Given the success Nintendo has had with the
revolutionary controller for the Wii, it was really only a matter of time before Microsoft and Sony followed the same path.
Both companies have spent millions of dollars developing their own motion control systems—and both have high hopes and expectations for their success.
Analysts and industry observers were expecting 
June’s video game sales numbers to be pretty awful. Unfortunately, they were right.
Software sales tumbled 15 percent last month to $531.3 million, according to The NPD Group, which tracks retail sales of video games. A surge in hardware sales, spurred by temporary price cuts to the Xbox 360, salvaged the industry’s overall total, though it was still six percent lower than last year.
Despite the fact that 2010 has been front-loaded with a plethora of critically acclaimed titles, this is turning out to be an awful year for the video game industry. And it’s likely to get even worse Thursday afternoon.
The NPD Group, which tracks video game retail sales, will release the June numbers roughly two hours after the market closes. Analysts are bracing for the worst – expecting a drop of anywhere from 8 to 15 percent from a year ago.
Trolls are pretty common in the online game “World of Warcraft.” Unfortunately, they’re pretty common on the game’s message boards as well.
Trolls, slang for people who haunt Internet forums and rip into other posters for seemingly innocuous statements, tend to ruin the fun for other players, who are sometimes seeking help or looking to start conversations.
When the U.S. Supreme Court agreed in April to review a
California law prohibiting the sale or rental of violent video games to minors in its next term, it sent shock waves through the gaming industry.
Analysts, insiders and even casual observers had been expecting justices to let stand a lower court ruling, which had declared the law unconstitutional. Once they didn’t, the scramble began to assess the possible implications—and leaders of the industry say they could be dire.
After a surprising—and staggeringly bad—April, the 
video game industry showed fledgling signs of life in May—but nothing that’s going to cause investors to cheer. Take Two Interactive Software, though, may finally have a hit franchise that will divert investor focus away from “Grand Theft Auto”.
Overall industry sales for the month were down 5 percent to $823.5 million, according to the NPD Group, which tracks video game sales. Software sales, which investors and industry observers track more closely, were up 4 percent, however, to $466.3 million. The software numbers were slightly lower than analyst expectations, which ranged from 5 percent to 11 percent increases.
With the Supreme Court scheduled to hear arguments 
later this year about whether states should be allowed to regulate the sale of violent video games, you might think game makers would consider dialing down the number of shooter titles.
You’d be wrong. Despite the pending case, which could dramatically redefine the industry, developers and publishers have a full slate of action games lined up for late 2010 and early 2011.
It happens every year at E3 , the world’s largest video game 
expo. Inevitably, the games that get people the most excited are the ones that won’t be out that year. That was particularly true this year – as some of the biggest titles on display won’t hit retail shelves until holiday 2011. It’s frustrating for players, but for stockholders, it can make the case for a long-term investment.
Action games (and shooters) are the largest sales category in gaming – making up 32 percent of all sales. And a blockbuster title can make a company’s year.
The worst part about E3 is the waiting. 
After injesting a flood of information for hundreds of titles and watching their excitement levels rise to critical peaks, players now must sit back and be patient.
Some of the games won’t be out for months. For others, it could be years.
Hardware announcements tend to get 
the lion’s share of the spotlight at E3. This year will be remembered for Microsoft’s Kinect, Sony’s PlayStation Move and Nintendo’s 3DS.
But in the long run, all of those devices are just tools; gadgets that are meant to spur game sales. The real stars of the show are the titles that publishers have on display.
Chris Morris: Journalist 