Video games haven’t received the best movie adaptations. Historically, they’ve been budget movies that either don’t understand the video game or try too hard to be like the video games they’re based on. Generally these movies have been negatively received by critics and fans while bombing at the box office but a few have managed to stand apart from the “video game movie curse.”
Read MoreI may have missed the actual date of PlayStation’s 25th anniversary but it’s never too late to celebrate the great memories and video games Sony has given us. A perfect occasion to take a look at the development of the PlayStation and its successors’ milestones in the video game industry. A lasting legacy in the industry that all began with the vision of Ken Kutaragi, the father of the PlayStation.
Read MoreWhile younger gamers may not be familiar with the Video Game Crash of 1983, some people at the time weren’t aware of the situation either. Atari was at the top while the video game market was on the rise before crashing. Competitors oversaturated the market with too many consoles and unlicensed games. The market crashed when Nintendo was ready to introduce their Famicon video game console to American consumers. Releasing a console during this time seemed like a terrible idea by market analysts but against all odds, Nintendo launched their Nintendo Entertainment System in the United States, and restored the video game market.
Read MoreWhile most major video games are made by teams of hundreds of people, independent video games can be made by as few as just one person. These games are usually passion projects. Indie video games have become a breath of fresh air in the oversaturated market of big budget shooters filled with microtransactions. Angel Polanco of Veyeral Games shared his experience of working on his game, The Void Rains Upon Her Heart, as a solo developer.
Read MoreNiantic developed Pokémon Go in partnership with The Pokémon Company through Nintendo. Summer 2016 saw the release of Pokémon Go and quickly became the most downloaded game of the year. Niantic looking to further monetize the millions of players on its game introduced Pokémon Go Fest Chicago in 2017, a real-world event. Its overwhelming success became a burden on the servers. The game was nearly unplayable during the event upsetting over 20,000 trainers in attendance.
Read MoreMusic has been used in video games in a variety of ways such as trailers, intros, soundtracks, and even key moments in games. I just wanted to take some time to appreciate all the musical goodness in video games and breakdown some of my favorite uses of them in video games. This has become a way for gamers to be introduced to new and old tracks while also creating memorable moments enhanced by the joy of music.
Read MorePlants vs. Zombies is a tower-defense game developed by PopCap Games. PvZ originally released on the PC before making its way onto mobile. The game had a smooth transition from the PC’s mouse to touch-screen controls on mobile. Due to PopCap’s major success with mobile games, Electronic Arts bought the studio. This shifted the focus at PopCap games to free-to-play games and implemented it into their long awaited sequel, Plants vs. Zombies 2: It’s About Time.
Read MoreMarvel’s Spider-Man developed by Insomniac Games for PS4 is not only one of the best superhero games, it’s also one of the best games of 2018. Spider-Man had a lot to live up to after the movie tie-in, Spider-Man 2 was regarded as the best Spider-Man game for some time and the Batman: Arkham series set the standard for superhero games. Despite all its pros, fans’ anger escalated over the exclusion of the Sam Raimi “webbed” suit from the films.
Read MoreWhen it comes to award shows, motion pictures have the Oscars, music has the Grammys, and TV has the Emmys. The video game industry has a few award shows but the ones that really matter are the Design Innovate Communicate Entertain (D.I.C.E.) awards and the Game Awards. Video game award shows have had their ups and downs with the Spike Video Game Awards but now are being regarded as the future of entertainment award shows with 2018’s Game Awards.
Read MoreIn 2011, it was a landmark year for video games, not because of great video games but because the Supreme Court addressed the topic of video games for the first time ever. The Supreme Court acknowledged that video games, like books and movies, communicate ideas and are entitled to first amendment protection. Although this was a win for the video game industry in the U.S., it is not the same worldwide, and other countries, such as Germany, have only recently followed suit.
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