The lights are on
Veteran Member - Level 11
Like many people on May fourth, I celebrated by watching the original Star Wars Trilogy.* As I was watching it, I realized a few things. First, Star Wars is one of, if not the best, pieces of science fiction media of all time. Not that this is anything new. I have the same realization every time I watch Star Wars. Second, I realized that as much as nerd culture both loves George Lucas for creating Star Wars, it also hates him for changing Star Wars. I think it is pretty understandable for a number of reasons that I am not listing for the sake of brevity. Suffice it to say that the prequel trilogy was not the glorious return fans were hoping for. However, my final realization had nothing to do with the prequels. No, instead, I realized that many of the changes George Lucas made to the original Star Wars trilogy were actually good. Whatever irate fans might have to say about the prequels or the list of negative changes George made to the original trilogy there are some decisions that genuinely enhance my enjoyment of the films. I present them now, in no particular order.
The release of Dota 2 is imminent. Valve has kept it in beta for months showering it with constant updates and tweaks. After logging a number of hours into the beta, I’ll attempt to answer questions you might have if you have never heard of Dota or played a MOBA-style game. Read on to learn a bit about what is sure to become one of the next big competitive games.
A little over a week ago, I became aware of some serious charges were leveled at Game Informer by an Unreality Magazine editor named Paul Tassi in an article titled “Why Video Game Journalism is a Sham.” Basically, Mr. Tassi claimed that Game Informer was accepting bribes or kickbacks from video game publishers for higher review scores. The ridiculousness of this claim, which I want to make clear was based on no evidence, should be evident. But, in case it isn’t obvious, I decided that I would break down “Why Video Game Journalism is a Sham” into its core arguments and describe precisely why it is wrong. I want to emphasize that to make such claims against such a reputable organization and talented, committed people who know a thing or two about something called journalistic integrity is extremely unprofessional.
I have served with one of the greatest men in the galaxy.
I see the term realism thrown about quite frequently by gamers in forum discussions, blogs, and even in reviews. The fact is that realism in video games is a myth. Just as fiction cannot (by definition) be real, there are no real video games.
After having a team of poorly trained non-professionals painstakingly perform some not-so-evil experiments, I am proud to announce the twelve (scientifically proven*) best browser games on the internet! Putting together this list cost millions (of what?) and many hours of painstaking work**.
Day[9]. The Man. The Myth. The Thought Hammer.
Many of us love video games, but how many of us actually care about the music that plays while we interact in virtual worlds? I know that I do. In fact, I purchase quite a few video game soundtracks. In my collection are the likes of Civilization IV, Red Dead Redemption, Dark Souls, Mass Effect (both 1 and 2), and orchestral and techno versions of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. In my time as a denizen of the world wide web, I have come across numerous sites dedicated to video game music. Some of my favorite Youtube videos are of people doing their personal renditions of video game music. However, there is one spot on the web that has really changed the way that I view video game music and shown that, while I may love video game music, there are others out there who put my love to shame. That website is known as ocremix.org.
Recently, there has been a spike in developers switching their projects over to a free-to-play business model. MMORPGs especially have been, though by no means have they been the only genre, jumping on the free-to-play bandwagon with the latest addition of the first twenty levels of Rift becoming free-to-play. Rift joins the likes of Star Trek Online, Guild Wars, DC Universe, and Everquest I and II, to name a few. Why this huge shift away from the pay-to-play model set forth by the juggernaut that is World of Warcraft? The simple answer is because, quite frankly, it is genius.