Games

Confession time: I try to stay away from games like Civilization because I can't afford to get sucked into them. I have friends who've lost entire weekends to Sid Meier's legendary series. If I'm going to carve out time to game, I need to run, gun, and be done.

You, on the other hand, have time to burn, right? So check this out: From now until 1 p.m. PT on Sunday, May 27, you can play Civilization V online for free. (Scroll down to the bottom of the page to see the offer.)

That's … Read more

The summer movie season is officially under way, and that can only mean one thing: movie tie-in season is also under way.

Exhibit A (or should I say Exhibit K): "Men in Black 3," which opens in theaters Friday, just got the app treatment. Gameloft's Men in Black 3 is available now for Android and iOS smartphones and tablets.

Obviously any game based on the MIB franchise is going to involve a lot of running and gunning, right? Wrong. Men in Black 3 combines resource management with turn-based combat. And there's way more depth and replay … Read more

Coin-ops are few and rare these days, but that doesn't mean that the memories and quarters spent are gone forever...well, maybe the quarters. In either case, this week's Freeware Friday involves dodging speeding tickets, pulling off 99-hit air combos, and dancing like it's a revolution. Sorry folks; accessories/fight sticks/steering wheels/dance pads not included. … Read more

N.O.V.A. 3 Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance ($6.99 -- iOS universal) is the third installment of Gameloft's first-person shooter franchise that, many have argued, bears a strong resemblance to Microsoft's Halo. Whether that's true, the game is mostly a gun-shooting good time with all the perks you'd expect in an FPS, but it does have a couple of problems.

With that said, N.O.V.A. is arguably the best sci-fi shooter franchise on iOS, and with the third installment there's plenty more bad guys to blow away in new and interesting … Read more

I play a lot of video games. I have a Windows gaming rig and an Xbox 360, and my iOS devices are filled with games from every genre. I would consider myself a fairly skilled gamer, but there are certain types of games designed to challenge even the most seasoned fans.

Back in January, I wrote a similar post called "Games that make you rage on iOS." One of the games I'm focusing on today is the sequel to a game I wrote about then, but it definitely hasn't lost its rage-inducing qualities.

It's important to note that for this collection I recommend grabbing the iPad versions of the games in question (if you own an iPad) because when you play a hard game, you want any advantage you can get and the iPad's larger screen gives you a little more room to work with. However, all of the games listed are available for iPhone and iPod Touch as well.… Read more

There once existed a land where DLC (downloadable content) didn't exist and games came on cartridges. The Freeware Crew frequently reminisces about those golden days and we've dug up three titles to bring them back to life on your PC. Check out these 16-bit tributes and kiss your weekend goodbye. … Read more

Rovio is preparing to launch a new game to follow its wildly popular Angry Birds franchise.

The company's CEO, Mikael Hed, said in an interview today with Finland's YLE breakfast television show that Rovio will be launching Amazing Alex in two months. The game will feature an educational element as players control a young boy named Alex who enjoys building things.

That word from Rovio comes after the company acquired the intellectual property rights to Casey's Contraptions, a title developed by Snappy Touch and Mystery Coconut. When users surf to the Casey's Contraption Web site now, … Read more

Not sure what prompted this, but over the weekend I received a handful of really nice e-mails from readers. It's deeply gratifying to know that you like what I'm doing here, and I offer my sincere thanks to everyone who's written me to say so. You people are the best.

Now that the touchy-feely stuff's out of the way, on to today's deals! Yes, that's "deals" plural. Sometimes I can't pick just one!

1. While supplies last, Secondipity has the used Acer Iconia A500-10S08u 10.1-inch Android tablet for $239.99 shipped. (… Read more

Angry Birds is officially a financial powerhouse.

The franchise's creator, Rovio, today announced that it generated $106.3 million in revenue last year. And thanks to a profit margin of about 64 percent, the company was able to post net income of $67.6 million.

Although much of the financial success Rovio enjoyed last year came by way of its popular Angry Birds games, the company also sells a host of consumer products, including stuffed toys and school supplies. Rovio also generated advertising revenue to supplement its operation.

But it's the sheer popularity of Angry Birds games that … Read more