Japan used to be the vanguard of the game industry, leading the way by innovative examples and top technology. But lately, their influence is waning, replaced by young developers outside the land of the rising sun.

The GiN Gang looks at some major innovations found in recent games, and laments the fact that, sadly, most new titles are just more of the same. But innovation doesn’t always equal commercial success, so we understand.

As technology advances, devices get smaller and a lot more fun. Today cell phones and other tiny gadgets have become true portable gaming machines, with developers producing some amazing titles.

The frontlines in the console war have been pretty static for a while now. But with Microsoft going for motion control and Sony finally lowering prices, could this be a renewed offensive against the Wii?

In the past few months since our last GiN Lounge show on MMOs, several new massively-multiplayer games have been released like D&D Online and Aion. We update you on the comings and goings of MMO worlds.

Racing games are more popular than ever, fueled by NASCAR-hungry fans and extreme racing titles like the Burnout series. We take a few laps with race game reviewer Todd Hargosh to predict what’s around the next corner.

The ESRB is there to protect the kids, right? Not if you believe curmudgeonly reporter Nate Wooley, who says the current system puts moral choices in the hands of Wal-Mart. And Chella just wants to show us how it’s done across the pond.

Once upon a time, video game arcades were the epitome of gaming society. But all things pass, and today it's hard to find a decent arcade in any town. This week we celebrate these great white elephants of yesteryear.

Can the game industry ever hope to capture the magic that makes a graphic novel or comic book series so delightful? The GiN Lounge Crew don their secret identities to find out this week.

Football teams are busy training for the season and the new Madden game is inducing “the flu” in offices everywhere. It must be football season. We pitch the pigskin this week in the lounge.