From Comstock to Console: How Age Verification Laws in Gaming Echo Old Moral Crusades

Gamers in China already lead a life where they are required to verify their identity in order to game online at all. Not just to reach certain types of content. Because gaming time and online access are regulated in China, gamers have to verify their identity more often than not to game at all overContinue reading “From Comstock to Console: How Age Verification Laws in Gaming Echo Old Moral Crusades”

Before Warzone, There was Hexen (and Heretic)

Earlier today, NintendoLife ran an article indicating that two of the classic shooters of the late 90s was back. Unannounced. No fanfare. No bravado. Just a simple, stripped down posting to the Nintendo eShop. A shadowdrop. Heretic and Hexen were two of the seminal shooters that helped cement the FPS shooter as an institution inContinue reading “Before Warzone, There was Hexen (and Heretic)”

Why Ken Levine’s Judas Deserves Praise—And Why That Bugs Me

I’ve been a fan of Ken Levine’s games since the very beginning. With the exception of Tribes: Vengeance, his repertoire reads as the list of some of my favorite games that it is. Eurogamer ran an article today that discussed his upcoming game, Judas. A game whose reveal trailer at the 2022 The Game AwardsContinue reading “Why Ken Levine’s Judas Deserves Praise—And Why That Bugs Me”

Backlogs, Beavis, and Beholders: A Week in Gaming and Tech

My Gaming Diary – Gamedate 78978.5 What I’ve Been Up To Games Tech – I’ve been noodling on getting into some retro-tech projects and spent the morning looking for old PDAs and MiniDisc player-recorders on eBay. I’ve bookmarked an HP Jornada and a Sony Walkman Net MiniDisc player/recorder for the time being. I have myContinue reading “Backlogs, Beavis, and Beholders: A Week in Gaming and Tech”

Clarity in the Chaos: What This Week in Gaming Means to Gamers Secure in Their Identity

As much of a whirlwind as it has been in gaming land this week, I think that this post will be relatively short. A lot has gone on, but the two biggest things were obviously the layoffs & game cancellations in the XBox division and Helldivers 2, a PlayStation first-party title from an external studio,Continue reading “Clarity in the Chaos: What This Week in Gaming Means to Gamers Secure in Their Identity”

Friend Codes and Baby Steps: Nintendo’s Slow March Toward a Real Online Strategy

My Gaming Diary, Gamedate 78864.2 Nintendo’s live service strategy should not be confused with its more foundational need to get its provisioning of network services right. They have been making incremental, baby-step strides in this area for years, while they are admittedly still woefully incomplete. Yesterday, The Verge ran an opinion piece about how “AnimalContinue reading “Friend Codes and Baby Steps: Nintendo’s Slow March Toward a Real Online Strategy”

Polish, Don’t Publish: Rethinking the Release Cadence in a Glutted Video Games Market

My Gaming Diary, Gamedate 78863.5 Recently, Reuters reported that Embracer is taking a more conservative approach towards its release cadence. I know. Bug guffaw, right? But stick with me here. Many gamers….most if not all of the ones on social media…so-called journos, pundits, game-tubers….everyone has an opinion on what needs to be done to “fix”Continue reading “Polish, Don’t Publish: Rethinking the Release Cadence in a Glutted Video Games Market”

When Reviewers Get DOOM Dead Wrong

Is DOOM perhaps the most controversial shooter franchise to try and have a discussion about? Maybe so. DOOM 2016 was an awesome reboot of that shooter franchise in my opinion. It added greater fluidity to the movement model (in comparison to DOOM 3), enhanced mobility overall in both verticality and that feeling of speed. IContinue reading “When Reviewers Get DOOM Dead Wrong”

2025’s Genre-Busting Gaming Lineup: A Once-in-a-Decade Start?

This has been a bonga year for game releases. I know, I know – that phrase gets thrown around a lot. But 2025 really is something different. The year got off to a great start, hit a crescendo in April, and continues to maintain a strong cadence heading into the summer. And what makes thisContinue reading “2025’s Genre-Busting Gaming Lineup: A Once-in-a-Decade Start?”

Don’t Mistake Convenience for Acclaim: Why Xbox Games Are Selling on PlayStation

What you are witnessing now with XBox titles on PlayStation is the Napster Effect. Which really was more about supply & demand and price-sensitivity of Music rather than Napster, but “the Music Effect” doesn’t have the same hook. Before Napster was introduced, market sentiment was that CDs were priced too high and offered a dubiousContinue reading “Don’t Mistake Convenience for Acclaim: Why Xbox Games Are Selling on PlayStation”