The GameShadow Blog

Heroes are bland paragons of virtue, soppy bags of untidy emotion that spoil perfectly good plots, always doing the right thing at the right time, never the interesting thing. Villains, now they make a plot, they contain contradictions, they can be witty, they can be driven and they have to be manipulative and clever to qualify as an end boss. Here we pick out our favourite ten, on the basis of their ability to survive, their ability to gloat gloriously, their talent at calculating nefarious plots and their downright evilness. Be warned; not only do we delve into the depths of villainy in exploring the top ten baddies on PC, but we also delve deep into their back-stories and plot. Consider this a spoiler warning.  (more…)

It’s the natural way of things for one company to consume another, fuelling its growth until it’s big enough to swallow up another, and another, and another. Often, unnecessary weight is dropped along the way – underperforming subsections, unreliable brands, risk… if the company can continue to make money without it, it gets cast aside.

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An Easter Egg is an undocumented game feature, something hidden intentionally by the developers as a reward for inquisitive players – and something that’s formed a backbone in the gaming community since the days of teasing your mates because they hadn’t found the warp pipe in Mario Bros. They existed long before video games – think of Hitchcock’s legendary cameos – but it’s in our humble industry that they’ve truly found their home.

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Someone tell the publishers there’s more than two times a year they can release their big titles. Easter is traditionally the first big push of the year, meaning the few great games we’ve seen so far this year are about to be joined by a few dozen more. The next month or so will see around three to four times as many releases as we’ve seen since January, so we thought we’d give you a little help in keeping an eye on what’s coming out, and when.

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10. Greece
Charge: Banning gaming altogether
In 2002, a member of the Greek government was filmed partaking in an illegal gambling ring. Public hysteria and media hyperbole followed, with video games somehow stumbling into the firing line. Intending to pass a law to fight illegal gambling, the government accidentally banned all electronic gaming, effective as of 30th July 2002. Amid internet outcry and intervention by the European Commission, the law was eventually scaled back to only cover internet cafes. Nonetheless, tourists wandering Gameboy in hand through Greek customs in the Summer of 2002 would have had quite the shock.

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The scene: A bar in hotel in Los Angeles during E3, or San Francisco during GDC, or Brighton during the Develop Conference
Dramatis Personae: Any two people involved in the games industry

Games Industry Person A: “So what did you see at E3/GDC/Brighton that was new and interesting?”

Game Industry Person B: “Nothing. Same old, same old. Everything was derivative, same-y.”

Game Industry Person A: “So the same as usual?”

Then, unexpectedly, Game Industry Person B stopped to think for a moment.

Games Industry Person B: “Actually, no. If you stopped to look, and to think, there are loads of games, 50 or more, that actually tried to do something different in 2006. Perhaps we should celebrate the games that broke the mould, and not just complain about those that didn’t.”

And so the GameShadow Innovation in Games Awards were born, and the winners were announced just last month. If you’re interested, you can see who won at www.gameshadow.com/awards/winners.asp.

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Gaming often gets labelled in some way inferior to film - games don’t deal with issues more complex than the wrong end of a gun. Well, that’s plain not true. Gaming can teach us how to be better human beings, better partners, better lovers. Find your inner Romeo with the lessons learnt from gaming.

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What better way could there be to pass the days than toying with polished, unpretentious games? How about games that are also yours for the measly price of sod all? As the February showers begin to curtail the exuberant outdoor activities we’d otherwise be engaged in – well, some of us – and the post-Christmas lull shows only the beginnings of the end, read on for the best solution to a rainy day. All ten of them.

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Product placement has long been the remit of glossy American dramas and Hollywood – no more. Like it or loathe it, in-game advertising is here in full force. Obviously, as gamers, we’d never do something so absurd as to form a snap opinion on such a volatile topic. After all, what could be so wrong with taking games about shooting people in the guts, and introducing posters for films about shooting other people in the guts?

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The recent release of the first new Duke Nukem Forever trailer for six years has sparked fresh conjecture that, maybe, just maybe, 2008 might be the Duke’s year once again. First announced in January 1996 as an FPS sequel to the seminal Duke 3D, it’s been ten years in the making, ploughing through countless different graphics technologies and development teams. While the Duke has stood still, the gaming world has shifted beyond all recognition, his eventual arrival bound to invoke some ‘waking from a ten year coma’ confusion in both his audience, and the Duke’s own Neanderthal brain mass.

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A vast array of interpretations exist for even the most simplistic of films, ensuring that everything, including the humble ‘B Movie’, has its place in the medium. When it comes to games, no such freedom exists. A ‘B Game’ – be it buggy, low budget, or derivative – won’t get the time of day. Are we missing out?
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Last week we uncovered the ten lesser-known games tipped for big things in 2008. This week, get familiar with what the big hitters are bringing us this year, and which will live up to the hype.

Of all the hundreds of PC games lined up for 2008, we’ve riddled them down to just 25. That’s the 25 big-budget, big-name titles that justify their stature. What’s more, we’ve gone out of our way not just to tell you who the big hitters are, but to give you background on their development, why they’re exciting, when they’re likely due, and what the chances are of them living up to the hype.

Happy new year indeed.

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It’s 2001, and the Bullfrog name has recently been dropped as the studio becomes a part of the EA machine, leaving in its wake a series of innovative splinter groups, producing some of the most exciting games of the period.

You can find Part 1 of the feature here.

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Find Part 2 here.

Bullfrog was not only one of the most creative and innovative companies in the UK during the 90s, but a leading trend-setter throughout the worldwide industry. The company was disbanded in 2001, but the story doesn’t end there - the legion of ex-Bullfrog staff still producing exciting material at a series of splinter groups mean the company’s lineage is still running strong. This is their story.

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It’s not a 2007 top ten. It’s not! It’s the ten games that did something different this year. It’s the ten games you should pick up from the bargain bin come the January sales. It’s the ten not to be missed – the list of games that dared, and won this year.

For the most part, if it’s a game that differs from its predecessors in number only, it’s relegated to best of the rest – a great game, but don’t lose sleep over it. Honourable mention goes to Unreal Tournament 3, Football Manager 2008 and Bioshock (or, as I like to call it, System Shock 2½). Some of these games were criticised on release – some have gotten better, others haven’t. Regardless, if you’re going to spend time with your PC this holiday season, it’s spent here.
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