Videogames v the novel: which moves you more?
I'm a very casual gamer, with a preference for instantly gratifying 'beat 'em ups' like the Tekken and Soul Calibur series or first person shooters like Time Crisis, but I love Sackboy, the hero of...
View ArticleSusan Greenfield's latest claim: playing videogames to blame for financial...
Baroness Greenfield's been at it again: in this month's Wired article entitled, 'Did video games make bankers more reckless?', Greenfield, somewhat inconceivably, argues that playing videogames may be...
View ArticleiPhone games: five of the best
In April I listed my 10 favourite iPhone games. The games on that list are still worth investigating but new titles are coming thick and fast. These are the ones that have been taking up my time over...
View ArticlePink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon reinterpreted for the games console
Making music that sounds like it is being played on an 8-bit games console, the Nintendo Entertainment System, for example, has become something of a trend over the last year or so. Notable examples...
View ArticleDeus Ex: in praise of a PC gaming classic
Deus Ex was released almost 10 years ago but it remains one of my favourite video games. I haven't played anything else that conveyed the sense of being genuinely open-ended while also offering an...
View ArticleStudio Ghibli to make games for Sony PS3 and Nintendo DS
This is very exciting news. Studio Ghibli, the Japanese animation studio behind Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle and My Neighbour Totoro, is reported to be venturing into video games: "Ghibli’s...
View ArticleThe biggest online gamers are women over 55, apparently
It's become something of a truism that when you're playing a video game online and getting thrashed you are almost certainly getting beaten by a teenage boy. They are, after all, very into games and...
View ArticleThe Creeps: iPad app of the week
Regular readers of this blog will know that I'm a big fan of tower defence games. Field Runners is a particular favourite, though the iPad version of that has been badly broken since an update before...
View ArticleSXSW 2011: Jane McGonigal on the beneficial effects of video games
It's common to read about the damaging effects of video games, quite often without any supporting evidence whatsoever (hello Baroness Greenfield!). It was refreshing therefore to hear Dr Jane McGonigal...
View ArticleThe wisdom of crowdfunding: business's quiet revolution
Imagine you have a bright idea for a new gadget or game. You're convinced people will love it, but it's going to take more money and time than you have on hand, so you need to raise some funds. You've...
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