Gaming Culture

Remedy Entertainment’s critically acclaimed Alan Wake was intended to be the first installment of a planned franchise—the developers referred to it as the “first...

Picture the scene: you’re creeping through a tight, dark tunnel (probably a sewer of some kind). There’s something down here with you: you can hear it, growling, somewhere close by. You inch forward, round another corner – but there’s nothing there.

Everyone knows how money works in video games – kill a few monster or smash some jars, and then take your earnings to the nearest shop to trade for whatever you need. That’s usually about all the participation players get in these fictional economies.

My obese PS3 flipped me the YLOD bird way back in April of last year. After the inital shock and awe I decieded to...

Looking Back On… Shadow Hearts: Covenant Shadow Heartsis a game of contrasts. On one hand, you have an immensely violent and brooding hero, fighting...

Those words came from the mouth of Street Fighter X Tekken tournament participant Aris Bakhtanians on day five of Cross Assault, the Capcom sponsored reality show streamed on IGN. This absurd but telling statement came in response to a call for civility from Jared Rea, community manager of streaming host Twitch.tv.

Developers put character progression mechanics in games for one reason: incentive. Reward systems make games; they keep players addicted on the short term while also providing a long term goal. They come in a thousand different coats of paint including common skill points.

Over a thousand players, and hundreds of spectators, showed up for a three day spectacle that actually happens quite often. Yet, each tournament is magic. This event was Apex 2012, housing huge events for Super Smash Bros., Street Fighter, Marvel vs. Capcom, Mortal Kombat, and Pokemon Black/White. The biggest game was Super Smash Bros.