PlayStation

Developer Rockstar Games announced today a worldwide spring 2013 release period for Grand Theft Auto V for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, inspiring gamers everywhere to brush up on their reckless-driving skills.

To further excite the masses, Rockstar also noted that Grand Theft Auto V goes up for pre-order "everywhere" on November 5 and promised to release a "host of new information" related to the game. In the past several months, Rockstar teased curious gamers with a dozen screenshots from GTA V, which you can check out in the gallery below. … Read more

Hackers have found a way to break down one of the toughest defensive walls in Sony's PlayStation 3 software security, ensuring that those who use custom firmware can run homebrew software and pirated games forever.

A group calling itself "The Three Musketeers" on Monday released a secret set of LV0 codes that can decrypt the PlayStation 3's Level 0 (LV0) security layer used by the primary boot loader. This means that hackers should always have the ability to release custom firmware for the device any time Sony updates the console's software. Custom firmware gives PS3 owners the ability to run pirated games, homebrew software (such as retro game emulators), and even Linux. … Read more

With BioShock Infinite still months away, developer Irrational Games released a teaser trailer highlighting gameplay from the highly anticipated third installment of the series.

Previous BioShock games revolved around an underwater city called Rapture, but Infinite's story line -- set in the year 1912 -- takes place in a floating city names Columbia. We won't delve too much into the details, but the general synopsis is that the player "assumes the role of former Pinkerton agent Booker DeWitt, who is sent to Columbia to rescue Elizabeth, a young woman imprisoned there since childhood," says the official Web site. … Read more

Sony's Folding@home project is coming to an end after a successful five-year run.

The game company announced the closure in a blog post today, saying it made the decision after consulting researchers at Stanford University.

Folding@home was one of the more innovative initiatives that a game company has delivered in recent memory. The initiative allowed PlayStation 3 owners to share some of their device's computing power when the console was left on and idle.

The opt-in program, which was created through a partnership with Sony and Stanford University, was designed to improve researchers' ability to examine a process called "protein folding." … Read more

Imagine a game where your character traverses a frozen tundra with heavy snowfall. Upon entering this barren area, your controller gets cold, and you must move on before your fingers freeze up.

The next-generation motion controller by Sony could contain a key feature currently unavailable (at least, on a wide scale) in the video game ecosystem: thermal feedback. With so many ways to play video games these days, using a simple motion controller or camera-based motion capture device may not necessarily impress the experienced gamer any more. … Read more

With the PlayStation 4's launch still at least a year away, Sony wants to squeeze every bit of profit out of the PS3 and ensure that it can keep making money on the console when the next PlayStation is released. What better way to do that than to release a redesigned version that's slimmer and likely cheaper to make.… Read more

The video game industry had a rough time in stores last month.

During September, total U.S. video-game industry sales, including physical game discs, consoles, and accessories, hit $848.3 million, down 24 percent compared with the $1.1 billion the industry generated during the same period last year, research firm NPD Group announced yesterday.

The hardware sector of the industry suffered through a similarly troubling period as sales slumped 39 percent year-over-year to end the month at $210.9 million. Software sales were down 18 percent from $609.7 million last year to $497.4 million this year. Accessories … Read more

Later this month, those who access the PlayStation Store on PS3 may notice a swankier storefront.

More than four years since the last major revision in appearance, Sony announced today an incoming redesign for the PlayStation Store due in the U.S. on October 23. The refreshed arrangement of the Store utilizes larger graphics to advertise content; streamlined navigation; and an improved search system. … Read more

Well, it's officially almost official. According to a ramp up of very specific recent rumors, Apple is set to send out invites to an iPad Mini event next week, with an unveiling the week after. We have a Humiliation Day bet riding on whether an iPad Mini will come out this year. Emily has staked her dignity on a debbie-downer "No" -- will she have to find a duck suit to wear, or will Karyne play her trusty ukulele in an embarrassing spectacle? Seems like we'll be finding out on October 17.

Also this week, Web-shopping … Read more