http://www.earthtimes.org The Earth Times online newspaper, serving the planet with news on scientific topics and technology en-us PHP/4.4.4 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 http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/192606,not-necessarily-free-checking-out-online-games.html Paris - Many a gamer heads to the store every few weeks to drop another 50 euros (77 dollars) for a new title. Upon returning home, the game gets played until it becomes boring. After that, the cycle starts again with another run to the store. But a ... Games,Technology Sun, 16 Mar 2008 03:11:06 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/192606,not-necessarily-free-checking-out-online-games.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/192456,sonys-ps3-beats-xbox-360-in-us-sales.html San Francisco - US sales of video game hardware and software in February jumped 34 per cent to 1.33 billion dollars, as Sony's PlayStation 3 outsold Microsoft's Xbox 360 for the second month running. Both consoles still trailed far behind Nintendo's ... Games,Technology Fri, 14 Mar 2008 17:50:03 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/192456,sonys-ps3-beats-xbox-360-in-us-sales.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/189299,waiting-to-start-creating-spore-goes-on-sale-in-september.html Cologne - Spore, an eagerly awaited computer game from Will Wright, the creator of the Sims, is in its final test phase and due to hit stores on September 5, according to publisher Electronic Arts. The game lets players combine strategy, design and a... Games,Technology Sun, 02 Mar 2008 01:17:02 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/189299,waiting-to-start-creating-spore-goes-on-sale-in-september.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/187743,from-fashion-to-time-travel--new-kids-games-have.html Hamburg - Whether your child dreams of travelling through space and time, starting a career in fashion, riding horses or working on a farm, this season's computer games for children have something to offer everyone. Children can travel through world ... Games,Technology Sun, 24 Feb 2008 03:12:06 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/187743,from-fashion-to-time-travel--new-kids-games-have.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/184785,shooting-blanks-mac-games-remain-a-niche-market.html Heidelberg/Munich - Mac computers have long wowed computer aficionados with their superior graphics. Given those powerful graphics, it would seem that today's graphics heavy games would be a perfect match for a Mac. However, that's far from the case.... Games,Technology Sun, 10 Feb 2008 03:09:00 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/184785,shooting-blanks-mac-games-remain-a-niche-market.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/184782,time-for-new-adventures-februarys-new-pc-games.html Hamburg - Violence and video games seem to go hand in hand for many people. However, some of today's most popular video games aren't first-person shooter adventures. Indeed, many gamers are content with some serious non-violence. The Sims, a game tha... Games,Technology Sun, 10 Feb 2008 03:09:00 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/184782,time-for-new-adventures-februarys-new-pc-games.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/180641,new-firmware-update-gives-skype-functionality-to-psp.html Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has released version 3.90 of its firmware update, which brings Skype functionality to Sony's Slim & Lite PlayStation Portable devices. North American PSP users will also get this new feature on their devices. Games,Technology Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:05:00 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/180641,new-firmware-update-gives-skype-functionality-to-psp.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/178528,manhunt-2-continues-to-face-hurdles-in-the-uk.html LONDON - Manhunt 2 will not yet go on sale in the UK after a High Court judge asked censors to reconsider giving the violent game a green signal. The latest twist is yet another hurdle for the game made by Rockstar, which has received a mature or M-rating in the US. Games,Technology Fri, 25 Jan 2008 16:29:05 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/178528,manhunt-2-continues-to-face-hurdles-in-the-uk.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/177083,video-game-guitar-hero-hits-billion-dollar-note.html San Francisco - The hit video-game franchise Guitar Hero has racked up 1 billion dollars in sales in North America, its maker, Activision, said Tuesday, quoting figures from the NDP Group, a global research firm. The game requires players to press a ... Games,Technology Tue, 22 Jan 2008 23:41:05 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/177083,video-game-guitar-hero-hits-billion-dollar-note.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/176902,sony-says-lower-prices-triggered-ps3-sales-in-europe.html Sony has announced that it sold a record number of PlayStation 3 consoles in Europe during the holiday season thanks to its decision to decrease prices for its next generation console. The world's leading games console maker said that it shipped 1.2 million units to Europe during the five weeks ending December 31. Games,Technology Tue, 22 Jan 2008 15:04:03 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/176902,sony-says-lower-prices-triggered-ps3-sales-in-europe.html