Video games
Russia invades Minecraft with anti-Ukrainian propaganda
“Glory to Russia,” declared a video tutorial on how to construct a flagpole with a Russian flag on Minecraft. It showed a Russian flag over a cityscape labelled Luhansk, one of the Ukrainian provinces that Russia has illegally annexed.
- by Steven Lee Myers and Kellen Browning
Latest
Analysis
Analysis
Hand-held video games have returned
From hand-held PCs to new takes on the classic Game Boy, new technology is enabling portable games to flourish despite the rise of smartphones.
- by Tim Biggs
Game on: Microsoft’s $100b Activision deal gets US judge go-ahead
The deal would be the biggest ever for Microsoft and for the video game industry.
- by Diane Bartz
Opinion
Opinion
In an era of time-hacking, I just want to decorate fake bedrooms
We’re obsessed with making every minute of every day count. But what if we dropped the optimisation expectations and embraced hobbies that simply make us happy?
- by Cherie Gilmour
From crime fighting to exploring the stars: The biggest games coming in 2023
The absence of an E3 expo this year didn’t stop the avalanche of game announcements. Spider-Man 2, Starfield and Alan Wake 2 are all shaping up as crowd-pleasers.
- by Tim Biggs
Analysis
Analysis
10m copies in three days: Latest Zelda set to be another record-breaker for Nintendo
Tears of the Kingdom has been six years coming, and if the critical reception and early sales are any indication, the wait has been worth it for Nintendo and its fans.
- by Tim Biggs
Why video game adaptations are finally levelling up
The new Super Mario Bros. Movie is projected to smash the box office this week, confirming that video games are now a key player in Hollywood.
- by Nell Geraets
Exclusive
eSports
Dan Murphy’s owner pours $3m into esports mega-venue
Australia’s biggest drinks retailer, Endeavour Group, is investing $3 million into Sydney’s newest esports, gaming centre as the $12 billion giant covets millennial and Gen Z customers
- by Jessica Yun
‘Groomed for future gambling’: Call for loot box video games to be adult-only
Games that include so-called “loot boxes” would be given M ratings under proposed government reforms, but anti-gambling MPs want them to go further.
- by Paul Sakkal
Analysis
Analysis
Cracking the code: why video game movies could be the new comic book movies
Now that The Last of Us is the talk of the critics and the water cooler, is the curse of the wretched video game adaptation finally broken?
- by Tim Biggs
School attendance has plummeted. And it’s not just because of COVID
An older problem has re-emerged when it comes to getting children out of bed and to school. And some students are being allowed to sleep in to overcome it.
- by Christopher Harris