Gadgets Blog » Video Games

Way back when the original Microsoft XBox was just hitting shelves everywhere, the world first came into contact with a brand new hero. Master Chief, the warrior saving humanity in Bungie’s Halo, catapulted the franchise to international success. Never before had a first-person shooter for the console been executed so cleanly, with fast-paced action, addictive multi-player, and an epic storyline. Halo has since branched out into multiple-sequels, but developer Bungie has insisted this final entry into the saga, the prequel Halo: Reach, will be the last. And what a way to go out.

The storyline of Halo: Reach occurs before the action of any other Halo titles, when mankind first makes contact with the alien race the Covenant. A single-player campaign covers these early skirmishes as the combat goes from high-tension, suspense to large-scale battles against the aliens. The story mode has always been a highlight of the Halo experience, and Reach’s story is excellent in how it requires no prior Halo knowledge to enjoy. The campaign can be enjoyed solo or with up to three other teammates, making for a great cooperative experience.

Other multi-player modes offer up a great experience both online and off. Firefight pits up to four users against waves of enemies that become progressively stronger, allowing you to test your mettle and reach for new survival goals. The online multiplayer is perhaps the finest on XBox Live, with six different groups of games available from the main menu. There’s also a ranked-pool, something that Halo first introduced into online gaming, pitting more skilled players against each other in a competition for experience points and leveling-up. All of these modes are fully-customizable in a way few other games allow.

I have spent hours of my life rescuing various princesses from a multitude of bad guys in my decades as a video game junkie. I plunked my quarters in Pacman, jumped over barrels in Donkey Kong and died countless times only to be brought back at the last save point.

Recently, I began reading about the creation of PC gaming in 3D. At first I was excited, because I am a man and we get excited at shiny buttons and flashing lights, but then I started thinking about my kids. I’m a parent, I do that.

There was a time when video games were pretty much tame. I stomped on a throng of koopas in Super Mario Brothers, and yet to need therapy for it. The graphics were bad, the memory was low and there wasn’t much they could do other than run, jump and shoot.

The electronic distribution model has seen some remarkable growth over the last several years, thanks in no small part to the advent of high speed Internet. With a growing availability of a quick net speed, the Aughts (or whatever you’d like to call the 2000s) were a transforming time for retail. Fast forward to present day and a number of companies succeed in an electronic distribution model. iTunes brings us music, NetFlix brings us movies, and Amazon brings us books all with a simple download. In this same vein, Steam brings us video games.

Steam is a quickly-growing service that takes this distribution of gaming and makes it an entirely-online endeavor. Developed by video game company Valve, who are responsible for gaming classics like Half-Life and Left 4 Dead, the service provides a means for gamers to peruse an extensive library of games from both major and independent developers. The games can then be purchased over the internet, then downloaded to your home computer. You don’t need a net connection to play them, they instead become your own, able to travel with you from computer to computer.

Over the last week plenty of headlines have been coming out of the Electronic Entertainment Expo, better known to tech enthusiasts as E3. This conference, which has been held almost-yearly since 1995, is the premier video game-related exposition in the world, and with good reason. Big-name developers spend millions on the dramatic unveiling of their latest products, with the likes of Microsoft and Sony all the way down to smaller developers like Valve showcasing their latest creations. At this year’s E3, however, the star is none of the aforementioned companies.

Yesterday, Japanese video game titan Nintendo blew their competition out of the water, wowing fans with the official announcement of the Nintendo 3DS. Nintendo has had a lock on hand-held gaming ever since the popularity of the Game Boy in the 1990s. The DS, the latest entry in their hand-held lineup, pioneered a unique dual-screen set-up, with one screen using touch-sensitive technology to add a whole new element to gaming. While Nintendo was challenged by Sony’s PSP media device, the company has retained a hold on the hand-held market, even while sales of the Nintendo Wii, their console, have stagnated against competition from the more powerful Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Some days, it must be hard to be number one. Undoubtedly Rockstar Games, developers of the critically-acclaimed Grand Theft Auto series, feels the continual pressure that goes hand in hand with their past success. While the company has several different studios spread throughout the United States, each is expected to put forth a quality product worthy of the Rockstar brand name. Rockstar San Diego, the studio behind Red Dead Redemption, hadn’t previously attempted a game of this magnitude. Known primarily for the Midnight Club street racing games, something along the lines of the newest Rockstar title had never come from the jewel of the west coast.

