Saturday, December 10, 2011
Slowly but surely, iOS and Android devices are seeing full-length, well-received titles hit the platform that have more in common with established consoles than what we think of as "phone gaming."
We all know the feeling: You're at work and you take a bathroom break, but you always take your phone with you. Why? So you can pass the time with a quick game of Angry Birds, that's why! Come on, now - no one really expects you to take a bio break bored anymore. For years now, iOS devices like the iPhone and the iPad along with a myriad of Android-based phones and tablets have successfully marketed themselves to the mindset of small-serving, "minute" gaming. It fit the medium perfectly with the hardware limitations of early devices in particular. Mobile platforms - especially smartphones - have always been well-suited to a game that was quick to launch, quick to satisfy, quick to quit, and finally, quick to resume. Idle time has never …
Saturday, December 3, 2011
While you're busy playing Skyrim, don't forget about these worthy releases on the other side of the holiday rush.
The Fall rush is over and the vast majority of the most talked-about games have seen their releases by now. Many publications have already begun tallying votes for their end-of-year awards. As such, while December seems decidedly quieter than the past few months have been, there are still some major releases trickling through before 2011 is at an end. We kick things off with another major Mario release for Nintendo’s newest portable console. While last month hosted the launch of Super Mario 3D Land to rave critical reviews, Mario Kart 7 is the newest iteration in the popular racing franchise that dates back to 1992 when it made its SNES debut (oh the hours that game stole from us). A major attraction to Mario Kart 7 is the fact that it’s …
Saturday, November 19, 2011
The Spike Video Game Awards are - unfortunately - the closest thing the gaming industry has to the Oscars. Here's a look at who's up for trophies this year.
Video games are fast becoming the most profitable form of entertainment in the world, much closer to catching the film industry than one might suspect. The blinding speed in which gaming has progressed from 2-color, one-button gameplay to 2010's Red Dead Redemption has actually managed to outrun the public's ability to absorb its maturation. But as uneducated ignorance dwindles giving way to true appreciation, demand for a legitimate, be-all-end-all annual awards ceremony has grown. Spike TV decided to shoulder this responsibility with the VGAs, starting in 2003. Unfortunately, the awards show has hardly lived up to its billing. Peppered with appearances by celebrities that gamers don't care about - and who, in turn, don't care about …
Saturday, October 22, 2011
There are a lot of big releases left before the year's end, but a few games have already come out this Fall that you should be playing right now. On the other hand, there are a few games that we'd expected to be great but didn't quite hit the mark.
The months of September through December are difficult ones for active gamers. After being spread out in reasonable fashion over the majority of the year, tons of highly anticipated titled are packed into these final months. We're now over a month and a half into the end-of-year rush, and while there are still several huge titles waiting to be released, here are three games that are already on store shelves that you should be playing right now: Gears of War 3 [X360] - Released September 20th Arguably the biggest Xbox 360-exclusive release of the year, Gears of War 3 is the conclusion of the famed trilogy of games that has provided the archetype for the 3rd-person shooter genre. And the critics agree: It's the best of the bunch. Currently…
Saturday, October 15, 2011
When one of the most influential visionaries in PC gaming is declaring the platform to be playing second fiddle, we have no choice but to listen.
The notion that PC gaming is dead has been kicked around for over a decade. Pundits have declared it repeatedly only to have games like Half-Life and Deus Ex re-introduce it as the evolutionary heart of the industry. When it once again began to lose traction, the Steam distribution platform made it easier than ever to find and purchase games for the PC without the hassle of manually patching them. By now, it should be obvious that PC gaming will never be completely dead. There will always be a place for it. Consoles are unlikely to ever have the level of flexibility to allow for the creation of mods or user-created content using anything other than game-provided tools (which aren't very common and often underpowered). Additionally, the …
David Powell
2:22 pm on Saturday, December 10, 2011
I enjoy "Tank Hero" on my Android tablet. "Space Physics" is also cool. I think it would be tough to play and enjoy something like a FPS on my tablet or phone, but I'd be willing to give one a try if there were a free trial version. more ›