gaming

My awesome brother-in-law Steve introduced me to Ticket to Ride a couple years ago, and I've been hooked ever since. As board games go, it offers a near-perfect blend of strategy and luck-of-the-draw, on par with old classics like Risk and newer ones like Carcassonne.

Then came the iOS version, which CNET ranked among the 30 best iPad games -- and rightly so. It affords a decent single-player experience (something the board version can't) and moves the game along at a much speedier clip (meaning you can play alone or with others without investing quite so much time).… Read more

The game industry's sales during the first quarter remained flat, new data from research firm NPD has confirmed.

During the first quarter of 2013, total game content spending in the U.S. hit $3.5 billion, matching what was spent during the same period in 2012. A total of $1.37 billion was spent on physical console and PC games (meaning discs) while used and rental spending hit $559 million. Total spending on digital content reached $1.59 billion.

"Digital spending fully offset the declines in physical format spend in Q1'13," said Liam Callahan, industry analyst … Read more

Nintendo's decision to not hold a major press conference at the E3 gaming expo next week will be "better" for everyone, the company's president said in a video posted to Facebook on Thursday.

In a nearly 3-minute video, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime addressed concerns from fans that the company won't be holding a major press conference next week, deciding instead to hold small gatherings and use alternative means, like social networks, to share everything it has to offer at E3. In the video, he said that while he knows that "change can … Read more

The hottest crowdfunded gaming device of 2013 could end up being Virtuix's Omni virtual-reality treadmill, which, in just 48 hours, has already netted a stunning sum of $600,000 in Kickstarter pledges from around the world.

Virtuix may have actually come up with a sensible physical platform that lets a gamer run or jump seamlessly on an enclosed octagon-shaped treadmill and see those actions mirrored in a video game.

After stepping into the octagon, Omni users slip inside a circular ring (with an attachment belt) that prevents them from toppling over while moving. Other than that, the concept seems simple: if you run forward on the Omni, you run forward in a game; if you crouch, you crouch in the game, and so forth. The recommended -- almost required -- Omni shoes don't seem so bad, either, as they contain a few protrusions similar to a cycling shoe that let you run easily on the Omni without fear of sliding around aimlessly. … Read more

Microsoft's pre-E3 Xbox One reveal event in Redmond, Wash., wasn't a presentation targeted at gamers. In fact, most gamers hated it. Why? Because Microsoft used the opportunity to boast about the Xbox One's live TV integration and the seamless experience it will supposedly provide.

That mantra won't fly at E3 2013 in Los Angeles, where the priority is always games. The company teased with some details about what the Xbox One's gaming future will look like, but as of now it's still mostly unknown.

Here's a preview of what Microsoft needs to accomplish … Read more

When given the choice, most people would opt for home detention over serving time in a jail cell, eating prison food, and sleeping on a hard bed. As it turns out, not everyone can handle the comforts of home with its cushy chairs and video game equipment. Too much time with his Xbox caused a New Zealand man to ring up the local police and request a jail stint instead.

Details are a little sketchy, but the cry for help was enough to capture the notice of the local news. The Northern Advocate spoke with Senior Constable Paul Nicholas of the Whangarei police. "Mr. Nicholas said the 19-year-old had already served 10 months of an 11-month home detention term and with one month to go 'had run out of Xbox games to play,'" the paper reports.… Read more

Microsoft's strategy for its Xbox One console might rely on help from broadcasters, according to a new report.

Microsoft has been in talks with satellite TV broadcaster Sky in the U.K. to bring its Xbox One to the company's customers, MCVUK reported on Thursday, citing people who claim to have knowledge of the deal. It's possible that the Xbox One will be a companion set-top box that sits atop Sky's service, those sources said. The Xbox One could be sold at a heavily reduced cost, according to the site's sources.

However, a Sky representative … Read more

Independent game developers surely have wished they could lob their own angry birds at juggernaut game makers dominating the market and keeping their own products off players' radars.

Amazon today launched an Indie Games Store to address just that problem. A new category on Amazon in the Digital Video Games Store, it is designed to help indie developers get better exposure for PC, Mac, and browser-based games.

For gamers, it means a new way to discover gems.

The storefront has features and promotions like Indie Spotlight, which is just what it sounds like: a focus on individual developers, with Q&… Read more