The social war between Facebook and Google just got a lot more fun.

Dragon Age Legends (EA/Bioware)Google+, the search giant's fast-rising social network, has added games to its offerings, encroaching on the most profitable and popular part of Facebook's empire. And it's boasting some big titles, too.

Angry Birds, Bejeweled Blitz and Dragon Age Legends are among the well-known names the company is offering players. But the real draw may be the manner in which Google is presenting games on its service — in an unobtrusive way that will mean fewer annoyances for friends and followers.

Monopoly Deal Shuffle ShakerEverybody loves a quiet night in with a new board game -- but those big boxes can come with equally big price tags.

How can you freshen up your collection without emptying out your wallet? Check out these great games, all selling at great prices.

Retail video game sales nosedived in July, hitting their lowest level since October 2006.

NCAA Football 12 (EA Sports)Year over year sales were down 26 percent, with declines across the board in all hardware, software and accessories -- and no breakout hits. While July is often a slow month for the industry, the dip in software sales was more than twice as bad as Wall St. analysts were predicting.

Game sales fell 17 percent to $336 million, according to the NPD Group (versus analyst expectations of a 7 percent decline). As expected, EA's NCAA Football 12 led the field, but what's really shocking is the absence of some other high-profile releases.

For years, Nintendo has held its ground as the premier name in handheld gaming.

iPhone 4 (Apple)But to the company's financial backers, it's time to wake up and smell the Apples.

Bloomberg reports that Nintendo's investors are so unhappy with the recent performance that they're demanding the company start creating games for smartphones and other devices.

Big Name Games Going Free
Can't afford all these fancy games? Then stop paying for them. Strategy hit Age of Empires gets the freebie treatment next week, but loads of other well-known franchises are being turned into free-to-play titles supported by optional in-game purchases. Give your bank account a breather and check out these well-known -- and now free -- games.

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Activision is bringing in some Hollywood heavyweights to help it entertain the Call of Duty social community.

Ridley Scott (Getty Images)Director Ridley Scott, whose hits include "Alien," "Blade Runner" and "Gladiator," is leading the charge on "episodic entertainment" that will be available exclusively to Call of Duty: Elite subscribers. Included among the other contributors are actors Will Arnett and Jason Bateman.

By: Joanna Douglas, Shine Staff

Katie Holmes playing Pictionary with Jimmy Fallon (Getty Images)Katie Holmes may be a good actress, but her artistic ability is severely lacking. The wife of Tom Cruise appeared on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" to promote her new horror film, "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark," and the TV host challenged her to a game of Pictionary. Holmes and Fallon each teamed up with an audience member to decipher their sketches, but the actress's drawings came up short.

Most kings adopt a regal air, separating themselves from the common folk.

Star Trek theme park (Rubicon Group Holding)Not Jordan's King Abdullah II. He's a geek and he's proud of it.

The Jordanian monarch is the chief investor in an upcoming theme park that will revolve around Star Trek. Slated to open in 2014, the park costs a reported $1.5 billion.

That's a lot of Gold-Pressed Latinum.