming

Next for Apple: Soldiers and Surgeons, Gamers and Geeks
December 15, 2010

By and large, the business gods have been kind to Apple this past week. There are reports that companies in the medical sector are buying up iPads as fast as they can get them. Meanwhile, Novell has unveiled a remote management application on the cloud for the iPhone and Apple's iOS is growing as a gaming platform.

'Cut the Rope' Satisfies the Casual Gamer's Sweet Tooth
October 14, 2010

Has "Angry Birds" become the "Super Mario Bros." of the iPhone platform? I guess we'll have to see at least 20 "Birds" sequels before we'll know for sure. But based on how many weeks in a row I've seen it at the top of the App Store's Most Popular Paid Apps list, I'd hazard a guess that it's the single best-selling iPhone game of all time. It's not a peaceful game.

'Memory Puzzle HD': A Fun Grindstone for Sharpening the Mind
October 04, 2010

Do you feel as if your memory is a sieve with the spaces in the mesh getting bigger and bigger every day? If you do feel that way, you're going to like a new game for the iPad that's designed to improve both your memory and concentration. The game's called "Memory Puzzle HD." Actually, "Memory Puzzle" is three games, all of them challenging to a player's mental acuity.

Scowling Birds, Smashed Pigs, Good Times
June 17, 2010

Every time I've visited the App Store in the last few weeks, I've seen the same game at the top of the most popular paid apps list: "Angry Birds." Reluctant to presume humanity generally skews toward anything other than the lowest common denominator, I wrote the game off as some scatological exercise in dive-bombing techniques. This week I finally broke and paid it a bit of attention.

A Gyroscope That Will Set the Tech World Spinning
June 11, 2010

You don't have to be an Apple fanboy to rave about the coolness on display during a typical Steve Jobs keynote presentation. Sure, like any good speaker or stand-up comic, Jobs knows where his guaranteed applause/laugh lines fall during the hour or so he's on stage, and he's well aware of who will be doing most of the laughing, oohing and aahing. It's better than a '60s sitcom laugh-track.

FixPix: An Addictive Fit of Pixelated Madness
June 10, 2010

There was a fair degree of anticipation surrounding "FixPix" a few weeks ago before it launched at the App Store. Delicious Toys posted a video of an early version in action, and viewers sat transfixed by the retro appeal of its artwork. It's a throwback to 1980s Atari, Nintendo and Commodore 64 aesthetics, when video game artists had to make due with a technically limited palette.

FIFA World Cup Is a Kick on iPad
June 07, 2010

With the FIFA World Cup a week away, the timing of EA Sports couldn't be more impeccable. The entertainment giant has just released its latest version of its game based on the tournament for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, and it's great fun for fans of "The Beautiful Game."

Steam Heats Up Gaming for Mac Users
May 12, 2010

Valve Software on Tuesday launched the Mac OS X version of its Steam online gaming platform. Steam, a portal through which users buy, download and play both old and new PC games, was until now limited to the Windows operating system. Valve will soon extend Steam to the Linux platform. Valve launched a collection of game titles Wednesday on Steam for Mac OS X.

To Take On Apple, Nintendo Will Have to Think Big
May 11, 2010

I've been relatively slow to embrace gaming on my iPhone and iPod touch. For starters, I don't tend to have a lot of free time, and I'm lucky enough that I don't waste a lot of time traveling, commuting, or otherwise standing in lines. But even I have enjoyed far too many hours blasting rag dolls out of canons and slinging angry birds at bad pigs.

Apple's Game Center Tilts the Playing Field
April 09, 2010

Gaming enthusiasts who gobble up every tidbit of news they can about consoles, gadgets and titles didn't have a lot to digest Thursday when Apple revealed that the new iPhone OS 4 would include Game Center, a social gaming network. The news was just one feature mentioned in the overall update for the smartphone operating system; Steve Jobs' company certainly didn't unlock any new levels in the "details" category.

iPad Pep Rally Pumps Up AAPL
March 24, 2010

Apple stocks shot up Tuesday to close up 1.62 percent at $228.40, perhaps due in part to smattering of good news for Cupertino. That's nearly $2 above the record $226.60 level they hit on March 12. For one thing, Cupertino is ramping up efforts to tap a huge source of revenue: video games.

'Street Fighter IV' on iPhone: Loud, Dumb and Fun as Ever
March 18, 2010

I can't bring myself to download a first-person shooter game on my iPhone anymore, just because I know I'll get sick of it before the third level. Its icon will sit there on the screen, its data will languish on the drive. Delete it? Can't. Might get stuck in an elevator, beat all the games I actually like, and have nothing left to do but count the minutes.

Can a Clown-Nosed Wand Move the Needle for PS3?
March 12, 2010

Sony put PlayStation 3 fans in a tizzy by whipping out its latest controller, which it calls the "Move." It looks a whole lot like a black version of Nintendo's WiiMote controller, only it's got this big, clown-nose ball on the end of it. That ball actually serves a purpose. The Move's motion is partially registered by a camera PS3 users will set on top of the television.

Thunder in Cupertino Makes It Rain on Wall Street
March 10, 2010

Apple has announced the iPad will hit retail shelves April 3, sending the adrenalin surging through competitors' veins. HP and several Chinese manufacturers have announced tablets in what might be perceived as an attempt to capitalize on the not-quite-a-laptop, not-really-a-netbook category.

Valve Opens Pipeline for Mac Gaming
March 09, 2010

Valve one of the largest distributors of online games, has announced that it will make its Steam online gaming service and proprietary gaming engine, Source, available on the Mac. The service, Steamworks for the Mac, comes equipped with Steam Play, a feature that allows play on either a PC or Mac at no additional charge.

Much Goofy Gardening Fun to Be Had in 'Plants vs. Zombies'
February 25, 2010

Anyone whose home has been under attack from zombies knows all too well how incredibly annoying the problem can get -- way worse than termites or even a wasp nest. Luckily, strategic landscaping in the front yard can be an effective defense, at least in the cartoony world "Plants vs. Zombies" inhabits. PopCap's game for PCs and Macs has been scaled down into an iPhone/iPod touch version.

'GTA: Chinatown Wars' - Lots of Power, Nice Lines, Lousy Handling
January 21, 2010

As gaming devices, the iPhone and the Nintendo Wii both face a similar problem. Game publishers often seem to believe that a game that's popular on the Xbox, PlayStation or PC should also be made to fit on the iPhone or Wii, even though you're really dealing with two very different kinds of platforms.

'Edgy's' Cube Craziness Returns - Hopefully for Good
December 03, 2009

The story of "Edgy" sounds like an iPhone developer's worst nightmare. You create a game that includes a lot of intricate puzzles and levels. Lots of time goes into it, so you think it's appropriate to charge a moderate amount, as iPhone games go. There seems to be no reason for the App Store to reject it -- no shaken babies, no naked ladies, no Internet tethering, just clean old puzzle-solving fun.

What's Apple's Game Plan?
November 17, 2009

Last year, Apple began marketing its iPod touch as the "funnest iPod ever," a nod to the significant popularity of the game applications available on the iPhone/iPod touch App Store. Games designed by third-party developers have been big sellers for the platform, and now Apple itself looks like it wants in on more of the fun -- it's advertising for an in-house game developer.

'Rock Band' for iPhone Knows the Words, but the Tone Is Flat
October 22, 2009

When it comes to games, Apple's App Store isn't just a flea market where independent and small-scale developers can earn a few bucks peddling momentary amusements for 99 cents a pop. Giant game makers like EA, Capcom and Ubisoft sometimes set up shop, and when they do, they're not afraid to charge top dollar, as App Store games go.