Valve’s Gabe Newell discusses the frontiers of gaming, from wearable technology to “tongue controllers” Gabe Newell (pictured top right) is the chief executive and co-founder of Valve, the award-winning game publisher and creator of the Steam digital distribution service for games. He is one of the visionaries of the game business, and his predictions carry a lot of weight. Plenty of speculation surrounds the odd projects that Valve undertakes, and Newell took some time yesterday to explain some of them and talk about the cool and weird things coming in the future.
Ed Fries (pictured top left), the former head of Microsoft Game Studios, interviewed Newell at a reception that Covert & Co., Google Ventures, and Perkins Coie sponsored at the Casual Connect game conference in Seattle. Here’s an edited transcript of their interview. Ed Fries: What are some of the projects you’re working on?
Gabe Newell: When you think about the kinds of digital goods that people want to have, there has to be a richness. When you look at the other questions: Why are we looking at wearable computers? - StumbleUpon. 8 Bit Weapon. The Minibosses. Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team review (XBLA. Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team was developed and published by THQ. It was released on July 13, 2011 for 800MSP. A copy of the game was provided for review purposes. Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team is an action-shooter that takes place in the Warhammer universe. Your objective is to board and halt an Ork Kroozer from reaching Imperial Forge World.
As a side bonus for fans of the franchise, purchasing this game unlocks an exclusive Power Sword weapon to use in the upcoming game: Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine. Here’s what we liked: Multiple characters – You can play this game one of two ways, as a dual-stick shooter or as a hack-n-slash. Great boss fights – There are a few boss fights that stand out through the campaign forcing players to search for creative ways to handle these confrontations. Voice acting – One of the first things you’ll notice while playing Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team is that voice acting is present and it’s done well. Here’s what we didn’t like: Score: Buy It. The Top 10 Best / Greatest Video Games of All Time. The Best Video Games in the History of Humanity Last update, March 10, 2012. Thanks to everyone who has helped maintain this site by sending me lists I missed.
I really appreciate all of your emails, even if I haven't had time to respond to them all. You guys are the people who make this page the valuable resource that it is! Over the years, many gaming magazines and websites have churned out a ton of ranked lists as part of an ongoing attempt to comprehensively document the top 10 (or top 100, or 200, or whatever) video games of all time. I have tried to be as diverse and inclusive as possible in my selection of lists, and have used only the basic criteria that the lists must: Some lists will inevitably appear more credible than others, but my intent was quantity more than quality.
(Grey games appeared on multiple platforms) Note: As the years progress, games tend to appear on more and more systems. A brief warning about controversies ahead! Always updating lists: Static lists: 53. 52. 51. Noxxic - Class Guides for WoW, SWTOR and Diablo 3. Download Quest for Glory - So you want to be a Hero. Quest For Glory I: So You Want To Be A Hero is a lovely adventure game written by Sierra in 1989. It is the first of the Quest For Glory games, and in my opinion, it is the best. You have just arrived in the town of Spielburg, eager to prove yourself a hero. Well luckily for you, Spielburg is in great need of a hero. There are many problems here that need a hero's touch. First of all, the Baron's children (his son and his daughter) are missing, and so the Baron is moping in his castle. He refuses to see anyone until his children are found, and returned to him. There is also a gang of brigands in town, and they are terrorizing everyone.
Before the game starts, you have to create your character - choose from either Fighter, Magic User, or Thief. The game uses a simple text parser. The game is tricky at times, as you have to pay very close attention to what people are telling you. I was very impressed by the graphics in this game. Another thing I love is the Day Night cycles. Guild Wars 2 PvP primer. Welcome to the PvP primer, the post with a small taste of everything you didn't think you wanted to know about PvP content in Guild Wars 2.
Some folks regard Guild Wars 2 as a PvP-centric game with PvE content tacked on as an occasional diversion. If that's you, this post is probably full of stuff you already know. Think of this as crib notes for the uninitiated. Are you unsure how to find your way around WvW? Are you trying to find your way into a PvP match? Last week we took a look at world vs. world (WvW), which pits three servers against each other in grand-scale, pitched battles. Player vs. player Guild Wars 2's structured PvP comes in two flavors: hotjoinable and tournament. In tournament gameplay, two teams of five duke it out for ranking.
In hotjoinable PvP, however, things are a lot more laid-back. What's the point? There are multiple maps on which structured PvP is played. Both teams on a given PvP map are attempting to reach 500 points. Jumping in What to do? And other stuff. Paint The World With PS3 Exclusive 'The Unfinished Swan' Life in Skyrim: The Beginning « A Life in Skyrim. Life in Skyrim: The Beginning Posted by ALI.Skyrim on December 19, 2011 · 4 Comments “First Entry; Morndas, 17th of Last Seed Poor Rajiir was taken prisoner by vicious Imperial dogs when he tried to cross into Skyrim. Evidently, I was mistaken for a member of the Nord rebellion. Rajiir never thought he would see a living dragon…certainly never thought he would count its appearance as lucky! He only just managed to escape alongside one of the very same soldiers who had planned to behead him.
