Industry Evolution
The past, present, and future of gaming. An honest look at the evolution of the industry.
Violence in Video Games
I wasn't always into video games when I was a youngster, but when I got older, as I started playing them for the first time, then I saw how addicting it could be, even frustrating as well. I would soon realize that I would go from being competitive to aggressive. In those moments, it felt very stressful. Every time I get stuck or lose on a level, I would go from throwing the game controller at the TV or hitting myself with the controller, which ended up hurting me a lot.
Kristina NagodePublished 6 years ago in GamersThe TBT You Didn't Want: 'Leisure Suit Larry'
Throwbacks are fun. Games are fun. Marry the two and what do you get? Well... in this case, a bit of a headache. Leisure Suit Larry was created in 1987 for MS-DOS. It appears that its primary appeal is the vulgar language and sexual humour. I was challenged to play this game as an assignment for a Game Studies program in what was probably an attempt to highlight sexism in gaming, and BOY did this title not disappoint.
Game Over...
As someone who started playing video games in the early 90s, back when the two big contenders in the console wars were Nintendo and Sega, I was there to see all the major moments in gaming history that were just around the corner. The launch of the infamous Virtual Boy, the fall of cartridge games and the rise of CD games, and the evolution from 8 bit to 16 bit to "whatever the hell it is now" bit graphics. I was there when the Console Wars kicked into overdrive with the release of the PlayStation, the Sega Saturn and the Nintendo 64, consoles which would go on to be remembered as the point in which gaming became more than just a silly time-waster. It became a dedicated hobby (And for many people in modern times, an actual honest-to-God job). I've seen all sorts of advancements in the industry, both technical and social. But I have noticed something that, while still present in gaming, has become a vastly faint whisper of what it once was: Game Overs.
Steve McCoolPublished 7 years ago in GamersWhy Microtransactions Are Killing Game Audiences
Two topics that have been frequently popping up in gaming news for the past few years are Microtransactions and DLC (Downloadable Content). Are they good? Are they bad? Do they benefit the studio or the publisher more, and can they be used in such that does not upset the ecosystem of a game?
Best Video Game Journalists Who Know Their Stuff
Video games have had critics from around the time "Pong" was created in the 1970s to right now. Journalism is important — it helps gamers decide which games are worth buying and which games are worth leaving on the shelf. It helps gamers who bought the game look at the in-game problems more analytically, and solve issues if they are stuck. Journalists are a gamers best friend, because they explore game design, play, and culture. Finally, it helps the gaming industry grow as a whole: labelling the guts of a game as either "good" or "bad" so that next year's games can be better.
Eric GreenPublished 7 years ago in GamersTrying to Decide My Favourite 'Zelda' Game
When I first met my girlfriend, who is also a big Zelda fan, she asked me the same question I responded with a long answer to which included a few of the games in the series. I'll try and assess why each game is the best and see if I can come to some kind of conclusion.
Matt BreslinPublished 7 years ago in GamersThe History of Video Games #4: The Sinclair ZX Spectrum - Part Two
Last week we saw the rise of the ZX Spectrum, which coincided with the demise of the Atari 2600. We looked at the perils of cassette-based physical media, and how the speccy’s ‘open’ system allowed for the first modding scene, and the beginning of indie gaming.
Iain BakerPublished 7 years ago in GamersThe History of Video Games #3: The Sinclair ZX Spectrum - Part One
In the last article we covered the great video game crash of 1983, which led to the demise of the Atari 2600. This led some to believe that video games were simply a passing fad.
Iain BakerPublished 7 years ago in GamersBethesda's 'Creation Club' A.K.A Paid Mods 2.0
So E3 2017 brought around a lot of surprises, some good, and a lot of it bad. One of these not-so-great surprises came in the form of Bethesda's odd presentation that tried to take us on a whimsical tour around the company like Disney, but ended up coming across more like that tunnel scene from Willy Wonka.
Harjit SinghPublished 7 years ago in GamersFinal Fantasy XV: Where's the Enemy?
The Final Fantasy XV RPG (role-playing game) video game has one of the longest development times in the industry’s history. First, it was part of the Fabula Nova Crystallis subseries of Final Fantasy video games under the name Final Fantasy Versus XIII.
Michael WolffPublished 7 years ago in Gamers- Top Story - August 2017
The History of Video Games: Part 2 - The Fall of the Atari 2600.
Welcome back. Last week we took a brief look at the Atari 2600. This week we will chart its rise and its eventual fall. The Atari 2600 was the first major console and in many ways set the stage for the consoles that would follow. Many of the features of video gaming we now take for granted started with the 2600.
Iain BakerPublished 7 years ago in Gamers The History of Video Games: Part 1 - The Rise of the Atari 2600.
Ever heard of the "Oregon Trail generation?" Probably not, and neither had I until recently, but apparently I am a member of it and never knew it. Members of this generation were born in the late 70s and early 80s and bridge the gap between the last members of Generation X and the first of the millennials. The generation gets its name from the Oregon Trail computer game, a game many of us played on our school’s Apple II computers. Dying of digital dysentery was much more fun than *gasp* “going outside to play.”
Iain BakerPublished 7 years ago in Gamers