As a storytelling medium, there is no doubt that gaming has come a long way. From the early years of navigating pixelated plumbers on to the revolutionary cut scenes of the late 90’s and finally to the high definition narratives of today, gaming is truly growing up in more ways than one.
While there are those out there that will always claim that gaming is not and can never be art, or that gaming can in no way tackle deep issues, I propose that those people have not been emotionally moved or impacted by a game before. Even though gaming is still an adolescent in terms of its medium, some great strides have been made in storytelling that place video games right alongside some of the best books or Hollywood blockbusters.
Continue reading Gaming and Religion: Why Not?
If you weren’t aware, these fair United States are in a bit of an economic crunch at the moment. Heck, the whole world is, really. As a result, we’re seeing news of lay-offs and downsizing happening in nearly every industry, and unfortunately, video games have suffered their own casualties.
We’ve all been there. That game that you’ve been waiting for finally releases. You rush home with it, open it, put it in the disc tray, and start playing… only, it’s not what you thought it was going to be. You keep waiting for it to get better, but alas- it never does. This has happened far too many times in our pastime, and the sad news is that it won’t be going away any time soon.
Let it be known that I am a Halo fanboy. I know that may draw ire from some of you hardcore PC gamers, and even I am ashamed of it on some level, being also a Counter-Strike fanboy as well. Something about the atmosphere of Halo has always grabbed me, and its rich mythology did the job of sucking me in. You’re reading the words of a guy who has read the graphic novel, assorted comics, and several of the novels, here.
Some more details are dropping from the New York Comic-Con today concerning Battlefield 1943: Pacific, which comes out this summer from EA. I’m terribly excited about this, as the original game was one of my favorite PC shooters ever, and had some truly epic and memorable battles. Here are some of the new bits of info released for the game today…
In my mind, they just don’t make video game openings the way they used to. Since games seem to focus less on story in many instances, or more on tutorial levels, the classic opening intro to video gaming past is more like a relic than something that is constantly evolving and moving forward. That’s why, when one hits you right in the mouth and is awesome, you really remember it. Take Fallout 3, for instance, which has one of the best openings to a game I can remember in years.
Some of you know me to complain about modern video game reviews. To me, you shouldn’t review a video game until you’ve had some extensive time with it, enough to really sit down and tell people what’s what, and if this thing is worth their money. For instance, many Grand Theft Auto IV reviews are based on only 8 hours of total play, which is almost criminal.
GameCop vs. LameCop is a feature where Anthony and I argue about video game issues, playing the role of either the GameCop or the LameCop as we do so. We switch roles each time. The GameCop has your best interests as gamers at heart, while the LameCop is just what he sounds like: a total loser.
I’m not sure how many of you played Prince of Persia, but I’m going to give the tiniest of spoilers here, so watch out. While I won’t go into much detail, there really isn’t a true ending to the game, as everything you worked hard to do is essentially undone in the game’s “resolution”. Many people were upset about this, though I guess a few got into it and found it artsy and well done. 
I figured after all this time, and the new year already rolling along (how is it almost February), it was time for another “Would You Rather”? We seriously love the way you guys participate in these topics.
I’m constantly annoyed by the endless debate about giving a game a perfect 10/10. In my mind, there is no such thing as a perfect game, but it’s still alright to give a game a perfect score. Basically, this means you believe that the game is as close as it can get, for its time, to the gaming nirvana, so to speak. 
Shadow of the Colossus is one of my favorite PS2 games, if not one of my favorite games, of all time. It is one of the prime examples of “games as art” that we have at this point, and might go down as the Citizen Kane of gaming, or something comparable. Everything from the design, to the story and the gameplay, all work in tandem to create a one of a kind experience.
After playing Left 4 Dead versus like an addict for the last couple of months, I’ve started thinking about what makes it so fun. I mean, it’s not all that different from a game like Halo or Gears of War, right? At its core, it’s still just one team versus another team, so why am I enjoying it like crazy?
Out of all the lucrative sci-fi properties floating out in license land, I’m surprised that nobody’s been able to make a decent Terminator game. I mean, the series has it all. Time travel, killer robots, bad ass characters. There’s really a lot of potential there, and so far, nobody’s delivered.
We all know the feeling. Placing the crosshairs on an enemy forehead, only to not score the kill. Getting assassinated from the front in Halo 3. Feeling like your head must be the size of a balloon in the rival teams’ sniper scopes. Experiencing these things online can be frustrating.
Besides whatever narcotics he puts into his system to give him wild visions and convoluted storylines, Hideo Kojima is inspired primarily by movies. I mean, the fact that nobody told him that Metal Gear Solid 4 was not actually a video game past Act 2 is quite plain to see, and the man clearly has some directorial chops. 
Each and every year, video game developers push to come out with that mega blockbuster that shatters sales. And each and every year, the final list of which games sold the best is always slightly baffling. While we gamers have our top titles, the general public doesn’t always feel that way. So how about this year?
There are lots of discussions going on these days in the gaming blogosphere about whether or not PC gaming is dying or not. While the place to game 10 years ago was on the PC, console developers have really stepped up and given our computers a run for their money.