Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
It’s not just toys, books, CD box sets and collector’s edition DVDs this holiday season; video games are also a good bet to show up under Christmas trees. While the sluggish economy has dampened many retailers’ spirits, the video game industry is actually celebrating. U.S. sales of game consoles, software and accessories increased by 25 percent from last year and will exceed the $6 billion mark before the year is out.
Are you ready for some football? TV isn’t the only place you’ll find some good games, especially if you’re into interactive sports where there’s little chance you’ll get hurt (outside of a little carpal tunnel, perhaps). Here we try out the slew of new video games on the market, telling you which score touchdowns and which fumble near the goal line.
You are Tommy Vercetti. Never mind that you look like the love child of Don Johnson and Steven Seagal and sound like Ray Liotta (who voices the character). Life seems like it’s going to improve 10-fold. You’ve just been released from the joint after having served a 15-year stint.
So, all you have to look forward to this Halloween week is handing out crummy candy to the neighborhood rugrats. Where’s your treat? Fear not, we’ve ferreted out some of the best (and worst) video games to give you great big goosebumps.
So the major league baseball teams might go on strike Friday. Don’t fret. There are plenty of baseball video games to sate your appetite until the players return to the field. We’ve reviewed some of the hottest games out there. The hotdogs and peanuts are on you.
Who says Americans are done playing soccer? Whether you’ve just discovered the sport or are a lifelong fan, there are plenty of video games to help you get your fix–even after the final World Cup match on Sunday. Here’s a look at some of the more colorful titles.
March Madness nears its close this weekend with the matchups of the Final Four men’s college basketball teams, with only one emerging Monday night as the NCAA titleholder. Hoop dreams don’t have to end, though. Thanks to hardworking video game programmers, another season is as nearby as your video game system.
The Winter Olympics come to a close on Sunday. But the competition can live on in a slew of games for Playstation 2, GameCube and XBox. Our distinguished panel of international judges (OK, there are only two of us–but we’re of Irish and Korean descent) evaluated the games and awarded them with gold, silver and bronze honors. In one heated tie, there were two winners for the gold. But then, that precedent already has been set.
Videogame players in this country spent nearly $8 billion last year on consoles, software and accessories. That figure is expected to increase dramatically with the introduction of Nintendo’s GameCube and Microsoft’s Xbox, which are giving Sony’s year-old PlayStation 2 a run for its money.
The video-game console war between Microsoft’s Xbox and Nintendo’s GameCube heated up this week, with each side declaring itself the winner. Both companies introduced their systems within days of each other in mid-November. Sifting through the rhetoric to actually declare a champion is more challenging than game play on either controller.