The 
joystick generation is growing fast.
A new report finds that the video game playing population of the United States now totals 135 million — a 140 percent increase over the amount recorded in 2008.
Monthly Archives: February 2012
‘Kinect Star Wars’ to be fully operational in April
Jedi 
wannabes will finally have a chance to join the Rebellion this spring.
After a series of delays, Kinect Star Wars will hit store shelves on April 3…and Microsoft is rolling out all the stops to promote it.
‘Madden 12′ nails Super Bowl XLVI prediction
Next time 
you’re about to bet on a football game, run a simulation on the latest version of EA’s Madden franchise first. You might make a bundle.
The reigning football video game champ accurately called the winner of Super Bowl XLVI two days before the game — and was pretty close on the point spread, to boot.
Zynga’s in the black – but for how long?
While the 
gaming world was busy watching THQ implode last week, a funny thing happened in the background. Zynga began trading in positive territory.
Boosted by Facebook’s IPO filing, the social games maker finally escaped the mire of mediocrity it had been stuck in since its first day as a public company and began to grow. The question is: Is it a short-term surge or the start of a true growth curve?
Tech tips for Super Bowl parties
It really doesn’t matter if you’re a Giants fan or a Patriots fan when it comes to this week’s Super Bowl. Heck, if you’re a dedicated geek, you don’t even have to like football at all to throw a good shindig.
The big game 
is often secondary at Super Bowl parties. Instead, the event marks the informal end to those insane New Year Resolutions and offer a chance to show off some of your latest and greatest tech gadgets.
If you’re planning on hosting this year’s bash, here are a few essentials that will ensure your man cave is the go-to destination for all future sports-related parties.
Gamer’s death at internet cafe goes unnoticed for nine hours
It’s easy 
to get absorbed in a game, but it’s another thing entirely to be so absorbed that you don’t notice the guy next to you has died.
Gamers in a Taipei internet café failed to notice the newly deceased for a staggering amount of time earlier this week. Officials estimate that 23-year-old gamer Chen Rong-yu had been dead up to nine hours before anyone realized it.
Troubled THQ fires 240, cuts CEO salary in half
THQ 
is taking some drastic measures after a string of sales disappointments.
The game publisher, once the industry’s third largest, has laid off 240 employees and cut its CEO’s salary in half for a year, according to an SEC filing. This follows a recent announcement that the company’s stock might be removed from the NASDAQ stock exchange.
Troubled Times at Game Maker THQ
Five 
years ago THQ was one of the videogame industry’s biggest publishers. Today, the company is struggling to stay afloat.
The troubled game maker is facing a possible delisting from the Nasdaq stock exchange, announced the layoff of 240 employees Wednesday and slashed its CEO’s salary in half for the next year as sales have plummeted. Further, last week the company announced plans to abandon the once lucrative children’s licensed games business to focus on titles for a core audience.
Analysis: What’s next for THQ?
Troubled 
publisher THQ is massively reorganizing itself yet again, but is the elimination of its licensed kids’ games and 240 members of its staff enough to convince shareholders that the company means it this time?
The cloud hovering over THQ’s corporate head got a lot darker Wednesday – and the long-term forecast is pretty uncertain.
While there’s certainly nothing happy about 240 employees losing their jobs and it’s never a good sign when a CEO slashes his own salary, the actions could be the start of what THQ needs to do to ensure its long-term survival. But they may not be the end.
White House exploring benefits of gaming
The Obama 
administration is embracing the gamification movement in a big way.
Constance Steinkuehler has been hired as a senior policy analyst at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Sounds like a typical government title, huh? Here’s the catch: She studies video games.
Chris Morris: Journalist 