Red Dead Redemption, however, is a triumph of a video game, one of the best available on this generation of consoles. While comparisons with GTA are perhaps inevitable, the originality and atmosphere of the Wild West are present within Red Dead Redemption in an all-encompassing sandbox. Never before has the western genre played out so well in a video game. You play as a rugged and gun-toting cowboy, returning to the West for reasons that aren’t clear in the game’s steadily-paced opening act. While some might fault the title for starting a bit slow, this patient story telling brings out the true star of the game: the vivid world itself.

I have an ongoing FIFA soccer rivalry with my friend Sam. It’s entirely possible, if you were to speak with him, that he would create an elaborate lie in which I lose on a regular basis and that our rivalry consists primarily of him winning. This, of course, would be complete falsehood. I’m the Cristiano Ronaldo of FIFA soccer, whereas Sam, despite his best efforts, plays a lot like Kansas City striker Kei Kamara. FIFA Soccer 2010 was an excellent video game, with polished graphics and great competitive multiplayer. Now, just in time for the World Cup, we get a bonus edition of the game tailored to the international stage.

FIFA soccer games are excellent for a variety of reasons. While a real-life soccer game lasts for 90 minutes, complete with plenty of downtime, FIFA soccer can be enjoyed in six minute halves, making a game last not much longer than 15 minutes. The game play, however, is balanced so that the scores and statistics are realistic. Players move fluidly throughout the pitch, and the level of detail in animation is quite impressive. Players look uncannily like their real counterparts, each boasting statistics in several categories to tailor their playing style as well.

While the World Cup edition of FIFA doesn’t make many drastic changes to the core game play, it does come with a host of content especially for the international tournament. Almost 200 FIFA international teams are presented in the game with their real-world roster. In single-player mode, you can either jump straight into the championship itself, or play through the qualifying matches with any of the players. There’s the option to create your own player and jump into the mix as well, rising to prominence before leading your team to the title round. The commentary as well, provided by Clive Tyldesley and Andy Townsend, has been expanded, providing insight not only into the game play itself, but also the greater impact upon Cup play.

Gamers and Tom Clancy fans everywhere can finally rejoice: Sam Fisher is back in a blaze of silent and lethal glory.

This Tuesday marks the release of Splinter Cell Conviction, the latest entry into one of the most innovative video game franchises in recent memory. Ever since the release of the original Splinter Cell on the XBox, the folks at UbiSoft have utilized the Tom Clancy brandname to create some fo the most gripping and intense gameplay on the market. While games like Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto specialize in the realm of over-the-top violence, the thrills to be found in the Splinter Cell series are of an entirely different breed. The name of the game is stealth, as you step into the shoes of a highly trained NSA agent capable of all sorts of daring infiltration and covert operations.

The latest entry in the series, due out this Tuesday, expands upon that formula with innovations that are technically and thematically impressive. “Projection Storytelling” is amongst the most interesting. While not altering the gameplay in any way, Fisher’s thoughts and objectives appear on objects in the environment itself. There’s no glaring mood-breaking text glaring across the screen. This unique approach to plot development will be interesting to explore throughout the intense twists and turns Conviction has planned for us. The plot is supposed to hinge upon Fisher’s family and an underground organization.

The argument over whether or not video games constitute a medium of art is about to get even more confusing. While it’s true, the bulk of games in no way represent something on par with a classic movie (and indeed, few games attempt to actually emulate the cinematic feel of a movie), there have been a few titles that have worked to create interactive, meaningful experiences. Titles like Deus Ex provided an interactive world that allowed for incredible character freedom. More recent games, such as Shadow of the Colossus, worked to create thematic atmospheres in which the player became enthralled. But developer Quantic Dream is preparing to unveil what may be a glimpse at the future of gaming, with their story-heavy release Heavy Rain.

