Giancarlo Valdes

Giancarlo is a recent college grad doing what any other recent college grad would do: stumble through the murky darkness that everyone likes to call “adulthood.” Saddled with a ton of loans and debt, writing is perhaps not the smartest career move for him, but he enjoys it all the same, especially when it’s about videogames. And if this doesn’t work out, he has high aspirations to become America’s Next Top Model. Or maybe a hand model. He isn’t sure. Someone once told him that he has pretty hands. And by “someone,” he means his mom.

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stories by Giancarlo Valdes

Diablo III players collectively burned 4.7B calories (infographic)

To celebrate Diablo III's first year, Blizzard compiled a bunch of fun player stats into an infographic. Who knew you could lose some (infinitesimal amount of) weight by playing an action-RPG?

Metro: Last Light refuses to let you go (review)

Last Light's post-apocalyptic Moscow is a terrifying experience filled with mutants, enemy soldiers, and ghosts. It's also one of the best looking games out there for the PC.

Ace of Spades, Brick-Force, and Guncraft fire away in a block-shooter faceoff

The three PC games have a similar premise: Take Minecraft's block-building gameplay and add plenty of guns and explosions. We dove into each one to see just how different they are from one another.

Rockstar teases new locales and a character for Grand Theft Auto V

The fictional cult of the Epsilon Progam -- a clear parody of the Church of Scientology -- appears to make its return in Grand Theft Auto V.

Breaking down what’s old and new in the 3DS’s upcoming lineup

What do Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda, Mario & Luigi, and Animal Crossing have in common? They're all a part of Nintendo's spring and summer library for the 3DS. Here's what you need to know about each of them.

Cut the Rope: Time Travel is a charmingly addictive puzzler with a few new tricks (review)

Om Nom is back in ZeptoLab's third Cut the Rope game. This time, the lovable green pet has brought along some of its ancestors to the feeding frenzy, as well as a new season of its popular animated series.

Pro gamers flock to ShootMania Storm as it pursues the e-sports crown

Both professional gaming teams and Ubisoft hope that ShootMania Storm becomes a staple at e-sports tournaments around the world.

From Civ and XCOM to cute monsters: How Firaxis went casual with Haunted Hollow

Developer Firaxis Games is usually known for serious strategy titles like XCOM and Civilization. So what the heck are they doing on iOS with ghouls, goblins, and vampires?

The microconsole battle royale: GameStick vs. Ouya (gallery)

We spent some time playing with both Android-powered microconsoles at the 2013 Game Developers Conference. Here's how they stack up.

Infinite Crisis proves that superhuman brawls never get old (preview)

Turbine takes a break from its MMO duties with Infinite Crisis, a multiplayer online battle arena game that throws in parallel versions of famous DC superheroes like Batman and Wonder Woman.

Surprise! The Phantom Pain is actually Metal Gear Solid V

Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima has finally stopped all the teasing and revealed what game Kojima productions is really working on. He also showed off the new Fox engine that powers it.

Divekick and Sportsfriends turn friends and strangers into rivals on the PlayStation 3 (preview)

Among Sony's sizable offering of indie games at GDC were a handful of competitive titles that redefine the meaning of head-to-head multiplayer.

The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct leaves you feeling empty (review)

Characters Daryl and Merle Dixon venture into the realm of video games with The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct, but technical problems and frustrating design decisions mar what could've been a thrilling experience.

Guacamelee! is a gorgeous brawler that proudly shows its roots (preview)

What happens when you combine super-powered luchadores, Dia de los Muertos, and platforming mazes reminiscent of Super Metroid? Well, you get something like Guacamelee!

GamesBeat Giveaway Week: Day 7 (Wii U and 3DS games)

In the last day of our week-long giveaway contest, we offer two games for your Nintendo devices: one for the Wii U and one for the 3DS.

GamesBeat Giveaway Week: Day 6 (PC and Xbox 360 games)

It's day six of our week-long giveaway contest, and we've got two more games up for grabs: Retrovirus for the PC (via Steam) and Dollar Dash for Xbox Live Arcade.