games

Scientists and psychologists for years have debated whether there's a connection between video games and real-world violence. Do video games refine hand-eye coordination and spur creativity -- or instead turn you into a sociopath? That question has been raised to a fever pitch following national tragedies such as the one in Newtown, Conn.

And though studies, with the exception of a few, have pointed out that a connection between fantasy video game violence and real-world violence doesn't, in fact, exist, the Centers for Disease Control is stepping up its efforts to research a possible link between the two. … Read more

While most eyes at E3 2013 are on the new Sony PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Xbox One consoles, it was only one year ago that PC gaming took center stage. It was at E3 2012 that the current Xbox 360 and PS3 consoles were looking more than tired, and many of the best games on display, from XCOM to Metro: Last Light, presented themselves best on high-powered PC hardware.

In 2013, despite the massive marketing and engineering effort that is going to the new living room consoles, no one expects even the PS4 or XB1 to be able to match … Read more

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Apple banned from selling some iPhones and iPads after Samsung patent win.

- Aunt Jill on LinkedIn: What I Learned in Italy (or, Economies in Perspective).

- Venice floods put more than half of city underwater.

- GameStop to recall 8GB Wii U Basic -- but why?

- Forget what you know, next-gen consoles change everything.

- The Last of Us is now the best reason to own a PS3.

- Game over for used games: How Xbox One and PS4 could gut gamers' wallets.… Read more

While the next generation of gaming comes later this year, you don't need to spend hundreds of dollars on a new system to see great graphics, as plenty of gorgeous games are coming for existing platforms.

"Into the Pixel" -- a juried video game art exhibition that shows off some of the greatest concept and production art around -- makes a return to the E3 2013 gaming expo in Los Angeles from June 11 to 13. We've gathered high-resolution images from all the winners, ranging from popular titles such as League of Legends to up-and-comers like Destiny. … Read more

Gaming retailer GameStop has initiated a recall on the 8GB Wii U Basic set, CNET has confirmed.

On Tuesday, gaming blog Kotaku cited a source who claimed that GameStop had requested its stores around the U.S. to return all new and unopened Wii U Basic sets still on store shelves. The return is expected to take place on June 18 -- a week after the big E3 gaming expo.

CNET on Wednesday called several GameStop stores to confirm the Kotaku report. All of those stores confirmed that the corporate office had initiated a recall, but they weren't sure … Read more

In this age of cheap, ubiquitous mobile phone and tablet games, you can't help but wonder what Nintendo would make if the company were ever to enter the space. That future seems unlikely considering Nintendo's investment in Wii U and 3DS hardware, but that doesn't mean there isn't software that could be brilliant in the mobile space. In fact, there's a fantastic mobile game Nintendo has right now -- it's just that it lives on the Nintendo 3DS.

Animal Crossing: New Leaf is the latest in a franchise extending back to 2002 on the … Read more

Most of us think of computer solitaire as that simplistic card game available via Microsoft Windows' default games collection. But did you know that the game was packaged with the first release of Windows 3.0 back in 1990? The Windows game was based on a solitaire variation called "Klondike" and was included in the OS by Microsoft as a way to acquaint text-based DOS users with the newfangled graphical user interface (GUI), introducing now-ingrained behaviors like drag-and-drop and double-clicking.

Scads of Windows users still play the default Microsoft Solitaire game, but if you are looking to take … Read more

After an aborted launch last Halloween, the WikiPad Android gaming tablet looks ready to finally hit the market. So says WikiPad Inc., anyway, who this morning declared that its unique gaming device will finally hit shelves this coming Tuesday, June 11 (aka the first official day of E3).

This new WikiPad, you may recall, is a shrunken edition of the 10-inch behemoth (itself an update of the original 8-inch version) the company was showing off last year.

This new model, which came to light this past February, has the same core features as the 10-inch model -- removable standalone Android … Read more

You just got a new TV, and the picture looks great. Then, when you pop in your favorite shooter, you notice your kills going down, your aim a step slow, and your sterling record taking hits like a noob wandering through the kill zone.

Do you all of a sudden suck at COD? Maybe. But perhaps your newfound lack of feel is caused by input lag introduced by your otherwise awesome new TV. Input lag is the delay, in milliseconds, between a TV receiving a signal and the results of that signal appearing on the screen.

Those milliseconds don't … Read more