The top 10 children’s video games coming your way
At this year’s E3 show, it was difficult to ignore publishers’ acknowledgment of the growing children’s market, including indie-influenced titles (such as Scribblenauts and Drawn to Life), a broadening scope of LEGO titles (LEGO Rock Band, LEGO Indiana Jones 2, and LEGO Harry Potter), and publishers’ return to the Mario Kart-influenced racing genre (Need for Speed Nitro, Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing). Here are my picks for the best children’s titles of the show.
1. Scribblenauts (developer:… Continue Reading
Dean’s top ten games of 2008
Here are my picks for the best games of the year. Each and every one of these games was so good that they could all easily be picks for game of the year. It’s a reminder that 2008 was one of the best years we’ve ever had in the video game business.
1. Gears of War 2 (Xbox 360) Microsoft/Epic Games, Nov. 2008. It’s probably no surprise that my favorite game of the holiday season is also… Continue Reading
Spore hits 1 million games sold, while new Star Wars game hits 1.5 million
The “Spore” computer game is off to a good start with 1 million games sold at a retail, Electronic Arts said today. The computer game, one of the most ambitious ever made, took famed developer Will Wright (See our interview with him.) seven years to make. It launched on Sept. 7.
In the game, you can create your own creatures and shepherd them through life from single-cell animals all the way up to a galaxy-dominating species…. Continue Reading
More video game publishers embrace Comic-Con show
SAN DIEGO, CA— The Comic-Con show is on the rise, with so many game companies showing up there to unveil new games that it is probably a contender to replace E3.
Over 150,000 fans flocked to downtown San Diego for Comic-Con less than a week after the E3 Media & Business Summit, which is undergoing a big makeover as we write. While E3 focused on a core group of journalists, Comic-Con International is an event squarely… Continue Reading
Dean’s top ten video games of E3
As promised, I’ve followed up on my most anticipated games of E3 with an actual list of the top ten games of the show. I spent four days checking out games and interviewing executives at the Los Angeles media and game business summit. Clearly, I didn’t see everything. I didn’t even get to some of the games on the previous list. These games reflect my own tastes. I didn’t hold myself to any rules, like… Continue Reading
Dean’s most anticipated games of E3
For the first time in a few years, I’m not one of the E3 judges who evaluate the best games of the video game industry for GameCriticsAwards.com. Not to worry. I’ve filled up my schedule and I won’t have to try to see every single big game. But I’m a game fan at heart and I’ll be going to the show not just to write about business, but to evaluate the best games from my… Continue Reading
LucasArts tees up new Star Wars titles, addresses layoffs
[Editor's note: This post introduces a new VentureBeat contributing writer, John Gaudiosi, who has over a decade covering the video game industry for a wide variety of outlets. Gaudiosi is in Los Angeles this week for previews of games being announced at the E3 show in L.A. in July.]
LOS ANGELES—LucasArts Entertainment showcased playable versions of its two big titles for 2008, “Star Wars: The Force Unleashed” and Day 1 Studio’s “Fracture,” at a game critics… Continue Reading