games

When it's not trying to bring back '70s-style game cabinets, Dream Arcades thinks big--as in systems with screens reaching 100-plus inches. And the strides made by display makers in the last year or two apparently have done nothing but encourage its mission.

The "Dreamcade Vision 120" isn't just a game system; it's an arcade center. In fact, Gizmowatch calls it "the world's largest multi-game home arcade," a grandiose claim that almost makes its $3,999 price tag seem reasonable. Almost.

Its projection screen is a full 120 inches of high-definition goodness and … Read more

What do you get when you cross two of the most popular video game franchises in history, Halo and Guitar Hero?

According to the video game blog Joystiq, you get a free downloadable copy of the Halo theme song, available Thursday to owners of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock.

Apparently, some people thought the Halo theme song would be included with Guitar Hero II, but they were wrong. And now, instead of coming included with the third iteration of the franchise, it's being offered as a free download.

We're talking about video game royalty here, folks. Many hundreds of … Read more

Finally, a USB gadget that's actually useful. We had pretty much given up on the one-time novel plug-and-play desktop devices until they became so common that practically anything that required electricity was being turned into a USB product. Thanko's recently released aromatherapy treatment was probably a new all-time low.

The "USB Hoops Basketball Game" is a undeniable exception to that trend, the first USB-worthy item in recent memory. Our only quibble is the obvious missed opportunity: The game keeps score on its own digital display, but the USB connection could have been used to create all … Read more

Tech recycling services traditionally are either free or charge you a fee for trying to keep old gear out of landfills. But as long as you're cleaning out closets to make room for another season of gifts, you could finance some of your holiday shopping by sending tired tech toys to a service that will pay for them.

The new BuyMyTronics, (via EcoGeek) from the same people behind BuyMyBrokeniPod, will accept game consoles from a GameBoy to an Xbox, as well as iPods and iPhones. According to the site's online estimate, a dead Wii in the original box … Read more

If you grew up with a Nintendo Entertainment System in your house, then you no doubt remember the Zapper, the gray (or bright orange) light gun that let you shoot at ducks, bulls-eyes, and banditos. After almost 20 years, Nintendo has brought the Zapper, at least in name, to the Nintendo Wii. It's available in stores today for just $20, and it includes a free game, Link's Crossbow Training.

Instead of a light gun, the Wii Zapper is a simple gun-shaped plastic shell that houses the Wii remote and nunchuk attachment for use in certain shooting games. Simple, … Read more

The cross-service instant message Web service Meebo is scheduled to get games added to its mix this morning. Now when you're in an instant message chat with someone, you can pull up a menu of games, select one, and the person you're talking with will be invited to join you in it.

Josh and I tried out Artillery yesterday. It was a great way to end a long Monday. Especially when the wind blew my shell back onto my own tank, scoring points for my opposition.

Can't say that all the games are great. We couldn't … Read more

Monday Nvidia was trumpeting its two newest mobile GPUs, the GeForce 8800M GTX and GeForce 8800M GTS, as a "gamer's wishes come true." The two graphics cards are now the company's highest-end options for mobile gaming, and Nvidia claims they are the world's fastest notebook GPUs.

Key features on the GeForce 8800M series include both DirectX 10 and DirectX 9 compatibility, so you can make the most of the newest games as well as your old favorites. The graphics processors also include the company's PureVideo HD engine for playback of high-definition video and PowerMizer … Read more

If you've always envied those simulation rides at the fun fair, here's your chance to own a lifetime's worth of rides. D-Box's X3me and Quest chairs are leather recliners with built-in actuators that pull you into the onscreen action by rocking you around in sync with the movie's movement and sound.

A D-Box ride works with a D-Box decoder box or a PC that sits between your media player and D-Box chair. First, D-Box engineers code the motions in a particular movie into a series of motion controls that can be read by the decoder … Read more

The state of the PC gaming industry is fine. Just ask any executive whose business depends on PC gaming.

Representatives from Nvidia, Intel, Microsoft, Electronic Arts, and Crytek held a combination political rally/pep talk for the PC gaming industry Friday at Nvidia's GeForce LAN 4 event in Alameda, Calif. The audience--several hundred rabid PC gamers with plans to spend the entire weekend playing Crysis--cheered the panelists as they reassured attendees that all was well in the PC gaming world.

The runaway success of gaming consoles like Microsoft's Xbox 360, Nintendo's Wii, and Sony's PlayStation 3 … Read more