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videogames
videogames
Star Wars: The Old Republic Crashes Computers Even When It's Not Running
By Laura Northrup on February 3, 2012 11:31 AM
125 Comments
If you've been thinking about buying a copy of Star Wars: The Old Republic and joining the online multiplayer Jedi awesomeness, it might be a good idea to hold off for a little bit. At least until Bioware works out the current problems. Michael writes that on his wife's computer-a $4,000 Alienware gaming rig, no puny nettop-the game keeps crashing. Checking online, she found that this is happening to a lot of other people. It's even happening when the game isn't running. People having this problem have different video cards and different computers, but what they do have in common is SW:TOR. More »
(Twitter)
New Video Game Is Full Of "Revelaitons"
By Phil Villarreal on January 27, 2012 8:15 AM
34 Comments
Just about every publisher in the entertainment world sends out advance copies of their products to the media. The goal is to give writers enough time to digest the material and write articles that spread awareness as the product sets to launch, but occasionally early copies serve a second purpose — free copy editing. More »
(tubbynj)
Report: Next Xbox Coming In 2013, Will Be 6 Times More Powerful Than 360
By Phil Villarreal on January 25, 2012 8:15 AM
51 Comments
Microsoft is reportedly prepping its follow-up to the Xbox 360, with plans to start mass-producing the console's components by the end of the year and release it in October or November of 2013. More »
Sony, Game Developer Scheme To Plague Gamers With More PS3 Microtransactions
By Phil Villarreal on January 24, 2012 8:45 AM
59 Comments
Angling to get in on the microtransaction gaming action that's all the rage online and on mobile devices, Sony and a game developer are reportedly hammering out policies to allow games to nickel and dime players to a greater extent. More »
Target Doesn't Need To See Your Identification; Tries Anyway
By Laura Northrup on January 20, 2012 8:00 AM
128 Comments
Phil (not the one who works here) brought a game/controller bundle to the register at his local Target store. The cashier asked for his driver's license to complete the sale, because the game was age-restricted. After a manager intervened, Phil got to buy his game with only a typed-in birthdate, but here's the thing: the game was rated "Teen," and Target's own policies state that they don't require birthdates for games with that rating. And besides: Phil is in his late thirties. More »
Why You Should Think Twice Before Pre-Ordering Stuff At GameStop
By Phil Villarreal on January 19, 2012 9:15 AM
81 Comments
New and used game retailer GameStop is well-known for its culture of encouraging pre-sales. Employees convince customers to reserve copies of future products by paying all or part of the balance in advance, pleasing their corporate overlords. Sometimes things don't go as planned, and in rare cases customers can get stiffed. More »
Avoid Browser Glitch That Causes Unintentional Xbox Live Purchases
By Phil Villarreal on January 6, 2012 9:15 AM
20 Comments
If you like to look for free Xbox 360 game demos via Xbox.com on a browser, it's easy to make a mistake that causes you to accidentally buy the product rather than just test it out. More »
(Amazon)
Sony's Next Handheld Requires Sold-Separately Memory Cards
By Phil Villarreal on December 23, 2011 8:15 AM
81 Comments
Due out in February, the PlayStation Vita starts at $250, but those who would like to be able to save their games will need a proprietary memory card that isn't included with the device. Unlike Sony's last handheld, the PSP — which accepted relatively cheap run-of-the-mill memory sticks, the Vita demands special memory sticks that range from $20 to $100. More »
Report: Xbox 360 Update Uglies Up Video Playback
By Phil Villarreal on December 19, 2011 8:15 AM
36 Comments
That Xbox 360 update that makes gamers promise not to sue and reportedly broke some consoles also may have brought another annoyance along with it. Reports say updated machines have trouble properly playing video, making colors appear washed out. More »
Mandatory Xbox 360 Update Breaks Some Consoles, Microsoft Claims 'Coincidence'
By Laura Northrup on December 16, 2011 9:00 AM
70 Comments
