Blog Posts by Ben Silverman

Skylanders: Cloud Patrol (Activision)Just what we needed: another reason to collect Skylanders.

Now that the immensely popular toy/game franchise has conquered your game console, raided your toy store and flooded your eBay, it's taking aim at your iWhatever. On Thursday, Activision released Skylanders: Cloud Patrol exclusively on the App Store.

Kinect Star Wars (LucasArts)From the moment Microsoft first showed off its controller-free Kinect sensor, millions of geeky minds were immediately flooded with images of twirling lightsaber duels set in a certain galaxy far, far away.

Star Wars plus Kinect? A perfect match! We'd fling stormtroopers left and right with a wave of the hand, lob lightning around like a Tesla coil, and choke out the faithless with a crushing grip. Star Wars kid, eat your heart out.

Unfortunately, virtual Jedi knights are going to have to tangle with the Dark Side if they choose to play 'Kinect Star Wars'. Releasing Tuesday, the long-awaited game is currently averaging a decidedly dull 59 on Metacritic.

World of Warcraft (Activision Blizzard)Looking to meet the love of your life online? Try to be open-minded, because they might be an orc.

The tongue-in-cheek curiosity seekers at Online University compiled a ton of online dating stats, and as it turns out, those looking to hook up over the web may actually fare better questing in World of Warcraft than sifting through eHarmony profiles.

Click for more screenshotsIf you want to sing along to the next Disney musical, you'll have to buy a game console.

Releasing this fall, Disney's Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two retains much of the flavor that made the original Epic Mickey a sizable hit back in 2010. But for their next act, the developers are aiming to tap into some of that heralded Disney magic by turning the whole endeavor into a musical comedy.

Flower (thatgamecompany)If you're on the fence about whether or not video games qualify as art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum would like to have a word with you. And perhaps play a game or two.

On Friday, the Washington, D.C. museum opened 'The Art of Video Games' exhibit, showcasing a collection of games that exemplify the 40 year evolution of the industry.

Ellwood Bartlett (Gail Burton/AP)Lottery winner Ellwood "Bunky" Bartlett scored the jackpot of a lifetime when he nabbed $42 million in Maryland's Mega Millions back in 2007. Apparently, that's still not enough to make his video game development dreams come to life.

The aspiring game designer and current millionaire is enraging the internet by taking to Kickstarter in an attempt to get his project funded by, well, you.

"A smart investor has partners," he told Kotaku. "I will be investing as well. This also helps me to see if there is actual interest in the type of game I am proposing."

Journey (Sony)Are video games art? Despite the Supreme Court ruling that games deserve First Amendment protection, the debate quietly continues.

A new downloadable PS3 game, however, might silence some doubters.

Exit the dragon, enter the Tiger...and Shaq.

The affable ex-baller seems cozy enough co-hosting TNT's Inside the NBA, but Shaquille O' Neal is also a big fan of martial arts. He's starred in his own wonderfully lousy fighting game, trains in MMA, and even had the nerve to playfully challenge UFC legend Chuck Liddell.

That fight (thankfully) never happened, but the Big Van Damme apparently has another athlete in his sights: Tiger Woods, who presumably killed Shaq's master, and now Shaq wants revenge. Or perhaps vice versa.