Darkfall is enjoying its first birthday this year. Born on the 26th February 2009, and developed by Aventurine SA, the game was plagued upon its release by a catalogue of problems that stretched as far as Agon’s land mass. One year later, has the game really managed to overcome its shortcomings, and will it ever prove Ed Zitron and his infamous review wrong?
The IGF article I posted at the beginning of March had a somewhat lengthy preamble which I cut just before publishing. After reading it over again it seems a shame to leave it on the cutting room floor so — after a spot of editing and because I’ve just been given a cup of tea without asking, putting me in a splendid mood, I’ll just quietly post this here and you can make of it …
When it comes to defending the video games industry against negative press, I find it pays to tread carefully. As attested to by the now former South Australian Attorney General Michael Atkinson, citing that his family faced more danger from gamers than from bikers, it’s important that people keep a cool and calm head when defending our beloved past time. To respond to ignorance with chidlsih name calling, threats or dressing up as Pikachu simply …
Review by Mat C Near Orbital Vanguard Alliance (N.O.V.A) Developer: Gameloft Publisher: Gameloft/Apple Released: 17th December 2009 Available for: iPhone & iPod Touch Time Played: Finished (Single player only) Verdict: 2/5 Rotten Egg One of my favorite things about digital distribution is that it’s possible to log onto store fronts such as Steam and iTunes and access a vast range of content at any time, regardless of a game’s release date, quality or sales figures. …
I am really busy at work, which makes me sad. But developed-by-one-dude-in-Finland Sweden procedurally generated MMO Love was released today, which makes me happy. Even though I don’t play MMOs. Eskil Steenberg made Love all by his lonesome. He’s just one little guy! That’s pretty impressive. Part combat, part collective base-building, Love’s unique visual style and dreamy atmosphere – not to mention the fact that it was made by one little tiny person, have ensured …
EA Digital Illusions CE (DICE) have been around for a while. Since the days of Benefactor on the Amiga, and the first of the Battlefield series, they have carved out a name for themselves in an industry flooded with militaristic games. With ten Battlefield games (including expansion packs) across three platforms under their belt, many critics were wondering how far DICE could continue to develop the sub-genre of team based warfare…
For those of you not in the know about British politics, the Chancellor to the Labour Party, Alistair Darling (that’s the guy who controls all the money), has today announced the budget for 2010. Alongside a raft of half measures to cut our one trillion pound deficit (the government will borrow less than we expected this year, down from the £178 billion we expected- hurrah!) he has also announced, and acknowledge that: “the creative industries, …
Players have come to expect much more from a modern frag-fest since the early days of LAN parties, late night marathons and reams of cable underfoot. As the foundation of multiplayer gaming for an entire generation, Quake, Unreal Tournament, Counter-strike and Team Fortress have permanently scarred the industry’s landscape with their impact. Even now, developers strive for the success that heralds from these synonymous titles, and yet, in over ten years the principal foundations put …
Adelaide Now reports that South Australia Attorney General and game-hater Michael Atkinson has announced that he will leave Parliament in 2014, the time of the next election. Apparently the international outrage over Atkinson’s proposal to require – under penalty of a fine – that any Australian posting anything to a comment, blog, or forum be required to provide his or her true name and physical address prompted him to “fall on his sword,” as the …
A quest for revenge. Blood spilled on the cliff sides of Mount Olympus. Betrayal from an ally. Untold numbers of casualties slain by the Blades of Athena, etched into Kratos’ flesh and chained to his arms. A boss battle. The slaying of a God at the hands of a vengeful Spartan and the resulting condemnation to the depths of Hades. At that point, the opening hour of God of War III draws to a frenetic …
You would not believe how many people – on a daily basis – assure me that videogames are no longer in serious jeopardy of being censored, content regulated, or banned outright. Tell that to Australia. Or, if you prefer, you can now tell it to Switzerland, which today passed long-feared legislation allowing Parliament to ban games that require “cruel acts of violence against humans and humanlike creatures for game success.” These are nations with free …
It’s mortifying to be cheated and robbed by a hooker in a videogame. I mean, sure, if it happens in real life, I guess it’s to be expected. But when you’re playing a game where survival is a daily challenge, where ammunition is money and money is scarce, knowingly paying a whore for some sweet loving is kind of like inviting failure. It’s not my fault, though, I am a sucker for Russian accents. I …
True story: since playing Heavy Rain I have heard the name “Jason” so many times that it has lost all meaning. It now registers simply as a blurred noise in my head, like the distant ringing of somebody else’s telephone or a car alarm down the street. Now, I loved Heavy Rain, but some of the voice acting was just awful. Press X to Jason pays homage to that with this simple flash game, which …
I should probably start this piece by laying my cards on the table right away. I am a self-certified, unashamed Apple fanboy. One who will make no apologies for being so. I have bricked up all of the windows on my house in an effort to rid myself completely of the dirty “W” word, I have more of those cute Apple stickers than I now have non-Apple items to falsely re-brand, and when Steve Jobs …
Mortal Online, currently in Open Beta, is a new massively multiplayer online RPG by the Swedish video game developer Star Vault. Inspired by Ultima Online, the game places significant emphasis on sandbox-style game design. Unlike other MMOGs, MO proposes to offer the player a level of freedom yet to be experienced in the current generation of World of Warcraft clones…