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Crytek recently branched out into mobile games with Fibble, a physics-based puzzle game that focuses on the travails of a crash-landed extraterrestrial

EA Expands Medal of Honor Franchise With Warfighter

Electronic Arts used the Game Developers Conference to offer an initial look at its first-person shooter sequel, Medal of Honor Warfighter

What's Hot for Video Game Artists in 2012

With the technologies available in 2012, video game artists are no longer shackled to the desktop

Electronic Arts Incorporates Social Action Into New SimCity

One of the themes at this year's Game Developers Conference is games for change. Electronic Arts took this concept to heart with the development of SimCity

Next-level Video Game Promotion

With thousands of games being created for multiple platforms every year, how can you cut through the clutter to show the gaming world how great your creation is? Here are some ideas to help take your promotion to the next level

Tackling the Big Issues: PC Gaming Alliance

We've spoken to Matt Ployhar -- president of the PC Gaming Alliance -- before, but he's been up to a lot lately, so we followed up to get a closer look

Getting Acquainted With the 3D Generation

The past year's introduction and slow proliferation of 3D-enabled games, displays and laptops suggests that the next major frontier is on the horizon

Setting Sights on Prey 2

Anyone who played the original Prey video game is in for something completely different with this sequel

'GoldenEye 007: Reloaded'

'GoldenEye' is one of the classics of console FPS games. Is this game really so fun that it deserves yet another version in this short span of time? Cynical though I may seem, 'GoldenEye' is still a great game

'Voltron: Defender of the Universe'

Well, before Hollywood gets its claws on it and does the unthinkable, we might as well enjoy 'Voltron: Defender of the Universe' for what it is now

'Final Fantasy Type-0'

'Final Fantasy' may be the best known and most beloved Japanese RPG series out there. 'Type-0' is part of the Fabula Nova Crystallis subseries, which also includes 'Final Fantasy XIII' and 'Final Fantasy Versus XIII'

'Apples to Apples'

I love the 'Apples to Apples' board game. So, of course, I was curious to see what THQ was doing with the game, translating it to a digital format on Xbox Live Arcade. Here's how the game works, in case you've never played it

'WipeOut 2048'

I've never owned a Sony handheld, but 'WipeOut 2048' makes me want to join the club

Sony's 24-inch 3-D see-worthy

When it comes to 3-D gaming, Sony is making a big push to be the leader in delivering a quality 3-D experience to PS3 owners all over the world. First thing first, you have to take a look at what's being offered

PC Gaming in Motion

Imagine a future where you play a first-person shooter with nothing more than a twitch of your finger. How about an exercise app that calculates precise muscle movement via magnetized bracelets? That future is coming -- faster than you think

'F.E.A.R. 3'

My initial opinion of 'F.E.A.R. 3' was that it was an astoundingly generic, cover based first-person shooter, but as time passed and I progressed further into the game, I came to realize that 'F.E.A.R. 3' was actually ...

'From Dust'

'From Dust' is an amazing game and a wonderful testament to creativity in game design. It's simple, complex and utterly beautiful.

Gears of War 3 Achievement Challenge

Gamerscores have been a staple of an Xbox player's personal identity, serving as a quick gauge for how much a gamer plays. 360Voice's Achievement Challenge has taken that metric and has debuted a unique meta-game around Gamerscores in Gears of War 3

Top 11 Video Games for Fitness

Don't like going to the gym? Then don't. Instead, get in shape by playing video games in the comfort of your own home. That's right. Video games

Dust 514 Brings MMO EVE OnlineM Into the FPS Market

The upcoming game Dust 514, an exclusive PlayStation 3 first-person shooter, will dramatically interact with the world of the MMORPG Eve. Tom Farrer discusses PlayStation 3 exclusivity and some of the technical challenges of integrating a PS3 game into the PC game experience

Watching End of Nations Fall

We had the opportunity to talk to End of Nations' executive producer David Luehmann about the game's development and his hopes for the future

Thought Leaders: Greg Kasavin

In this installment, we talk to Greg Kasavin, former executive editor at GameSpot.com and now creative director at Supergiant Games, where he served as the writer for their auspicious first release, Bastion. Kasavin talks about the shape of the industry, digital distribution and the future of the video game as art

