Dreamweb

Dreamweb is remembered not for its exquisite storyline or its moody Blade Runner-esque atmosphere, but purely because of one little addition that’s still rarely handled in modern video games in an adult manner….Sex. Read more

X-Com: UFO Defense

Yuri was breathing heavily, cowering around the corner of the building, trying not to panic. Gudrun had gone into the farmhouse to scout; she said she’d cover him from the roof. And then, the distinctive sound of plasma fire, and the sound of Gudrun screaming. Could he risk a grenade? What if she was still alive? Yuri heard a twig snap, and the little gray bastard walked around the corner. Their eyes locked. Read more

The Grow Series

Every now and then, gamers find a fun game that doesn’t concentrate on graphics, doesn’t appeal to the eyes, and doesn’t give your fingers a good workout. These games are appealing because they give your brain a good workout. These are games that cause you to think, strategize, and plan. If there is fault in your plan, you lose. No big deal though, just try again, but with a little fine tuning to your plan. Read more

N-gage 20, how to do it right

The N-gage is coming back, did you hear about this? While I’m writing this, we don’t really know anything other than that. Nokia is to “bare it all” any day now, and I’m dying to know what they’re up to. Read more

Give me some of that old-timey 2D religion

This is going to come as a shock to some game developers, but I’m not going to like your game more just because it’s in 3-D. Sometimes, in fact, 3-D is going to ruin your game. Read more

4 ways Sony can save the PS3

Sony has gotten itself into a bind. After what seemed like so much promise when the PlayStation 3 was revealed to the world at E3 2005, Sony has appeared to have bungled every opportunity to remain the dominate gaming console on the planet. From letting third party developers slip through their fingers on providing exclusive games on their console, to treating the press badly at GDC this week, I have to wonder if Sony has lost touch with their market. Here are some things that Sony must do in order regain the credibility and confidence of the industry and the consumer. Read more

Paladins, RTSs, and Noobs oh my!

I’ve had some thoughts, and I have been able to loot a shiny new blog, so I’ll relate some of them to you.

First and foremost, I’ve been looking a lot at the development of what I call, for lack of a better descriptor, ‘nerd culture.’ Central to this, of course, is the explosion of popularity in MMORPG type games and the overall movement of gaming into the mainstream. For a long time, most things relating to gaming were thought to be strange or deviant. I still know people who think that playing D&D will get you a “one way ticket to Satan!” However, this is generally no longer the case. Nerdy things have been becoming much more mainstream, and quickly. Since 1993 (when I was 4), games have changed a lot. They’ve become more interactive, more real, and much more engaging. Nerdcore music has emerged and is gaining popularity, as MC Frontalot, MC Lars, and others continue their nationwide tours. The Penny-Arcade Expo has increased in size each year, so much so that they’ll probably be renting out all of Seattle soon. Read more

Bookworm Adventures

Many reviewers have focused on Bookworm Adventures’ development budget. I prefer to judge it by another standard: a game that keeps me up until 5 in the morning is a bloody marvelous game. Here’s its description in three words: “Boggle, The RPG”. There’s a plot and dialogue, penned by Stephen Notley of Bob the Angry Flower, but primarily this game is about feeling terribly clever because you were able to find the word “pilgrimages” in a tangle of letters. Read more

Things I Want My Game Console To Do

Lately I’ve noticed some confusion among the manufacturers of game consoles as to what they are supposed to be producing. Never fear. I am here to help explain things. Read more

A Different Kind of Portable

As a gamer, my favorite games are portable.

No, I don’t mean PSP or DS games — although I like those too. Rather, I mean games that I can play on more than one platform. There’s a special sort of warmth you feel when you fire up The Sims 2 on your PC with a neighborhood that you originally started playing on the Mac version. Read more

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