Microsoft didn't buy Mojang, although that's what both companies are going to say. Microsoft bought Minecraft. The deal was announced this morning, and the purchase amount was confirmed to be $2.5 billion. That's a whole lot of money, but the Minecraft IP is also one of the most popular and influential properties in gaming. It's not just one of the…
A few of my more effervescent, more gregarious, more alive colleagues in game journalism are on stage "rocking out" to The Killers. We are on the rooftop of a pricey hotel in Santa Monica, at a press event organized by Rock Band 4's developer and publisher Harmonix. I'm standing at a safe distance, drinking fizzy water, eating puff pastry canapes…
A rare and controversial Magic: The Gathering card sold for $14,900 on eBay, and the seller says he'll donate half of the proceeds to charity, according to the auction site's listing for the mythical Tarmogoyf card. "You are bidding for a piece of Magic the Gathering history," the item's description reads. The owner and seller, Pascal Maynard, drew the card in…
Nvidia's GeForce Experience software offers a way for players to stream games and automatically optimize graphics settings across their entire game library. Now the company is looking to make GeForce Experience — and, by extension, Nvidia GPUs — more attractive by making it easier for players to share their gaming experiences with others. In September, Nvidia will launch a beta of…
The huge and incredibly strong Hulk joins a growing list of superheroes in Grand Theft Auto V. The superhero is armed with all the abilities and skills that are present in his films and comics. Appearance of Green Giant in Los Santos happened due to the modder JulioNIB. Unlike his comrades who actually did only skins for the main characters,…
Destiny developer Bungie is revamping the game's much-maligned Light level system with the upcoming Taken King expansion, decoupling your level from the amount of Light on your gear. Bungie gave a detailed look at the revised system in a Twitch stream today. As of The Taken King, you'll progress in Destiny simply by earning experience, just as you did for the first…
Among the throng of PAX games blaring for attention in Seattle, was one called Blood of the Werewolf. It's a retro platfomer, a tribute to the 1980s and early '90s era of exacting sideways scrollers. In a way, Blood of the Werewolf represents gaming today, the post-modern mish-mash of old and new, AAA and indie, serious and flippant. It also…
At midnight last night, a speedrunner by the name of Joe "Henneko_" Usher kicked off a run of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time that was expected to last a breezy 80 minutes. By 12:11, the run had gone straight to Hell. Though Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time has been around for nearly 12 years, there's been…
Jokes can have consequences.Two employees at a video game publisher called out their company's CEO with a playful but pointed prank, and instead of being reprimanded, they were praised — by the CEO and by the wider gaming community — and the inside joke has become another small milestone on the march toward gender equality in the gaming industry. Adhesive…
Author Chuck Wendig has a simple message for those who say he's ruining Star Wars by making a lead character of his novel Star Wars: Aftermath a gay man: "You're not the good guys." Wendig's Aftermath hit shelves on Sept. 4 as part of the Force Friday merchandise event for the new Star Wars trilogy. It's among the first installments in a…
