You 
may think your kindergartner is pretty proficient at Mario or Angry Birds, but we’ve got some sobering news. Your kid can’t hold a candle to Cheetah.
A study in the American Journal of Primatology finds that chimpanzees are actually better at games than the average 3-6 year old.
North 
American players started forgetting about the PlayStation 2 somewhere around the end of 2007. The PS3 had been out for a year by that point and Sony—and independent third-party game publishers—were focusing all of their marketing efforts on the new platform.
But in developing and emerging markets, the PS2 was all the rage. In fact, that rage only recently died down: with production costs on the console having become negligible, Sony kept selling the system through January of this year, when it finally halted production.
Reports 
this week that China was considering lifting its 13-year ban on video game consoles sent shares of companies like Sony and Nintendo soaring.
But as the euphoria wears off and the waiting period for the country’s government to take action (if, indeed, it plans to) sets in, analysts say the potential impact on major U.S. video game publishers will likely be minimal.
Crytek 
is a leader when it comes to graphics engines for videogames, but now it’s hoping to expand into film and TV.
The developer, responsible for such tentpole games as “Far Cry” and “Crysis,” is nearing completion on a production tool called Cinebox, which will streamline the creation of animation for any form of media.
E3 is 
usually the video game industry’s big party of the year — a chance to celebrate its strengths and showcase the titles it expects to drive sales forward for the rest of the year.
But as the game makers gather for this year’s event, a cloud hangs over the soiree. Retail sales are down 27 percent compared to this time in 2011. Mobile devices are stealing the spotlight from traditional consoles. And naysayers are openly questioning the long-term viability of the console industry.
The 
industry has changed immensely since E3 debuted in the 90s, but critics who say that E3 has lost all relevance are missing the point, says Gamasutra editor-at-large Chris Morris.
There are a lot of people — and media outlets — complaining about E3 these days.
That’s typical around this time each year. The stress of finalizing a schedule and the dread that comes as you realize you’re about to go the better part of a week running at 100mph with little (to no) rest is daunting. But this year, the complaints seem more pointed, with lots of people opening wondering if the show has outlived its usefulness. With all due respect, that’s ridiculous.
The Obama 
administration is embracing the gamification movement in a big way.
Constance Steinkuehler has been hired as a senior policy analyst at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Sounds like a typical government title, huh? Here’s the catch: She studies video games.
Tablets 
offer plenty of games from Apple and Android’s app stores, but the selection can leave hardcore gamers frustrated.
While there are some exceptions, most of these app-based games are seen as the equivalent of a midday snack — fun diversions designed for short bursts of play, but ultimately disposable. And though there are some familiar console franchises in the mobile space such as Activision’s “Call of Duty Black Ops Zombies,” the depth of gameplay on those titles doesn’t begin to compare with the offerings on the Xbox, PlayStation 3 or PC.
Ray Rizzo isn’t 
just a Pokemon collector.
He’s a Poke-champ.
For the second year in a row, the 18 year-old from New Jersey has been named the Pokemon video game world champion, topping competitors from around the world in the Pokemon World Championships, an invitation-only event that wrapped up this weekend in San Diego.
[Gamasutra editor-at-large Chris Morris discusses 
whether Take-Two Interactive would benefit from an acquisition at the moment, noting that anyone looking to buy will most likely “have to pony up a boatload of cash.”]
Here we go again.
With earnings becoming more dependable, another GTA game lurking in the shadows and key talent locked in for the next few years, it was only natural that talk of a Take-Two acquisition would resume. But today’s Take-Two isn’t the same company it was when EA came knocking on the door. And the takeover that once seemed a foregone conclusion in the gaming world is now a lot less certain.
Chris Morris: Journalist 