Technology - Video Games

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - NPD Group said that US videogame industry sales for the year are on track to hit 20 billion dollars despite not measuring up to stellar revenues seen in 2008. Full Story »

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Sales of video game equipment and software in the United States fell 7.6 percent in November to $2.7 billion, research group NPD said on Thursday, as the struggling industry limped into the crucial holiday sales period. Full Story »

NEW YORK - Americans reached into their pockets — though not as deep as last year — to spend $2.7 billion on video games in November, according to figures reported Thursday by market researcher NPD Group. Full Story »

WASHINGTON - Internet users looking for gift cards and other free merchandise are being steered to Web pages inviting them to send e-mails to Congress expressing their views on President Barack Obama's push to reshape the country's health system. Full Story »

Video games based on movies are often pushed through as afterthoughts, so word that director James Cameron and Ubisoft have been collaborating for years on his sci-fi epic, "Avatar," offered hope to gamers longing to explore the lush, brightly colored jungles of Pandora. Full Story »

Hit your system update option, PS3 owners, and you'll discover firmware revision 3.15 snuck onto Sony's distribution servers overnight. According to PlayStation Lifestyle, it includes a fix for a few issues introduced in the 3.10 update, and introduces PSP Minis to the PS3 itself. Full Story »

NEW YORK - The video game industry had a 13 percent drop in overall sales during November, a Kaufman Bros. analyst estimated Thursday. Full Story »

RALEIGH, North Carolina (Reuters) - Teachers trying to get students interested in molecular biology or space now have a new tool -- video games. Full Story »

Through December 12, in-store only, Wal-Mart is offering a $50 Wal-Mart gift card with the $199 purchase of a Nintendo Wii system. Full Story »

Activision will reportedly release a censored version of Modern Warfare 2 in Japan that punishes you for shooting civilians. Full Story »

Nintendo, as you know, wants to make third-party flash cartridges anathema to its DS game handhelds. Full Story »

DALLAS - Texas Instruments Inc. raised its fourth-quarter profit and sales outlook on Tuesday, citing an improving market for chips used in cell phones and other electronic gadgets like hard disk drives and video game consoles. Full Story »

It's easy to take a series like "The Legend of Zelda" for granted. The first game arrived on the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987, and with more than a dozen releases over 23 years, even the most dedicated "Zelda" fan can be forgiven for having skipped a game or two. Full Story »

The idea that video games were recession-proof turned out to be a myth this year, leading to declining sales, shuttered studios and thousands of newly unemployed developers. Full Story »

Wal-Mart, it seems, is out for buckets of blood this holiday, lopping serious coin off a slew of popular video games, with intent to siphon video gamers away from retailers like GameStop, Best Buy, and Toys R Us. Full Story »

In the "I'll do anything for attention" category this morning, Spike TV Video Game Awards host Geoff Keighley can reportedly be heard pimping for Microsoft's upcoming Halo: Full Story »

NEW YORK - Shares of Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. plunged ahead of the regular session Friday after the video game maker lowered its financial outlook again and said it probably won't meet its profitability goals for next year. Full Story »

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - General Motors Co, battling for survival for much of the past year, has cut loose designers to sketch out a vision of the ultimate youth car of the future -- a virtual one-wheeled wonder that would match wits with its driver. Full Story »