When Gamers Become Parents, Finding Balance Is Next Level (Published 2020)

Video games appeal to all ages, but when do they become a distraction for parents?

For Flagging Amazon Games Unit, New World ‘Has to Be Our Breakthrough’

The tech giant has struggled to produce popular games, but a much-delayed title released this week could be the first step in a turnaround.

New Limits Give Chinese Video Gamers Whiplash

China has a complex relationship with video games. New government rules for minors have made it even more so.

The Score of Final Fantasy Gets Its Due at the Concert Hall

The beloved music for this video game and others have been covered on YouTube for years. Now some are performed at classical music’s grandest venues.

Why Is Everyone Talking to Ibai Llanos?

A 26-year-old Spanish streamer counts Lionel Messi as an admirer and Gerard Piqué as a business partner. His interviews might be a glimpse into the future of sports media.

A Nick to Apple’s Profits Could Be a Windfall for App Developers

After a judge opened up a way to avoid Apple’s commission on their sales, companies big and small are seeing dollar signs.

To Survive the Pandemic, a Secret Nintendo Cafe Is Secret No Longer

Toru Hashimoto’s Tokyo spot is a showcase for items he kept while working for the video game company. It used to be a members-only hideaway, but financial strain has forced him to open up.

Judge Orders Apple to Ease Restrictions on App Developers

The decision could have major implications for thousands of businesses that pay Apple billions of dollars each year.

Apple Gives Ground in a Strategic Retreat From Strict App Store Rules

The company, under pressure from app developers and regulators, is making concessions while protecting lucrative parts of its App Store.

China Tightens Limits for Young Online Gamers and Bans School Night Play

The restrictions reflect the government’s intensifying push for companies to jettison what it says are unhealthy cultural influences.

Very Personal Computing: In Artist’s New Work, A.I. Meets Fatherhood

Ian Cheng brings his latest piece to the Shed, a narrative animation powered by a video game engine and partly inspired by his daughter.

Facebook’s New Bet on Virtual Reality: Conference Rooms

The pandemic has renewed interest in virtual reality. Facebook is trying to capitalize with a new virtual meeting room service.

Facebook’s New Bet on Virtual Reality: Conference Rooms

The pandemic has renewed interest in virtual reality. Facebook is trying to capitalize with a new virtual meeting room service.

Super Mario 64 Video Game Sells for $1.56 Million

The sale, to an anonymous bidder, set a record just two days after a copy of The Legend of Zelda sold for $870,000, according to Heritage Auctions.

How Ronan Farrow Spends His Sundays

For one thing, the award-winning reporter eats sardines and cottage cheese while on deadline. He’s also into Mario Kart.

Inside the ‘Deadly Serious’ World of E-Sports in South Korea

Each year, thousands of young South Koreans compete to join pro e-sports teams, but only a few make the cut​. An American company in Seoul wants to help more young gamers find jobs.

What Weird Games Lurk on Your Kid’s Tablet?

Huge Kid Cesarean Birth in Hospital? Toddler Foot Doctor?

How Microsoft Is Ditching the Video Game Console Wars

Known for the Xbox, Microsoft has been diversifying away from boxy hardware in favor of reaching millions more new gamers.

Why A.I. Should Be Afraid of Us

Because benevolent bots are suckers. Plus, racism in medical journals, the sperm-count “crisis” and more in the Friday edition of the Science Times newsletter.