sims

What Pac-Man means at 30

It's probably impossible to count the times someone has written that video games are a business as big as or bigger than Hollywood.

But long before the Halos and the Sims and the Call of Dutys and the Maddens began bringing in billions of dollars, the world was dominated by a simple yellow character munching his way through a maze of dots, trying to avoid getting eaten by ghosts.

On May 22, 1980, a Japanese company called Namco Bandai released a game in Japan called Puck-Man. The title was rejected in the United States because some worried that the &… Read more

Buzz Out Loud 1224: Regulation vibrations (podcast)

There's all kinds of vibrating on today's episode. from the server farm I imagine sits in Rafe's bedroom, to the oscillations of molecular computing, to the vibrations of sound from our rant about Drive Safe.ly. And Molly's rant on Net Neutrality last Friday also caused some vibrations, and we get to chatting about how much regulation you really need. Oh and don't forget you have no privacy.

Subscribe with iTunes (audio) Subscribe with iTunes (video) Subscribe with RSS (audio) Subscribe with RSS (video) EPISODE 1224

Alliance of Wi-Fi and WiGig Standards in 60 GHz … Read more

preGAME 12: 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa

This week on preGAME we bring you the video game version of the world's greatest soccer tournament, the World Cup. On today's show, Mark and Jeff will play a half of 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa.

But first, we'll try and unravel the mystery behind a recent Capcom trademark request for the name "Mega Man Universe." While dozens of ideas race through our heads, we can only assume that this next-gen iteration of Mega Man might bring us the first-ever massive multiplayer online game in the franchise.

If you've ever wondered what a … Read more

A game show app and a real-time kingdom: iPhone apps of the week

The big news this week was Apple's special event to announce the coming release of iPhone OS 4. Among the more than 100 new features in the updated operating system, Apple announced some big changes that both iPhone users and app developers will appreciate. According to Apple, the OS upgrade will be available to iPad users this fall.

Perhaps the biggest announcement of all was the addition of multitasking. This long-awaited feature will let you run multiple apps at a time so you can, for example, run Pandora to listen to music, while you play your favorite game or … Read more

Vampires, The Sims, Star Wars, and more: New iPhone games of the week

As I mentioned in last week's write-up of Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2, not all the hot gaming action these days is on the iPad. Developers continue to crank out some mighty slick titles for the iPhone and iPod Touch, as evidenced by these five compelling newcomers:

1. Above Jumping games (like the terminally addicting PapiJump) are ideal when you've got a few minutes to kill--er, jump. Above (above) takes the platform-jumping genre to a new, um, level, as your tireless briefcase-wielding hopper ascends ever skyward. A techno soundtrack and lush, scrolling backgrounds help keep the action interesting. … Read more

World of Warcraft really is the future

If you are of the mind that in the future we will all be made of metal and talk like engineers at Google, then one fine sociologist would like to set you straight.

The future, my friends, is World of Warcraft.

At least that is according to William Sims Bainbridge, who has written a book called "The Warcraft Civilization" in order to make gamers feel even more like they are ahead of the unruly flashmob of the plebeians.

In an interview with New Scientist, Bainbridge explained that the game that allegedly causes some to seek the finest and most expensive medical treatment … Read more

Manga romance

Naruto is a popular Japanese manga series about an adolescent ninja and his struggle to become a leader in his village. In Naruto Dating Sim, players negotiate romantic relationships between several of the series' main characters by talking, flirting, and otherwise scheming for approval. Although we imagine that fans of Naruto will find this game somewhat entertaining, it's really pretty basic and repetitive, and not a whole lot of fun.

As Sakura, players are charged with winning over Naruto, Sasuke, and Rock Lee. The characters ask Sakura multiple choice questions and, depending on Sakura's response, react either favorably … Read more

Happy Birthday, The Sims

For a 10-year-old, The Sims has had quite a lifetime.

Launched on February 4, 2000, The Sims has proven one of the industry's most enduring and popular game franchises. Offering players the ability to live a virtual life, the game has launched a slew of sequels, traveled to different countries, and rewarded Electronic Arts with $2.5 billion in sales.

The Sims, Sims 2, Sims 3, and its various other spin-offs are available on a variety of platforms, including PCs, Macs, game consoles, portable devices, and smartphones. The original game can now be found in 60 different countries and … Read more

Go roaming with Roamobi's cheap world phone

A teeny-tiny phone with a worldwide roaming SIM is just one of the products we're looking forward to at the huge mobile phone event of the year, Mobile World Congress, which starts on February 15.

Roamobi is a SIM card and a range of super-cheap phones especially designed for you itchy-footed travellers who don't want to pay extra for calls, texts, and data while you're abroad.

The SIM card is the smart bit, with built-in technology that helps it recognize available networks and automatically reroute your outgoing calls to local access numbers, so your pricey outgoing roaming … Read more

Simply the best

The latest edition of the incredibly popular game The Sims was released in June 2009, and it featured several changes and improvements. Open, continuous neighborhoods and "moodlets" make the game that much more lifelike, and players now have more options than ever when it comes to creating and controlling the lives of their Sims. Some players, no doubt, like to wander aimlessly through the game, figuring things out as they go. For players who really want the inside scoop, however, there's The Sims 3: Prima Official eGuide. This 255-page e-book provides detailed information about every aspect of … Read more