Gaming posts

Our mobile devices have many uses to us, well beyond the talk and text functionality of the past. Millions of mobile apps are downloaded to smartphones and tablets every day. The types of apps we download are an indication of what uses we see for mobile devices. According to a recent study by Nielson, we want to have fun, know when it’s going to rain, monitor Facebook, and get directions. Over half of mobile device users have used apps for gaming, weather, social networking, and/or navigation in the last 30 days. Music, news, and entertainment follow. Perhaps more interesting is the fact that 93%…

Have you ever been tempted to pull out the old Nintendo Entertainment System from the attic just to finish that one game you never got around to? Do you wonder what happened at the end of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game that you were going to get but ended up getting a Super Nintendo instead? Are you too young to look at the NES as an actual gaming platform, but rather a mere predecessor to the real platforms of today? If you meet any of these criteria, you may want to check out what happened at the end of 50 popular NES games. Thanks to TheFineBros, you can hear the final moments of these games in just over…

There were many who tagged this year’s E# convention as a disappointment, but there were some games that got more buzz than others. Saints Row, while not getting the attention, did wow some people with their release, particularly on YouTube. From the official E3 channel, users were able to vote on their favorite trailer and Saints Row emerged as the winner. YouTube has it currently featured on their home page. The trailer is fun but definitely for a mature audience. …

With the start of summer, the start of blockbuster movie season begins. While the money-making is strong for many summer releases, they often pale in comparison to big game releases. Much of it can be attributed to the prices – a newly released video game costs much more than the price of admission to a movie. Still, there has to be something more to it. Game prices have not gone up as much as movie tickets relatively. Volumes have been increasing. More gamers are born into the world of COD and other franchises every day. Movie watchers, on the other hand, accounts for a steady number of people. The only…

It’s not a cute little chimp pushing buttons randomly. As you’ll see in the video, this guy plays Far Cry 2 well enough to get some kills and blow up some barrels. Rise of the apes? Probably (see below). Still, the power of the opposable thumb is evident, as is the highly developed brain and oddly natural thirst for blood. Our closest relative in the animal kingdom may be more than just stronger and faster. In the future, he may be a better shot with an AK-47. Update: This “viral video” from 20th Century Fox for Rise of the Planet of the Apes got us. At the 0:44 mark, the controller isn’t on, nor is the chimp…

Valve and Nintendo have sort of been gaming chalk and cheese in the past – but that may not be so forever! Valve co-founder Gabe Newell has whispered what is perhaps the sweetest nothing into Joystiq’s ear regarding a possible harmonious future on Nintendo’s upcoming Wii U. “We’ve always loved Nintendo,” asserts Gabe. “Wii U seems to be a lot more powerful than the previous generation. It sort of fits better into the scalability in terms of graphics performance and CPU performance, so I think it’ll be a lot easier for us to fit it into our scalability model.” So does this mean we’ll be seeing…

Only a short while after its release, the Nintendo 3DS, the successor to the most popular handheld of all time, sold a mere 97,000 units in the US last month. That is a big deal. After all, who could have imagined just a few years ago that a new Nintendo mobile console would sell so comparatively poorly? Years into its life cycle, the Nintendo DS would sell two to three times that. It is, at the very least, surprising. The reasons for this sluggish start are many. The 3Ds’s launch lineup wasn’t spectacular. What’s more, US$249 is the highest price ever for an Ninty handheld. But with the PS Vita coming out…

When Nintendo came out with Gamecube, many believed that it was their end. Sony and Microsoft had consoles that were miles ahead and Nintendo seemed like the under-13 consolation-market contender. Fast forward to 2006 when the Wii revolutionized the gaming industry and opened the doors to wonderful potential. Now, the Wii U seems like it has a chance of being another strong entrant into the ever-changing world of gaming gadget trends. Time will tell, but one thing is clear – they really pulled out their inner troll on Microsoft, as this cartoon by Dorkly titled “The Greatest Prank Nintendo…

Back in the day, we used to watch television. That was before the internet, gaming, and iPads. Xbox is making a move to revive the old television channels that many people once watched. At E3 today, Microsoft announced that they will partner with regional cable companies to bring live TV onto the Xbox. At this point, nobody we have talked to sees a real use in this. Certainly, there’s something that can be said about staying logged into Xbox and still be able to watch television. Being able to search through Bing for channels rather than normal methods is nice. Is it a game changer? No. Mark it down as…

With all of the hype surrounding E3 and the new technologies, improving systems, and stunning games, it’s easy to miss one of the most important (for old gaming geeks like myself) games to be previewed at the event. Many hours have been spent by millions of people around the world on the Mario Kart franchise. The latest and (hopefully) greatest variation, Mario Kart 3D, launched its debut trailer at E3 yesterday. Here’s it is in its complete HD glory. Underwater, over land, and in the sky – Mario Kart 3D looks like a winner. Hat tip to Machinima. …