Famed game designer Tim Schafer (Pshychonauts, Monkey Island, Brutal Legend) and his company Double Fine have officially broken Kickstarter records by raising over $1 million dollars to help fund “a brand-new, downloadable ‘Point-and-Click’ graphic adventure game for the modern age.”

“If I were to go to a publisher right now and pitch an adventure game, they’d laugh in my face,” said Schafer in a video on the project’s page (below). Keep Reading

Bethesda’s Todd Howard recently took the stage at DICE 2012 in Las Vegas (via Eurogamer), and during his speech revealed some never before seen, and yet to be implemented features his team developed for Skyrim following completing the game.

Howard explained the team was given a week as part of an internal Game Jam with only one task: “Do whatever you want and put it in the game.” The results of the team’s work were complied into a video reel (below) and could possibly make it into future DLC… Keep Reading

In a somewhat surprising move for Google, coming after the introduction of its controversial new privacy policy, a new Google program called Screenwise is paying users who surf the web using the Google Chrome browser as long as they agree to give up their personal browsing data.

Spotted by SearchEngineLand, Google’s signup page for the program claims to offer up to $25 in Amazon gift codes to participants. You’ll get a $5 Amazon gift code just to sign up and install a necessary browser extension, and an additional $5 code for every three months you stick around in the program. It’s completely opt-in, but opting in will mean Keep Reading

With just about every politician urging Apple to bring jobs back home to the U.S. amid Apple’s supply chain abroad coming under scrutiny for poor working conditions, perhaps it was about time someone mentioned the “App Economy”.

According to a new study, apps for mobile devices have created approximately 466,000 jobs in the US since 2008.

The numbers come from a TechNet sponsored study, with a little help from South Mountain Economics, which noted America’s App Economy “had zero jobs just Keep Reading

We have finally got out first look at Mass Effect‘s first iOS experience with the Mass Effect Infiltrator iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad app detailed in a press release and screenshots (below) from EA. In addition, the publisher also announced a companion app known as “Mass Effect Datapad” exclusive to the iPad.

We learn a few things from EA’s press release (via IGN). First off, the Mass Effect Infiltrator app is a Keep Reading

Yet another reason to appreciate the guys and gals over at Valve so much, the team has just released a mod for Skyrim that drops a Space Core into Tamriel thanks to the recently released Skyrim Creation Kit.

First noticed by Eurogamer, Valve made the announcement on Steam that also seems to reveal the Space Core is voiced by Nolan North:

“To celebrate the opening of the Steam Workshop for Skyrim, Valve and Bethesda have teamed up to bring you the Portal 2 Space Core mod Keep Reading

We told you the other day that Apple was seemingly cracking down on knockoff apps in the App Store with some of the most popular clones from at least one developer recently being removed. It looks like Apple may have another issue on its hands with reports originating from this TouchArcade thread claiming developers are paying approximately $5000 to get in the Top 25 rankings of the App Store. In fact, up to eight apps in the top 25 were promoted by the same shady service employing bots to run up downloads and automatically rate apps.

The post comes from an iOS developer who was in search of a way of promoting his new app when coming across an ad network who guaranteed to get it in the Top 25 for $5000. When questioning the ad network on exactly how they can accomplish this, the developer said the company openly explained its process: Keep Reading

You may have been disappointed when the original November 2011 launch date came and went for Microsoft’s limited edition Star Wars Xbox 360/Kinect bundle, but you’ll be pleased to know a new date has officially been set.

The bundle will officially be launching alongside the Kinect Star Wars game on April 3rd, and it’s already available for pre-order on Amazon for $450. If you’re unfamiliar with the bundle, you can expect an R2-D2 themed console (320GB) with a gold C-3PO wireless Xbox controller, bundled with the first ever white version of Kinect. Keep Reading

Currently the internet accounts for 21 percent of economic growth in developed nations — that’s more than energy, mining, or agriculture.

Given that, many americans are unaware there are over 100 million US households still lacking broadband internet access, and 46 percent of the “poorest households” are without access to a basica computer.

In comparison, only 4 percent of the world’s richest choose to NOT have a computer. Keep Reading

Would you believe me if I told you Google was working on glasses, similar in look to a pair of Oakleys, but more akin to the Terminator glasses with a HUD and built-in operating system? According to a new report, they are not only real, but Google might soon be launching a beta-pilot program to test the glasses (Google Goggles?) outside of its locked down facilities.

The report comes from our friends over at 9to5Google who cite a reliable source that has actually seen a prototype of the glasses. Here’s what we know so far… Keep Reading

We’ve seen Siri taking on new personalities before– First we had the voice-control feature in iPhone 4S rapping along to Notorious B.I.G’s ‘Hypnotize’ at Music Hack Day 2011, and before that the guy’s at College Humor re-imagined Siri with a dose of reality. It was even given a new voiceover courtesy of Portal’s GLaDOS for a parody of Apple’s launch ad for the feature. However, today’s re-imagining takes a different approach by turning Siri into the murderer in a spoof-horror, short-film entitled “Psycho Siri”.

