Category Archives: Games
SimCity to Add an Offline Single Player Mode
After 10 months of saying that the game needs to always be connected to the internet for the game to run its complex calculations despite evidence to the contrary, Maxis has finally found a way to make 2013’s SimCity work when playing offline. In a blog post, Maxis’s GM says that Update #10 will include a mode that will allow you to play when you’re not connected to the internet.
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PlayStation Now is Gaming’s Next Disruptive Technology
When Nintendo announced the Wii, many cynics wrote off the console’s motion controls as a gimmick that wouldn’t add much anything to gameplay. After the console’s massive popularity and sales upon launch, both Microsoft and Sony followed Nintendo into the world of motion controls to gain back market share.
The Wii and its motion controls are a perfect example of a disruptive technology. The games industry was completely overtaken by the motion control fad as millions of dollars were spent to keep pace with Nintendo. They set a new direction for gaming and the other two console manufacturers followed.
PlayStation Now may not be out yet but Sony’s cloud gaming service is, if implemented correctly by Sony Computer Entertainment, destined to be one of the biggest and most disruptive technologies that the gaming industry has ever seen.
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Broken Age Coming to Steam Early Access Tomorrow (UPDATE: Changed Release Date and Plan)
UPDATE: Double Fine has announced on their Broken Age Kickstarter page that Broken Age would not be coming to Steam on January 14 as a Steam Early Access release. Plans changed just hours before launch and now Broken Age will be released in two acts as a Season Pass bundle. The release date will be announced later on January 28th.
In explaining the change, Double Fine said, “For various logistical reasons, and because we believe Act 1 is a polished and satisfying piece of content in its own right, Broken Age will be a standard Steam release that includes a ‘Season Pass’ granting access to Act 2 once it is complete.”
The original story follows and is included for information purposes only.
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Gone Home Review: A House is Not a Home
This year’s surprise hit game was a little indie game called Gone Home. The debut effort of a small indie dev made up of BioShock 2: Minerva’s Den devs is in a way inspired by BioShock but much simpler and focused. For many critics, the straight-forward focus on story made it near-perfect and the game of the year. Many gamers, though, didn’t find it as good as it was hyped up to be. So where does it fall on the spectrum?
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China Lifts Ban on Games Consoles
Just in time for the start of a new console generation, the Chinese government has rescinded a 14-year-old ban on the sale of video game consoles in the country. The temporary ban will allow Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo to sell their consoles in China for the first time since 2000.
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The Economics of Steam Trading Cards and the Steam Wallet
It’s been six months since Steam introduced their Trading Cards. When they first launched, I was utterly confused as to why anyone would be interested in virtual trading cards that had no purpose and no value. It just seemed like a way for Valve to make some money that no one would buy into.
However, having just completed the Steam Holiday Sale, it’s readily apparent that Valve has hit a home run with the Trading Cards. It’s not just the transaction fees that are making Valve money. The spin-off effect from Trading Cards does just as much to make Steam even more profitable.
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Sony Officially Reveals PlayStation Now Cloud Gaming Service
The cloud gaming service formerly called Gaikai and informally referred to by gaming news writers as PlayStation Cloud was officially announced by Sony at CES. The service is now called PlayStation Now and is going to be available on just about every device that you can imagine.
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Sony’s New Patent to Add Content to Classic Games Played in the Cloud
When Sony rolls out its PlayStation Cloud service on the PlayStation 4 later this year, you might see some new content in your favourite classic games. A newly revealed Sony patent indicates that Sony is planning introduce new content into emulated games, including those emulated and streamed by Gaikai.
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Valve Unveils Thirteen Steam Machines at CES 2014
We came into CES 2014 expecting Valve to show off some of the Steam Machines that various third parties were making. However, I don’t think we expected over a dozen Steam Machines to choose from when they start rolling out. According to Valve, each of these machines will come loaded with Steam OS and will include a Steam Controller.
So let’s look at all of the Steam Machine manufacturers and what they’re offering.
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My Most Anticipated Games of 2014
I suppose that it would only make sense to start 2014 the same way that we ended 2013: With more lists. To follow up on my recent Best of 2013 post, I thought that it would only be appropriate to look ahead at the upcoming twelve months with my most anticipated games of 2014.
et geekera 