Last week's exciting Kinect Dashboard update for Xbox 360 consoles didn't just ask users to waive their right to sue and make customers pay to be advertised to. It also appears to have caused problems with a number of consoles. Nothing major: it just keeps them from reading any discs...no, wait, that is major. Microsoft representatives say that this is a coincidence, and that customers with freshly broken consoles need to send them in for repair for $100 or so. More »
Nintendo 3DS Gets Free WiFi At 42 Airports
By Phil Villarreal on December 13, 2011 8:30 AM
17 Comments
While people-watching, reading and nervously quadruple-checking your boarding pass are perfectly valid ways to pass the time before your flight boards, they pale in comparison to squeezing in a few online rounds of Mario Kart 7. Thanks to a deal between Nintendo and Boingo, 42 airports now have free 3DS WiFi hotspots. More »
(tubbynj)
Microsoft Makes Gamers Promise Never To Sue It After Xbox Update
By Phil Villarreal on December 8, 2011 8:15 AM
109 Comments
It turns out that shiny new mandatory Xbox 360 update was something of a Trojan Horse that allows Microsoft to twist gamers' arms and make them agree never to sue the company. More »
(geognerd)
Video Game Online Pass Codes Can Expire
By Phil Villarreal on December 5, 2011 9:00 AM
29 Comments
Game publishers have been competing against used game sales by restricting online play or adding bonus contest that is only acceptable through unique codes packaged with new copies. But according to game publishing giant Electronic Arts, those codes that provide the backhanded bonuses could potentially expire, although they're usually not expected to. More »
Reasons Not To Buy Video Games At Launch
By Phil Villarreal on November 17, 2011 11:00 AM
152 Comments
The video game hype machine is geared to spend months — and sometimes, years — getting fans to want to line up at midnight sales and pounce on titles as soon as they become available. But it seldom makes financial sense to jump in immediately. You can stretch your gaming dollar by refusing to buy brand-new stuff. More »
(dok1)
Steam Database Hacked
By Ben Popken on November 11, 2011 12:00 PM
48 Comments
The popular online video game distribution system Steam was hacked and a database containing user names, passwords, user credit card information was compromised. More »
Best Buy Pricematching COD:MW3 At $51.99
By Ben Popken on November 11, 2011 11:00 AM
30 Comments
Anyone who rushed out and bought the new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 for $59.99 at Best Buy... should rush back in and ask for $8 back. That's because BestBuy.com dropped the price to $51.99 and Best Buy brick and mortars are supposed to pricematch the online site. More »
Police Say Man Threatened To Bomb Best Buy Because It Didn't Have Game
By Phil Villarreal on November 10, 2011 8:15 AM
69 Comments
Authorities say a Colorado man was so irate over not being able to buy the game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 at a Colorado Best Buy that he said he would shoot staffers and blow up the store. The man allegedly went into a rage at the customer service desk after employees revealed the store ran out of copies of the game early Tuesday morning. More »
(TKIY)
Sony Clamps Down On Downloaded Games Sharing
By Phil Villarreal on November 8, 2011 9:15 AM
62 Comments
Sony currently lets you store downloaded games on a total of five PS3s or PSPs, but it's cutting back on those limits. Starting Nov. 18, you'll only be able to store a game on two PS3s or two PSPs. Some games, such as PlayStation 1 classics and PSP Minis, are playable on both systems, and you can play those on two PS3s and two PSPs each. More »
(XISMZERO)
Kmart Reportedly Sold "Modern Warfare 3" Early, Buyers Look To Flip Games Online
By Phil Villarreal on November 4, 2011 8:45 AM
54 Comments
Some Kmarts were rumored to have started selling Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 this week, days in advance of its release date next Tuesday. The snafu was apparently due to mislabeled boxes that led managers to believe the game could be stocked and sold immediately, and the sales have initiated a grey market in which the games are going for a significant premium online. More »
(jpghouse)
Game Publisher Fails To Deliver On Promised "Battlefield 3" Bonus
By Phil Villarreal on October 26, 2011 9:45 AM
52 Comments
In a press conference at the E3 video game expo in June, Sony Computer Entertainment of America CEO Jack Tretton announced that the PS3 version of Battlefield 3 would include a copy of one of its predecessors, Battlefield 1943. But Battlefield 3 hit stores Tuesday without Battlefield 1943 in tow. More »
