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Zynga has long been accused of liberally borrowing ideas for its games, but now a tiny development studio is putting the company in an embarrassing spotlight.
NimbleBit, the three-person development team responsible for the breakout iOS hit Tiny Tower, has pointed out the many similarities between their hit and Zynga’s upcoming Dream Heights game in a manner that’s as entertaining as it is cutting.
When it 
comes to playing PC games, portability is often sacrificed. The true monster machines are almost always burly desktops.
But that doesn’t mean all is lost for gamers who want to be able to take their systems on the road. While mobile graphics chips aren’t quite as advanced as their desktop counterparts, some can still push polygons at an incredible pace.
Gaming’s an 
expensive hobby — and all too often, it’s questionable whether you get your money’s worth. Even if a game is plenty of fun, it’s a bummer when an experience is over in a few hours with no replay potential.
But the real gems race in the other direction, offering gameplay that keeps you coming back and enough content to keep the experience fresh even after many hours have been logged.
While 
most cops protect and serve, former East St. Louis police chief Michael Baxton apparently likes to play.
Baxton pleaded guilty Thursday to stealing four Xbox 360 consoles from the FBI, reports St. Louis news station KSDK.
Kids, 
take note: Your parents do have the right to discipline you.
One tyke in the Portland suburb of Lake Oswego decided to test this rule when he was upset with his mother’s decision to take away his PlayStation 3. So upset, in fact, that he called 911 to get it straightened out.
Worried 
that grandma or grandpa might be losing their edge? Get ’em in front of a game console — fast!
A new study published in the current American Journal of Preventive Medicine finds that select video games may have positive mental benefits for older adults, and could help stave off dementia.
The iPhone, 
iPad and iPod Touch might have some great gaming experiences, but they’re all fairly sedentary, unless you consider pulling the Angry Bird slingshot a cardio workout (in which case, we salute your level of sluggishness).
A new developer, though, is looking to change those perceptions.
While December 
was a grim month overall for the video game industry, it was particularly brutal for Nintendo. Wii hardware sales were down a whopping 55 percent compared to a year ago, a clear sign that interest in the once-hot console has dried up.
All of the major consoles saw sales declines last month, but they were muted compared to Nintendo’s drop. The Xbox 360 was off 8 percent and the PlayStation 3 saw sales fall 22 percent.
The Consumer 
Electronics Show isn’t just about a bunch of drool-worthy TVs and doomed-before-they-launch tablets. Gaming is a big part of the show.
While new games aren’t announced or showcased and major new hardware announcements by big industry players don’t typically happen (even rumored ones like the Xbox 720), there’s plenty of gaming on hand. Sony and Nintendo have been busily showing off the PlayStation Vita and Wii U, respectively, and many of those fancy sets and mobile devices are geared towards those who like to play.
Video game 
retailers didn’t have a lot to celebrate in 2011.
According to figures announced Thursday by The NPD Group, overall sales for the industry came in between $16.3 and $16.6 billion for 2011. That’s down from $18.6 billion a year ago.
Chris Morris: Journalist 