'Zenonia 3: The Midgard Story'

If you want to sit down with a nice, long RPG, Gamevil's 'Zenonia 3: The Midgard Story' has you covered on your iPhone or Android phone

'The Longest Journey'

Due to the Steam Summer Camp sale a few weeks back, I was able to pick up the 'Longest Journey' bundle. I had played the original some years back but most of that had faded from memory and the sequel would be brand new material

Puzzle Dimension

'Puzzle Dimension' is a beautiful, 3-D puzzle game with platforming elements mixed in. At first glance, gamers might be reminded of aesthetically similar puzzle games such as 'Super Monkey Ball'

A Rage Like No Other

Legendary developer John Carmack talks about id Software's new post-apocalyptic first-person shooter, Rage, developing at 60 frames per second, and what it's like to be working on what might be the best-looking shooter ever produced

MMO EVE Online Expands Into the FPS Market

DIG talks to producer Tom Farrer at CCP about Dust 514 and the synthesis between that forthcoming first-person shooter and the MMORPG EVE Online

Fallen Enchantress Is Set to Rise: Part 2

Stardock released a flawed gem in 2010's Elemental: War of Magic. It then hired Derek Paxton, lead designer and lead producer of Fallen Enchantress, to get the franchise back on track. DIG spoke to Paxton about how to successfully develop a game and stop things from getting out of hand

A Gamer's Education

Take a look at the most popular development kits used inside some of the top game-development educational programs

'Fusion: Genesis' (Xbox Live Arcade)

A lot of Xbox Live Arcade games are overlooked each year. Some are merely overshadowed by bigger releases - or retro titles with smaller price tags. Others are unfortunately released at a time when bigger and better retail games hit the market, as everyone is busy playing them. Among these overlooked games is 'Fusion: Genesis'

'Tom Clancy's Rainbow 6 Patriots'

Ubisoft has done extremely well when it comes to the Tom Clancy video game franchise over the years. The 'Rainbow 6' games are known for depicting high-tech counterterrorist operations set within Tom Clancy's game world

Fourth 'FIFA Street' Game Breaks from Its Past

Part of what makes 'FIFA Street' exude promise is the believability of it all

'NASCAR Unleashed'

I'm all for an aggressive NASCAR game. So it made me happy to play 'NASCAR Unleashed' on the 360, with its simplistic arcade nature and its numerous options

'Dezaemon Kids!' (PlayStation Network)

'Dezaemon Kids!' can't compare to other, more serious games of the genre, but it's well worth $5.99 price. Here's Why

Future for Slates, Tablets and iPads

Matt Ployhar takes a look at the future of the slate form factor and its potential impact on everything from console gaming to Windows 8

'Terraria' and 'Universe Sandbox'

Some games just aren't long enough for their own reviews, but are still important enough to deserve some attention. With that in mind we present the first of our Indy Shorts reviews. Here, I turn my attention to two recently released titles on Steam: 'Terraria' and 'Universe Sandbox'

'MotorStorm: Apocalypse'

Way back in the early days of 2007, there was a PlayStation 3 game with great promise, showing effectively what the system was built for and what the future held in store. That game was 'MotorStorm,' an arcade racer. Now in the series's third ride around on the PS3, 'MotorStorm: Apocalypse' makes some notable shifts from earlier entries

Cakewalk Case Studies: Sean Murray and Tim Wynn

When Cakewalk released its SONAR X1 digital audio workstation (DAW), they weren't just giving composers a world-class set of audio tools; they were giving them a solution to their production challenges. Here, DIG takes a look at how two game composers have integrated the suite

Thought Leaders: Bonnie Nardi

In this installment, we sat down with Bonnie Nardi, a cultural anthropologist teaching at the University of California, Irvine, and author of My Life as a Night Elf Priest. Nardi talks about the impact of MMOs on social dynamics and the distribution of technology

Chatting With John Martin of Reallusion

Arti Gupta had the chance to talk to John Martin, vice president of marketing for Reallusion

'Galaga 30th Collection'

