For years, 
video games have been pointed to as a contributing cause of childhood obesity. Now, a group of Canadian researchers are saying today’s crop of titles could actually help solve the growing problem.
The Bloorview Research Institute, in combing through 18 different research reports conducted between 1998 and 2010, found that while the amount of exercise varied from game to game, most children who play video games got the same amount of exercise as they would from a brisk walk.
Shigeru Miyamoto 
is royalty in the video game world. There is no other game creator whose name instantly commands respect and awe — and to whom a company’s fortune is so indebted.
Now, the man who created such classic franchises as Donkey Kong, Mario and The Legend of Zelda says he intends to step back from his current role to focus on more personal projects.
You’re king of 
the hill on your friends list in Modern Warfare 3. You prey on noobs whenever you encounter them online. And you never, everget tired of playing.
That’s when the thought occurs to you: Maybe, just maybe, there’s a way to make a living at this.
The good news? There is. The bad news is that it isn’t easy. At all.
To say that 
Nintendo got off to a rocky start with the 3DS is something of an understatement. After a slight surge when it went on sale, consumer interest nose-dived, forcing the company to slash pricesand admit to being guided by hubris.
These days, though, things are looking up for the handheld system. It recently surpassed the first year sales totals of the DS system, and life to date system sales are at a solid 3 million. By February, the company expects to cross the 4 million mark.
For a pastime 
primarily concerned with having fun, video games sure know how to push the wrong buttons. And while 2011 was relatively tame — no Grand Theft Auto title was released, for instance, though we did see a new Mortal Kombat — there were still plenty of reasons to get mad about games this year.
From an unprecedented security breach to mobile-gaming mudslinging, here are the topics that kept us talking.
Electronic Arts 
is bringing the classic game Theme Park back from the dead, but the price of admission may make most players choke.
The new take on the old management simulation will be a free download for owners of iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. But if you want to build some of the better attractions in your park, it could cost you more than the original version did at retail back in 1994.
For years, Microsoft 
has used the Xbox 360 as a Trojan horse to get into people’s living rooms. Now, it’s launching a full-scale attack on your other entertainment devices.
Starting Monday, Xbox 360 owners are being prompted to download a free new user interface for the console, which expands Kinect voice control, introduces a broad entertainment search option and adds a slew of new content options that have nothing to do with gaming.
FarmVille has a 
date with Wall Street on December 16. And we’re all invited.
Four months after signaling its intention to go public, Zynga has finally updated the paperwork to let investors know the date is imminent, with shares set to begin trading in two weeks. But despite speculation about Zynga instantly becoming the highest valued company in the gaming industry, that’s likely not going to be in the cards.
If your family 
hasn’t made the jump to the current console generation yet, there are plenty of incentives to do so this holiday season. Prices on all of the major gaming systems are low and you don’t have to look too far to find them.
Showing up late to the game might save you cash, but it comes with a number of disadvantages, too. The peripheral market is so crowded these days that it’s hard to figure out what’s essential and what’s the retail equivalent of setting your wallet on fire. Here are a few add-ons and extras you can safely bypass.
One of the 
oldest video game magazines around is closing up shop.
GamePro, which has been covering the video game industry for 22 years, has announced its November issue will be its last, due to declining ad revenues. The magazine’s website will also be shutting down, redirecting visitors to PCWorld.com starting December 5.
Chris Morris: Journalist 