The 
Internet might be a haven for cat lovers, but when it comes to gamers, dogs rule.
Activision has a viral hit on its hands with Call of Duty: Ghosts, but not for the reasons it likely expected. The German Shepherd seen wearing a motion-capture suit in the game’s first official trailers and screenshots has become something of an internet sensation.
Activision 
has never been afraid to go big with its expansions for Call of Duty, but the next bit of downloadable content makes an offer you might not want to refuse.
Uprising, the next downloadable expansion for the billion-selling shooter, will feature four new diverse multiplayer maps and a new Zombie mode that features four of Hollywood’s go-to actors for mafia-themed films.
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.
The 
videogame industry takes its franchises even more seriously than Hollywood.
New games — or at least digitally downloadable content — are expected every year by a voracious audience, with billions in grosses potentially at stake. One misstep can turn a popular game’s most ardent evangelists into its loudest critics.
It 
was hardly a secret that 2012 was a rough year for the video game industry. But exactly how bad was it?
The NPD Group has the answer — and it’s not encouraging.
Will 
Black Ops II be a bigger hit than its predecessor?
Activision announced Wednesday that the latest game in the Call of Duty franchise has hit the $1 billion sales mark after just 15 days on store shelves. That’s one day faster than last year’s Modern Warfare 3, and two days faster than 2009’s “Avatar.”
Year 
after year, a Call of Duty game hits store shelves and within about 24 hours, Activision’s PR team is shouting from the rooftops about the series setting a new entertainment industry sales record. The most recent release, Black Ops II, is no exception.
But several other gaming franchises have had blockbuster opening weekends as well, earning more in a one- or five-day period than most games make in their entire lifespan.
Here’s a look at the 10 biggest debuts in gaming history.
Activision’s 
cash machine is still running smooth.
In what’s becoming a November tradition, the latest Call of Duty game is once again the biggest entertainment launch of the year. Activision announced Friday that Black Ops II earned over $500 million in its first 24 hours.
Call 
of Duty: Black Ops II is getting rave reviews, and judging by the early numbers we’re hearing, it’s bound to be another seriously big seller.
But not all versions of the game are created equal.
Well, 
we know at least one part of Black Ops II’s near-future vision won’t be coming true.
While the Call of Duty series strives for a sense of authenticity amidst the over-the-top game scenarios — and it usually hits pretty close to the mark — current events are casting doubt on one feature of Black Ops II: the casting of former CIA director David Petraeus as the Secretary of Defense in 2025.
Chris Morris: Journalist 