Everybody loves video games, but how do you know when you cross the line from fan, to obsessive addict? I admit to being a gaming addict. I haven’t taken my obsession as far as some people, but I certainly have my moments. If you can answer “Yes” to most items in this list, then you…
I’m a pop/country/dance music type of girl, but I once dated a guy who liked hip hop and rap. He used to play a song that I got really hooked on, by Sage Francis, called Make Shift Patriot. One of the lines in the song said, “a typically dark skinned Disney villain,” and that got…
Attention all you gamers out there forced to work a boring desk job because everyone told you that playing video games is not a suitable occupation. Last week, twenty-three-year-old Kim “viOLet” Dong Hwan proved everyone wrong. On December 9, he became the first StarCraft 2 player to receive a P-1A Visa, allowing him to live…
The soon to be released Guinness World Records – Gamer’s Edition has everyone talking about the most amazing video game feats that happened for 2013. Many top records were broken this year, but the book also includes trivia, facts, and other interesting notes about the gaming world (including board and non-video games). I have listed…
In the world of film, it’s widely accepted that the movie is never as good as the book. And that is probably true. You’d be hard pressed to find a book where the movie competes. There are the odd few: Die Hard, Fight Club, Jaws and The Graduate all stand up pretty well. But think…
Across the northern hemisphere the days are getting shorter, the nights are getting colder, and families are making cross-country treks by car and plane to visit relatives. The dark and the cold are held at bay by lights and warm food and gifts as we all wait for the solstice to pass, the new year…
We all love Mario, Sonic and Lara Croft, but are they truly Generation Y’s heroes? If you were born between 1981 and 2000, you’re in Generation Y and odds are you inherited your older sibling’s video game characters. If you take a year squarely in Gen Y, like 1988, and imagine that most kids in…
These games appeal to non-gamers because they have simple premises, low pressure, easy learning curves, and don’t require a huge time commitment. Another good feature is fun co-op for parties or hangout time. Most of these games are either puzzles, party games, or platformers with a few sandbox games thrown in. It’s possible that if…
For those of you who have been living under a rock, Batman: Arkham Origins recently swooped onto shop shelves and into disc trays bringing us the prequel to the Arkham series that no one really asked for. So without further ado, let’s take a look into the game. (Spoilers! Duh!) Gotham’s Savior or Bad Joke?…
Anodyne is sort of what I’d imagine The Legend of Zelda would look like if it were designed by Sigmund Freud. Players step into the shoes–and the mind–of Young, a bespectacled protagonist in a white coat. Young has been tasked with exploring the far reaches of his subconscious mind, traveling to a wide array of…
Another year, another Assassin’s Creed game: Assassin’s Creed Black Flag. Since the series was launched back in 2007, the franchise has spawned a total of 15 releases; 5 main games and a host of spin-offs. That’s an average of 3 new titles a year. And it’s not only games. There are also several novels, comic…
So FIFA 14 is here. We all know what that means. It means a bunch of people complain about the changes before playing for a couple of weeks and realising that the changes are actually an improvement. Every. Single. Year. That said, FIFA 14’s changes are the most radical we have seen since FIFA 10….
The Arkham series (Arkham Asylum, Arkham City and, now, Arkham Origins) has, over the last 4 years, reinvigorated Batman as a serious game. Arguably, Arkham Asylum and Arkham City are the best superhero games in recent memory. Unlike most superhero games, they were not just spin-offs of films. They were made with real love of…
Gaming has its roots in independent development. Not a lot of people are actually aware of that. The first video games that were ever made were coded as a hobby; programmers cobbled them together in their spare time then tossed them to the world, hoping someone might find something interesting about them. Some of the…
Video games can be highly valuable to one’s education and development. They promote cooperation and team work, develop problem- solving skills and can aid in dexterity and hand eye coordination. However, I feel the valuable life experiences that video games strive to teach us have been largely ignored over the years. Let’s look at these practical…