game

Xbox: Proof that Microsoft can get consumer electronics right

When it comes to generating consumer lust, Microsoft often comes up short.

Windows 8 sales seem to be falling shy of analyst expectations. And despite its best design and engineering efforts, Microsoft continues to struggle to get anything more than a toehold in the smartphone market.

And yet Microsoft's success with the Xbox continues to undermine any argument that the company is preternaturally unable to understand consumer desires. The Xbox 360 has performed so strongly in its seven-year run that Microsoft is in the enviable position of being able to wait for rivals Nintendo and Sony to unveil their … Read more

AMD chips to make their way to next Xbox console

Microsoft has signed on Advaned Micro Devices to deliver the processing power in its upcoming Xbox console, a new report claims.

The next Xbox, which could be unveiled next month, is a system-on-a-chip (SoC) boasting both AMD's Jaguar CPU and a graphics chip more powerful than the one available in the current Microsoft console, Bloomberg reported yesterday, citing someone who claims to have knowledge of Microsoft's plans.

According to Bloomberg's source, the chip is based on x86 architecture, meaning it will make it much easier for game developers to port their titles from PCs or mobile devices. … Read more

8 Ball Pool for iOS lets you rule the pool halls

8 Ball Pool is an addictive billiards app for iOS featuring colorful graphics and a robust online community. Developed by Miniclip and optimized for the iPhone 5, this billiards game lets you play with friends from both the Miniclip and Facebook communities.

I have to admit that before I started playing 8 Ball Pool, I was a bit worried I wouldn't have much luck against the other players. I play the game in real life about as often as I go to the dentist, not because I don't like it, but because the opportunity rarely arises.

Fortunately, I … Read more

Microsoft may announce next generation of Xbox on May 21

Microsoft will spill the beans on its next-generation Xbox at an event on May 21, according to Windows blogger Paul Thurrott and a report from The Verge.

Originally scheduled for April, the event was pushed back to May, sources have told the Verge.

That echoes similar information from Supersite for Windows writer Paul Thurrott. In an interview with the video blog "What the Tech" on Friday, Thurrott said that Microsoft had planned to announce the new console on April 24 but then rescheduled the event for May 21. In the video clip of the show, Thurrott's comments about the next Xbox start at the 54:44 mark.… Read more

EA the worst company in America? Again?

It's that time of the year again.

The one where companies vie to be worse than Comcast.

That used to be the plot, at least, to the point at which Comcast tried to get its own staff to help prevent it winning the Consumerist's Worst Company in America award.

Last year, though, Electronic Arts walked off with the prize, and this year things aren't looking too good.

It's already in the Final Four, where it must face the might of Ticketmaster. So EA's COO, Peter Moore, thought it best not to attempt ballot stuffing.

Instead, … Read more

The game I'm playing all weekend: Vector

Mirror's Edge. Rush City. Temple Run. Subway Surfers. Agent Dash. Pitfall. If endless runners are your thing, you'll find no shortage of them in Android and iOS app stores.

So when Vector (Android | iOS) came along, I thought, "Meh, big deal, more of the same." So why can't I stop playing this game?

Because it's awesome, that's why. A side-scrolling endless runner (aka "free runner") that borrows its formula (if not its dystopian plot) from the likes of Mirror's Edge, Vector grips you from the first frame of its dramatic … Read more

Game meant to be played in 2,000 years gets buried in desert

The cathedrals of Europe took centuries to build, surviving political upheavals for the benefit of future generations. Can a board game created today also last that long?

That's what game designer Jason Rohrer was shooting for when he unveiled A Game for Someone, winner of the Game Design Challenge at the recent Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco.

Rohrer, who has created titles such as The Castle Doctrine, designed A Game for Someone for a challenge titled "Humanity's Last Game," which it won.

Rohrer's new board game is meant to be played not by anyone alive today, but by people some 2,000 years in the future, assuming our species survives that long. To that end it has been buried somewhere in the Nevada desert, Polygon tells us. … Read more

Speed up your gaming and Internet experience with GameBoost

Is your older computer struggling to keep up with the latest and greatest games? GameBoost claims to save you from having to boost your hardware by giving you more performance through software tweaks. However, any changes the trial version makes aren't noticeable at all. In fact, the program doesn't boost your computer's power or speed one bit.

The trial version of the program offers most of the performance tweaks for 29 days. The "fastest" performance upgrade isn't available unless you buy, though. GameBoost requires some administrator access to work, which makes you think it … Read more

EA treading into social networking territory?

Gaming company Electronic Arts has come out with something totally new -- a free music and photo social networking app called Vue.

No, it's not a social network focused game. It's simply a social network.

The question is -- why did a gaming company create a social networking app? It's not yet entirely clear. According to Venture Beat, it is a "low-budget exploratory project" started by EA Partners group.

The premise of Vue is to find songs on music services like Spotify and Rdio, pair them with personal photos, and then share the package with … Read more