Video Games & Gear

Don't be a n00b — gold farming has nothing to do with actual mining. The practice of selling virtual gold for actual cash might be lucrative, but it's also been accused of creating "virtual sweatshops" in many countries.

By Clint Pumphrey

It seemed like the gaming accessory of the future — a glove that turned hand motions into player actions. But it turned out, the Power Glove left gamers feeling powerless over their gameplay.

By Nathan Chandler

Video games have been popular for years, and now Twitch lets players and oglers share their love of gaming in real time. Think you're ready to broadcast your gaming skills (or lack thereof)?

By Bernadette Johnson

Gamers everywhere have often waxed rhapsodic about the idea of fully immersive 3-D play. Can Oculus Rift deliver the virtual reality we've been waiting for?

By Bernadette Johnson

Handheld controllers for gaming systems may soon be passe. We're now living at a time when we can shout commands or flail our limbs about to control our entertainment systems.

By Bernadette Johnson

The next generation of consoles promises to be more lifestyle-integrated than those that have come before. Can the Xbox One be everything you need in home entertainment?

By Bernadette Johnson

In February 2013, Sony announced the latest iteration of its PlayStation gaming console: the PS4. Will this new tech fully realize the integration of entertainment and social interaction?

By Nathan Chandler

When the Kinect for Xbox 360 emerged on the scene, it was immediately apparent to creative users that the potential of the device stretched far beyond gaming. Now, Microsoft is truly putting the power in your hands -- what will you do with it?

By Stephanie Crawford

You enjoyed playing video games with your NES controller back in the day. Then you put it into a drawer as technology evolved. Now you're ready to toss it. But wait! That gadget may have a new life as a remote control or even a fashion accessory.

By Laurie L. Dove & Josh Peterson, Planet Green

Sony is hoping to revolutionize handheld gaming with its feature-packed PS Vita, but will it beat the Nintendo 3DS in the consumer market? We examine this and other questions about How the PS Vita Will Work.

By Wesley Fenlon

You want to set up Wi-Fi for the Nintendo DS, but you're not sure how to do it. Learn about how to set up Wi-Fi for the Nintendo DS in this article.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

Sony's PlayStation Network offers gamers the chance to dive into multiplayer entertainment with friends all over the globe. But will the online community ever fully recover from its 2011 security breach?

By Wesley Fenlon

The Nintendo 3DS is a hand-held gaming device that incorporates 3-D graphics without requiring special glasses. We've taken apart one to show you what's inside this game system.

By Jonathan Strickland

Animation just keeps getting more and more realistic, as emerging technology MotionScan demonstrates quite nicely. What's the deal with digitizing faces? And how lifelike do we really want our animated figures to be?

By Nathan Chandler

The Nintendo 3DS portable video game system lets you play in 3-D without having to wear special glasses. What makes this possible, and why won't it play all your old games in three dimensions?  

By Jonathan Strickland

Gamification is rapidly changing the way we interact with our world. Education, business and health are all becoming more gamified every single day. Odds are, you're participating in gamified systems without even knowing it.

By Stephanie Crawford

As efforts to create artificial intelligence become more sophisticated, humans like to test computers to see whether they can beat people at games of skill and chance. Can a computer win without cheating?

By Jonathan Strickland

With the recent release of the PlayStation Move, gamers have been weighing in on the pros and cons of this new device and how it compares with the Nintendo Wii. Let's take a look at what makes the Move unique.

By Wesley Fenlon

The Wii Balance Board for Nintendo's innovative game console tracks a user's weight and movements, letting the board act as a game controller. What's behind the board's technology, and how did sumo wrestlers serve as its inspiration?

By Jeremy Jacquot

Emotiv has a leg up on an intuitive interface for video games. For anyone who's ever fantasized about having the Force of Jedi Knighthood, the EPOC is a dream come true.

By Jane McGrath

Video games have become an incredibly popular -- and diverse -- pastime since their introduction. Explore the history of video game systems, from the Atari to the Xbox 360.

Video game designers need to have analytical knowledge as well as strong creative skills. How do you become a video game designer?

By Tim Crosby

Playing a video game nowadays is like entering another world, one with its own unique sights, sounds and realities. Game playing is also growing in frequency -- users spend up to four hours a day playing games. But how many players stop and think abo

By Tim Crosby

Musicians may thumb their noses at the skill it takes to strum buttons on a plastic guitar. But some of that Guitar Hero dexterity could benefit a novice learning to play the real instrument.

By Cristen Conger

What part do you play in your rock star fantasy? Lead singer, bass guitar player, drummer? Pick an instrument, a hair style, your next big gig. This is more than a video game.

By Cristen Conger