Latest in Games & Gaming

It's an unfortunate truth that the best video games aren't always the ones which make money. Essentially there is little correlation between critical reception and commercial success. The same goes for movies and music as well, though sites such as Metacritic have helped mainstream consumers make informed decisions in the entertainment field. This means some of the best games ever released haven't generated sequels, or, if they have, not for a long time.
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Video games are now commonplace, having grown from being the domain of the geekiest kids in the '70s and '80s to mainstream fare in the '90s and '00s. In the '10s you can play video games on dedicated consoles, set-top boxes, computers, tablets, smartphones, and many more devices I've probably forgotten to list. They're here, and they're here to stay, and yet the debate over whether they're a force for good or evil is still ongoing.
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After spending the last 48 hours passing through various airports, sleeping very little and being crammed into economy airplane seating I don't think I'll ever consider a career in commercial aviation. Jet lag aside, there are only so many impatient travellers and take-off procedures I can stomach in one week. I'd rather pretend with the aid of my iPhone and Pocket Planes, another of those oh-so-popular micro-management games.
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I recently wrote an article about the biggest rip offs in the history of video games. In it, I was quick to point out that Microsoft charges $60 a year for a service that simply grants players the ability to play games online and a few other little perks. Sony, on the other hand, has an incredible service called PlayStation Plus that costs $50 a year, and gives users some cool extras, while playing games online remains free.
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Room escape games are basic puzzlers where the objective is to; well…escape from a locked room by solving some sort of a challenge. The solution is the unlock key. You can think of room escape games as a mish-mash of adventure games and puzzle games. Solutions are not immediately clear, and you really need to laterally think your way to the answer.
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Video games have now been with us for more than 40 years, and in that time they've evolved from simple concepts brought forth by muddy visuals (such as the Atari classics) to complex and involving gameplay made real by detailed visuals (such as the best games of 2012). In recent years they've also grown from niche hobby to mainstream fodder, especially with the emergence of casual games, and consequently casual gamers.
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In December 1993 a little-known game developer called id Software sent shockwaves around the world with the much-celebrated release of Doom. Released as shareware and distributed non-commercially for two years, Doom was experienced by an estimated 10 million people before making it into retail stores in 1995. If you think Doom feels a bit old-hat these days, then this free mod will bring that demonic grin back to your sullen face.
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As a casual gamer I rarely buy brand new games. The number I've ever bought on launch day can be counted on one hand, though GTA V will be added to that short list soon. I usually buy used games weeks, months, or even years after a title is released. As is my right. Or is it? The used games market is under increasing threat, to the point that it may cease to exist over the next few years.
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When most people think about video games, they think about Nintendo. When they think of Nintendo, they think of Shigeru Miyamoto is one of the first people we think of. He is the genius behind some of Nintendo's most beloved characters like Mario, Zelda, Link, Donkey Kong, Yoshi, Fox, and the list simply goes on and on. While he might not be the godfather of video games in general, he is most certainly one of the most important figures.
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Steam started out as an annoying program that came with Half-Life 2, but it’s grown into the PC game store of choice for most PC gamers. Although some people aren’t fans and prefer alternative stores, it’s a powerful platform that offers a lot of features. Even if you’re a Steam fan, there’s likely a lot you don’t know about Steam. Steam is constantly gaining new features. We’ll be seeing a Linux-based “Steam Box” challenging the consoles in the living room this year, too.
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Fifteen years after its initial release, the legendary first-person shooter Half-Life has been quietly released for both Mac OS X and Linux. No Official announcement has been made by Valve as of yet. The original Half-Life was released in 1998, and is a big name in the gaming world, even for non-gamers. It’s played through the eyes of Dr. Gordon Freeman, who is trying to fight his way out of secret research facility in New Mexico.
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Games are designed to be fun. No matter what other motivations you have when you sit down and play a game, the number one motivator is always going to be having fun. Of course, while fun might be the primary motivator, there are some other reasons to boot up a game as well. Maybe you just want to kill time. Perhaps you are looking to be told an interesting story. Maybe you want to see a world you would otherwise never experience.
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Just one more city to go. I launched my tank attack, positioned my bombers and arranged the infantry for the final push. It wouldn’t take long, I knew it, and as the dominoes fell, total victory would be mine. And then Civilization V crashed.Video game crashes are still extremely frustrating – especially as they really shouldn’t happen in this day and age. There are various factors and these will tell you the eventual fix for the issue.
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There was always some amount of lag in the game, especially when there were lots of players logged in. That's an experience you can have only so often before you realize that it's either time to optimize your PC to reduce lag as much as possible, or don't even bother playing at all. To really optimize for gaming, you'll need to take a very focused approach to fine-tune the areas of performance that really matter.
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Bloodline Champions (BLC) is a top-down F2P game with high hopes: to create a game where players can play against each other in an arena that rewards skill, not repetition or luck. If you’ve ever heard of the term “e-sports,” this game is a prime candidate. It’s all about aiming, timing, reacting, and making the right decisions - and it’s HARD. That shouldn’t come as a surprise, though, as a game that rewards skill wouldn’t be very rewarding if it was easy.
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