http://www.earthtimes.org The Earth Times online newspaper, serving the planet with the latest games news that matters for PC, consoles, handheld and mobile gaming en-us PHP/4.4.4 http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/227692,german-rating-system-targets-violent-computer-games.html Berlin - Violent computer games are sparking controversy all over the world. Legislation recently passed in Germany in July, for example, makes it easier to put such games on the banned list following the introduction of a rating index. Yet what does... Games,Technology Sun, 24 Aug 2008 03:27:02 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/227692,german-rating-system-targets-violent-computer-games.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/226907,games-convention-expects-record-year.html Leipzig, Germany - Germany's giant Games Convention opens its doors this week with organizers saying Wednesday they expect a record year for one of the key events on world games industry's calendar. The number of exhibitors at this year's Games Conve... Games,Technology Wed, 20 Aug 2008 08:37:27 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/226907,games-convention-expects-record-year.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/221327,hasbro-sues-over-online-scrabble.html New York - American toy maker Hasbro sued two Indian programmers Thursday for launching an online copy of its Scrabble board game on the Facebook social networking site. The game has become one of the most popular pastimes on Facebook, attracting som... Games,Technology Fri, 25 Jul 2008 01:37:02 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/221327,hasbro-sues-over-online-scrabble.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/220093,swords-guitars-or-spatulas-weapons-for-this-years-console-games.html Hamburg - It's time to take a break from gaming's guns and ammo. This season's handheld console aficionados will be prone to taking up swords, guitars and the occasional ladle when they do electronic battle. In addition, there are two new motorcycle ... Games,Technology Sun, 20 Jul 2008 03:11:01 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/220093,swords-guitars-or-spatulas-weapons-for-this-years-console-games.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/218593,coming-months-to-bring-some-gaming-highlights.html Hamburg - PC game manufacturers are among those who do not like summer as many consumers prefer to be outdoors enjoying the weather rather than playing computer games. As a result, manufacturers slashes the number of releases dramatically during this... Games,Technology Sun, 13 Jul 2008 03:14:02 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/218593,coming-months-to-bring-some-gaming-highlights.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/216906,us-based-digipen-opens-game-school-in-singapore.html Singapore - Game development school DigiPen opened a campus in Singapore Friday, its first outside the United States. As the first top foreign institution in Singapore offering courses in games and animation, DigiPen Singapore will play an integral ... Games,Technology Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:54:01 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/216906,us-based-digipen-opens-game-school-in-singapore.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/213131,electronic-arts-extends-offer-for-take-two.html San Francisco - Despite declining interest from Take-Two shareholders, Electronic Arts Tuesday extended its tender offer to buy the maker of the hit video game Grand Theft Auto. The new offer gives shareholders until July 18 to accept EA's 25.74-doll... Games,Technology Tue, 17 Jun 2008 23:57:01 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/213131,electronic-arts-extends-offer-for-take-two.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/210820,new-pc-games-in-june-offer-more-than-just-football.html Hamburg - Most Germans likely have summer plans that revolve around the upcoming European Football Championships. But PC game companies have ensured there's some entertainment available for those who do not want to watch 22 men running after a ball. ... Games,Technology Sun, 08 Jun 2008 03:14:00 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/210820,new-pc-games-in-june-offer-more-than-just-football.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/207754,the-new-age-of-conan-online-rpg.html Hamburg - The world of online role playing games does not start and end with the World of Warcraft, although competitors of that popular title have been relegated to small niches of the market. Now, for the first time in years, there may be some chan... Games,Technology Sun, 25 May 2008 03:10:05 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/207754,the-new-age-of-conan-online-rpg.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/206172,new-ideas-instead-of-sequels-fresh-supplies-for-pc-gamers.html Hamburg - PC gamers tend to be a tradition-bound bunch: If there's a title in the stores from a known-and-loved series, a purchase is likely to follow. The month of May will require a bit of an open mind, however, as there are no major sequels on the... Games,Technology Sun, 18 May 2008 03:13:04 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/206172,new-ideas-instead-of-sequels-fresh-supplies-for-pc-gamers.