Mind Games: Will Brain Power Be the Future of Play?

The search for a game-changer at a neurogaming conference this week in San Francisco.
thebrain

Voices

All I Want for Christmas Is My Apple TV

It’s all about the apps.
appletvxmastree

News Byte

New Mobile Game Incubator Execution Labs Opens in Canada

Execution Labs, a new incubator focused on the development of mobile games, has launched in Montreal. Participating companies will get funding, shared work space and access to the founders, mentors and marketing partners like GameStop, in return for a revenue share and equity stake. The co-founders are Jason Della Rocca, former director of the International Game Developers Association; Alexandre Pelletier-Normand, former head of deployment at Gameloft; and Keith Katz, former VP Monetization at OpenFeint (now Gree). The incubator has raised more than $1 million from investors, including BDC Venture Capital, Real Ventures and White Star Capital.

Kaboom! Activision Likely to Blow Away Third-Quarter Expectations.

The Call of Duty videogame publisher is expected to have another quarter of explosive growth.
Activision's Call of Duty: Black Ops II featuring Robert Downey Jr.

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Halo 4 Passes Its First Crucial Test: Metacritic

Microsoft Corp. has a lot riding on its new alien shooting videogame, Halo 4, which is part of the blockbuster Halo franchise and debuts Nov 6. But there’s one thing over which Halo 4′s creators can breathe a sigh of relief: The game’s review score from Metacritic.com.

After Launching Its First Mobile Game, AOL Refreshes Games.com

Two games announcements from AOL in two weeks.
aol_games

News Byte

Nintendo Wii U Preorders Selling Out Ahead of Nov. 18 Launch

Nintendo’s Wii U, which won’t arrive in U.S. stores until Nov. 18, is already close to selling out. CNBC reports that major retailers, like Walmart, Best Buy, Toys “R” Us, Target and Sears, are no longer taking preorders. GameStop has sold out of the Deluxe edition, which costs $350, but the basic version for $300 is still available. Analysts warn, however, that Nintendo may be limiting supplies to help generate buzz for the system.

Google’s Nexus 7 Tablet Headed to Retail Shelves

GameStop is the first to announce its plans to carry the Asus-made tablet, with pre-orders starting Friday.
nexus_7_image

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Microsoft to Offer Xbox Subscriptions at Best Buy, GameStop

Microsoft Corp. plans to boost the number of outlets offering its subscription plan for the Xbox, an effort to attract more users by lowering upfront costs of acquiring the game console.

Electronic Arts Pressured to Outperform in Soft Videogame Market

Electronic Arts will be under pressure to report strong financial results this afternoon after the industry experienced a disappointing holiday period.
EA_E3 Booth