Sony Online Entertainment and THQ are
both handing out pink slips this week.
SOE was hit hard by a devastating round of downsizing that resulted in one-third of the workforce being laid off and three studios closed. THQ cut more than 30 jobs at two of its studios, but both remain open.
Historically, injuries haven’t really been a big part 
of video game sports. Showing the real-world effects of the devastating hits from an NFL linebacker tend to remove players from the fantasy environment.
With the next installment of its flagship Madden franchise, however, Electronic Arts plans to emphasize the seriousness of player concussions by preventing in-game players who suffer the head injury from returning to the virtual field.
Sony Online Entertainment, the one-time leader
in the online gaming space, has been scaled back significantly.
The company has closed three development studios and laid off 205 of its roughly 700 employees amid growing competition in the space and the increasing number of alternate gaming platforms, such as the iPhone and Facebook.
When it comes to sports video games, Electronic 
Arts is largely viewed as the industry’s king. But for the past six years, the company has had a hole in its lineup: Major League Baseball.
With its hands tied due to an exclusivity agreement between MLB and Take-Two Interactive Software, EA has had to ride the bench. Today, though, it’s stepping back into the batter’s circle.
Everyone knows a new Grand Theft Auto is coming. It is, 
after all, one of the biggest franchises in the video game industry. But to date, Rockstar Games hasn’t dropped many hints about what to expect.
Over the past few weeks, though, there have been some cracks in the armor, indicating that work is well underway on the next installment in the iconic series.
Long the domain of garage and independent developers, the iPhone 
is starting to lure over some of the more familiar names from the Xbox 360. They’re eager to see what they can do on Apple’s iOS, but might that mean they’re thinking about abandoning the console world?
As 2010 drew to a close, a pair of top-tier iOS games hit the app store — id Software’s Rage and Epic Games’ Infinity Blade. Both let players see a console-quality graphics engine up and running on a portable device. But for the developers, it was the chance to return (in some ways) to the industry’s early days – in a much more dramatic fashion than independent or Xbox Live arcade games allow for.
Roku has been something of a trailblazer in the 
cord-cutting world, but it has had a relatively small following since it has historically only been sold online. That’s about to change.
Starting today, Best Buy customers are able to purchase the Roku XD in stores. So are shoppers at BJ’s Wholesale club, Fry’s Electronics and Radio Shack.
Its bar setting might give some parents pause, but those who don’t mind that 
will find Tapper World Tour to be a loving remake of one of the first time management simulation games. The gameplay is simple, though ultimately quite frenetic. But it’s the art that truly makes this game stand out. Hand-animated by Don Bluth and his team (who are responsible for the Dragon’s Lair arcade game and films such as An American Tail and All Dogs Go to Heaven), the characters have personality and aren’t the lifeless drones that appear in so many other games. While alcohol is not specifically called out, the drinks shown in the game (and earned as you progress) look like beer or adult cocktails (many of which you’d get at a tropical resort), which could be a concern to some. The game itself, though, is wonderful.
Ten years ago, the thought of a battle
in the portable gaming market was ludicrous. Nintendo had held such a dominant position in the space for so long that it seemed impervious to any sort of challenge.
The field was littered with failed opponents, but things started to get a little more interesting in late 2004, when Sony jumped into the market with the PSP. By the time Apple launched the App Store in 2008, a full-fledged war was underway.
Amazon is one-upping Apple.
The retail giant has launched a streaming service, allowing users to store their digital music (and other files) online and play them anywhere via the Web or an Android smartphone or tablet.
Chris Morris: Journalist 