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/203932,grand-theft-auto-iv-smashes-halo-sales-record.html New York - Controversial video game Grand Theft Auto IV has smashed the sales record set last year by the shoot-em-up game Halo, with first week sales of over 500 million dollars, its publisher said Wednesday. The interactive game, which casts player... Games,Technology Wed, 07 May 2008 18:32:02 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/203932,grand-theft-auto-iv-smashes-halo-sales-record.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/201953,grand-theft-auto-iv-blows-away-reviewers-analysts--feature.html Los Angeles - The latest episode of the hit dystopian video game Grand Theft Auto was set to debut Tuesday in US stores to rave assessments from reviewers and predictions that it would become the most successful game launch in history. Grand Theft Au... Games,Technology Tue, 29 Apr 2008 01:55:02 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/201953,grand-theft-auto-iv-blows-away-reviewers-analysts--feature.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/201586,when-recommended-is-not-enough-system-requirements-for-pc-games.html Berlin - If that game you have been waiting breathlessly to install doesn't live up to the graphics shown in the advertising, the problem may be with your PC - specifically, in the way it matches up to the hardware requirements listed on the packaging ... Games,Technology Sun, 27 Apr 2008 03:12:03 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/201586,when-recommended-is-not-enough-system-requirements-for-pc-games.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/200630,european-commission-wants-common-rules-on-violent-video-games.html Brussels - The European Commission on Tuesday asked European retailers to stop selling violent video games to small children and urged national governments to stick to a common age-rating system. The European video games sector is booming, with reven... Games,Technology Tue, 22 Apr 2008 15:03:06 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/200630,european-commission-wants-common-rules-on-violent-video-games.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/199424,the-sims-sells-100-million-video-games.html San Francisco - Video game giant Electronic Arts has sold 100 million copies of their The Sims video game franchise, the company said Wednesday. The massive sales target was reached eight years after the launch of the first Sims game, and amounted to... Games,Technology Wed, 16 Apr 2008 21:42:04 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/199424,the-sims-sells-100-million-video-games.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/198741,singapore-video-games-to-carry-ratings-indicting-violence-nudity.html Singapore - Video games will carry ratings starting April 28 to help consumers and parents in particular make informed choices about what children play, Singapore's Board of Film Censors (BFC) said on Monday. The games will carry rating stickers sayi... Games,Technology Mon, 14 Apr 2008 11:54:07 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/198741,singapore-video-games-to-carry-ratings-indicting-violence-nudity.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/198526,home-leave--first-impressions-of-the-sims-3.html San Francisco - The fans have spoken and the creators of the Sims have heard. It's time for the Sims to get out of the house. Electronic Arts, which produces the Sims, has had its staff hard at work creating Sims 3, the next instalment of the wildly ... Games,Technology Sun, 13 Apr 2008 03:10:01 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/198526,home-leave--first-impressions-of-the-sims-3.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/198497,government-may-tell-german-shops-to-switch-off-games-consoles.html Berlin - German authorities are reportedly mulling an appeal to electronics marts to turn off demonstration games consoles in the daytime because they are often a hangout for truants from school. The newspaper Welt am Sonntag quoted Udo Nagel, interi... Games,Technology Sat, 12 Apr 2008 16:56:06 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/198497,government-may-tell-german-shops-to-switch-off-games-consoles.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/195439,sims3-to-offer-more-individuality-and-freedom.html Cologne, Germany - The Sims is one of the most popular computer game series of all time. Sims 3, the next iteration of the series, is due to hit stores in 2009, according to Electronic Arts (EA), the game's publisher. Among the most important changes... Games,Technology Sun, 30 Mar 2008 03:10:02 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/195439,sims3-to-offer-more-individuality-and-freedom.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/194029,three-out-of-every-four-german-youths-play-video-games.html Allensbach, Germany - Three out of every four young Germans regularly play games on a console or personal computer, according to a study by the Allensbach Institute for Public Opinion Research. Around 76 per cent of people aged 14 and 19 spend time g... Games,Technology Sun, 23 Mar 2008 03:13:01 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/194029,three-out-of-every-four-german-youths-play-video-games.html