'Galaga' is a game that gives a smile to anyone who grew up visiting arcades -- but, unfortunately, 'Galaga 30th Collection' for the iPhone isn't diverse enough in gameplay from game to game to warrant the cost, especially with the sometimes frustrating control scheme

The Way of the Samurai: Chatting With James Russell of The Creative Assembly

Arti Gupta talked to James Russell, lead designer of the Total War series. They chat about Shogun 2, fluid development and the process of refining an engine instead of rewriting it

Audio for Games Reimagined: SONAR X1

SONAR X1 gives game audio professionals a streamlined, next-generation workspace with dockable, floatable and collapsible views; customizable window configurations; easy-to-access media assets; and simplified context-driven control over vital features

'Hunted: The Demon's Forge'

What does it take for a game to stick in a player's memory? For RPGs, it could be the writing of story and characters. For an action game, it might be the flexibility of movement and fluidity of combat. For a shooter, the graphics could be the centerpiece. For "Hunted: The Demon's Forge," it's none of the above.

Baseball Simulation in MLB 2K11: Part 2

In part one of our look at the simulation of an American pastime in MLB 2K11, we examined the broad strokes of creating a baseball simulation -- specifically the players and the stats. Now we turn our attention to the fine details that make the MLB 2K11 world come alive

Video Game Thought Leaders: Matt Ployhar

We're tracking down video gaming industry thought leaders to give you a sneak peek of the digital arts future through their eyes. In this installment, we sit down with Matt Ployhar, president of the PC Gaming Alliance. Ployhar talks to us about a future built on more efficient hardware, cloud technology and ubiquitous gaming

Daggerdale - Talking With Tim Ernst of Bedlam Studios

Arti Gupta talked with Tim Ernst, production director at Bedlam Studios, on the floor of GDC 2011

Fallen Enchantress Is Set to Rise

When Stardock's Elemental: War of Magic turned into a disaster, they called in Derek Paxton to set things right with a standalone expansion, Fallen Enchantress. DIG chats with him about taking the reins as both lead producer and lead designer -- and about getting the Elemental franchise back on track

'Mortal Kombat' and the First Amendment

Intellectually, I understand the Supreme Court's 7-2 decision that the First Amendment protects the most violent of video games. Experientially, I don't. It's fine for the majority to say parents have ultimate control over what their children see, but how many members of the Supreme Court have experienced 'real' life?

'Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary'

'Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary' is a remake that works appropriately well

'Zombie Apocalypse: Never Die Alone'

When Konami released 'Zombie Apocalypse' for download a couple of years ago, it brought forth an interesting arena shooting game in which the goal was to stay alive while battling hordes of the undead. The sequel, 'Never Die Alone,' expands on that with bigger areas and some personality-laden characters, benefiting as a result

'Pirates of Black Cove'

'Sid Meier's Pirates' was remade in 2004 and it not only received amazing reviews from critics and gamers alike, but went down in gaming history as being one of the best pirate video games of all time. Even seven years later, it's still difficult to find a game that can outperform it. However, there is a new challenger to the pirate game throne in 'Pirates of Black Cove'

Thought Leaders: John Laird

In this installment, we talk to John Laird, a computer science professor at the University of Michigan who specializes in artificial intelligence research. He is also noted for developing HAUNT, one of the first text adventure games. Laird discusses the future impact of AI in the tech world

High School Teachers Make Video Gaming Academic

Parent groups have long advocated limiting the amount of time children spend playing video games to make sure the activities don't get in the way of their social life and school work. So what happens when the video games are the school work?

'Infamous 2'

One month after the events of the first game, 'Infamous 2' puts you back in Cole's shoes as he seeks to become stronger, leaving you to decide whether he saves the world or destroys it

'Fable III'

All in all, 'Fable III' is not an RPG. It is barely a feasible action game and can function in a pinch as a fantasy doll dress-up and interior design simulator. It doesn't have any clue what it wants to be and thus, I'm not even sure what standard of judgment to apply. Thus I fall back on the old tried and true, 'Is it fun?'