There has been much speculation over this title, as it was pushed back from a Christmas release to the end of February of 2010. The wait, according to the first review from IGN, was worth it. The title follows the story of a family, with four playable characters, but IGN was wise in keeping many of the plot details under wraps. From a technical standpoint, there is still much to talk about. Many of the crucial moments in the game revolve around player decisions, subtle control movements that have oftentimes huge impact on the outcome. As opposed to other titles in the past, which have linear stories, Heavy Rain has a dynamic story that changes based on these interactions. It’s even possible for a character to die, but the game never ends. There’s no instance wherein you’re required to load your game due to a “failure” on the part of the player.

With the modern era of game consoles, it seems that great innovation and technology unfortunately comes with increases in price as well. While all three systems, the Nintendo Wii, the Xbox 360, and the Playstation 3, have become more affordable as they’ve become older, there has sadly been no corresponding drop in price for the games. A brand new Xbox 360 or Playstation 3 game can cost $60, which is a serious chunk of change (especially for me, being a college student and whatnot). Wii owners are graced with a slightly lower price tag, but even $40 can be expensive for a brand new title. Luckily, today we’ll seek out some great video games available for less than $20, and also include some strategies for finding games on the cheap.

Mass Effect for the Xbox 360 (Rated M for Mature).
This science fiction action game is getting a sequel next week, but that doesn’t mean that the original isn’t still entertaining. Mass Effect combines numerous gaming elements into an engaging complete package. The game has exciting shooting action, space exploration, and a deep involved storyline that is determined largely by the player’s actions. If you’re a role-playing fan, this title will offer hours of action on many diverse and hostile planets. It’s also a great example of how to find games for under $20. If a sequel has come out recently, or is in the works, the original title will often be available for significantly less than its successor. Just because a game is older doesn’t mean it’s less fun to play. After all, other titles like BioShock and Assassin’s Creed thrilled audiences to the point they triggered sequels!

MLB: The Bigs for the Playstation 3 (Rated E for Everyone).
With sports games, there sometimes are minimal improvements from year to year. A classic example is the storied Madden NFL franchise from EA sports. The games look and feel very similar to each other in consecutive years. If you can live without up-to-date rosters, older sports games are often inexpensive compared to their newer brethren. Or, as is the case with MLB: The Bigs, look for sports games that are slightly outside the normal scope of sports titles. Here, the developers took a steroids-be-damned approach to the game, with fast-paced and accessible pitching and batting, oftentimes with bursts of fire errupting from the bats and balls. The result is a game that remains engaging compared to other, simulation type baseball games. For similar alternative sporting games, check out Blitz: The League or Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground.

Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures for the Nintendo Wii (Rated E for Everyone).
While it may seem like a bizarre combination of ideas, the Lego video game series has had some great titles, with the familiar Lego characters enacting all types of familiar adventures in their block-constructed world. The original Lego Indiana Jones title is made less expensive by having a successful sequel out on the market, but this old-school title is a lot of fun for all ages. The quirky level designs and bright colors make this a great game for kids, but gamers of any age will appreciate the recreation of the classic Indiana Jones films. A final great tip is to look for undiscovered, quirky games like this Lego title. These more “underground” games oftentimes fall in price before titles from larger publishers. Other great games like this are Viva Pinata! and titles from the Katamari Damacy series.

Despite the positive vibes being sent out by the Federal Reserve for some time now, the level of consumer confidence in the economy still hasn’t quite returned to normal. This has impacted the economics of distribution in several ways, two of which have had a significant impact on how people shop for video games.

The first major difficulty confronting the distributor is a change in consumer preference in shopping. During this recession, consumers have favored shopping at larger big-box stores such as Wal-Mart and Target. If you’re looking for more information, take a glance at this article from Business Week. A store with a greater number of products on the shelf is able to take serious losses in one field, in this case the Nintendo Wii, while still recovering that money from other products it sells. This type of behavior only adds to the preconceived notion that big-box stores will have less expensive products in the first place. Stores that are perceived as “specialty,” “boutique,” or “high-end” have suffered the most during the recession.

The second repercussion, and perhaps the more critical, involves the nature of video games to begin with. When money gets tight, the first thing consumers do is cut down on unnecessary expenses. This is, of course, devastating for a market that is entirely based around a luxury product. A person simply doesn’t need video games to get by (well, except for this guy, of course), and this has had repercussions in all aspects of the market, not just on the distribution side. Even in November, when Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was released, the industry still suffered losses as a whole.

The question becomes: what is the future of video game distribution?