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I'm no shrinking violet when it comes to video game violence. I cut my teeth on Unreal Tournament, and I am a machine with a shotgun in Halo. But the bloody displays at Microsoft's and Sony's press conferences here at E3 left me horrified -- and depressed that an industry with so many challenges chose to offer so little to its existing and potentially new audiences.

Microsoft's Splinter Cell: Blacklist trailer was a mano-a mano murder fest (you need to enter your age just to watch it online), featuring multiple headshots that were helpfully slowed down, … Read more

LOS ANGELES--At the company's E3 2012 press conference, Sony let a collection of exclusive software and features do all the talking. Spread across the PlayStation 3 and Vita platforms, there was certainly an impressive display of thrilling -- and most importantly exclusive games that are only available on Sony's machines.

Getting things started was David Cage, the head of developer Quantic Dream, the house behind the PS3 story-driven success, Heavy Rain. Cage announced Beyond: Two Souls, the next title in the genre-redefining resume of games his studio has produced. Adding some star power to Beyond is actress Ellen Page, who plays the lead character in the new title. … Read more

Samsung Electronics' latest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S III, will arrive at Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile USA on June 21.

At Sprint, the highly anticipated smartphone will cost $199.99 for the 16GB version, and $249.99 for the 32GB version. AT&T will sell also sell a 16GB version for $199.99 but will pair it with a 16GB micro SD card for $238.99. T-Mobile also confirmed it would arrive on the same day, but didn't provide pricing information.

Verizon Wireless and AT&T said it would take pre-orders on June 6, but Verizon only … Read more

Russ Frushtick from The Verge's Polygon gaming Zord joins us today for a preview of what's to come at next week's Electronic Gaming Expo.

Jeff and Russ will both be there to cover the show, and while casual gamers may still lament the lack of hardware announcements this year, there are still plenty of highly anticipated games to get their hands on, including "The Last of Us," "The Last Guardian," and the new "Tomb Raider."… Read more

PayPal announced today it is partnering with 15 more U.S. retailers aiming to get shoppers to use PayPal's offline payment system.

"Consumers are relying on technology now more than ever to simplify their lives when it comes to shopping and paying, and retailers must adapt to this shift or risk becoming irrelevant," PayPal President David Marcus wrote in a blog post. "Innovative retailers everywhere are looking for ways to improve the shopping experience, extend loyalty programs and better engage with their customers."

The new retailers include, Abercrombie & Fitch, Advance Auto Parts, Aeropostale, American … Read more

U.S. Cellular launched the Pantech Verse yesterday, a messaging phone with a vertical slide-up QWERTY keyboard.

Phone like the Verse may seem a dying breed when you consider all the smartphones making a splash at shows like CTIA and on store shelves, but there's an audience for those looking for simple and cheap.… Read more

Back at CES 2012, we got our first glimpse of Samsung's new gaming laptop, the Series 7 Gamer, tucked away at Samsung's booth with little fanfare. That laptop is finally available for purchase, and it features Intel's new Ivy Bridge processors and the latest Nvidia graphics in a package that's competitive with what other gaming PC makers are offering. … Read more

Wayne Brady makes his second appearance on The 404 today to expand on some of the gaming topics we covered back at CES in Vegas, but first he has a few words for his Twitter trolls.

He's daring all of them to show up to his improvisational comedy show at the Gotham Comedy Club here in NY. He's putting on three shows running today through Sunday and would love to face his critics in person, so check it out!

Wayne mentioned that he's always been into video games, so he'll update us on what he's … Read more

Using 3D imagery and robotic helicopters, the Navy plans to scan the seas for pirates.

The Office of Naval Research last week detailed a system that uses high-definition cameras and sensors with laser-radar (LADAR) technology, also called LIDAR, to better identify small boats.

The plan is to equip a drone helicopter, called Fire Scout, with the cameras and the LADAR sensor in a system the Navy calls Multi-Mode Sensor Seeker (MMSS).

Once images are collected, software can sift through the data, comparing collected images to images of reference vessels, to help narrow in on potential problems. Without some sort of … Read more