Mat and I took part in yet another lengthy email exchange today, discussing a Japanese gaming industry that has struggled to make a global impact in recent years, while undergoing something of an identity crisis. What follows are our collaborative thoughts on the matter…
Review by Mat C Heavy Rain Developer Quantic Dream Publisher SCEE Released February 23, 2010 Available for PS3 Time Played Finished Verdict: 5/5 Gold Star “Anticipated as much for its storytelling narrative as it has been criticised for offering little but a string of elaborate Quick Time Events (QTEs), the arrival of Heavy Rain has …
I’ve been reading a lot recently about the nominated finalists and Student Showcase winners for this year’s Independent Games Festival and there looks to be some cracking titles on the way. It’s worth noting that there’s been loads of features across the web on the IGF and this article is by no means an extensive …
Picking out Steerpike’s sentiments of freedom within a videogame, it took me back to when I first started playing online video games. Ultima Online was my first, and a game which at the time gave the impression of unparalleled freedom…
You’ve doubtless heard of Ubisoft’s appalling new DRM solution: that PC games from Ubi require a constant internet connection, and will in fact kick you out of the game if your connection drops during play. People who’ve gone hands-on with it describe it as worse than originally expected.
Will be be cracked? Sooner or later, though the cleverness inherent in this solution is considerable. This is one of the very few DRM solutions that might actually work – and by “work,” I don’t mean it might prevent pirates. I mean “work” the way Ubi means it.
So check this out. It would seem some large and scary dudes showed up at Modern Warfare developer Infinity Ward’s Encino offices and… lurked. Apparently they’re a gift to the studio from owner and industry goliath Activision/Blizzard. Meanwhile two of the company’s top dogs, Vince Zampella and Jason West, weren’t in the office – they …
Review by Lewis B Peggle Developer: PopCap Games Publisher: PopCap Games/Apple Released: 27th February 2007, May 2009 (App Store) Available for: iPhone/iPod Touch (version reviewed) PC, Xbox 360, PS3, Nintendo DS, Java ME, Windows Mobile and MAC OS Time Played: N/A Verdict:5/5 Gold Star As one of the most addictive puzzle games I have ever …
I was talking about Heavy Rain with MrLipid the other day and he asked me how I thought it’d wind up performing. It’s kind of a tricky question for this game, because general consensus seemed to be it’d either do quite well or go down in flames. I hedged my bets and said it would …
I love Dragon Age Origins. I really do. And Mass Effect too. They are slick, engaging games that hold my attention, more or less through to the ending sequence. BioWare has delivered the goods recently, ladling out Mass Effect 2 and threatening to release a followup expansion to Dragon Age. What is there not to …
My greatest fear is to be trapped alone in a confined space with a blind human, in total darkness. They have a heightened sense of smell and hearing, and are searching for me. I’m not actually sure where this specific fear comes from, but so far Penumbra: Overture is ticking two out of three…