The next generation of gaming is here, but not everyone is thrilled about it -- and not just because the Xbox One is a scary vision of our future.
We all have a desire to do good, but sometimes that yearning can cause people to perpetuate their own sort of negativity. Here's how the perceived nobility of public shaming is a thorn in the side of the videogames industry, and how to better solve the issues that instigate said shaming.
Journalists in the videogames industry enjoy a good rant from time to time, but those tirades can sometimes turn into plain old proselytizing. This is a commentary on morally charged reporting, and why it should be actively discouraged.
Several people have been pushing for videogames to provide more ethnic diversity, but Ryan argues why such a demand for representation has no real value to the overall experience of a game.
Many look to videogames journalism for truth in the industry, but the practice is not without its flaws. With an abundance of people uneducated and untrained in the discipline, games reporting has embraced blatant speculation, the embellishment of opinion, emotionally charged commentary, and the misinformation that the title of "editor" alone is enough evidence to heed one's words without a hint of doubt.
People have never been shy about expressing their outrage over offensive or inappropriate material in art. But when that outrage is considered, and artists actively modify their work as a result of it, the potential of any particular medium is effectively hindered.
Lately, games seem to be ripe with controversy. But how valid are the typical arguments against it? This is a take on why offense towards fantasy is a moot concern, and how the typical opposition against inappropriate material is not only contradictory and inconsistent, but also blatantly biased.
Yet again, in the wake of another tragedy, videogames find themselves receiving the brunt of the blame. Though, rather than provide reasonable responses, a lot of industry figureheads have resorted to mirroring the ignorant, uninformed statements they find themselves faced with. This is why that's anything but constructive, and even proves detrimental to the understanding of videogames as an expressive artform.
This "blue ocean" that Nintendo is so fond of can't be fished clean. The name exists for a reason: It's that untapped market with a seemingly limitless potential for financial growth. The issue with the ocean, though, is that it's …
I had a difficult time deciding whether or not I should share this; it is still associated with a lot of shame, and part of me fears it could somehow affect future careers/opportunities. Nonetheless, it seems somewhat relevant these days, …
It's incredibly easy to forget that most games start as any other product — with a sales pitch. Sure, people sometimes make these wonderful things because they love the craft, but they also want to profit from them.
Heck, even …
A few months ago, I received the most ironic lesson that I'll ever have in my life. I've seen so many similar public lashings of wrongdoers and thought to myself, "It must be a rare blessing for one to experience …
The two most important demographics for a game are age and gender. The reasons for this are obvious, and we are all aware of where we stand in these demographics and the types of games that we are “supposed” to …
I was just let go from my first paying, entry-level industry job. I don’t blame the company; they were merely doing what was logical and beneficial to them. And I don’t blame myself; I worked my ass off both before …
I actively abhor video-game remakes or reboots of any kind; I find them pointless in such young, creative medium. With that said, I am absolutely buying Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary. You may now proceed to call me a hypocrite.…
I’ve always been pretty baffled by the story in the Assassin’s Creed series. Now I can’t wait to play Assassin’s Creed: Revelations to find out just what the hell this game is about — some kind of apple, I think.…
Bitmob Writer Omri Petitte has had the opportunity to post and comment on every Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception video that has been released…but now it’s my turn. All I have to say is: Uncharted 3, I think you look pretty. …
Star Wars: The Old Republic provides gamers the pleasure of athletic competition. The game also gives players the opportunity to shoot their competitors…something that would make American sports infinitely better in my opinion.
Video Blips:
• Known as Huttball, this …
While a small part of me is excited for Goldeneye 007 Reloaded, I’m having trouble finding a good reason for its existence. Sure, the original was good for a console shooter…but consider how low the standards were at the …
I never was much of a Batman fan, but the villains in Batman: Arkham City look cool enough to get me excited. While playing the game at E3, I stumbled upon a menu with information on all of Batman’s baddies. …
I've never particularly enjoyed the cast of Gears of War, but now I find myself completely engrossed in the emotional backstory of one of the most interesting yet overlooked characters in the series: Augustus “Cole Train” Cole.
As I …
The audio aspect of games receives so little praise. It’s nice when developers provide some perspective on the sound and music of their project, like the developer diary for Deus Ex: Human Revolution found below.
Video Blips:
• Deus Ex: …
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’s Spec Ops mode is going to have attack dogs with explosives strapped to them? I remember reading about the Russians trying something similar during World War 2. They sure know how to put …
I like Bodycount’s art style, but it reminds me a little too much of Brink. Seriously, take a look at the video below; both games look almost exactly the same.
Video Blips:
• The action in Bodycount leans …
Last night, I attended a party where I spoke with Metacafe’s Editorial Director Douglass C. Perry. He stated that he was actually looking forward to Rage — after having played a decent portion of it. Perhaps a lot of us …
One can only imagine the political upheaval that will form when people start combining themselves with technology. Deus Ex: Human Revolution seems to be paying a lot of attention to the fact that conflict will undoubtedly exist when the human …
You may have read about my tour of the Gnomon School of Visual Effects — now you have a chance to see the place for yourself, thanks to our crack UK video crew. Working with these guys was about as thrilling …
You wouldn’t know that a game like Rusty Hearts was free to play just by looking at it. That just goes to show how legitimate these free games are becoming.
Video Blips:
• Games like Rusty Hearts are great for …
After seeing enough videos of Star Wars: The Old Republic, I have decided that I am not going to join the Sith. I realized something recently: Since I’m an asshole in real life, it makes more sense to fantasize …
Considering the number of hours I spent playing the original Phantasy Star Online for the Dreamcast, the news that they’re making a true sequel was practically music to my ears. The rest of 2011 is going to be freaking awesome.…
If you’re an animation graduate like me, it’s virtually impossible not to know about the Gnomon School of Visual Effects. Why? Because our teachers told us to learn from the best, and Gnomon is where you'll find the crème de …
I can’t tell you how many hours I put into the original Soul Calibur for the Dreamcast; I wasted so much of my life. So then that means I’m excited about Soul Calibur 5, right? Not one bit. Why? …
I’ve been out of the Battlefield loop for a long time. After Battlefield Vietnam, the series just didn't excite me anymore. Perhaps it's because I've been somewhat spoiled by the ultra-refined gameplay of Call of Duty. Still, the Battlefield …
While Battlefield 3 does look quite beautiful, I see an uncanny resemblance between the features of this game and those of Battlefield: Bad Company 2. Let’s hope I’m wrong and all of the buzz this game is generating can’t …
I never was into racing games, so Driver: San Francisco doesn’t really interest me much. Although, the ability to drive around my city in a Ford GT does sound fun…if not a little too heterosexual for this city’s tastes.
Video …
I’ve experienced quite a bit of Deus Ex: Human Revolution thus far. Of all that I’ve seen, the combat features are what have sold me the most, several of which are mentioned in the video below. I don’t even own …
I was a bit indifferent about Rage during E3, even though I had the chance to play it. I’m not going to kid myself…I’ll probably buy it anyway. Whether or not I’ll actually finish it is another story.
Video Blips:…
Every time I see a new trailer for Deus Ex: Human Revolution, I can’t help but wonder what kind of obstacles would arise from having mechanical arms. Imagine trying to scratch yourself with those things; you’d have to be …
The popularity of Nathan Fillion has gotten considerably larger over the years among geeks. It’s tough to argue with the fact that gamers now see him as some sort of nerd Jesus. Let’s hope he touches on the subject of …
The 8-bit era of games is notorious for having created some of the most catchy tunes in popular culture. Tetris was one of the many games that stuck to players' minds to the point of insanity. The main theme didn't …
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