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October 2008
- Online Gamers Leaner Than Your Average Couch Potato
  
  LiveScience | Oct 2, 08 5:12 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Often dismissed as unhealthy and overweight, a recent study found that video gamers are actually 10% leaner than the average American. Just why that is remains a little murky, but researchers did note that players of the popular online game EventQuest II watched 10 fewer hours of TV per week, reports LiveScience. That activity is often tied to weight gain—and video games may have been wrongly lumped into the couch-potato group. More »
September 2008
- Gaming Teens Make Good Citizens
  
  MSNBC | Sep 16, 08 8:10 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The stereotype of the isolated video gamer is as antiquated as Pong—teens, at least, see gaming as a social activity, new research shows. A clear link exists between gaming, in which virtually all teens participate, and civic engagement, MSNBC reports. That doesn’t mean every Grand Theft Auto expert is a budding philanthropist, but neither does it imply the only people-skill that kids learn from World of Warcraft is trash-talking. More »
- Should This Game Be Banned?
  
  Guardian (UK) | Sep 11, 08 3:24 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Muslim Massacre , a Web-based game where players aim to “wipe out the Muslim race,” has earned widespread condemnation from Islamic groups, the Guardian reports. In the game, the US has declared war on Islam and the unnamed “American hero” slaughters terrorists and civilians alike to face Osama bin Laden, Muhammed—and ultimately Allah. More »
- Spore Sparkles, But Gameplay's a Little Dim
  
  San Jose Mercury News | Sep 5, 08 6:18 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Most critics are positive about Spore , but you’ll likely get a different answer from each about why. Troy Wolverton, writing in the San Jose Mercury News , found the game “engrossing,” though he wonders whether it will live up to the “massive hype.” In the New York Times , Seth Schiesel criticized some of Spore 's gameplay, but called it “probably the coolest, most interesting toy I have ever experienced.” More »
- Gaming Scientists: 'Spore' Misleading But Fun
  
  New York Times | Sep 2, 08 12:44 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Scientists are raving about Spore, the hyperanticipated new game from Sims impresario Will Wright, the New York Times reports. But that’s mostly just because it’s a fun game, not because it’s scientifically accurate. On that score, the game, which allows players to evolve a creature from a single-celled organism into an interstellar traveler, offers a misleading, intensely simplified view of biology. More »
- With Eye on Xmas, Microsoft Cuts Xbox Price
  
  Financial Times (UK) | Sep 1, 08 1:24 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Microsoft appears to have fired the first shot in a new round of game-console price cuts, the Financial Times reports, trimming the cost of its Xbox 360 today in Japan. It plans to do likewise shortly in the US. In Japan, the Xbox now costs $184—less than half the price of rival Sony’s PlayStation 3—and Microsoft is primed for a Christmas bonanza unless Sony follows suit. More »
August 2008
- Put Your Virtual Tiger Up Against the Real Thing
  
  Boston Globe | Aug 29, 08 6:03 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Shaving giant Gillette has announced a partnership with Electronic Arts to sponsor an online gaming tournament where the prize will be competing against real-life sports stars, the Boston Globe reports. Tiger Woods, Roger Federer, and Derek Jeter are the celebrity champions, who will be challenged by players on the Xbox 360’s Tiger Woods PGA Tour , NASCAR , Madden NFL , NBA Live, and FIFA Soccer . More »
- Startup Goes After Nintendo Over Patents
  
  Wall Street Journal | Aug 20, 08 5:50 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A Maryland tech firm claims that Nintendo stole some of its technology for the popular Wii console, the Wall Street Journal reports. Hillcrest Laboratories filed a complaint with the US International Trade Commission, alleging that Nintendo infringed on patents for motion-sensing technology. It wants to ban Wii consoles from being imported to the US, and a lawsuit is pending. Nintendo had no comment on the complaint. More »
- British Game Companies Target 25K Downloaders
  
  Times (UK) | Aug 20, 08 4:53 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A group of five of the world’s top computer-game makers are getting tough on illegal downloaders, the Times of London reports, demanding settlements of about $555 from 25,000 people across Britain. Those who refuse to settle will be taken to court, the companies—Atari, Topware Interactive, Reality Pump, Techland and Codemasters—are threatening. More »
- Gaming Sets Hopes on Teenage 'Guitar Hero' Whiz
  
