Gaming

Microsoft to extend Xbox Live to Android and iOS, but company stays mum on Switch and PS4 compatibility

by Nat Levy on March 14, 2019March 13, 2019 at 10:52 pmComment

Microsoft plans to drastically expand the reach of Xbox Live, bringing the online community to iOS and Android devices. Hints of this move, which will let Xbox Live players take… Read More

Nintendo jumps into virtual reality with latest Labo cardboard kits

by Nat Levy on March 7, 2019March 7, 2019 at 10:23 amComment

Nintendo is adding new virtual reality kits to its lineup of cardboard Labo accessories for the Switch, doubling down on the surprising initiative first announced last year. The foundation of… Read More

Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé to retire, hand leadership reins to Doug Bowser

by James Thorne on February 21, 2019February 22, 2019 at 10:34 amComment

Nintendo of America’s longtime president and COO Reggie Fils-Aimé is retiring and will be replaced by Doug Bowser. Fils-Aimé, who has spent 15 years with the company, will step down… Read More

Video

Seattle indie game developer tinyBuild raises $15M, plans to grow using ‘dynamic structure’ strategy

by Taylor Soper on February 15, 2019February 15, 2019 at 10:09 amComment

tinyBuild, the Seattle-area indie game developer and publisher of titles such as Hello Neighbor and Rapture Rejects, has raised a $15 million investment round to fuel growth. Founded eight years… Read More

Activision Blizzard subsidiary Z2 shuts down Seattle game studio amid larger layoffs

by Taylor Soper on February 12, 2019February 13, 2019 at 1:19 pm 4 Comments

Z2, a Seattle game studio owned by Activision Blizzard, is shutting down. The office closure is part of larger layoffs announced today by gaming giant Activision Blizzard, which will slash… Read More

Microsoft Studios becomes Xbox Game Studios, reflecting gaming brand’s evolution beyond the console

by Nat Levy on February 5, 2019February 5, 2019 at 3:01 pmComment

Microsoft has rebranded its game development group Microsoft Studios as Xbox Game Studios, another indication of the company’s desire to spread the Xbox name and platform beyond the console. Microsoft… Read More

No Olympics for you! German sports official equates esports to knitting

by Kurt Schlosser on January 29, 2019January 29, 2019 at 12:13 pmComment

If esports ever becomes an Olympic event, don’t look for Germany to enthusiastically send along an elite team of video gamers. Despite worldwide popularity that has propelled video game competition… Read More

University of Washington building esports arena and lounge to tap into huge gaming movement

by Kurt Schlosser on January 15, 2019January 15, 2019 at 12:13 pmComment

The University of Washington is adding another sport to its competitive landscape in Seattle with the addition of the new Esports Arena & Gaming Lounge in the school’s Husky Union… Read More

Amazon reportedly working on game streaming service, talking to publishers about signing up

by Nat Levy on January 10, 2019January 10, 2019 at 12:01 pmComment

Amazon is looking to get into game streaming, joining its tech titan contemporaries Microsoft and Google, according to a report from The Information. Amazon is reportedly developing its own game… Read More

Photos

A virtual-reality virgin finally takes the leap when Portal VR opens its second arcade

by Alan Boyle on December 26, 2018December 26, 2018 at 5:35 pm 2 Comments

BELLEVUE, Wash. — My wife was a VR virgin. Tonia Boyle isn’t exactly a thrill-seeker. Skydiving, bungee jumping and zipline rides have never been her cup of tea. But when it… Read More

Event Calendar

Winter Break Gaming

by Nicole Tanner on December 24, 2018December 24, 2018 at 6:10 pmComment

Play games, hang out, and make new friends at the NewHolly Library Branch. Drop in for fun activities, including board and video games. Bring a friend and we’ll bring the games.

