Articles filed under Video Games

Show Articles : prev 20 next 20
  • A boy named Quico, accompanied by a lumbering pink beast he calls Monster, discovers ways to transform his bleak environment into something magical in “Papo & Yo.”

    'Papo & Yo' innovative but somewhat disturbingSep 11, 2012 12:00 AM
    Big-budget video games are becoming more and more like Hollywood blockbusters — plenty of spectacle, but not much room for small, personal stories. Independent game designers are trying to fill the gap. "Papo & Yo" takes place in an unspecified South American slum. This barrio is home to a boy named Quico, who discovers ways to transform his bleak environment into something magical.

     
  • This undated image provided by Zynga shows a screenshot of Farmville 2, announced on Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2012. Not Long ago, online games company Zynga looked on pace to unseat much bigger, well-established rivals as it rode the popularity of “FarmVille,” the clicking game of virtual cows and real money. But the iPad came along, and more people bought smartphones. People weren’t playing Zynga’s games on Facebook and computers as much as they used to.

    Can ‘FarmVille 2’ save struggling Zynga? Sep 8, 2012 12:00 AM
    Not long ago, online games company Zynga looked on pace to unseat much bigger, well-established rivals as it rode the popularity of "FarmVille," the clicking game of virtual cows and real money. But the iPad came along, and more people bought smartphones. People weren't playing Zynga's games on Facebook and computers as much as they used to. Zynga's revenue growth slowed down, and its stock price fell sharply, even as it released dozens of new games.

     
  • The Miami Dolphins take on the San Francisco 49ers in the revamped “Madden NFL 13.”

    'Madden NFL 13' a bold revamp of franchise Sep 4, 2012 12:00 AM
    EA Sports has rolled the dice on a major overhaul of its best-selling "Madden NFL" football franchise this season — and most of its gambles have paid off. "Madden NFL 13" swapped out the booth announcers, switched to a more classic presentation, overhauled the menu system and crafted a comprehensive Connected Career mode. But the most notable change is a new physics engine that dramatically varies the hits and avoids the repetitive sequences of previous years.

     
  • Despite the “New” in its title, “New Super Mario Bros. 2” is more of a look back to the 1980s.

    Mario's latest gold rush doesn't pan out Aug 28, 2012 12:00 AM
    Whenever video-game companies stretch out popular franchises for financial reasons, disenchanted customers call it a "money grab." It's a charge Nintendo has largely been immune to. That changes with "New Super Mario Bros. 2," which takes the whole money-grab concept quite literally. The whole point of the game is to grab money — namely, the sparkling gold coins that have littered almost every Mario release since the mid-1980s.

     
  • Despite the grim subject matter, “Darksiders II” is almost gleeful, with vivid character design, lively animation and a wicked sense of humor.

    Death takes a holiday in ‘Darksiders II’ Aug 21, 2012 12:00 AM
    In "Darksiders II" humanity has already been extinguished. The question is: What next? The protagonist is one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse — specifically, Death. He's more concerned with restoring the reputation of his brother, War, who was unjustly blamed for the global massacre in 2010's "Darksiders." Despite the grim subject matter, the game's almost gleeful, with vivid character design, lively animation and a wicked sense of humor.

     
  • In “Sound Shapes,” the platformer has been pared down to its bare essentials. But there’s still huge potential for this small gem.

    The beat goes on in Sony’s ‘Sound Shapes’ Aug 14, 2012 12:00 AM
    In "Sound Shapes," developer Queasy Games boils the platformer down to its bare essentials. Your "character" is a tiny ball that can roll, accelerate and jump. On each screen, the object is to collect all the floating discs (musical notes), which are what put the sound in "Sound Shapes." As you progress through each level, the music gets more intense as the action gets more challenging.

     

  • EA wants its games on Windows phones Aug 13, 2012 12:00 AM
    Electronic Arts Inc., the second-largest U.S. video-game maker, is in talks with Microsoft Corp. to bring mobile games to the next version of Windows as it sees the operating system as central to its handset strategy. "We're working very closely with Microsoft to understand what their views on gaming navigation are," Chief Operating Officer Peter Moore said in a phone interview before the annual Gamescom conference kicks off this week in Cologne, Germany. "Anything that allows more platforms to be adopted quickly that have a gaming element is good for Electronic Arts."

     
  • Although the highly addictive game Minecraft was not intended to be an educational tool, many parents and teachers are finding it useful. Second-grade teacher Joel Levin said he “brought it into my classroom because my 5-year-old daughter was having such an amazing experience with it.

    Can an addictive video game be an educational tool? Aug 12, 2012 12:00 AM
    Minecraft is an open-ended video game that lets players build virtual houses and communities with a few simple keystrokes. Since it officially launched last November, Minecraft's website has recorded more than 36 million registered users, with 6.8 million purchasing a copy to run on their own computers.

     

  • Online accounts for Blizzard video games hacked Aug 10, 2012 12:00 AM
    The maker of video games such as "Diablo" and "World of Warcraft" is warning players that hackers have gained unauthorized access to some online accounts.

     
  • The action in “Theatrhythm Final Fantasy” will feel familiar if you've ever played a rhythm game on the DS.

    'Final Fantasy' music sings on 3DS Aug 7, 2012 12:00 AM
    Square Enix's "Final Fantasy" video-game franchise is celebrating its 25th anniversary. And while the series has stumbled a bit over the last decade, fans of role-playing adventures can all cite their favorite moments. What makes those emotional moments so effective? The lavish orchestral scores. "Theatrhythm Final Fantasy" is Square's own tribute to a quarter-century of terrific game music.

     
  • “The Secret World” throws players into a mythical virtual earth populated with haunted houses, secret societies, vampire cults and zombie invasions.

