New 
Mexico residents might want to grab their shovels.
Those long buried copies of E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, the infamous Atari 2600 game that many believe contributed to the great North American video game industry crash of 1983, might be worth digging up thanks to a hacker who has seemingly fixed its biggest bugs.
If 
there was a beacon of hope for the video game industry in the first half of 2013, it was Bioshock Infinite. The hotly-anticipated game, currently the top-rated title of the year, was the best chance for retail sales to rebound and return to positive territory.
As it turns out, Booker DeWitt and Elizabeth couldn’t quite live up to that pressure — even with Lara Croft, Kratos and the Gears of War crew backing them up.
Not 
too long ago, many people believed Facebook was the Next Big Thing in gaming. Developers debated it — sometimes ferociously — at conventions, while venture capitalists couldn’t fund the companies making those games fast enough.
But over the past few months, the air seems to have been let out of Facebook’s tires. Major publishers are withdrawing their support. Pop culture breakouts like Farmville are far and few between. Most damningly, players seem to have moved on to other diversions.
It 
might be the year of Luigi, but another green-garbed Nintendo mascot stole the spotlight Wednesday as Nintendo announced a slew of upcoming titles.
An all-new The Legend of Zelda game set in the world of 1991’s The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is scheduled to launch for the 3DS this holiday season. Also on the way are new entries in the Yoshi’s Island and Mario Party series, as well as the U.S. arrival of the cult-classic Earthbound, the company announced in a direct broadcast to fans.
Did 
you buy an EA football game between 2003 and 2012? You might have some money coming to you — even more than you thought.
Recent modifications to the class-action settlement EA made regarding the games could triple the amount paid out to claimants. Under the new terms, people will receive $20.37 per game, as opposed to $6.79, if they bought a copy for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube or Windows PC. Those who bought a version for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii will see $5.85 per game, instead of $1.95.
Electronic 
Arts is unfriending Facebook.
In a surprise announcement Monday, the publisher revealed plans to sunset several of its games on the social network, including The Sims Social, SimCity Social and Pet Society.
Add 
Daniel Sherrouse to the short list for geeky father of the year.
While most dads would probably be happy to help their kids build a spaceship out of a cardboard box and some aluminum foil, he took things a bit further, building a much, MUCH more detailed simulator.
The 
little system hoping to change the world faces some huge challenges.
When it was first introduced last July, the Ouya game system sounded like a dream come true for gamers frustrated with traditional consoles. With a focus on independent games, an affordable price point and a developer-friendly design, it seemed like a breath of fresh air for the industry.
Now the system is finally in the hands of its early Kickstarter backers — just two months from hitting retail shelves — and it appears the dream may well turn into a nightmare.
Unemployment. 
Microsoft Studios’ creative director Adam Orth is going to have to learn to deal with it for a little while.
Orth, whose controversial Twitter comments about always-on connectivity last week stirred up gamers and forced a public apology from the Redmond-based company, is no longer employed at Microsoft.
With 
this game, I thee wed.
There have been numerous wedding proposals done via video game modifications, but actually building a game from scratch for the sole purpose of asking for someone’s hand? That’s a new level altogether.
Chris Morris: Journalist 