In a heist that was probably narrated by Morgan Freeman, a determined Tennessee man is accused of tunneling into a GameStop in order to pilfer its sweet, unguarded wares in the dark of night. [More]
video games
Xbox Live Dies Because I Used Prepaid Card While On Auto-Renewal Plan
By 1.18.11
Nathan tried to save some money on his Xbox Live subscription by buying a prepaid $50 card to avoid having to pay the recently increased annual fee of $60. While he did so, he failed to replace his expired credit card on file with a valid card. [More]
Sony Goes After Alleged PS3 Hackers, Wants Them To Hush Up
By 1.12.11
Hackers have apparently shredded the security innards that stop people from messing with PlayStation 3 firmware, so Sony is wielding its legal katana. [More]
Microsoft Tells Me I Qualified For Free Online Cash, Then Takes It Away
By 1.6.11
Scott tried to take advantage of an Xbox Live promotion that would net him 800 points ($10) of bonus money if he spent 2400 points ($30) in a set amount of time. He spent the required amount of money, then received a message from a Microsoft customer service rep that said he’d get the 800 points if he kept waiting. [More]
Some Say Kinect Is Breaking Old Xboxes
By 1.6.11
Some Xbox 360 owners are complaining that the Kinect is driving their consoles into the grave, inflicting them with the Red Ring of Death. [More]
My Online Order Didn't Get To Me, But GameStop, UPS Say It Was Delivered
By 12.31.10
Bruce ordered an Xbox 360 bundle from GameStop, but says the package never arrived. UPS says it left the package at his door and told Bruce to complain to GameStop, which isn’t responding. [More]
Motorola Tries To Stop Microsoft From Selling Xbox 360
By 12.24.10
At the request of Motorola, which claims Microsoft is violating its wireless technology patents, the United States International Trade Commission is conducting an investigation that Motorola hopes ends with Microsoft forbidden to import Xboxes. [More]
How Sears Drove Me Away To GameStop To Get Kinect
By 12.21.10
Bryan wanted to get his hands on the Kinect motion-sensor controller for the Xbox 360, and ordered it on Sears.com, expecting it to come well before Christmas. That was a week ago, and Bryan has a Kinect now, but no thanks to Sears, on which he gave up due to broken promises and poor customer service. [More]
Do Not Move Your Xbox While A Disc Is In The Drive
By 12.20.10
B learned the hard way that Xbox 360s like to eat games when you flip the machine from vertical to horizontal orientation while playing. He sought out the publisher for a replacement and has been stuck without the game for several weeks while the company spins its wheels. Note: the disc pictured is not B’s. [More]
Game Developer Says Farmville Is Designed To Be "Negative" And "Draining"
By 12.9.10
So-called social network games like Farmville and Mafia Wars are intentionally designed to not be fun and cause you anxiety, says a well-respected game developer. [More]
Developer: My Video Game Isn't Broken, You're Just Playing It Wrong
By 12.9.10
If you play the Wii game Epic Mickey and are frustrated by the way the game’s unpolished camera system obscures your view of the hero and obstacles, developer Warren Spector — the industry giant behind Deus Ex and System Shock — has a message for you: It’s your own fault because you don’t understand what he and his team were trying to do. [More]
Sony's Firmware Updates Kill My PS3, Sony Wants Repair Fee
By 12.6.10
Alex says a firmware update downgraded his PlayStation 3 into an expensive paperweight, and when he asked Sony to repair his console, he was told he’d have to pay a repair fee. [More]
Advertisers Want To Manipulate Minds Via Social Gaming
By 12.6.10
Social games such as Farmville and its ilk suck in loyal, engaged followers, making advertisers salivate. [More]
GameStop Guy Denies My Trade, Saying 'You Might Have Stolen It'
By 12.3.10
B received the game Mafia II as a gift, but wanted Red Dead Redemption instead. Without a receipt, he went to GameStop, where it was purchased, hoping to swap games. When the clerk denied his request because it violated the store’s return policy, B asked instead to trade the game in for store credit he’d apply toward the game he wanted. The clerk refused the trade because he wasn’t sure whether or not B was trying to pawn off a stolen product. [More]
EA To Tiger: Start Winning Or We'll Pull Your Name Off Golf Game
By 12.2.10
Just as comments that begin with “no offense, but…” are always offensive, Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitello’s ultimatum to Tiger Woods that begins “This is no threat against Tiger” is most definitely a threat against Tiger. Speaking at a media summit in New York, the CEO said the Tiger Woods PGA Tour line of video games will lose Tiger’s name if he continues his slump. [More]
Some Xbox Downloads Don't Play Nice With Discs
By 12.1.10
Some downloadable Xbox 360 games from Microsoft’s Games on Demand service aren’t compatible online with disc-based copies, greatly reducing the value of the downloads. [More]
I Can't Play My Video Game, Nor Can I Return It (Updated)
By 11.23.10
Stephen has a word of warning for Mac users who want to use their machines to play PC games: Don’t buy games unless you’re sure they’ll work on your machine. He runs Windows 7 on his Macbook Pro, but can’t get Fallout 3, which he purchased through online distributor Steam, to play properly. He asked the publisher’s customer support service for help, but was turned away at first. [More]