Uploaded Andrew McMurry and crew on the Andrewmfilms YouTube channel, the film starts off with a man trying out a new iPhone 4S he happened to recently find and before he knows it his friend is dead and he’s running for his life from an AK-47, grenade wielding iPhone 4S with Siri calling the shots. Keep Reading

We knew it was coming. You might have even seen the trailer floating around (below). However, starting today you can now officially stream Netflix’s first original program featuring Sopranos star and Bruce Springteen’s E Street Band guitarist Steven Van Zandt.

Netflix’s Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos made the announcement official over on the company’s blog and also noted Van Zandt is not only acting in ‘Lilyhammer’, but also writing and producing it. As for what you can expect from the show’s plot: Keep Reading

When we hear a story of gamers being injured or even passing away while playing games, we’re always skeptical that gaming itself contributed and it wasn’t just the person’s poor judgement or pre-existing medical condition. Today isn’t the first time that we’ve heard of a man dying in a packed Asian internet/gaming cafe while on an extended MMO session, but this time it took nine hours before anyone even noticed…

The original report comes from Sky News (via The Escapist):

The body of Chen Rong-yu, 23, was found slumped in a chair at a cafe in New Taipei city on Tuesday night, according to local reports. He was rigid Keep Reading

Even though some of the biggest iOS developers like Rovio are embracing piracy of its incredibly popular Angry Birds franchise, knockoffs like Misunderstood Pigs and Super Jump World by the NER Brothers may not be safe for long. The Guardian reported Apple today started to remove a number of notable fakes from the App Store, most of which are the work of one developer.

Anton Sinelnikov is the creator of Plants vs. Zombie, Angry Ninja Birds, Temple Jump, Tiny Birds, Zombie Air Highway, and Numbers With Friends. They are all clones of some of the most popular games from some of the biggest developers and publishers like Temple Run, Words With Friends, and PopCap’s Plants vs. Zombies. The worst part is many people have been scammed out of money thinking they were buying the real thing. Fortunately Apple has finally stepped up and removed the app’s. Keep Reading

Conan’s past Apple-related sketches have for the most part been received well by Apple fans. First we had  a fake iPad 2 ad following the launch of the iPad 2, then a sketch in protest of the controversial changes made in Final Cut Pro X, and more recently a video mocking rumors of a lost iPhone 5 prototype. However, this week’s Apple sketch from Conan is getting a lot of backlash.

In light of recent controversies related to Foxconn suicides and the working conditions in Apple’s supply chain, Conan’s latest sketch introducing a revolutionary suicide prevention net might be going too far… Keep Reading

Originally hired by Microsoft to work on DirectX in 1999, Seamus Blackley is often cited as one of the co-creators of the Xbox, but these days his startup consisting of many famous Atari designers is making games for Apple’s iOS devices.

According to VentureBeat who recently interviewed him, Blackley’s new company called Innovative Leisure has plucked the “creators of the best arcade experiences from the golden age of Atari in the 1970s and 1980s” in order to create new arcade experiences for iPhone and iPad. Keep Reading

A proposed tax on violent video games known as HB2696 has been recently introduced by Oklahoma State rep Will Fourkiller, despite the Supreme Court’s decision to grant video games First Amendment protection in June 2011. Not only would the HB2696 tax extend to violent, Mature or Adult[s] Only titles, it would also impact anything carrying an ESRB rating of “Teen” or higher– even Guitar Hero or gambling games like Ultimate Card Games.

While Fourkiller wants the proceeds to be donated to bully prevention and promoting outdoor education for children, Ars Technica reported he cited unspecified studies to a local news station in Oklahoma claiming video games have been linked to bullying and obesity. Keep Reading

We told you back in November that a filing with the Australian government showed Backbone Entertainment was planning on bringing Konami’s classic The Simpsons Arcade Game to a number of platforms. Today Backbone has followed through with the release of the game on XBLA and PSN.

So how does it compare to the original?

Available for 800 Microsoft Points (free trial available) and free to PlayStation Plus subsribers, The Simpsons Arcade Game includes all 8 classic Springfield locations, includes a few new features, and by first impressions seems to be quite a faithful port. Keep Reading

Aspyr Media, best known for porting dozens of PC and console titles to Mac OS X, announced todaythe release of RAGE: Campaign Edition for Mac in the Mac App Store. RAGE was originally released by id Software, makers of Quake, and Doom, and released in North America on October 4th of last year on Xbox 360, PS3, and Windows. It might have been worth the wait with the campaign edition including a ton of additional, bonus content…

“Aspyr has been a great partner, bringing id Software’s games to the Mac platform for years,” said Todd Hollenshead, President of id Software. “We’ve worked closely with them again to offer the amazing graphics and intense combat that RAGE is famous for to Mac gamers.” Keep Reading

There are a few sites that claim to be a Facebook dedicated to gamers, but nothing like a new service called “GFACE” being developed with help from Crysis developers Crytek. From screenshots posted by Kotaku, the GFACE is not only the ultimate Facebook/Google+ for gamers, it’s also an innovative online game streaming platform that scales from mobile devices to traditional PCs.

GFACE, like Facebook and most other social networks, will run your browser. Some of the innovative features highlighted in Kotaku’s report: integrated video chat, and drag-and-drop friend invites, and the ability to access your friends list to share content like Xbox Live– such as watching a movie together. Keep Reading