In respect to the Academy Award nominees, I’ve decided to roll out the red carpet and match our favorite video games to an Oscar nominated film.  With an array of AAA games gracing our consoles and PCs, and the high quality production of films hitting the big screen, there’s no shortage of film to game counter-parts.

While actual film to video game adaptations have never gone over well, these selections will surely give audiences of both outlets something to cheer about.  So join me after the break as we look at the nominations. Read more… »

I’m not a fan of wireless controllers. Oh, I agree that they are convenient. There is no risk of living room traffic tripping over the cord and either disconnecting the controller or yanking the console itself off the stand. Want to play a game from the bathroom using a series of angled mirrors to view the TV set down the hall? Go nuts.

We can probably agree that the first controller to get wireless “right” was the GameCube’s WaveBird. I remember picking one up on a whim at Walmart and loving it instantly. It was so reliable! Sure, it felt a bit lifeless with force feedback removed, but the battery life was great!

Those tiny concessions were only the start of my misgivings.

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I am not a father. The possibility of my becoming a father is still up in the air; it seems a distant prospect, like a future that belongs to someone who isn’t quite me. Perhaps I will become that person one day, and perhaps I will not.

My experiences playing the father have come in two recent games: Silent Hill: Shattered Memories and Bioshock 2, both of which are games centered heavily on the idea of what it means to be a father, and how parenthood might relate to the people that our children become.

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A quick search on the internet for “video game addiction” brings up many results for clinics and organisations claiming treatment for the problem. The website for On-Line Gamers Anonymous even has its own 12-steps and (somewhat dubious) list of addictive games.

Video game addiction is not listed as an official condition by the American Medical Association, however, intense debate is underway about whether it should be included. Why should you care about this? Can video game addiction possibly be as bad as alcohol, gambling, or drug addictions?

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World of Warcraft used to be my game of choice. “Vanilla WoW” as they called it, brought me some of the best video game experiences I have had. Nothing quite like killing Ragnaros for the first time with a group of 39 other people you have never actually met. Experiences like this, the friends I made, and the elite group one was part of for having purples is what kept me playing. Then, Blizzard decided to give the game the “kiss of death” as I see it: accessibility.

Accessibility – or “catering to the casuals” as I call it – is slowly having an impact on the video game industry’s biggest titles. While change can be a good thing, accessibility seems to be exponentially finding its way to the forefront of video game designers’ minds. Is this a good or bad thing? Read more… »

As an adolescent, I was a child who lived in two distinctly different worlds. I loved to play Dungeons and Dragons and video games with a small group of friends, and I was on the football team as well. I loved the competition and teamwork of sports, but I also loved the imagination and strategy of gaming.

When my teammates inevitably found out about my gaming habits, they were quite thorough with their mockery. It was one of those crossroads moments in my life. I chose to spend time with the nerds who at least accepted my jockness over the jocks who chose to close their minds completely to the joys of my nerdiness.

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The idea of games as art has been a discussion point within the industry for a while now. We’ve had researchers claim that games are as valuable as books in terms of literary value, while Tale of Tales, developer of The Path, has outright stated that they believe that “games are not art”, and are “largely a waste of time”.

This last sentiment was expressed at the Art History Of Games conference last week. On the face of it, this is a remarkably bold statement for the developer of a number of games considered as close to literal translations of art. In fact, it seems to fly in the face of statements they have made in past interviews, where they claimed that The Path was created as a work of art. It would seem, then, that they’ve had a bit of a change of heart. So are games art? More importantly, what exactly do we mean by ‘art’?

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With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, and knowing that most of you will probably be curled up in a ball sobbing relentlessly into your pillows, I thought it was high time that I unleashed the secrets of getting a girl into gaming.

You may already have a girlfriend, or you may have a terrified teenager shackled to your washing machine in the basement. Either way, here are some handy tips to get the old ball and chain to start enjoying video games.

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If I had to choose a game with a good story over one with good gameplay, I would pick the former.  There are infinite arguments over the merit of either (story or gameplay), but a good story gets the blood pumping in my brain – and my genitals.

So, when I discovered the Wii would feature the next Silent Hill game, my speculation raged. I assumed it would be another motion controlled fiasco that would further cement my distaste.  I was wrong.  Climax created an excellent entry into the series that proves motion controls can enhance narrative. Read more… »

It’s been a while since the first instalment of Overdoing It hit your lovely faces, so I thought it was just about time to fill up your spank banks thirsty minds. If you want to check out part one of the series, you can head over to Overdoing It: Sequelmania.

I think it’s safe to say that, despite the burgeoning number of females in the gaming market, there are still enough guys around to warrant a bit of sexy time in video games. Men thrive off sexually-driven material, let’s be honest, and when coupled with the interactive nature of games, it can get ridiculously easy for developers to pop out the odd tit or two in order to increase sales.

But when does eye candy turn into mere exploitation for profit? And can we even call unclothed pixels exploitation? Follow me as I attempt to unveil how some developers are skirting the line between good-humored entertainment and full-blown pornography.

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Everybody loves sandbox games. By nature, it seems to be the most accessible type of videogame, allowing gamers all over the world to immerse in an escape full of thuggery, crime, chaos, unpredictability and freeform slaughter. Admit it; you dish out your $60 to have your fun with dumb A.I. civilian, thinking of creative ways to blow their bodies up in various situations, and it’s only gotten better. Read more… »