News

• Nintendo applauds first criminal arrest in Japan for selling DS flashcarts

  By Jay Alabaster | 31 May, 2012 13:21

  Japanese game maker Nintendo applauded the first arrest of and criminal charges against a Japanese individual for selling devices that allow illegal copies of games to be played on its DS handheld console.

• Diablo 3 being called "Big Pineapple" in China to dodge sales ban

  By Michael Kan | 29 May, 2012 12:04

  Vendors on one of China's largest e-commerce platforms are resorting to calling the hit PC game Diablo 3 "Big Pineapple," which sounds similar in Mandarin Chinese, as a way to dodge the site's censors. The site has banned the sale of the overseas product pending a review from government authorities.

• Kinect now knows when you're happy, sad, planning to turn it off

  By Kevin Riggle | 23 May, 2012 04:31

  Now your computer can tell when you're angry at it.

• MediaTek and Gameloft team up to put more games on phones

  By Mikael Ricknäs | 12 May, 2012 01:10

  Semiconductor company MediaTek and Gameloft have joined forces to develop games for phones based on MediaTek's chipsets, they announced on Friday.

• PopCap Games CEO: Android still too fragmented, China helping company innovate

  By Michael Kan | 10 May, 2012 23:47

  Android's increased fragmentation across hardware devices and OS versions, and its lack of a central app store, have left game developers disappointed with the OS, according to the CEO of "Plants vs. Zombies" publisher PopCap Games.

• Angry Birds reaches 1 billion downloads

  By Jeff Bertolucci | 10 May, 2012 07:12

  Rovio announced today that its Angry Birds games have been downloaded more than one billion times, an astounding accomplishment for a simple slingshot game with a goofy birds-vs-pigs backstory.

• Angry Birds maker Rovio plans for amusement parks in China

  By Michael Kan | 10 May, 2012 01:39

  Mobile game publisher Rovio is planning to build theme parks in China revolving around its hit product Angry Birds, months after a local amusement park in the country sought to cash in on the franchise's popularity with its own real-life version of the Angry Birds game.

• Lenovo-backed firm sidesteps hardcore gamers, with Chinese video game system

  By Michael Kan | 03 May, 2012 23:23

  The Lenovo-backed company behind China's newest homegrown video game system is aiming for product sales to reach hundreds of thousands of units over the next fiscal year ending in March, as it tries to build consumer interest in a country where the world's hottest gaming consoles are banned from sale.

• German court grants Motorola an injunction against Windows 7 and Xbox

  By Loek Essers | 02 May, 2012 21:33

  Motorola Mobility won an injunction on Wednesday preventing distribution of Microsoft products including Windows 7 and the Xbox in Germany, but it can't enforce the injunction yet. Microsoft will appeal the case and is confident it can keep doing business in Germany, the company said.

• Japan's Gree to buy U.S. mobile game maker Funzio for US$210 million

  By Jay Alabaster | 02 May, 2012 19:53

  Japanese mobile game provider Gree said Wednesday it will buy California-based developer Funzio for US$210 million.

• Angry Birds Space rockets to 50 million downloads in 35 days

  By Ed Oswald | 01 May, 2012 06:54

  Angry Birds Space has broken a new record: it's the first app to hit 50 million downloads in just 35 days, which is two weeks faster than the previous record-holder, Draw Something.

• Nintendo to begin digital sales of mainstream titles for 3DS

  By Jay Alabaster | 27 April, 2012 13:36

  Nintendo will launch sales of digital versions of mainstream 3DS titles through retailers, beginning with a new Super Mario Brothers game in August, it said Friday.

• Nintendo misses annual sales target for 3DS games console

  By Jay Alabaster | 26 April, 2012 18:43

  Nintendo said Thursday it missed its annual sales target for the 3DS handheld game console, despite repeated promises from the company that price cuts and an armada of new software titles had helped the device recover after a slow start last year.

• Skype app released for Sony's PlayStation Vita handheld

  By Jay Alabaster | 25 April, 2012 16:43

  Internet telephony operator Skype has released an app for Sony's PlayStation Vita handheld game console.

• The best free software, mobile apps, and Web services, 2012 Edition

  By Megan Geuss | 24 April, 2012 22:51

  The Internet is like a fancy Hollywood party with lots of swag: You can get tons of stuff for free, but not all of it is good. Still, some of the Web services, apps, and downloads out there are great, and don't require you to pay a cent. Our 17th annual roundup of free stuff includes dozens of no-cost services, apps, and programs that are worth your time. To help you find the most valuable freebies, we've categorized them based on which types of people they'll help most. Enjoy the free life!