FINALLY, A FIRST-PERSON GAME WITHOUT A GUN
First-person games can be thrilling, but they always seem to involve shooting (to the dismay of concerned parents and bored gamers). That's what makes "Mirror's Edge" so unique, writes Brett McCallon ... read more »
ADD NEW COMMENTTHE TROUBLE WITH WAR GAMES
The first video game about the Iraq war provoked a firestorm of its own. A realistic game about the second invasion of Fallujah might be a bit too ambitious, writes Benjamin Pauker ... read more »
ADD NEW COMMENTGOOD FILM, BAD GAME
Why do good films make such bad games, and vice-versa? Tom Standage, business editor of The Economist, considers this strange paradox ... read more »
ADD NEW COMMENTAT PLAY: COMPELLING, DYSTOPIC "FALLOUT 3"
Set in a post-nuclear-war landscape, "Fallout 3" is an almost unbearably grim video game. Brett McCallon explains why he can't stop playing it ... read more »
ADD NEW COMMENTAT PLAY: HOW GAMING WILL (AND SHOULD) INFILTRATE OUR EVERYDAY LIVES
New video games are encouraging players to cook dinner, get in shape, learn French and enjoy the genius of Beethoven. Brett McCallon is cheered by the way gaming has infiltrated the everyday. Now if only he could convince his wife to play "Halo" ... read more »
ADD NEW COMMENTGAMING: "SPORE" GETS THE WILLIES
User-generated content is working wonders in the gaming industry. "Spore" is a fine example, except for all of those penis-shaped monsters, writes Tom Standage ...
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ADD NEW COMMENTAT PLAY: HIDEO KOJIMA'S DEEPLY FLAWED MASTERPIECE
"Hideo Kojima's 'Metal Gear Solid 4: Sons of the Patriots' was, without question, one of the most important game releases of 2008," writes Brett McCallon in his gaming column. Be patient: its greatness overcomes its considerable flaws ...
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ADD NEW COMMENTGAMING: I CAN'T STOP PLAYING "JEWEL QUEST II"
Maddeningly addictive games have people hunched over their iPhones and Blackberries everywhere you look. Tom Standage, business editor of The Economist, takes a moment from lining up jewels to consider these casual, unputdownable diversions ...
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ADD NEW COMMENTAT PLAY: LAST-MINUTE SHOPPING LIST
Making your list? Checking it twice? After years of experience in the gaming trenches, Brett McCallon has some gift suggestions for nearly anyone on your list ...
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ADD NEW COMMENTAT PLAY: WHERE IS THE INTERACTIVE "GODFATHER"?
Hollywood and the gaming industry are collaborating regularly these days, but the results are often kind of dumb. Brett McCallon asks: can a film ever capture the essence of a great gaming experience? read more »
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Comment of the moment
quote Trying is not a simple, straightforward task. Even crafting goals - as distinct from pursuing them - is something we can iterate and improve at, and depression is the feedback we get that we have chosen goals badly. Like the pain that accompanies touching a hot stove, the depression that comes from aiming for a star too high lets us learn about our place in the world ...