Rajiir catches salmon from the river... “With some tasty, fresh salmon wrapped up in his bag, Rajiir followed the river until he came to a mill and village called Riverwood. Rajiir examining his prize! “Rajiir thought he should sell his new skin to someone in town, so he marches in and encounters the blacksmith almost immediately. Rajiir prepares to skin his two new kills. “Soon after I found myself nearing Whiterun, and I couldn’t believe my eyes! -Rajiir” Like this: Like Loading... Erik Kain - American Times. Taugrim's MMO Blog. Soldiers In Love and a Bunch of Heroines: How Games Are Changing in 2012.
2012 is a huge year for games. I can’t even wrap my head around all the amazing stuff that’s coming out. In fact, in the extremely unlikely event that the world is actually coming to an end this December, I’m fine with that, because most of the fourth quarter releases will be out well before then. I’ll have time for at least one playthrough before perishing in cleansing flame. Today, I’m going to look at a few upcoming games that are making some progress beyond the status quo.
When critiquing games in terms of gender portrayal or player inclusion, most folks (myself included) take the stance of “this could be better” or “wouldn’t it be nice if…” Well, some things are getting better, and they deserve a preemptive hat tip. I’ve handpicked a few titles from multiple genres that represent some promising changes in game development, both in character and gameplay.
Diablo III and Torchlight 2 Diablo III is going to be one of the most successful releases of 2012, no question. Mass Effect 3. Legos for Girls: A Reprise. It hasn’t exactly been quiet on the Lego front, lately, what with leaked pictures of Lord of the Rings sets, and the release of their DC Universe line. But it’s been pretty quiet on the Lego Friends front, except inside the adult Lego modeling community, who are finding some fabulous ways to turn a cafe kitchen, a disco, and a beauty salon into some sets that are a little more far and away more outside of the tiny gender box that Lego has placed their girls toys in.
Naturally, some are writing about how this advantage to the adult modeling community (that of new figurines, colors, and brick shapes to play around with) proves that everyone alarmed by the gender-specificity of Lego’s line was just being “silly,” and they obviously did not realize that you can make Legos into, like, anything! Lego asked girls what they wanted, and this was it. You can’t blame them for wanting to sell bricks. I’d like to deconstruct this. And now, the deconstruction. Lego did research. Ah, but wait! It is not. Charlie Brooker: The trouble with video games isn't the violence. It's that most of the characters are dicks.
'The most homo-erotic tale ever created in any medium' A curious thing happened to me the other day while I was playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, which, if you're not familiar with such things, is a video game in which you participate in a bloody big war. It's a very popular franchise; devoted fans camp out on pavements for a launch copy, which makes it the royal wedding of violent video games.
Anyway, I'd got about a quarter of the way into it and was "doing" a level based in Sierra Leone that required a bit of stealth and sneaking around. You spend most of the game accompanied by various computer-controlled characters, and I was walking behind one of these, a crotchety moustachioed soldier who's supposed to be my friend, when he suddenly goes "shhhh" because he's heard a guard coming. So we both stop in our tracks, and moustache man snatches the guard, pins him against the wall, and stabs him right through the throat with a hunting knife, killing him instantly.
For They Are Weary of Space Marines: Why Some Men Are Playing Women, and Why Game Developers Should Take Note. By Becky Chambers | 12:28 pm, January 16th, 2012 I spend a staggering amount of time thinking about video games. I’m constantly chewing on the reasons for the character choices we make and how people are represented within games. I’ve spent a lot brainpower mulling over that stuff from a woman’s perspective, and I confess that for a long while, I hadn’t dedicated many neurons to wondering how our brothers-in-arms felt about those very same things. I knew that there was a big difference between the groovy gamer guys I hang with and the snarling trolls that lurk elsewhere.
I knew that some men do not speak for all men, and that male gamers are every bit as diverse as women gamers. But there was one point that I had made a rather mindless assumption on: that for most straight male gamers, the main reason for playing a female character was to have something nice to look at. One friend told me that in most RPGs, he prefers to play as a woman. Then a stranger commented on my personal blog. Breaking down Guild Wars 2's character creator. The second Guild Wars 2 press beta weekend has come and gone, and Massively was there every step of the way. Stay tuned throughout the day today for even more guides, impressions, videos, and Q&As to get you ready for the highly anticipated sequel to Guild Wars.
