The new generation of video game consoles from Sony Corp., Nintendo Co. and Microsoft Corp. have more than zippy processors and flashy graphics in common: They’re also getting serious about online services.

The new generation of video game consoles from Sony Corp., Nintendo Co. and Microsoft Corp. have more than zippy processors and flashy graphics in common: They’re also getting serious about online services.

WASHINGTON - After years of promises and high expectations, consumers will finally be able to purchase nextgeneration video game consoles as the industry’s painful transition to the latest technology comes to an end later this year.

Buyers began lining up before dawn Wednesday, laying beneath tents or atop cots outside major East Valley retailers in anticipation of this weekend’s releases of the Sony PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii gaming consoles. But most said they weren’t doing it for the love of gaming.

NEW YORK - In the second grade, James Silva didn't just play "Mario" and "Zelda" on his Nintendo but drew pictures of new levels and cooked up ideas for future games. While other kids dreamed of becoming an astronaut or president, he felt destined to be a video game designer.

Mesa police are trying to locate a man officers say entered an apartment with a gun and stole a video game console on Tuesday.

SEATTLE - Nintendo Co. has become the latest console maker to promise parents the means to help restrict their children's access to violent video games.

CHIBA, Japan - Nintendo thinks it has the answer for people scared off by all the complex switches and buttons on home video-game controllers — a simpler device that looks like a TV remote control and can be waved like a wand or a baseball bat.

AUSTIN, Texas - Only a few years ago, online games still lurked on the fringe of American culture.

Aficionados will remember 1972 as the year video games were born, with the arrival of ‘‘Pong.’’ Perhaps someday they will remember 2004 as the year video games died.

Many would consider it a dream job: playing video games all day long in search of the Next Big Thing. But Brian Kingsley, a 10-year veteran game developer for megapublishers, became disenchanted with his career after seeing great game after great game passed over because the sales executives couldn't attach a brand to the creations.

NEW YORK - The Beatles are coming to a game console near you.

Video game fans are always seeking new and improved ways to beat their opponents, making them an easy target for gift givers. In the spirit of the holidays, we looked at some of this season's must-have games and gadgets. But first, the basics.

May 17, 2005

Users of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 video game consoles can now brag about their achievements on Facebook.

CHIBA, Japan - In the three-way struggle among Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo for year-end shoppers of nextgeneration video game consoles, price is turning out to be a key weapon.

NEW YORK - The video-game industry saw software sales decline from 2004 levels for a third straight month in November as the launch of Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 console helped erode demand for existing titles.

ARMONK, N.Y. - The powerful "Cell" microprocessor that fuels Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 3 video game console will be available in IBM mainframe computers so those high-performance machines can run complex online games and virtual worlds.

NEW YORK -- Although you can win or lose real money, BringIt.com is not considered online gambling, and it's legal in 39 states.

Xbox Kinect

Xbox Kinect

LOS ANGELES - "This song is dedicated to Debbie Harry," flinty-eyed Lisa Hsuan purrs into a microphone on the red-lit stage of Hyperion Tavern. It's a cozy dive where patrons drink Coke and beer from bottles and a fading chandelier dangles overhead.

LOS ANGELES - "This song is dedicated to Debbie Harry," flinty-eyed Lisa Hsuan purrs into a microphone on the red-lit stage of Hyperion Tavern. It's a cozy dive where patrons drink Coke and beer from bottles and a fading chandelier dangles overhead.

When Apple introduced the iPhone, it shook up the cell phone business but it also changed the way people play video games. About a quarter of the 100,000 applications that you can download to the iPhone are games, ranging from the simple "Doodle Jump" to a version of "Grand Theft Auto."