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Player’s Choice – A Laundry List for Next Gen Features

You wish this was real.

One of my favourite strategies for avoiding people I don’t want to talk to is to immerse myself in my phone. Most often it leads to me cursing my way through a round of Temple Run. Sometimes though, it leads to constructive thoughts – like this one. During one of my diversion tactics, I came across a tweet by Cheat Central asking gamers what we really want to see from the next generation of consoles. It was after I had typed and erased four separate answers that I realized I [...]

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The Next Level – The Last Level

mass-effect-3-profile

Although 2011 was the year of the sequel as far as many franchises were concerned, there are some highly anticipated follow-ups due out this year. Headlined by Mass Effect 3 and Bioshock Infinite, expectations couldn’t be higher for two franchises so highly decorated in awards and praise. The question at hand is: will they be great because of what preceding games pioneered or will these titles find a new way to earn what the previous installments claimed? Mass Effect is adding multiplayer. Bioshock Infinite takes place in the sky. The [...]

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The Invisible Wall – An Author’s Response

zelda-link-skyward-sword

Every three or four years, I’ll mark a special day in my calendar. It’s not the leap year or the Summer Olympics. Actually I should put those in there. But the day to which I was originally referring is the release date of a new Zelda. The Legend of Zelda is my “desert island” franchise (“if you were stranded on a deserted island and could only bring one game…”). Most of us have at least one. That series of games that plays so familiar yet innovative and manages to engross [...]

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The Logic of Playstation as Witnessed by an Xbox Fanboy

xbox-live-dashboard

That moment during an argument when you realize the other person is right but you’re too proud to admit defeat. This is where the Microsoft faithful find themselves at times. The Xbox Live and PSN online experiences are as different as night and day, and it’s not often that we paint the picture in Sony’s favour. That’s a shame when they’ve clearly done plenty right. Right may not even be the proper word. They’ve done plenty logically. USB Controller They’ve died almost as many times as you have. The constant [...]

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Licensed Games: Reinforcing the Stereotype

captain-america-super-soldier-stereotype

Sipping my morning coffee around 2 p.m. and watching t.v. shows on an actual television for the first time in months, I had an epiphany. Actually, Victor Lucas and the team at Reviews on the Run should be credited for the findings, but since they’re not here you’ll just have to give me the kudos. What for you ask? The realization that licensed games are among the worst that were produced this year and are a step backwards for the industry we love so much. It’s very rare that reviewers [...]

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Wii U Coming to CES in January

wii-u-price

This past week, we named the Wii U as the biggest story in gaming for 2012. Nintendo is getting an early start on our prediction by making their first appearance in 17 years at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

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Ask A-Rod: What are the most ridiculous questions gamers have asked?

play-fail

Getting a little off-beat this week, I was recently asked in a weekly chat what kind of ridiculous questions I get asked through “Ask A-Rod” and in general about gaming. Here are five of the most ridiculous; how are some of these people still alive?

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November 15: The Most Crowded Day in Gaming

creed revelations mp

If you go by calendars, the biggest day for receiving presents is December 25th. For gamers however, you’d be hard-pressed to find a day more celebrated than November 15th. Here’s why. Every autumn is peppered with the biggest releases from franchises like Call of Duty and the various EA sports titles. But 2011 has redefined the term “blockbuster” and no better example exists than the middle of November. Today, over 26 games come out. Twenty-six. While some of them belong in the bargain bin by year’s end, a good amount [...]

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Ask A-Rod: Are they getting rid of physical game discs?

I call this "Empty - A Gamer's Attempt at Symbolism"

This week’s question is being asked more with each passing day. Recently it came up along with ten thousand other rumours about the release of GTA V being sold exclusively in digital formats. In this week’s column, we take a closer look at the ever-changing landscape of the video game industry and the way we buy.

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Ask A-Rod: When to use Walkthroughs and Game Guides

ask arod

This week’s Ask A-Rod question comes from ThinkingwithPortals via e-mail. Cheating. Giving up. There are a lot of labels that go along with making public your use of walkthroughs. Gamers who consider themselves of the hardcore persuasion would sooner use a game guide for toilet paper than open it up when stumped or challenged, but they don’t speak for everyone.

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Race-ism: An Homage to Mario Kart’s ‘Baby Park’

mario kart 2

In honour of the release of F1 2011, I’m taking a look back at the simpler times of racing when the only formulae involved included a green shell, some elbow grease, and the will to win. What follows is an in-depth look at the simplest racing track perhaps ever created, and why it’s still played in college dorms even today.

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Nintendo: How to Be Premature and Last 100 Hours

monster hunter 4

When asian men speak loudly and wield swords to hundreds of cheering people, it can mean one of two things: a Japanese revolt or a Nintendo press event. Thankfully, when Nintendo staged their pre-TGS conference, the only people rebelling were the early adopters of the 3DS. But, Nintendo had plenty in store for their new handheld this time around.

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Big N Rumblings: What’s up Nintendo’s Sleeve?

No funny business Shigeru..

Shortly after E3 2010, the bloggers and tweets strongly urged Nintendo to stick to its day job. A choppy main-stage presentation that culminated in a non-functional demo of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword was bad, but next month “the big N” has something entirely different to tell us. This time, let’s hope it works.

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The Handheld War: A Challenger Emerges

Mobile Gaming: He Missed His Stop to Save the Princess

  During the hour-long commute with my fellow drones, many train passengers can be seen burying their heads into illuminated screens. While some of them are checking e-mails or selecting a song, one trend has become prevalent in the past few years: less people are carrying handheld gaming systems around me.

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Introducing “Ask A-Rod” – Weekly Q&A

Left: Bobby from FOX's King of the Hill; Right: Jimmy of Rockstar's Bully

  We all have questions: why does the main character of the Bully series look like Bobby from King of the Hill? How could this possibly be a good idea?

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