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Wargaming.net lead designer expects massive aerial clashes in World of Warplanes (interview)

March 22, 2012 7:00 AM Heath Hooker
Heath Hooker

Wargaming.net has earned its stripes in PC gaming. Known for the Massive Assault series, Order of War and other titles, the PC development has now started cashing in big time on its hardcore gaming know-how with the success of its …

Zoosk integrates gamification into its online dating community (interview)

March 20, 2012 8:00 AM Heath Hooker
Heath Hooker

Founded five years ago, Zoosk started to make a name for itself in online dating through Facebook and other social networking sites. Last year, it generated revenue of more than $90 million and was named in the top 50 venture-backed …

College students raise awareness about wetlands restoration with Facebook game

January 19, 2012 4:29 PM Heath Hooker
Heath Hooker

Undergraduate students at the University of Washington Bothell’s Center for Serious Play created and released today a Wetlands restoration video game for Facebook entitled UWB Wetlands Restoration.

UWB Wetlands Restoration’s Jordan Weisman, interim director at the CSP and a veteran …

Japanese game industry’s revenue falls 8 percent

January 5, 2012 12:59 PM Heath Hooker
Heath Hooker

Japanese game industry revenue fell 8 percent in 2011, due primarily to a lack of software hits and a steady decline in a major console game sales.

Famitsu, a well-respected Japanese video game magazine, is reporting the decline in revenue. …

Blizzard makes $26M on World of Warcraft security authenticators [update]

December 29, 2011 7:04 AM Heath Hooker
Heath Hooker

Update: As pointed out below in the reader comments, these estimates are likely off by a sizable amount as they do not take into account the free Battle.net Mobile Authenticator. Users of the free app are entitled to the Core …

Sony PlayStation Vita sells over 321,000 units since Japan debut

December 19, 2011 10:07 PM Heath Hooker
Heath Hooker

The Sony PlayStation Vita has sold 321,407 units in the first two days of sales in Japan, according to market researcher Famitsu.

Sony has pinned a lot of hopes on the Vita, which is the company’s answer not only to …

VGA Trailer: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

December 10, 2011 7:54 PM Heath Hooker
Heath Hooker

Metal Gear is back, but the next game in the series won’t be in the Solid sub-genre within the giant-selling franchise from legendary Japanese game designer Hideo Kojima. Rather, it will be in the Rising part of the series, with …

Blizzard Entertainment introduces Diablo III opening cinematics

December 10, 2011 7:30 PM Heath Hooker
Heath Hooker

Announced back in 2008 at the Blizzard Worldwide Invitational, Diablo III has been in the works now for some time. Since Diablo’s original release, the franchise has received all kinds of praise and people are looking forward to the newest …

VGA premiere: The Amazing Spider-Man stars in a new video game

December 10, 2011 6:48 PM Heath Hooker
Heath Hooker

Spider-Man has been the subject of many video games over tons of different consoles over the past few decades. Most of the games have been met with harsh criticism and your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man has never been a super-hit in …

Could a new game violence study and potential game addiction disorder affect the game market?

November 29, 2011 12:21 AM Heath Hooker
Heath Hooker

The age old debate over the effects of video games on the brain is back. On Monday, the Radiological Society of North America released information on new research that shows violent video games can effect the brain. At the same …

Mario and Zelda score record sales on Black Friday

November 28, 2011 8:49 PM Heath Hooker
Heath Hooker

Nintendo’s newest flagship video games, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword and Super Mario 3D Land, have both sold over 500,000 units in the U.S. alone, according to an interview with a Nintendo executive.

Both of the games are critical …

Review: Need for Speed: The Run falls miles behind Hot Pursuit

November 20, 2011 10:09 AM Heath Hooker
Heath Hooker

Need for Speed: The Run is Electronic Arts’ newest installment in the long-running franchise and the next try at restoring the series back to its glory days. After long hours of race after race, and car after car, EA convinced …

Review: Super Mario 3D Land may resurrect the 3DS

November 17, 2011 10:39 AM Heath Hooker
Heath Hooker

Mario has been the face of video games since his creation in 1985. The kind of popularity that Mario and Nintendo have received from him is unfathomable, and I have no doubt in my mind that his newest reiteration, Super …