Games

GamePop looks to play in Ouya's sandbox

If you're BlueStacks, the startup that figured out how to bring Android apps to Windows and Macs with its eponymous app player, the next logical step is to upend the mobile gaming market with a console and subscription service called GamePop, the company announced Thursday.

As CNET reported at CES 2013, GamePop is BlueStacks' Android-powered console that lets you not only play Android games on your TV, but also lets you use your phone or tablet as the controller.

GamePop preorders are available immediately at GamePop.tv, with consoles shipping this winter. As of today, the console ships with … Read more

Ouya game console launch delayed until June 25

People eyeing the Ouya game console will have to wait a bit longer to get their hands on one.

The maker of the small Android-based console said Thursday that the product won't reach the consumer market until June 25, three weeks after the initial launch date of June 4. The decision to delay the launch was based on high demand at the retail level, Ouya CEO Julie Uhrman revealed in the following statement sent to CNET:

We've had incredibly positive reactions from our retailer partners. So, in order to meet greater-than-expected demand, we decided to shift our launch … Read more

Ouya game device gets the teardown treatment

Ouya, the open-source game console that took the Kickstarter world by storm, has been ripped apart by the folks over at iFixit.

The Ouya device earned a score of 9 out of 10 from iFixit for its high repairability. The iFixit team was able to tear apart the gadget with ease, and found that it was packed with several important components, including two Samsung 4-gigabit SDRAM modules (for a total of 1 gigabyte), a Texas Instruments power management tool, and Nvidia's Tegra 3 multicore CPU.… Read more

Pixel Press app: Draw, create, play your own video game

Mario's multilevel gaming style has endured for good reasons. It's simple, it's fun, and it's addictive. Once you've conquered the realms of Mario and other similar retro games, where do you go next? How about creating your own custom video game? That sounds great, but you'll need to brush up on your programming skills first. Unless, that is, Kickstarter project Pixel Press gets off the ground.

With Pixel Press, you just need the app, a piece of paper, a pencil, and your imagination to create your own game. No coding required.

Here's how it works. You start by printing out the gridded Pixel Press sketch sheet, along with the instructions. You can design five layers on the sketch sheet using certain elements like terrain, hazards, monkey bars, moving platforms, barriers, spikes, portals, and power-ups. You draw all these out onto the grid, with the aim of designing five progressively more challenging levels for your hero to conquer.… Read more

Wolfenstein: The New Order set for current, next-gen consoles

A new entrant in the long-loved, first-person shooter series, Wolfenstein, is coming, Bethesda Softworks announced Tuesday.

Dubbed Wolfenstein: The New Order, the game will follow series protagonist B.J. Blazkowicz after World War II. But there's one problem. In the new game, the Germans have won the war, and Blazkowicz is charged with taking on the Nazi regime.

CNET sister site Gamespot was first to announce the new Wolfenstein, confirming rumors that a new chapter of the famed franchise will unfold in the fourth quarter.

According to Bethesda, The New Order will be available on the Xbox 360, PlayStation … Read more

Sims 4, due in 2014, to ditch need for Net connection

A newly unveiled Sims sequel will arriving in 2014, giving gamers yet another chance to take control of tiny virtual humans for some ruthless life management.

The Sims 4 will be published by Electronic Arts, with EA subsidiary Maxis once again taking the reins when it comes to bolting the new title together, EA said Monday in a blog post. In a case of a corporation learning from its mistakes, EA has confirmed that the next Sims installment won't require an Internet connection for gameplay.

The publisher said the game will be a "single-player offline experience." Taking … Read more

EA is the 'Star Wars' games company Disney is looking for

Disney and Electronic Arts said today that the two entertainment giants have signed an exclusive deal under which EA will begin developing and publishing a series of new "Star Wars" video games.

In a release, Disney and EA said that the new "Star Wars" games will be created for "a core gaming audience," and that they will be developed for "all interactive platforms and the most popular game genres."

However, while the deal was termed "exclusive," the announcement noted that Disney will still maintain the right to develop other new … Read more

Zynga's gameplan relies on FarmVille, says CEO

Social-gaming company Zynga staked its claim with FarmVille. And now -- when Zynga has been reaping more than sowing -- the company will rely on that same title to restore its ailing operation.

In a Reuters interview published Monday, Pincus said his company is relying on FarmVille 2 to rebuild. The company's revenue jumped to $1.2 billion in 2012, but losses continue to pile up.

A key component to the turnaround plan is to give FarmVille players the same experience on mobile as on desktop.

"The ideal is to make that one seamless experience between Web and … Read more

Nintendo eyes smartphone apps to spur Wii U sales

Nintendo is trying to modify its game consoles so customers can use smartphone applications on them, as the struggling Japanese company aims to return to profitability.

The Japan Times reported Monday that anonymous company sources say the console maker is betting on third-party smartphone apps to spur device sales. This, in turn, could lead to a growth in popular game titles on its platform, the Japan Times added.

Read more of "Nintendo taps smartphone apps to increase console sales" at ZDNet.