  New York Times | Aug 9, 08 2:33 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The video game industry is ready for its closeup, and a shy Minnesota teenager just might provide the face. Chris Chike, 17, is a wizard on "Guitar Hero" who has millions of online fans, a world title, a growing list of endorsements, and even a few marriage proposals, the New York Times notes. Industry leaders hope he can be gaming's version of skateboarder Tony Hawke, who took a fringe sport mainstream. More »
- Wii Want to ... Train Surgeons
  
  Guardian (UK) | Aug 8, 08 4:34 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Nintendo’s popular Wii console is finding new uses in the hands of surgeons. The Guardian takes a look at an Arizona hospital that's making use of the Wii’s precise, motion-sensitive controller to hone motor skills for more serious applications. In a program for doctors being trained to do minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery, those who regularly played on the Wii scored 48% higher on tool control than those who didn't. More »
- Hollywood Getting Its Videogame On
  
  Portfolio | Aug 7, 08 4:36 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Videogames, once the bane of Hollywood studios, are making a comeback—and Disney appears to be leading the pack, reports Portfolio . Facing flat box-office sales, dwindling DVD revenues, and fickle TV audiences, the entertainment industry is seeking better ways to make a buck. That means revisiting the lucrative game market and investing big in original content. More »
- Distributor Pulls Grand Theft After Murder
  
  Reuters | Aug 4, 08 4:16 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A video-game distributor is pulling Grand Theft Auto IV from shelves in Thailand after a teenager robbed and murdered a cab driver while attempting to re-create his experiences in the game, Reuters reports. The 18-year-old, currently in custody, has shown no signs of mental illness. He faces death by lethal injection if convicted. More »
- Inconceivable! Princess Bride Game a Treat
  
  Variety | Aug 1, 08 2:15 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Despite short gameplay and a $20 price tag, the Princess Bride PC game "delivers the goods" for fans, writes Matt Peckham in Variety. A light-hearted Flash adaptation, it remains faithful to the beloved 1987 swashbuckling spoof, even casting many original actors to voice their iconic roles. The game "stands to do brisk business if publisher Worldwide Biggies can get the word out." More »
- Wii Caught Up in Beer Pong Brouhaha
  
  Time | Aug 1, 08 8:40 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The video game version of frat-boy favorite beer pong is getting watered down, Time reports. An outcry from parents concerned about youthful binge-drinking has forced JV Games to change the name of its new Wii release to Pong Toss —and to swap the virtual beer in the game's cups to virtual water. More »
July 2008
- Gamers Vie for World Title
  
  NPR | Jul 28, 08 7:52 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Video gamers, get ready: Tonight will determine your world champion as Los Angeles hosts the finals in the Championship Gaming Series. The evening will be broadcast globally—complete with a breathless play-by-play announcer, NPR reports. Players, all of whom are paid for their efforts, will compete in a variety of genres, including racing, fighting, and shooting, in their quest for the prize. More »
- Rock Video Games Compete for Top Acts
  
  Rolling Stone | Jul 26, 08 4:10 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Aerosmith didn’t release an album in July, but still had their best sales week ever thanks to Guitar Hero: Aerosmith , which bowed to a cool $25 million. Video games have become music’s hottest market, Rolling Stone reports: Rock Band and Guitar Hero are battling for top acts, and musicians are eager to toss in their tunes. More »

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Stories

Online Gamers Leaner Than Your Average Couch Potato

Gaming Teens Make Good Citizens

Should This Game Be Banned?

Spore Sparkles, But Gameplay's a Little Dim

Gaming Scientists: 'Spore' Misleading But Fun

With Eye on Xmas, Microsoft Cuts Xbox Price

Put Your Virtual Tiger Up Against the Real Thing

Startup Goes After Nintendo Over Patents

British Game Companies Target 25K Downloaders

Gaming Sets Hopes on Teenage 'Guitar Hero' Whiz

Wii Want to ... Train Surgeons

Hollywood Getting Its Videogame On

Distributor Pulls Grand Theft After Murder

Inconceivable! Princess Bride Game a Treat

Wii Caught Up in Beer Pong Brouhaha

Gamers Vie for World Title

Rock Video Games Compete for Top Acts