Latest game for Magic Leap AR headset gives a taste of device’s potential mass-market appeal

by Nat Levy on December 18, 2018December 18, 2018 at 9:16 amComment

A pair of trees spring up from a coffee table. Gardens grow out of coffee cups and couch cushions. A miniature island sits in the middle of a living room… Read More

Video

‘Fresh Prince’ star suing makers of ‘Fortnite’ for stealing his ‘Carlton Dance’ moves for video game

by Kurt Schlosser on December 17, 2018December 17, 2018 at 2:02 pm1 Comment

Alfonso Ribeiro clearly isn’t amused by all those kids who are dancing during and after playing “Fortnite.” The former star of the 1990s TV sitcom “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”… Read More

‘Thursday Night Football’ to feature co-stream by hugely popular gamer ‘Ninja’ on Amazon’s Twitch

by Kurt Schlosser on December 13, 2018December 13, 2018 at 11:08 amComment

The Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers will show off their brand of “multiplayer entertainment” in a “Thursday Night Football” clash tonight. And one of the most popular gamers… Read More

Led by Switch console, Nintendo reports $250M in U.S. sales over record-breaking weekend

by Taylor Soper on November 28, 2018November 28, 2018 at 8:17 amComment

U.S. shoppers provided a nice boost to Nintendo’s balance sheet last weekend. The gaming giant reported Wednesday that consumers spent $250 million on Nintendo products from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday.… Read More

Video

Microsoft holiday ad captures joy of video games and inclusion as boy uses Xbox Adaptive Controller

by Kurt Schlosser on November 26, 2018January 31, 2019 at 7:59 am 8 Comments

When Microsoft created the Xbox Adaptive Controller, it set out to bring all the joy of video games to those who might face limitations in their physical ability to play.… Read More

Microsoft’s Twitch competitor Mixer doubles down on audience participation with ‘Season 2’ features

by Nat Levy on November 1, 2018October 31, 2018 at 11:45 pmComment

It’s been more than two years since Microsoft bought the Seattle game-streaming service Beam, later rebranding it as Mixer, and now the tech giant is revealing a slate of updates that… Read More

From little kid to president of the company, Wizards of the Coast leader stays in the ever-evolving game

by Kurt Schlosser on October 30, 2018October 30, 2018 at 11:38 amComment

RENTON, Wash. — There’s something special about a workplace where you meet with the president of the company, ask to take his photograph and then watch as he voluntarily positions… Read More

Video

First startups, then goblins! Tech CEOs unite around Dungeons & Dragons, embrace their inner geek

by Kurt Schlosser on October 29, 2018October 30, 2018 at 8:12 amComment

Intriguing and quirky characters flock to the tech industry. But how many of them would happily classify themselves as a barbarian or a sorcerer, a druid or cleric? Turns out,… Read More

Inside Niantic’s Seattle-area engineering office, the future of Pokémon Go is taking shape

by Nat Levy on October 19, 2018October 19, 2018 at 10:53 am 2 Comments

When throngs of Pokémon Go fanatics took over Downtown Bellevue Park two summers ago during the height of the augmented reality game’s initial craze, just a few blocks away Edward… Read More

Video

Amazon creates ‘Grand Tour Game’ to bring driving fans in on the action of popular TV series

by Kurt Schlosser on October 15, 2018October 15, 2018 at 10:24 amComment

If you’re a fan of Amazon’s Prime Original television series “The Grand Tour,” the stars want you to go straight from watching to actually being in on the action. “One… Read More

‘Plants vs. Zombies’ creator PopCap and parent EA put down new roots in Seattle, and tease next game

by Kurt Schlosser on October 12, 2018October 16, 2018 at 10:48 am1 Comment

When Ken Moss started at the video game company Electronic Arts a little more than four years ago, he was one of the only EA employees working out of PopCap Games… Read More

HBO vets raise cash from top VCs for immersive augmented reality startup Leaftail Labs

by Taylor Soper on October 12, 2018October 13, 2018 at 9:25 am 2 Comments

Top venture capital firms are making an early bet on a new Seattle startup that is pushing the envelope with immersive games. Leaftail Labs recently reeled in $1.25 million from… Read More

Video

Microsoft will launch testing of Project xCloud game streaming service in 2019, powered by custom servers built from Xbox components

by Tom Krazit on October 8, 2018October 8, 2018 at 4:31 pmComment

Starting next year, gamers across consoles, PCs, and mobile devices will be able to access a new service from Microsoft called Project xCloud that will provide access to a library… Read More

Microsoft adds Xbox One keyboard and mouse support, partners with hardware maker Razer

by Nat Levy on September 25, 2018September 25, 2018 at 3:19 pmComment

Microsoft is enabling keyboard and mouse support for Xbox One, adding a new way for gamers to play and more tools for developers. Keyboard and mouse support will roll out… Read More

