Video games
How a streaming star’s chaotic PlayStation giveaway led to 65 arrests
By the time of the scheduled giveaway, some people in the Manhattan crowd had begun to hurl objects such as building materials, rocks and bottles at one another, police said.
- by Orlando Mayorquin and Eduardo Medina
Latest
Nintendo powers to record profit, thanks to Zelda and Mario
Nintendo hit a new high for first-quarter profit after the successful launch of its latest Legend of Zelda game propped up flagging sales of its Switch console.
- by Takashi Mochizuki and Yuki Furukawa
Russia invades Minecraft with anti-Ukrainian propaganda
“Glory to Russia,” declared a video tutorial on how to construct a flagpole with a Russian flag on Minecraft. It showed a Russian flag over a cityscape labelled Luhansk, one of the Ukrainian provinces that Russia has illegally annexed.
- by Steven Lee Myers and Kellen Browning
Analysis
Analysis
Hand-held video games have returned
From hand-held PCs to new takes on the classic Game Boy, new technology is enabling portable games to flourish despite the rise of smartphones.
- by Tim Biggs
Game on: Microsoft’s $100b Activision deal gets US judge go-ahead
The deal would be the biggest ever for Microsoft and for the video game industry.
- by Diane Bartz
Opinion
Opinion
In an era of time-hacking, I just want to decorate fake bedrooms
We’re obsessed with making every minute of every day count. But what if we dropped the optimisation expectations and embraced hobbies that simply make us happy?
- by Cherie Gilmour
From crime fighting to exploring the stars: The biggest games coming in 2023
The absence of an E3 expo this year didn’t stop the avalanche of game announcements. Spider-Man 2, Starfield and Alan Wake 2 are all shaping up as crowd-pleasers.
- by Tim Biggs
Analysis
Analysis
10m copies in three days: Latest Zelda set to be another record-breaker for Nintendo
Tears of the Kingdom has been six years coming, and if the critical reception and early sales are any indication, the wait has been worth it for Nintendo and its fans.
- by Tim Biggs
Why video game adaptations are finally levelling up
The new Super Mario Bros. Movie is projected to smash the box office this week, confirming that video games are now a key player in Hollywood.
- by Nell Geraets
Exclusive
eSports
Dan Murphy’s owner pours $3m into esports mega-venue
Australia’s biggest drinks retailer, Endeavour Group, is investing $3 million into Sydney’s newest esports, gaming centre as the $12 billion giant covets millennial and Gen Z customers
- by Jessica Yun
‘Groomed for future gambling’: Call for loot box video games to be adult-only
Games that include so-called “loot boxes” would be given M ratings under proposed government reforms, but anti-gambling MPs want them to go further.
- by Paul Sakkal