Category Archives: America

Android has once again overtaken iOS as the best-selling mobile operating system in the US. VentureBeat reports Apple regained its hold for just three months before the cheaper price tags of Android phones brought it back on top. A price drop on Samsung’s Galaxy S3 was cited as a contributing factor; the Galaxy S4 will be revealed in March. Go ahead and put “what does this have to do with GA3MS” in the comments, then go check out Epic’s new Android version of Epic Citadel.

During a panel discussion on the correlation between videogames and acts of violence, ex-FBI profiler Mary Ellen O’Toole has stated that while games are used during the agency’s threat assessment of potentially violent individuals, it does not consider games to be a direct catalyst for violence.

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Last month Connecticut senator Toni Harp introduced a bill intended to keep minors from playing what he described as “violent point-and-shoot” video games in public venues such as arcades. The loose definition of such games takes in any which include the “facsimile of a firearm as an essential component of play” – so anything with a light gun, no matter how innocuous. On the brighter side, the bill also calls for further research into the effects of violent games on young minds.

Thanks, Joystiq.

President Obama has stated that all children should be introduced to computer programming in schools, due to the rise of computer-centric jobs and America’s increasing interest in videogames.

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Holiday releases dominated US retail during January 2013′s release drought, and although total sales spiked year-on-year, the NPD’s analysis suggests we saw another month of declining retail sales.

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The Electronic Software ratings Board, the US’s primary games classification service, is concerned it can’t do much more to inform parents and guardians about video game content.

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GameStop CFO Rob Lloyd has confirmed that the gaming retail chain will shutter 250 stores this year in a bid to streamline the business. However, it will also open some new sites in a bid to improve its business.

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Californian Democrat and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has said scientific evidence suggests violent media is not at the root of the US’s disproportionate rate of gun crime.

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Zynga’s stock has hit a six-month high, rising 11% following months of financial turmoil, lay-offs and walk-outs. The increase comes as New Jersey Governor Chris Christie opened up the possibility for legally-sanctioned real money gaming.

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San Francisco-based free-to-play MMO publisher Outspark has closed. The firm was one of the first western publishers to specialize in the market. Gamingo will be handling Fiesta Online from here on out, and has hired most of the Fiesta Online team which will continue to work on title out of its California office. Outspark was founded in 2006 by former Yahoo! Games director Susan Choe and Nick Foster, who was previously CTO at Starz Media. Thanks, Gamaustra.

In a report calculated to surprise absolutely nobody at all, the NPD Group has released figures for US consumer spend on gaming over the course of 2012, noting year-on-year declines in physical spend and a jump in digital.

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This week’s PlayStation Plus update brings a free copy of Lord of the Rings-licensed MOBA Guardians of Middle-Earth to US subscribers. Members will also benefit from three discount deals – 50% off Karateka at $5; 40% off Big Sky Infinity at $6; and 40% off Knytt Underground. This last one supports cross-buy, so if you pick up the PlayStation 3 release at $15, you’ll get the $9 Vita version for free, too. Visit the PlayStation Blog for the full rundown.

Registrations are now being accepted for the Evo 2013 championships which take place at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel and Casino in Nevada. You can pick up your pass through the website, which details each price package. The championships will be held on the weekend of July 12, with the main event being held at the Bally’s Event Center and Grand Ballroom. Games included in the championships are: Super Street Fighter 4: Arcade Edition, Street Fighter X Tekken 2013 Edition, Tekken Tag Tournament 2, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Mortal Kombat, The King of Fighters 13, Persona 4 Arena, and Super Smash Bros. Melee. Thanks, Polygon.

StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm will be featured in the MLG Winter Season, through two invite-only competitions, it has been announced.

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Tennessee Republican senator Lamar Alexander has said that “video games is a bigger problem than guns, because video games affect people”. He was responding to a question from MSNBC about the possibility of background checks when guns are sold in the US. You can watch the whole segment through the break.

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GameStop’s director of digital content, Brad Schliesser, has told Gamasutra that half the retail chains customers who purchased digital games and add-ons were first-time buyers. He said such in-store offerings make thing easy for those without a credit card or who are leery of entering their financial information online. Schliesser said 65% of the firm’s revenue from digital items came from Xbox 360 offerings and 28-30% from PS3 offerings. Less than 10% came from Steam offerings and other platforms. Thanks, GI International.

World of Tanks developer Wargaming.net has announced its acquisition of F.E.A.R. 3 developer Day 1 Studios.

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California state senator Leland Yee , who tried to pass a bill banning the sale of violent video games to children – a move blocked by the US Supreme Court in 2011 – is back in the news, adding his two cents to President Obama’s decision to have the CDC study whether there’s a ink between violent media and gun violence.

After various sites reported on his comments, Yee took to Twitter to admit he “didn’t use the best words” to covey his opinion on the matter.

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Sony has introduced a Vita referral programs which will hands out $20 in PSN credit along with 1,000 Sony Reward Points for every person who purchases the handheld after you recommend it.

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Senator Jay Rockefeller reintroduced his controversial bill to US congress yesterday – which calls for further research into the impact of violent games on children – after it failed to pass earlier this month.

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