Mac News: Gaming

'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.

Price Cut Pushes PS3 Over the Top in September
October 20, 2009

It's an overnight success story that's been almost three years in the making: For the first time since its launch, Sony's PlayStation 3 outsold rival gaming console makers in September, thanks to a price cut that brought the PS3 more in line with Microsoft's and Nintendo's offerings. The PS3 sold nearly 492,000 units in the month, compared to 462,800 Nintendo Wiis and 352,600 Xbox 360s.

Windows 7 and What Comes After the PC
October 19, 2009

Microsoft and Windows go back to the very beginning of the PC -- when people couldn't afford them, when networks were defined by terminal emulators and floppy disks, and when many of the Google pioneers were in diapers. Looking back at what Windows initially did and considering what Windows 7 is capable of, you can certainly say a lot has changed.

PC Gamers: A Dying Breed?
October 08, 2009

Gamers are often devided into two categories: those who play on consoles and those who play on PCs. A console gamer will drop few hundred dollars for Sony's PS3, Microsoft's Xbox 360, or Nintendo's Wii, but a PC gamer who wants to purchase a desktop or laptop optimized for gaming could pay thousands just for the machine.

Nvidia Imagines Computing's Next Age
October 05, 2009

Last week, I was at the first GPU developer's conference put on by Nvidia, along with around 1,500 people trying to change the future of computing. What was both troubling and amazing was the number of times people were telling me stories about things people had said were impossible that they were now doing as a matter of course all because of this change.

Football Hall of Famers Want to Tackle EA in Court
September 29, 2009

Two retired NFL players on Monday asked a judge to let them formally support a former college quarterback's legal fight with video game maker Electronic Arts. Herb Adderley and Jim Brown asked U.S. District Court Judge Claudia Wilken to let them file the legal document in support of former Nebraska Cornhusker Sam Keller, who sued EA and the NCAA in Oakland federal court last year.

Wii Goes to War
September 25, 2009

For years, the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 have been gut-punching each other with price cuts while the Nintendo Wii just sits on the sidelines with a smug little grin on its face. While the two bigger consoles entered the market with huge MSRPs, the Wii planted itself at $250 and stayed there for nearly three years, easily beating the others month after month in units sold.

Wii Climbs Aboard Price Cut Bandwagon With $50 Trim
September 24, 2009

In what may signal the earliest start for the holiday shopping season ever -- at least as it applies to the video game industry -- Nintendo of America on Thursday confirmed that will indeed be dropping the price of its Wii console by $50 to $199. This is Nintendo's first price cut for its market-leading Wii.

Imagination Plays Starring Role in DS 'Scribblenauts'
September 16, 2009

Apple has turned the iPhone into a popular device for video games. Sony is about to introduce the PSP Go, a slick new version of its handheld PlayStation Portable. However, both companies are still playing catch-up with Nintendo, which has dominated the portable game market for decades. The secret: a steady supply of terrific games.

Leaked Ad Suggests Wii's Joining the Price-Cut Club
September 15, 2009

Chasing down rumors in the video game blogosphere can be as risky as a Bowser boss battle in "Super Mario Galaxy." That's the caveat for reports that an image of a retail advertisement announcing a $50 price cut for Nintendo's Wii console had been captured in the wild by a Kotaku reader.

PAX '09: For the Gamers, By the Gamers
September 14, 2009

The Electronic Entertainment Expo focuses on the gaming industry and its media, and the Game Developers Conference revolves around ... well, developers. However, the Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle is all about those who, in the words of one PAX official, "pay the salaries." Gamers really do rule at PAX.

Starting Over: What Obama's Healthcare Team Could Learn From AMD's 'Vision'
September 14, 2009

You couldn't help but feel for the U.S. president last week as he tried to sell an unpopular health plan. Sometimes you have to realize the foundation of something is just so bad that no amount of patching or selling will fix it, and while it looks like you are close to done, you'd actually get done more quickly if you started over properly.

Apple Homes In on the iPod's Next Conquests
September 11, 2009

Apple has made a tradition out of unveiling new iPods every fall. This time around, though, the biggest part of the presentation wasn't the new hardware or software, but rather the person running the show. CEO Steve Jobs hosted his first public Apple event since coming back from an extended leave of absence to fight off some very serious medical problems.

Without Buttons, iPod Touch Can't Touch DS or PSP
September 11, 2009

Apple may be the best technology marketing company on the planet, if not the best personal technology manufacturer to date. However, when the company tries to say that the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP aren't cool, I'm just left scratching my head. Let's back up. What's the context here?

Steve Jobs Eclipses New iPods at Apple Show
September 09, 2009

Apple CEO Steve Jobs returned to center stage to kick off the company's media event in San Francisco on Wednesday. Apple made a slew of announcements, mostly focused on its iPod line and iTunes software, that included price cuts, new features and capabilities, and new products.

Monopoly City Streets Mashup Struggles to Pass Go
September 09, 2009

Yes, there's a slump in the real estate market. Tell that to the players who tried to log on Wednesday to a new online version of the classic Monopoly game that substitutes Google Maps for the board; gamers can "buy" real streets in cities around the world and build skyscrapers a la Donald Trump.