Author Archives: Chris Morris

11 inventions that could change the world

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Trying world-changing-inventionsto predict the future is a fool’s game.

What seems a failure at first (like, say, the electric light) becomes indispensable. And what seems destined to succeed (Hello there, Apple Newton!) can soon become a toss-away item. So claiming any invention as a “sure bet” is an easy way to set yourself up for humiliation.

There are items, though, that certainly have the potential to dramatically impact the way people live—from interacting with the world around them, to exploring deep space, to simply finding ways to survive in hostile environments.

Some have been on the market a few years; others are just gaining traction; and others, still, are in the late formulative stages, but each of these inventions has the potential to change the world as we know it today.

Read more at CNBC.com

Ubisoft facing backlash over lack of female assassins in Assassin’s Creed: Unity

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By ubisoft-backlashmost accounts, Assassin’s Creed: Unity has been a big hit at E3. The game’s wonderful, brutal trailer at Microsoft’s press conference Monday got raucous applause and the inclusion of four-person co-operative play is a welcome change.

But the company’s decision to not include any female assassins among the game’s playable characters is rubbing some gamers the wrong way.

Read more at Yahoo! Games

‘Grand Theft Auto V’ races to next gen platforms

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“Grand GTA-next-genTheft Auto V,” which last September set entertainment industry sales records, is speeding toward the Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC.

Rockstar Games and Take-Two Interactive Software broke the news late Monday night at Sony’s pre-E3 press conference. Although the announcement had been expected, that didn’t dampen the response from fans.

Read more at CNBC.com

E3 may pull the plug on Los Angeles

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The e3-leaving-lavideo game industry has held its annual trade show in its backyard of Los Angeles for 17 of the past 19 years. But the president of the Entertainment Software Association, which organizes the annual event, says E3 may pull up stakes.

“E3 is a world class show that deserves a world class venue,” said Michael Gallagher at a media dinner Sunday night. “The Los Angeles Convention Center is no longer a top-tier property.”

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Nintendo at the crossroads

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Just nintendo-crossroadsseven years ago, Nintendo was the undisputed king of the video game world. The Wii was impossible to find, as people who had never considered themselves gamers couldn’t get enough of the company’s products. Today, despite the introduction of a high-definition system that blends console and tablet gaming, the company is looking more and more like the industry’s pauper.

Sales of the Wii U are stagnant. A slow trickle of releases hasn’t helped matters. At the same time, Sony has managed to recapture its golden touch from the PlayStation 2 days, when it could do no wrong in gamers’ eyes—and Microsoft is posting healthy Xbox One sales, despite some public relations missteps.

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Disappointing Zynga primes for a comeback

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Zynga, zynga-comebackto many investors, is a cautionary tale.

In the months preceding its 2011 IPO, some analysts estimated the company to have a market cap of $15 billion to $20 billion. At the last minute, that was dropped to $7 billion. And the company’s shares quickly took a dive after trading commenced. Today, the company’s market cap sits at less than $3 billion.

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Will Amazon be the next giant in gaming?

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Just amazon-gamingas video game publishers and console makers are getting used to the disruption Apple and Google brought to the industry, another shake-up might be looming.

Amazon, which previously only sniffed around the edges of the gaming world, seems to be positioning itself to become a much bigger player. The only question is: When?

Read more at CNBC.com

Microsoft reveals action-packed Xbox lineup for 2014 and beyond

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Microsoft E3-msft-confput the emphasis squarely on action at its annual pre-E3 press conference in Los Angeles, showcasing a variety of titles filled with guns, knives and other instruments of destruction.

Whether it’s the futuristic weapons of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, the hidden blades of Assassin’s Creed: Unity or the dual-wielding pistols of the Master Chief, there’s a good chance you’ll be causing some carnage this fall.

Read more at Yahoo! Games

10 best-selling video games (so far) of 2014

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The best-selling-games-2014-so-farnext generation of consoles is starting to shake up the sales charts.

With the release of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, there’s a new mid-year sales leader in the videogame industry—and it’s not Call of Duty for a change.

This year’s list, in fact, is full of changes—perhaps none so remarkable as the strong showing of Lego. A pair of games based on the children’s toys are among the top-selling titles so far in 2014. And Minecraft, the little indie game that became a juggernaut (selling over 15 million copies life-to-date), has shoved some familiar franchises off the list.

Read more at CNBC.com