Sony’s efforts to stay competitive in the 
handheld gaming space have hit a snag following the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
Sony officials say the disasters may delay the release of their NGP handheld, with the system releasing in just one region of the world this year instead of all three. That could give Nintendo and Apple a chance to cement a solid lead in an increasingly competitive space.
In 2010, Electronic Arts waited until the 
last second to cancel its flagship NBA game. This year, it’s bowing out long before the season begins.
The leader in video game sports has quietly announced plans to bypass this season and release its next installment of NBA Elite (formerly called NBA Live) in the fall of 2012. That will create a three-year gap between releases, a significant fall for what used to be the leading basketball sports simulation.
Activision and EA aren’t going away anytime soon, 
but the never ending clash of the video game publishing titans has opened the door for a newer, more nimble type of competitor.
Their names — Zeptolab, Mojang, LimaSky — certainly don’t demand attention like the major console publishers. But their products are as familiar to the gaming world as many titles from the big guns. And, in some circles, they’re perhaps even better known.
It’s been a while since we’ve heard from Max 
Payne – that godawful 2008 Mark Wahlberg movie notwithstanding.
There hasn’t been a new game in the series for eight years. And while Rockstar Games announced two years ago that a third installment was on the way (and initially planned for a holiday 2009 release), the only time it has mentioned the game since is to announce delays. Over the course of the past week, though, the hype machine started to churn once again.
The Nielsen Company, that arbiter of television ratings, has 
released a study breaking down American gaming habits. The study, part of its March 2011 State of the Media report, finds that Americans spend an average of 13 minutes playing video games on a television each day.
That might not sound like a lot, but keep in mind that the data was taken from Nielsen homes, which are made up of a wide swath of people, many of whom are not core gamers – and many of whom don’t even own a gaming console.
While it rules the retail sector when it comes to video 
game sales, GameStop hasn’t exactly been leading the pack when it comes to digital distribution. Now, it’s starting to play catch up.
The company plans to buy Stardock — and its Impulse digital delivery service — as well as the game streaming service Spawn Labs to prepare for its future. In other words, GameStop is putting Steam and OnLive in its crosshairs.
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.
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.
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.
No system launch is ever completely smooth, but the 
last thing a company wants to hear are reports that its new product is crashing when it gets in the hands of consumers.
Nintendo is in that uncomfortable situation, however, as a small number of new 3DS owners are discovering a bug causing an error screen — or worse, making the screen go completely dark.
Chris Morris: Journalist 