Geek of the Week: Yi Yang’s love for video games taught him English, so he wrote a book about it

by Kurt Schlosser on September 21, 2018September 21, 2018 at 10:03 amComment

Students in China who wish to study in the U.S. can often find the advanced vocabulary English tests to be the biggest hurdle. Yi Yang learned how to clear his… Read More

Steam adds new tools to help users find games they want — and avoid ones they don’t — in its store

by Thomas Wilde on September 7, 2018September 8, 2018 at 10:02 amComment

It’s been a strange summer for Steam. Since the implementation of the Steam Direct program last year, the service has seen a tidal wave of new, largely unfiltered content, much… Read More

Geek of the Week: 30 years later, DigiPen and Jason Chu still in the game with unique education model

by Kurt Schlosser on September 7, 2018September 7, 2018 at 11:53 amComment

Thirty years ago, Jason Chu was there when the DigiPen Institute of Technology started with the idea of using video games as a teaching tool. Today, the COO of the… Read More

Podcast

Geared Up Podcast: Is the Xbox All Access subscription actually a good deal?

by Clare McGrane on August 30, 2018January 16, 2019 at 11:03 amComment

Microsoft announced a strange new subscription-style plan for Xbox this week, called All Access. It basically bundles existing gaming subscriptions with an installment plan to buy a new Xbox One… Read More

Microsoft unveils Xbox All Access, a new hardware/software subscription plan with no upfront cost

by Taylor Soper on August 27, 2018August 27, 2018 at 10:27 amComment

Microsoft today unveiled a new Xbox subscription plan that lets gamers pay for a console and play games for a monthly price. Called Xbox All Access, the two-year contract starts… Read More

Microsoft to extend Xbox Live to Android and iOS, but company stays mum on Switch and PS4 compatibility

Nintendo jumps into virtual reality with latest Labo cardboard kits

Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé to retire, hand leadership reins to Doug Bowser

Seattle indie game developer tinyBuild raises $15M, plans to grow using ‘dynamic structure’ strategy

Activision Blizzard subsidiary Z2 shuts down Seattle game studio amid larger layoffs

Microsoft Studios becomes Xbox Game Studios, reflecting gaming brand’s evolution beyond the console

No Olympics for you! German sports official equates esports to knitting

University of Washington building esports arena and lounge to tap into huge gaming movement

Amazon reportedly working on game streaming service, talking to publishers about signing up

A virtual-reality virgin finally takes the leap when Portal VR opens its second arcade

Winter Break Gaming

Latest game for Magic Leap AR headset gives a taste of device’s potential mass-market appeal

‘Fresh Prince’ star suing makers of ‘Fortnite’ for stealing his ‘Carlton Dance’ moves for video game

‘Thursday Night Football’ to feature co-stream by hugely popular gamer ‘Ninja’ on Amazon’s Twitch

Led by Switch console, Nintendo reports $250M in U.S. sales over record-breaking weekend

Microsoft holiday ad captures joy of video games and inclusion as boy uses Xbox Adaptive Controller

Microsoft’s Twitch competitor Mixer doubles down on audience participation with ‘Season 2’ features

From little kid to president of the company, Wizards of the Coast leader stays in the ever-evolving game

First startups, then goblins! Tech CEOs unite around Dungeons & Dragons, embrace their inner geek

Inside Niantic’s Seattle-area engineering office, the future of Pokémon Go is taking shape

Amazon creates ‘Grand Tour Game’ to bring driving fans in on the action of popular TV series

‘Plants vs. Zombies’ creator PopCap and parent EA put down new roots in Seattle, and tease next game

HBO vets raise cash from top VCs for immersive augmented reality startup Leaftail Labs

Microsoft will launch testing of Project xCloud game streaming service in 2019, powered by custom servers built from Xbox components

Microsoft adds Xbox One keyboard and mouse support, partners with hardware maker Razer

Geek of the Week: Yi Yang’s love for video games taught him English, so he wrote a book about it

Steam adds new tools to help users find games they want — and avoid ones they don’t — in its store

Geek of the Week: 30 years later, DigiPen and Jason Chu still in the game with unique education model

Geared Up Podcast: Is the Xbox All Access subscription actually a good deal?

Microsoft unveils Xbox All Access, a new hardware/software subscription plan with no upfront cost

MIT Technology Review Presents: EmTech Digital 2019

Google + Taqtile: Startup War Stories

Fireside Chat with Bill Bryant