Larry Hryb, also known Xbox LIVE's Major Nelson, released the results of last night's flash polling during the Vice Presidential debate between Congressman Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) and Vice President Joe Biden (D). Hyrb claims that during the live stream of the debate on Xbox Live there were 800,000 responses to poll questions and that the level of engagement among users was "extremely high" with 30,000 responses to each question posed.

Take a look at your video game collection.  How many of those games are still unopened?  How about your Steam account?  Any purchased games you haven’t given a go yet?

Now look over to the right at this week’s poll.  Hey, what a coincidence!  It’s asking how many games you’ve purchased but haven’t yet played!

It’s almost like I planned this…

Let’s play a word association game.  I’m going to say a word, and you tell me what pops in your head.  Ready?  Okay, here we go…

“Appstore”

In Episode 22 hosts Andrew Eisen and E. Zachary Knight laugh at the ridiculousness of fan requests to give the ladies of Dead or Alive 5 bigger breasts, discuss region locking consoles, and talk about cable providers who are considering more game-related services. This episode will chafe you more than an iron thong on a female fighter who can't stand up straight because some Japanese guy gave her an unneeded mega boob job... Someone call a chiropractor!

Let’s say there’s a new console coming out that you’ve totally got your eye on.  It’s a groovy piece of kit, it’s reasonably priced and it’s got a bunch of games you want to play.  You’ve got your money saved up and you’re just ticking off the calendar days until its launch.

And then you find out it’s region locked.

Because I’m a huge Nintendo dork with a one-track mind, I predictably posted a Wii U-themed poll this week.

Nintendo cut loose with gobs of Wii U info last Thursday including the console’s price and launch date.  If you missed it, the console launches in North America on Nov. 18th in two flavors: a Basic Set for $300 and a Deluxe Set for $350.

So, you getting one?

I’m going to keep this brief because I have very strong opinions on this one and it’s difficult not to fill this post with arguments supporting my position on the subject.  (In fact, I just deleted three paragraphs worth.)

So, the Adults Only rating.  Do you think the ESRB should keep it?  Currently, it prevents games with explicit sexual content and extremely graphic violence from making it out onto the market.  Is that the way it should be?

Yesterday we highlighted a job listing on Valve's website that showed the popular game developer was looking to hire an Industrial Designer to work on "product design and manufacturing, ergonomics, usability, aesthetics, and surfacing."

I’ve got a fun one for you this week, GPers!

“Are Video Games Art?”

Yes, it’s that oft-debated and extremely polarizing question that can make proponents on both sides of the issue soil their shorts in an enthusiastic tizzy.  Opinions are hot on this one.  Blogs have been written, names have been called, blood has been spilled.

Are there any themes or topics that should never be explored in a video game?

In Episode 16 of the Super Podcast Action Committee, Andrew Eisen and James Fudge (filling in for E. Zachary Knight, who had to take a well-deserved time-out to fawn over a new addition to his family this week) talk about Mugen Souls, Resident Evil 5, the chaos of OnLive, the irony of Ubisoft turning Uplay into a digital distribution platform, and the controversy over "girlfriends" and Borderlands 2. Download Episode 16 here: SuperPAC Episode 16 (1 Hour, 12 Minutes).

In the United States, there is no law forbidding retailers from selling an M rated game to someone under age 17 and thanks to the Supreme Court’s ruling in Brown v. EMA, that’s not likely to ever change.

But is that the way it should be?

Across the pond in the UK, retailers are legally forbid from selling PEGI 12, 16, or 18 games to kids younger than the rating indicates.  Are the Europeans doing it right?

Oddly enough, “How much money have you spent on free-to-play games?” is not a stupid question.

As more and more games switch over to the “free-to-play” model, we find ourselves wondering how much gamers are spending on these “freemium” titles.  Luckily, we have our very own poll so those sleepless nights we've spent pondering this topic can kiss their butts goodbye!

For the past two years, Humble Bundle has been bundling up various independently developed bits of gaming goodness and for a limited time, allowing buyers to set their price and dictate how they want it divided up between the developers, different charities and Humble Bundle itself.  

In this week’s episode of Super Podcast Action Committee, EZK and I discussed software patents and whether they’re beneficial to the games industry, detrimental or somewhere in between.

Now it’s your turn to chime in.