In just the few minutes that it takes to traverse the 10 screens of Guild Wars 2's character creation process, I'm left with one overriding thought: This game looks ridiculously good. Ludicrously so, even. And I didn't even enter the game world yet! I always love a good, in-depth character creation system, as there's a joy in spending a good amount of time making exactly the sort of character you want to play. Unfortunately, most MMOs have stripped this process down to the bare basics, which is why I'm pleased to announce that it's actually a mini-journey in and of itself in Guild Wars 2. The point of this process isn't just to make a character but help you grow attached to this person and get to know him or her through it. Supreme Court: First Amendment covers video games. California Supreme Court Justices - Getty Images In a landmark ruling, the U. S. Supreme Court Monday declared video games are protected forms of free speech, striking down a controversial California law that that attempted to restrict the sale of some titles to minors.
The state argued that violent games are harmful to children and, as such, their sale should be restricted. California took a slightly different approach than other states who have attempted to pass similiar laws, though, by including violent games in the same category as cigarettes and adult magazines. The Court strongly rejected the argument. "Video games qualify for First Amendment protection," the Court said in its ruling, written by Justice Scalia. Justices seemed to have this in mind as they ruled, noting that there are plenty of other sources of violence children are exposed to, from Grimm Brothers nursery tales to more classical works of literature. The video game industry, not surprisingly, celebrated the decision. Artful ‘Journey’ stuns critics. Journey (Sony) Are video games art? Despite the Supreme Court ruling that games deserve First Amendment protection, the debate quietly continues.
A new downloadable PS3 game, however, might silence some doubters. Created by acclaimed independent developer thatgamecompany (fl0w, Flower), Journey is an exploratory adventure that sees players wandering across a massive desert as they slowly make their way to a beacon of light atop a faraway mountain. They'll come across other online players along the way, but in what's considered a significant breach of gamer protocol, no talking is allowed, forcing players to find other ways to communicate with one another.
Crazy? Like a fox. "Journey is, for lack of a better word, awesome," raves Joystiq's Jordan Mallory in a 5/5 review. As does Russ Frushtick of Vox Games, who gives it a 10/10 thanks to its incredible environments. "That world is awe-inspiring," he writes. "I felt like I was in control of a Pixar movie in Journey," Frushtick says. Skills tool | Guild Wars 2. BioShock Infinite's 1999 Mode Playable From The Start With 'Old School' Code. News (80) Previews (18) Review News (81) Previews (18) Review News (81) Previews (18) Review My Friday ended with a real treat, and I'm going to share a taste of it with you readers right now.
Yesterday, 2K Games and Irrational Games announced a unique feature for the highly anticipated 2012 release, BioShock Infinite. The game's so-called '1999 Mode' ramps up the challenge, but it's less a difficulty setting and more a system designed to hold player's hands less, forcing them to react and adapt to a more permanent set of in-game decisions. Earlier today, I hopped on the phone with Irrational design director Bill Gardner to chat about how 1999 Mode works and why it will be appearing in Infinite. It all started when I asked Gardner if we'd be able to play 1999 Mode from the second the game loads up, or if it would be the sort of thing that would have to wait until after a full game completion.
"We've debated this a bunch internally. Now pay attention carefully. ‘Bioshock: Infinite’ and America’s could-have-been Steampunk past. The first ‘Bioshock’ game, released in 2007, was lauded for its cerebral take on the philosophy of Ayn Rand, and for its compelling sci-fi aesthetic. Set in the dystopian underwater city of Rapture, the game’s art style hearkened to the bygone, idealized vision of the 1950s American metropolis. Imposing brasswork Art Deco façades line the halls of Rapture, and impossibly intricate machinery clacks and revolves behind every door. Gigantic, lumbering enemies called “Big Daddies” patrol the city’s hallways in oversized Victorian diving suits. ‘Bioshock’ is, in a word, Steampunk – the burgeoning genre that puts a technological twist on classic periods in history. The game is a stark, intelligent exploration of what can happen when unbounded technological optimism runs up against the reality of human nature.
With the bar set so high, where then should ‘Bioshock: Infinite,’ the game’s prequel and spiritual successor, set its sights? Pulpy stuff, undoubtedly. StumbleUpon. Transforming a Nintendo 64 into a Handheld Console - StumbleUpon. World of Warcraft - Rage of the Firelands. World of Warcraft - Account Management. Bioshock Project on the Behance Network. Top 25 PC Games of All Time. How BioShock Infinite's Creators Are Crafting Adventure from Labor Strife, Dead Horses and the Energy of the Tea Party. The Best Video Games, According to Kotaku. Role Playing Games Online - Play Free Multiplayer RPG Adventure Games - StumbleUpon.