multiplayer games

10 Stories

World of Warcraft: the 'Cocaine of Gaming'

Fantasy game involved in nearly every case of game addiction, foundation says

(Newser) - World of Warcraft is the most addictive video game on the market, the Local of Sweden reports. WoW is the most popular of the online multiplayer fantasy games—by far the most addicting game genre, according to a study by the Swedish Youth Care Foundation. The Blizzard title is "...

For Web 'Game,' Everything New Is Old

In classic fashion, company has cool idea, needs users, cash

(Newser) - Won’t these Internet startups ever learn about business plans? That's backward thinking, says prolific venture capitalist Joi Ito, who has a stake in the new website PMOG. “People make fun of the idea," he told Portfolio. “There are few sites, however, that have a critical mass...

Better Red Than Dead in Online Games

Red teams win more often than blue teams, researchers find

(Newser) - If you want to win, at least in the online first-person shooter Unreal Tournament 2004, get your red on. Researchers have found that red teams beat blue teams in the multiplayer game 55% of the time, even though players choose their own teams. One scientist suggested this is because the...

Sony Aims to Power Up Online Gaming
Sony Aims to Power Up Online Gaming

Sony Aims to Power Up Online Gaming

Games developer seeks to reach new markets with innovative scenarios

(Newser) - Sony is seeking to boost online gaming to the next level with a pair of new adventures in the pipeline. The company's 1999 EverQuest was the first massive online game to rocket to popularity, but rivals like World of Warcraft have since taken the lead. With spy shooter game The ...

Build Your Personal 'Second Life'
Build Your Personal 'Second Life'

Build Your Personal 'Second Life'

Metaplace wants to let users create and host their own virtual worlds

(Newser) - Ever dream of creating your own virtual world, a la Second Life or World of Warcraft? Soon you’ll be able to, thanks to Metaplace, a company that lets users host virtual worlds online, building them the same way they’d create other Internet content, reports Technology Review. Using a...

MySpace Battles Facebook Buzz to Stay on Top

Site rolls out new services, expands abroad

(Newser) - Facing competition for buzz and advertising from much smaller but much-hyped Facebook, MySpace has big plans for expansion. The free-form social networking site's founders want to transform it into a one-stop portal where users can check email and get news. The site is also unveiling new services, expanding overseas, and...

Wii Remains Hottest Seller for Holidays

1 million units gone in a flash last month as shoppers get creative

(Newser) - Nintendo’s Wii remained the hottest-selling—and hardest to find—game console in the US in November as shoppers snapped up nearly 1 million units, Reuters reports. Shoppers desperate for holiday presents have been standing in line at stores more than 14 hours to get a crack at one, and...

New 'Call of Duty' Offers Players Modern Combat

Video game set to conquer the competition

(Newser) - "Call of Duty 4: Modern Combat," released this week, takes players on the missions of elite modern fighters like the US Marines or British SAS, a departure for a video game series that previously focused exclusively on WWII. The game is set to be this holiday season's biggest...

'Pong' Inventor Muses on Gaming
'Pong' Inventor Muses on Gaming

'Pong' Inventor Muses on Gaming

(Newser) - Nolan Bushnell, often called the father of electronic games, is still masterminding new ways  to mix technology and entertainment, Electronic Design reports. Fusing his experiences as the inventor of Pong and founder of both Atari and Chuck E. Cheese restaurants, Bushnell has created uWink, a family restaurant where the tables...

Shot on Location—in Azeroth
Shot on Location—in Azeroth

Shot on Location—in Azeroth

(Newser) - World of Warcraft is home to 9 million adventurers—and one film crew. A team of New York-based programmers, filmmakers and geeks has been shooting a feature-length movie entirely within the online game, a uniquely difficult location shoot. “The crew doesn't usually start running off after their mortal enemy...

10 Stories