I’m not what you would call a “party animal”. I am, however, a very keen hunter of party games to add to my collection. I like to always have at least one new game at any time, so if we’re ever having a “what do we do next” moment, I’ve always got something new to pull out. Continue reading “Games for Your Next House Party”
As long as games have existed there has been the looming potential for loss. Whether it’s letting one too many pixels slip by, tripping on a wayward koopa shell, playing against a button spamming Raiden, or taking a few too many bullets to the sponge – you die, you fail, you lose, game over. Most games don’t really address losing or dying – you simply reset, respawn, and move on; this I feel is a missed opportunity and designers could find ways to embrace loss in their games. Continue reading “Losing Should be an Option”
I was…less than impressed with Rise & Fall, the first expansion for Civilization VI. I’ll probably get into it more later, but long story short, it did too much to take you down from the path you wanted to go down. I may even turn it off the next time I play Civ VI, I haven’t decided yet. Continue reading “The Things I’m Most Excited For in Civilization VI: Gathering Storm”
I should preface this by being very clear about the fact that I have loved the Xbox One controller since day one. It has such a natural feel that is both true to what made its predecessors special but still finds ways to improve – the ultimate hardware “sequel”, if you will.
This may be my first article for Novus, but if you know me from RUL, there’s probably something you know about me: I absolutely love historical strategy games. The Civilization series is the big one, but I’m also partial to the games produced by Paradox Interactive, like Europa Universalis IV, Crusader Kings II, and Stellaris. Okay, that last one’s not really historical per se, but whatever. Thing is…I’m not super great at some of them. Continue reading “The Fun of Playing Through Failure”
Gaming conventions while very exciting can be terribly daunting, especially for your first time. With dozens of conventions worldwide housing hundreds of video games, thousands of attendees and only a few days to cover it all, it can be hard to know what you should be doing with your time on the show floor.
After a few years of attending conventions you begin to learn a few simple tricks and truths that will help you make the most of every show. From time management to reality checks, there’s more to these events than meets the eye. Here are a handful of tips and some advice which I’ve put together mostly from my own mistakes and experiences… Continue reading “How to Get the Most Out of Your First Gaming Convention”
I’ll be the first to tell you that the game industry is ultimately about sales and profit, and that it always has to boil down to the business side of affairs. No matter what the conversation is, whether it be the change in direction for a beloved series, the philosophy behind DLC production or the design of a new console, it always has to be about making money.
That’s not exactly a bad thing, despite the connotations. You can have a good studio culture and still have your eyes on those sales figures. In an increasingly entitled world, it’s a common expectation for development studios to do exactly what the fans want, when the fans want, as if they were a charity for the good of the gaming community rather than a business. The fact is that to continue producing the games we love, the studios have to turn a profit, and it’s very easy for fans to lose sight of that.
So what happens when a game performs well but is poorly received by its core audience?
Continue reading “Capcom’s Story of Sales vs Ratings and Why It’s So Important”
20 years ago, competitive gaming for many was trying to beat that one other high score on Space Invaders in your local arcade or tense Quake LAN parties with your mates. Today, competitive gaming is a booming industry valued at nearly $1bn by the end of this year, and set to nearly double that by 2021.
With the rise of technology and growth of video gaming as a whole, this statistic is no surprise. We’ve all watched as games went from coin-fed arcade cabinets to 100+ hour RPGs being played on a Nintendo Switch on a plane, but this has been a gradual and well-anticipated progression. What wasn’t anticipated by many, especially those less familiar with gaming, was the rise in broadcast eSports tournaments, capped off most recently with this weekend’s Overwatch League Grand Finals on prime-time ESPN. Continue reading “Do eSports Belong on Mainstream Sports TV?”
Remakes and ports are a polarising talking point within the gaming community. Often bookended with throwaway comments about lazy development and dead franchises, conversations about these games consistently miss the point and overlook the facts surrounding the issue. Continue reading “Don’t Let The Past Die”
Whilst my internet was recently out for a week I did a number of things I don’t normally do: rip out & replant a whole garden, socialise outdoors with friends, and revisit countless games I thought I’d played to death. You’ll be pleased to know I’m going to be talking about the latter.
Atmosphere is the most powerful element of any story-driven game, but also the most commonly overlooked. In a world where changing game mechanics and drama over design philosophies hogs the limelight, we seem to be missing the “soul” that brings life to so many outstanding titles. Continue reading “The Power of Atmosphere”
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