Media & Entertainment

It would seem the great SimCity saga is coming to a close. After the game was plagued with connectivity problems at launch, developer Maxis is today introducing one of its most requested features: Offline play. That means more than 12 months since its launch on Windows, you can start a single-player campaign and tinker with Continue Reading →

Wal-Mart Stores Inc will allow U.S. shoppers to trade in used videogames for anything from groceries to gadgets, a move that could dent the profit of GameStop Corp, the largest dealer of used videogames. GameStop shares fell as much as 6 percent in morning trading, making it one of the top percentage losers on the Continue Reading →

Google on Tuesday announced Android Wear, its effort to take the operating system beyond the phone and tablet and into the brave new world of wearables. The effort is starting with watches, though Google suggested it sees a broader role for Android. Earlier this year the company also detailed an effort to get Android into Continue Reading →

Finally! Friend notifications will be returning to Xbox One as part of its next system update, with new features now being rolled out to participants of Microsoft’s update preview program. Notifications, which pop-up when a friend signs in to Xbox Live and starts a game, was a feature of the Xbox 360 but did not Continue Reading →

Amazon’s answer to Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, and others will be here next month, according to a new report. Citing sources, The Wall Street Journal says Amazon will begin selling its streaming device from its site in “early” April, as well as through some retailers like Best Buy and Staples. The device will hook into Continue Reading →

As the biggest video sharing site by a landslide, YouTube attracts people from all walks of life, for better or for worse. Yet the Google-owned company is reportedly developing a version of the site for kids under 10 years old, and has even gauged the interest of video producers willing to create child-oriented content, according Continue Reading →

Kickstarter recently launched a new room on iTunes, featuring “hundreds” of films that have launched thanks to the crowdfunding service. Some notable Kickstarter-funded films in the room include Veronica Mars, Gimme the Loot, Indie Game: The Movie, Putty Hill, Trash Dance, and Buzkashi Boys. Kickstarter took the opportunity to remind everyone that $200 million has Continue Reading →

  After an instantly successful $5.7 million Kickstarter campaign the Veronica Mars movie has finally arrived in theaters and at home, but that doesn’t mean all is well. Digital copies of the movie for backers were distributed using codes for Flixster, Warner Bros.’ Ultraviolet-connected movie site/service. Unfortunately, many users had issues signing up for the Continue Reading →

Amazon is readying a game console/set top box of its own, and we’ve learned from multiple sources familiar with the device that the Lab126-produced gadget will have a form factor similar to the Chromecast, or in other words it’ll be a stick or dongle as opposed to something like the Apple TV. In addition, one Continue Reading →

Google Play game services, the backend that powers online features for many Android games, is expanding significantly to iOS. In an announcement timed for the Game Developers Conference this week, Google says it’s bringing turn-based and real-time multiplayer capabilities to iOS. Should developers choose to integrate the service with their games, they’ll be able to Continue Reading →