gaming. video games

Ouya gaming console is cool for hackers and indie fans, but not yet ready for the mainstream

If you’ve come here wondering whether you should buy the Ouya, let me answer that straight away: no, you shouldn’t. At least not yet.

Instead, let the hacker-types, tinkerers, and the extreme hard-core gamers be the guinea pigs for the Android-based console, because it currently needs all the testing it can get.

With any luck over the next six months, the Ouya's software library will grow to a much more compelling state, bugs will get fixed, the interface will have much-needed features added, and native nongaming content will be released. Harder to address will be the cheap … Read more

At long last, Microsoft launches Xbox Music for the Web

More than a year after Microsoft announced its Xbox Music service, the company has finally brought it to the Web.

Microsoft's Xbox Music platform is now available for users in the browser. Customers can head over to its page and stream "millions of songs" from within the browser. Microsoft last week told CNET that the subscription, storage, and track-purchasing service would be coming to the Web, and it has officially made good on that promise.

Microsoft claims to offer "millions of songs" through Xbox Music and allows users to download tracks they purchase to a … Read more

Nvidia delays Shield to July, due to 11th-hour dilemma

Just when you thought it was out, they pull it back in. Nvidia has delayed its Shield portable gaming console just one day before its original June 27, 2013 (that's tomorrow for you skimmers out there) shipping date to an as-yet undetermined date in July.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the company cites a "mechanical issue" as the culprit:

During our final QA process, we discovered a mechanical issue that relates to a third-party component. We want every Shield to be perfect, so we have elected to shift the launch date to July. We'll update … Read more

Dark truth about Ouya debut: Retail wins, Kickstarter loses

It should be a great day for Ouya, the tiny Android-powered gaming console that netted $8.5 million in Kickstarter funding and quickly sold out during its debut appearance at U.S. retailers Tuesday. But not all Ouya enthusiasts are smiling.

Some early adopters who donated to Ouya on Kickstarter months ago are still waiting for their console after being told they would get it before it hit retail. While some did receive their Ouya as promised (albeit perhaps a bit late), a "small subset" (according to Ouya's PR) did not.

Thousands of comments regarding Ouya on Kickstarter and other colloqui indicate that the number of people who didn't get their Ouya might be larger than a "small subset."

… Read more

Ouya launches for $99; already sold out on Amazon, GameStop

Ouya, the open-source game console that became a massive hit on Kickstarter, has officially launched to the public. And already, it's unavailable in a few online stores.

As expected, the $99.99 console hit the market on Tuesday at Best Buy, GameStop, and Target. The Android-based console is also available at Amazon. However, as of this writing, Ouya is already sold out on Amazon and GameStop. It is still available online at Best Buy and Target.

The Ouya console doesn't have the firepower of its competitors, like the upcoming Xbox One and PlayStation 4. But thanks to its … Read more

Video gamers outperform nongamers in vision test

Ladies and gentlemen, may I now present your deep thought of the day: People who play video games are better at playing video games than people who don't play video games.

OK, new findings out of Duke may be a bit more complex than that, but there's not much of a spoiler alert to this one. Hours spent at a gaming console seem to translate directly to a test, taken at a computer, of how the brain tracks visual stimuli, according to a new study at the Duke School of Medicine.… Read more

Nvidia: Next-gen consoles still can't keep up with our chips

Nvidia doesn't seem happy with news that Advanced Micro Devices has all but won this generation's console cycle.

The company pointed out Wednesday in an interview with The Verge that, while the next-generation consoles are notably more powerful on the graphics side, they still can't compete with the chips Nvidia is producing on the PC side.

"I'm glad the new consoles are here," Nvidia Senior Vice President Tony Tamasi told The Verge. "If for no other reason than to raise the bar." He also pointed out to The Verge that his company'… Read more

Tetris creator Alexey Pajitnov launches iOS game Marbly

Tetris creator Alexey Pajitnov has launched a new game designed exclusively for mobile devices.

Dubbed Marbly, the title is available for both Apple's iPhone and iPad. The game's description in Apple's App Store says that it's an "easy to get, but tricky to master real puzzle game" It comes with over 180 puzzles that users must work their way through.

Pajitnov has been developing games for decades, but he's best known for creating Tetris -- the massive hit for Nintendo's Game Boy.

Marbly is available now as a free download in Apple'… Read more

Glu Mobile to offer cash for gaming

Glu Mobile, a developer and publisher of freemium games on smartphones and tablets, will start offering cash to highly skilled gamers.

Speaking to Reuters on Thursday, the company confirmed that Android users playing "Deer Hunter Reloaded," its hunting-simulation game, will be able to win cash prizes if they achieve strong results in certain skill-based contests.

In order to win the cash, gamers will need to pay a fee to enter the competition. The company told Reuters that if all goes well, it will bring the cash-for-gaming system to its other Android titles.

Because the cash-based system is based … Read more