Blog Posts by Ben Silverman

Netflix on 3DS - NintendoAs backlash rages over Netflix's reworked pricing structure, Nintendo 3DS owners in the U.S. and Canada got a bit of good news today as they'll now be able to stream TV shows and movies directly to their 3D handheld.

Nintendo announced the feature, which is accessible by downloading a free app from the portable system's eShop, in the hopes that it will entice more consumers to get in on the 3DS.

Plants vs. Zombies - PopCap Games Plants vs. Zombies vs...Madden?

Here's hoping we get such a hybrid now that mega-publisher Electronic Arts has announced that they've acquired casual game giant PopCap Games for a cool $750 million -- $650 million in cash and an additional $100 million in EA stock.

The deal is sure to send shockwaves across the video game landscape. PopCap is the undisputed king of the casual games world, boasting smash franchises like Bejeweled, Peggle, Zuma and Plants vs. Zombies. The company's got a toe in nearly every corner of the games market, with over 150 million games installed across PCs, consoles, Facebook accounts, and mobile devices. Combine that with EA's reach and massive game library --

Battlefield 3 - EA First-person shooter heavyweights Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Battlefield 3 will turn their virtual wars into a very real one as they fight for control over your game console this fall.

But the two companies behind the games have already started sniping.

Astute gamers noticed that the URL modernwarfare3.com -- clearly a site that should be owned and operated by Call of Duty publisher Activision -- redirects to none other than the official site for...Battlefield 3. Is rival publisher EA suddenly involved in the seedy business of domain trolling?

Not so much. More likely, it's the work of a disgruntled gamer. A search for the site's owner brings up an anonymous registration, and

BioShock Infinite - 2K Games You've seen which games wowed us at the recent E3 expo, but the big show isn't technically over until the Game Critics have announced their picks. Representing over 40 publications (including Yahoo! Games), the video game journalist illuminati have officially chosen their fave: it's BioShock: Infinite. The first-person game swept all four categories in which it was nominated, taking home wins as Best PC Game, Best Action/Adventure, Best Original and the coveted Best Overall spot.

Other multiple winners include Battlefield 3 (Best Action, Best Online Multiplayer), The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Best RPG, Best Console Game), and Sound Shapes (Best Social/Casual, Best Handheld Game.) Full list

The original "War Games" - Courtesy of MGM

Global thermonuclear war is coming back to a theater near you. And, fittingly, a gamer is helping make it happen.

Deadline reports that the 1983 film 'WarGames' is getting rebooted by MGM, who have tapped Seth Gordon -- the man behind the acclaimed video game documentary 'The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters' -- to direct.

It's great news for fans of the original. Starring Matthew Broderick and Ally Sheedy, 'WarGames' tells the story of a young computer geek who hacks into a government network to play some games and accidentally triggers World War III.  Not only was it
one of the first mainstream Hollywood hits to tap into the burgeoning field of tech hacking and online gaming (it's

Time of Duty It might not be the magazine of choice for gamers, but Time is hoping to change that by doing what's never been done in the 88-year history of the storied publication.

It's using its cover to help promote a product. A video game, no less.

In an effort to drum up some love from the coveted 'young male' demographic, Time has helped create a mock cover to promote Activision's upcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. Featuring the splashy headline 'World Stands on the Brink' set against a war-torn Wall Street, the faux Time -- complete with iconic red border and nameplate -- is already confusing customers at Gamestop stores, where it appears as a double-sided poster.

"This is where the

The holiday shopping season might be a good six months away, but thanks to the E3 2011 extravaganza, video game Christmas lists are already taking shape.

While many of the biggest titles and hardware shown off at this year's game geekfest aren't coming until well into 2012 -- including the innovative Wii U, the gorgeous Tomb Raider reboot and the downright awesome Bioshock Infinite -- a wealth of top tier titles will be out in time for your holiday shopping sprees. Start balancing your checkbook, because it's going to
be a busy 2011. Here are ten you absolutely won't want to miss:

Batman: Arkham City
Release Date: October 18

The follow-up to 2009's superhero spectacular Batman: Arkham

Last year's Halo: Reach might have been the swan song for original franchise creator Bungie, but the famous first-person shooter series has plenty of life left in it.

At their E3 2011 press conference in Los Angeles, Microsoft pulled the wraps off two new Halo endeavors. A short teaser trailer marked the debut of Halo 4. Featuring the return of series staple Master Chief, the new game is due out in holiday 2012:

This year, however, will see the release of Halo Combat
Evolved: Anniversary, an HD remake of the original 2001 Xbox game that kicked off the series. It's due to release November 15^th.

Microsoft also unveiled new experiences for its Kinect motion system. Sequels to best-selling