The DeanBeat: The Political Machine 2020 shows how hard it is to beat Trump
Hey, all of you folks who have been wanting a game about politics: it’s here. The Political Machine 2020, from Stardock Entertainment, arrived this...
The DeanBeat: The coronavirus knocks down the dominoes of the GDC
The dominoes tipped over for the Game Developers Conference in the past week, as fears of the coronavirus (COVID-19) prompted more big game companies...
The DeanBeat: We don’t get to celebrate games enough
Ed Boon was one of the elder statesmen at the Dice Awards last week. He worked on the first Mortal Kombat game with three...
The DeanBeat: Two gaming shows undergo big changes
I attended the Dice Summit this week, culminating in an awards show last night that is often compared to the Oscars of games, and...
The DeanBeat: Ubisoft’s Mythic Quest is a TV show that doesn’t look down on gamers
When was the last time you saw an authentic take on video games in mainstream media such as a television series? I can’t think...
The DeanBeat: Will cloud gaming make climate change worse?
Sometimes I like to think about long-term problems. Since the Australian wildfires have put the issue of climate change my mind, I’m wondering whether...
The DeanBeat: A big week for game company acquisitions
It was a heck of a week for game company transactions, illustrating the huge opportunities in gaming and growing investor interest — as well...
The DeanBeat: A Westworld ‘activation’ that illustrates the creepy side of tech
My colleagues have been wondering what the word “activation” means, as the Entertainment Software Association used the word in describing why its Electronic Entertainment...
The DeanBeat: My favorite games of the decade
Here are my favorite games of the decade. They’re in chronological order. 2011 was not a good year. But 2013, 2016, and 2018 were...
The DeanBeat: 13 humble predictions for gaming in 2020
I’ve never been good at making predictions about the game industry, but I enjoy it. I figure if I make enough, some of them...