If 
Earth ever comes under alien attack, we can rest easy knowing that Victor Sandberg is on our side.
Sandberg came out of nowhere this weekend to apparently shatter one of gaming’s oldest records: the 31-year old high score for the coin-op classic Missile Command.
It’s 
going to be a while before the dust settles on Monday’s executive shakeup at Electronic Arts. And the debate is likely going to last a lot longer than that.
John Riccitiello’s departure Monday afternoon from the company he steered for the past six years certainly wasn’t filled with warm fuzzies. The press release was filled with boilerplate comments and a lack of any real information or affection. And the slipped-in sentence that the company would report earnings at the low end of guidance – or even possibly below it – certainly didn’t add any fondness to the farewell.
While 
there’s no shortage of video games that focus on shooting, dragons and fast cars, some game makers aren’t afraid to tackle weightier issues.
A developer in Vancouver has crafted a simulation of what life is like for people with autism in an effort to raise awareness about the condition and help educate people about what it’s like for those suffering its effects.
The 
video game industry’s retail losing streak just keeps getting uglier.
Brick and mortar video game sales were down in February, and once again they falling far short of analysts’ weak expectations. Software sales, which are the most closely watched figure, were down 27 percent from a year ago to $352 million.
A 
U.S. District Court is ordering Mario to cough up some gold coins.
A federal jury in New York has found Nintendo guilty of infringing on a key patent in the creation of its 3DS handheld system and has ordered the game maker to pay over $30 million in damages.
Playing 
video games isn’t supposed to be upsetting. You might feel some competitive pressure during a harrowing multiplayer match or a difficult level might drive you a little crazy, but “angering consumers” isn’t exactly a top priority for game makers.
Unfortunately, business is business, and what’s apparently best for game companies isn’t always best for players. A number of questionable features in new video games (and upcoming consoles) have turned otherwise happy gamers into teeth-gnashing trolls.
Some of these features are meant to curb piracy. Some aim to boost revenues. Some attempt to promote technology. Others? Well, we’re really not sure why anyone thought they were a good idea. Here are five new game features we desperately wish we could unplug.
Activision 
is getting into the microtransaction game, and it’s bringing its most notable franchise along for the ride.
Starting today, Call of Duty: Black Ops II will let players pick up small items such as extra loadout slots and gun personalization packs for prices ranging from $1 to $5.
Zynga 
shares soared Monday, after an analyst’s report mentioned the social game maker was a possible candidate for a takeover — by Yahoo!, of all companies.
Wunderlich Securities’ Blake Harper got the ball rolling, noting that while Yahoo! has been reported to be sniffing around Yelp and OpenTable, Zynga (along with Tumblr and FourSquare) would be a good match as well.
Two 
years ago, Frank Christopher Olivera was scheduling media conference calls with GameStop executives.
He was also illegally pocketing a lot of money from the company.
The 
most formidable protagonist in videogames is a 21-year-old woman who must protect her friends and fight off well-armed enemies hell-bent on dispatching her.
The game is “Tomb Raider,” launched March 5, and critics are already singing its praises as a masterful reboot of the 17-year-old franchise. In the relatively short history of videogames, that series, perhaps more than any other, has shown that players are more than willing to accept a female lead character in a fantasy action game.
But when it comes to games that are set in more realistic scenarios, women are rare — and they’re never cast as the primary hero.
Chris Morris: Journalist 