    'Secret World' — a thinking person's MMO Jul 31, 2012 12:00 AM
    With "The Secret World," developer Funcom has a created a mythical virtual Earth populated with haunted houses, secret societies, vampire cults and zombie invasions that feels completely distinct from other titles in the genre. Plus "The Secret World" has abandoned a typical class structure in favor of abilities determined by weapons such as shotguns, swords, assault rifles and magical books.

     
  • Playing as a knight swinging across a gem-filled sky in “Knights of the Round Cable” can provide hours of entertainment on the iPad.

    Chillingo's 'Knights' and more storm the iPadJul 24, 2012 12:00 AM
    When I was a boy, my parents were always spoiling my summer vacation by making me go outside. Kids today have it easier: As long as you can sneak your iPad out of the house, you can stay entertained until the battery runs dry. And "Knights of the Round Cable" hits the iPad sweet spot: You can learn it in seconds and then find you've spent hours twirling through its castles.

     
  • Des Plaines resident Manoj Sunny, 16, gazes at his Nintendo DS during the Pokémon National Championships in Indianapolis earlier this month. Sunny, who finished in fourth place, will travel to Hawaii for the world championships next month.

    Video game skills earn Des Plaines teen shot at world title Jul 20, 2012 12:00 AM
    A Des Plaines teen is one of 36 Americans to represent the nation at the 2012 World Pokemon Championships in Hawaii this August. Manoj Sunny, 16, earned the trip by placing fourth in his division at the national tournament for the popular handheld video game. “If you don’t predict what your opponent will do, you will lose,” he said.

     
  • Professor Fitz Quadwrangle has discovered a way to switch among four dimensions with unusual physics in “Quantum Conundrum.”

    'Quantum Conundrum' blinds with science Jul 19, 2012 12:00 AM
    Many industry pundits believe that by 2020, if not sooner, you'll download all your games. Right now, though, the download-only market is still somewhat of a laboratory for game designers who want to experiment with new ideas. And no lab is wackier than the one you'll visit in "Quantum Conundrum." Professor Fitz Quadwrangle has discovered a way to switch among four dimensions with unusual physics.

     
  • Max Payne uses his Shootdodge maneuver to fire off some shots in “Max Payne 3.”

    Max Payne can be your life coach too Jul 15, 2012 12:00 AM
    "Max Payne 3" demonstrates the narrative and moral value of hard video games — the ones that make your loved ones fear for your health and sanity. Mastery requires error and segmented iteration.

     
  • A screenshot of the website Pottermore. One million fans who were able to solve riddles and find a Magical Quill have had a chance to try out Pottermore for nearly a year. The rest of us, the magic-free Muggles, had to wait until it opened to the general public this spring.

    Books and movies are over, but Potter magic lives online Jul 14, 2012 12:00 AM
    Shortly before the Harry Potter saga came to an end on movie screens a year ago, we were teased with more adventures about the young wizard through a website called Pottermore. Although the website struggles to engage adults as much as kids, it offers a retelling of, so far, the first book and part of the second. There are several features all ages can enjoy.

     

  • Video game sales down for 7th straight month Jul 14, 2012 12:00 AM
    A new report says U.S. retail sales of videogame hardware, software and accessories fell for a seventh consecutive month. The top-selling game was "Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes," from Time Warner Inc.'s Warner Bros. Interactive.

     
  • Spider-Man flies into action in “The Amazing Spider-Man,” which lets gamers swing between the skyscrapers of Manhattan.

    'Spider-Man' game loses to 'Lego Batman' Jul 10, 2012 12:00 AM
    Fans have been hoping that a new movie Spidey might reinvigorate the video-game franchise. But while the developer has given "The Amazing Spider-Man" some new tricks, it still feels a little threadbare. Batman fans, on the other hand, will enjoy "Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes," a more lighthearted, family-friendly romp.

     
  • In this June 5, 1984, file photo, a woman in Chicago demonstrates Atari’s new game, Mind Link, which utilizes a headband that picks up electrical impulse from the movement of the forehead and transmits them to a receiver attached to a video game or home computer console.

    Woman behind ‘Centipede’ recalls game icon’s birth Jul 4, 2012 12:00 AM
    The year was 1980. Dona Bailey was working as a computer programmer at General Motors when she heard the Pretenders song "Space Invader" and fell in love with it. After playing the video game in a bar, she joined Atari, the company that cemented the video game industry in the 1970s and early 1980s with "Pong," and thanks in part to Bailey, "Centipede." Though she stayed only two years, Bailey left her mark as one of the rare female programmers at Atari.

     
  • American commandos explore a ruined Dubai in “Spec Ops: The Line.”

    Killing machines go haywire in 'Spec Ops' Jul 3, 2012 12:00 AM
    "Spec Ops: The Line" takes place in Dubai six months after it has been demolished by an apocalyptic sandstorm. Only a few refugees remain, along with a U.S. Army infantry unit. After receiving a distress call from inside Dubai, your three-man commando team is sent to investigate. "Spec Ops" is a take on Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness," by way of Francis Ford Coppola's "Apocalypse Now."

     
Show Articles : prev 20 next 20

Best Bets

    next prev
    Suburban Calendar

    MostViewed

    Today
    Yesterday
    Most Commented
    Top Jobs
      next prev

      View all Top Jobs Place a job ad

      MarketsReport

      DHExtras

         
      • Online calendar - Online calendar Zillow /real estate page
      • Mike North MORE logo
      • Discuss refer On Guard series
      • Newspaper archives -- Monday or anyday

      FacebookActivity

      BusinessDirectory

      Connect with a business or service in your area fast. First select a town, then enter a search term or choose one of the listed popular searches:

      Don't see your town listed? Visit our full directory to begin your search.

      Powered by Local.com