Earlier this month, the European Court of Justice ruled that game publishers cannot stop European consumers from reselling their downloaded games.  Not only that, but a publisher may have to facilitate such a transaction by allowing the recipient of the sale to download their “used” copy from its website.

Oh yeah, they’re going to love that.

The Kickstarter for OUYA, the Android-based, indie developer-friendly home games console has been kicking ass and taking names since it launched a few days ago.

According to a Dealnews survey (accompanied by a handy dandy infographic) that polled 1,551 Dealnews readers the Xbox 360 is the gaming console of choice according to 38 percent of respondents. PC gaming comes in at second with 27 percent of those surveyed, followed by 20 percent who said they use the PS3, and 6 percent said they play exclusively on their smartphones.

China has an estimated 180 million gamers, and a new report suggests that they spend a fair amount of their hard earned money every month on online games. This news comes from a new study conducted by analyst group Niko Partners.

If the 2012 presidential election were held today and inside Nexon's MMO Maple Story, President Barack Obama would get a second term. The results come from a web-based poll that was conducted by Nexon among its U.S. Maple Story players between March 23 - 26. 

According to a new survey from Harris Interactive, about half of Americans (51 percent) say they will be purchasing toys as gifts this holiday season, while two in five (40 percent) will not, and one in ten (9 percent) are not sure. About three-quarters of those with a child in the household (72 percent) say they plan to purchase toys compared to 42 percent of those without a child in the household. The poll also shows that toy manufacturers should expect slightly less in sales compared to the last two years.

A recent survey of Japanese consumers about two upcoming systems might be cause for concern to executives at Nintendo and Sony. According to Japanese research firm goo Research, consumers aren't all that excited about either the Wii U or the PlayStation Vita. The firm surveyed 1,083 of its members and unearthed some interesting sample opinions on the upcoming products from both companies.

A new survey of Playr2.com users shows that a majority of its members are not satisfied (or interested) in 3D gaming. Tapping into 1,001 members, the Playr2.com asked them what they thought of the prospect of 3D gaming. Around 44 percent of respondents said that 3D gaming is “unnecessary," while 28 percent said they were "unimpressed" while playing the 3DS. Around 22 percent said that 3D technology impairs the gaming experience.

Social game maker RockYou announced the results of its Social Gamer Thought Leadership study, conducted by Interpret. The study surveyed 2,000 social gamers in the US age 18 and older, 60 percent female and 40 percent male, who play at least one hour a week.

The survey found that social gamers spent 13 hours per week on social networks and an average of 9.5 hours per week on social games. They also had an average of 218 social connections, 16.5 real-life friends who play the same social games, and have made 20 new friends through social gaming.

A new survey commissioned by PopCap Games and conducted by University of Massachusetts Amherst psychology researcher Susan K. Whitbourne, Ph.D. that compared the gaming habits of older and younger players who play Bejeweled Blitz regularly felt mentally "sharper." The findings of the survey of 10,000 U.S. adults were presented at the American Psychological Association's (APA) annual convention in Washington D.C. The survey investigated the feasibility of Bejeweled Blitz as a cognitive training tool for older adults.

According to a new poll from games comparison and marketplace website, Playr2, Guitar Hero 5 is the favorite "next-gen video game" selected by female gamers, beating out the likes of Assassin’s Creed II, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, and Halo: Reach.

A new poll by Siena College has found that most New Yorkers think that technology has made life better, but admit that devices that provide constant information updates also add to their anxiety levels.

According to a new study conducted by VGMarket and commissioned by Playspan, U.S. gamers have shifted from using credits earned from advertising offers to "real world" payments for digital goods using debit, credit and prepaid cards. The data comes from a survey compiled in July 2011 from over 1000 gamers drawn from a VGMarket database.

According to new research from games comparison and marketplace website Playr2, Duke Nukem Forever has been voted the "most disappointing video game release" of the past 12 months, beating Dragon Age II and Crysis II for the top spot.

It appears that Duke Nukem Forever owners agree with what most critics had to say about the game. Members of Playr2 felt that it was the biggest disappointment of the past 12 months.

A new report from Nielsen reveals that a major number of Netflix users - about half of them - use the streaming entertainment service on a console. Respondents to the survey said they like to use the Xbox 360, the Wii, or PlayStation 3. The study also found that 89 percent of Hulu users watch directly from their computers, compared to 42 percent of Netflix customers. Some of the Hulu number can be attributed to the service's restrictions on a lot of content, designating many shows as "Internet only."