E3 2011 Showcases a Big Year for PC Gaming

There will be hundreds of games on display at E3 this year, but we've selected five titles that stand out from the crowd. For attendees at the show, these are some of the big games that people will be talking about long after the glitz and glamour of the convention is over

Happiness Is a Warm Gun: Chatting With Emotional Robots

At GDC 2011, Arti Gupta chatted with executive producer Zach Lehman and game designer Joe Cleary of Emotional Robots about Warm Gun and the Unreal Engine

'Fate of the World'

The sequel to 'BBC Climate Challenge,' 'Fate of the World is essentially a global climate change simulator

'The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings'

'The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings' is a PC game (the Xbox 360 version is set to launch around the end of this year) that follows the adventures of Geralt of Rivia, a magically enhanced monster hunter, or witcher (a name that I imagine sounds a lot cooler in Polish). The 'Witcher' games are based on the novels of Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski

'L.A. Noire'

L.A. Noire plays like a TV crime drama. Think 'Law & Order' meets the tone and pace of 'Heavy Rain' with the GTA engine with 'Mad Men'-esque style -- but even that's an imperfect comparison. 'L.A. Noire' has more of a point-and-click adventure mentality where objects are examinable but not every object is important

PlayStation Network: After the Fall

The prolonged PSN downtime was a result of hackers, and consequently Sony announced that everyone's PSN screen name, real name, address, email, birth date and password had been compromised.

Value Proposition - PC or Console Games?

There is so much talk about games these days. With the advent of tablets and smartphones, the platforms available to play games on are ever increasing. The thought crossed my mind: I wonder what this means to the different gaming platforms? Is there a compelling proposition for PC or non-console game developers?

Complexity in 'Civilization'

Since 'Civilization V' was released last year, there has been a torrent of negativity spewed at it from the veteran 'Civ' community. And yet, when I hear this, something just does not jibe

'Dragon Age II'

I'll assume everyone reading this is aware of the 'Dragon Age,' series so I won't linger on the greater context. Where 'Dragon Age II' differs from its predecessor in terms of tone is that it is a much more personal story

Creating the Baseball Simulation in MLB 2K11

There were over 2,000 games in the 2010 major league baseball season, and the creators of MLB 2K11 looked at video from almost every one of them while preparing the 2011 version of the baseball simulation game, according to game designer Sean Bailey

Hear That Knocking Sound? It's PC Gaming!

Do you know what the opportunities are in PC gaming? They're probably better than you think. The PC gaming market is much bigger than consoles, both in installed base and in money made

'Portal 2'

'Portal 2' is the sequel to Valve's 2007 hit 'Portal' included as part of The Orange Box bundle -- which I'm fairly sure most people initially purchased for either 'Team Fortress 2' or 'Half-Life 2: Episode 2'

Saving the Universe One LEGO Brick at a Time

LEGO Universe is a massively multiplayer online game that takes place in an alternate universe populated by LEGO mini figures. Players must protect the final existing vestiges of pure imagination from extinction -- clearly a worthwhile quest and, very probably, a useful skill in life outside the MMO gaming environment

Synchronization Between Threads in the Infernal Engine

Thread synchronization is a complicated problem and rarely discussed in practice. We came to our own conclusions via experimentation and what worked well for us during the production of Ghostbusters

Thought Leaders: Eleanor Wynn

In this installment, we sat down with Eleanor Wynn, an anthropologist of computing who recently retired from Intel. Wynn gave us her thoughts on how gaming and working with information technology are related, and she told us what she thinks is on the horizon for gaming

The Art of War: Shogun 2

The way of the samurai, with its violence and pageantry, is one of the most romanticized martial traditions in the world -- and no video game has done it quite the justice that Total War: Shogun 2 has

Solid-state Drives Revolutionize Gaming

War Production: Chatting With Frank Pearce of Blizzard

'Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime'

Darkspore Creatures Come to Life

Finding the Next Challenge in Visual Computing

'The Sims: Medieval'

The Future of PC Gaming? A Personal Viewpoint

Explosion of Creativity: Power of Online Communities

'Homefront'

Game Optimization for Modern Hardware

'PixelJunk Shooter 2: The Belly of the Beast'

Pixels and Sand