(Credit: Getty Images)

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China is considering lifting a decade-long ban on video game consoles, the official China Daily newspaper reported on Monday, sending shares of major hardware makers such as Sony Corp and Nintendo Co Ltd surging.

In November, Sony's PlayStation 3 received a quality certification from a Chinese safety standards body, prompting speculation that Beijing would lift the ban, which the government said was imposed in 2000 to safeguard children's mental and physical development.

Jonathan CoultonLast week, songwriter Jonathan Coulton, who most gamers know through his legendary work on Valve's Portal series, accused the FOX show 'Glee' of ripping off his cover of Sir Mix-a-lot's "Baby Got Back." Coulton's version, released in 2006, transformed the hip-hop anthem into a laid back folksy jam, which apparently was so catchy that it caught the ear of the arrangers at 'Glee', who pretty much ripped it off.

Producers for the show haven't made any public statements, though Coulton says on his blog that they acknowledged his complaints privately.

The Legoland Hotel (Credit: Legoland)When we heard Lego were building a hotel, our first thought was, “Well, that’ll go nicely next to the gas station, the police HQ, and that pretty little house with the flowers out front, right?”

But Lego’s latest construction project is on a rather larger scale than most of its other efforts. Opening April 5 at the Legoland theme park in Carlsbad, California, the Legoland Hotel is a full-size, real-life hotel that’s packed with enough Lego to spark a blocky, brick-shaped glint in any fan’s eye.

Madden NFL '13 (Credit: EA Sports)Looks like Ray Lewis’ storied career will get a storybook ending after all.

EA Sports just released its annual Super Bowl simulation, and it’s great news for the legendary linebacker. According to Madden NFL '13, the Baltimore Ravens will edge out the San Francisco 49ers by a mere field goal, winning the Lombardi Trophy, 27 - 24.

Home Sweet Homelessness (Credit: AP Photo/Traverse City Record-Eagle, Jan-Michael Stump)Ever wonder what it’s like to be homeless?

With temperatures plunging into single digits across much of the country this week, it’s an issue that’s on many people’s minds. But a board game co-designed by the residents at a Goodwill Industries shelter in Northern Michigan promises to give the rest of us insight into life on the street without the accompanying frostbite.

L.A. Noire (Credit: Rockstar Games)Hollywood and the video game industry usually have a fairly cordial relationship. Studios need game publishers to put out licensed products for their tentpole films, and game makers are often eager to expand the universe that directors create on screen.

This week, though, there was a fracture in that relationship, as Rockstar Games, creators of the Grand Theft Auto franchise, and Frank Darabont, screenwriter of films like "The Shawshank Redemption" and "The Green Mile" and developer of AMC's "The Walking Dead," bickered publicly about an upcoming project, each with a different version of the story.

Stick your head into any arcade around the country and you're likely to find an Air Hockey machine. Since its introduction in 1972, the fast-paced game, with its gently floating pucks and distinctive mallets, has become a favorite of kids and adults alike.

But while it's often the source of epic, occasionally unfriendly battles between friends, few people think of it as a skill game. Turns out, it is. And if you're looking to improve your game, following these simple tips can help you become nearly unbeatable – or at least the baddest player in the arcade.

Since time immemorial, dry ice (also known as frozen carbon dioxide) has been used to create spooky fog effects for stage shows, nightclubs, and low-budget sci-fi movies. But did you know that with a little more manipulation, it can also create a giant bubble that looks rather like an exploding soufflé?