THQ has shut its doors.

A bankruptcy auction marked the formal end of the company that was once the industry's third largest publisher, divvying up its pieces among bidders like Vikings after a raid. Several companies bought THQ's franchises and developers for total of about $72 million.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II (Activision)It might be the best-selling video game in the world, but Call of Duty: Black Ops II isn’t finding many allies in Pakistan.

FOX News reports that Activision’s billion-dollar behemoth has been pulled from store shelves in the war-torn country. EA’s critically-maligned Medal of Honor: Warfighter has been banned as well.

Hilda Knott (Credit: BBC)Still under the impression that video games are strictly for kids? Hilda Knott would like to have a word with you. And perhaps a game.

The 85-year-old British gamer has been mashing buttons for 40 years -- roughly the life of the video game industry – and is showing no signs of slowing down.

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker Wii U (Credit: Nintendo)The Wii U has taken some heat from critics post-launch. The system is slow, they say. There haven't been any new games. Where's Zelda?

Nintendo met those accusations head-on Wednesday in the company’s latest Nintendo Direct online press conference, unveiling a collection of new games and enhancements that would cheer even the most skeptical fan. Before the year is out, Wii U owners can expect a double dose of Mario, Yoshi's return to the spotlight and a high-definition take on a classic Zelda game.

Ralph Nader (Credit: Getty Images)By Dara Keer, CNET

Not one to keep his opinion to himself, former presidential candidate Ralph Nader has come down hard on video games. In fact, he has gone as far as to call the companies that make them "electronic child molesters."

In an interview with Politico yesterday, Nader blasted President Obama's gun control package that was unveiled last week. The two-time Green Party presidential candidate said that the president's plan needs to go further in regulating video game creators that add violence to their games.

Atari 2600 console (Credit: Atari)One of the most famous names in video games has run out of lives.

Iconic video game company Atari has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and plans to auction off all of its assets, including its famous logo.

Jonathan Coulton vs. Glee (Credit: Getty Images/Fox)Fox’s sugary hit "Glee" hasn’t met a hit song it wouldn’t cover with Broadway pizzazz. And while the show’s tight arrangements are often thrilling to legions of Gleeks, legions of geeks are steaming over a track they believe was stolen from one of their own.

Jonathan Coulton, a songwriter best known as the man behind the epic “Still Alive” from the critically-acclaimed game Portal (as well as the equally awesome “Want You Gone” from Portal 2), took Fox to task on Twitter for what appears to be the outright theft of his cover of the 90’s hip-hop anthem “Baby Got Back.”

It’s one of the best-selling video game franchises in the world, but what if you could play Mario Kart for real?

A group of Texas gamers/engineers from Waterloo Labs decided to give it a go, and the results are pretty amazing. This real-life Mario Kart racing track features actual power-ups, including mushrooms, lightning bolts and even those pesky turtle shells.