Too Many Games, Not Enough Time: The Gaming Backlog

As someone who writes about videogames, I have a confession to make: I haven’t bought a ‘new’ videogame (as in purchased it within a week or two of release) since Skyrim back in November last year.  Mass Effect 3 has so far passed me by, as have each and every one of 2012’s new releases.  Sure, I’ve played games for review, experienced plenty of demos, and I still avidly keep up with the latest gaming news – I just haven’t parted with my hard earned cash for anything to call my own in over nine months.

This isn’t due to a lack of passion for gaming, as I still play videogames 2-3 hours a night on workdays, and more on days off.  I’m excited for the release of Assassin’s Creed III, and, like every year, I’m eagerly awaiting the next iterations of the NHL and FIFA series, which I will play for a good few months.  In fact, the main reason I haven’t purchased any new game recently is due to an issue I suspect many of us have encountered, or are suffering from at this very moment: backlog. Read On »

Breaking the Gender Barrier in Gaming

I’ve been playing video games since I was four years old. I’ve scaled Mount Hyrule and plunged through Zora’s Domain. I’ve run through every castle in the Mushroom Kingdom until I found the princess.  I’ve stopped international conspiracies by nefarious weapons corporations using my secret agent skills.  I’ve saved Azeroth more times than I can count. I battled off the Zerg and the Protoss from the Koprulu Sector.  I’ve saved my Vault from dying of thirst, and found the GECK for my people. I’ve even rallied the galaxy to fight off the Reapers.  And yet there’s one barrier that I have yet to surpass as a gamer: my gender. Read On »

It Takes a Village…Tribunal: League of Legends’ Community

“Why do I play this game?” I groan and rub my temples with my fingers.

“That’s what we ask you every day, Cass,” my friend replies wearily through Ventrilo.

Chances are, if you follow professional gaming or free-to-play games, you’ve heard of League of Legends. The free-to-play MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) is a veritable powerhouse among online games right now.  Riot Games takes their product very seriously; it is clearly a labor of love at its heart.  It’s possible that the care and upkeep of the game is what attracts the millions of players; maybe it’s the pool of one hundred champions to choose from, each with unique abilities and skills; it could be the white hot tournament circuit which boasts a prize pool of five million dollars and a hundred thousand viewers.  Whatever the reason, there’s no denying that League of Legends is a significant game:  Riot Games’s massive success is a classic David and Goliath tale; the tournaments are home to some of the most entertaining personalities in professional gaming; and the staff do their best to interact with the community.  Riot Games’ efforts have made them a champion of community moderation, and more importantly, public perception of their image and brand. Read On »

Controversy As A Tool – Hitman: Absolution Trailer

Many readers will have seen the newest trailer for Hitman: Absolution, Square Enix’s latest game (titled Attack of the Saints – see below), and many will have formed an opinion on it.  Being a Hitman game, the trailer unsurprisingly has very violent imagery. However, the violence in question is directed towards female assassins dressed as scantily-clad, dominatrix nuns.  This mix of sex and violence is nothing new, but if you haven’t seen the preview yet, be warned: the images are taken to an extreme.  This trailer hasn’t gone unnoticed, and debating the violent nature of the video has become a trending topic.  However, many debaters have forgotten that controversy itself is a marketing tactic, and possibly the only reason this game clip was released. Read On »

Impressions On Nintendo’s Pre-E3 Wii U Announcement

Last night, Nintendo streamed a pre-E3 video briefly detailing features of their upcoming system, theWiiU.  If you happened to miss it, don’t worry, I’ve got you covered with the lowdown on the new console. Read On »

Gamer Living’s 2012 E3 Predictions

It’s that time of year, when the gaming world waits with bated breath for the 2012 Electronic Entertainment Expo for the latest announcements from all the major players in the industry. Gamer Living will be on site to bring the exciting news straight to your browser daily as we walk the floors, meet with industry experts, and get hands on with the games that we’ll be seeing in 2012-13. But what can we expect to see this year? We take a look at some of the rumors floating around the internet and share our thoughts. Read On »

Could Halo 4 Have An Effect On The 2012 Presidential Election?

On November 6th, members of Generation X and Y will be running out in droves, but to where? Both the 2012 Presidential Election and the release of Halo 4 are taking place on that day, and I might be worried if I was President Barack Obama. Read On »

Will Facebook Buy Zynga?

Today marks the opening of Facebook’s initial public offering on Wall Street.  With the opening price of stocks at $38 a share, the company is being valued at approximately $104 billion dollars; more than technology juggernauts Amazon.com and Cisco Systems.  And while investors are running out to grab the red-hot shares, I sit and ponder about their revenue streams. Read On »

Could The $99 Xbox Usher In Subscription Based Gaming?

Can’t afford a current-gen console?  Then Microsoft has a deal for you:  A $99 Xbox 360!  That’s right, kids; you can now own one of those $300 consoles for just $99, plus an additional $15 a month for a two-year Xbox Live Gold contract! Read On »

Why Kinect Kicks It Up A Notch

Kinect:  To some, the motion controller is a beautiful way to bring the family together, or for a gamer to get some exercise.  Others will throw a fit at the peripheral’s very mention, screaming, “Not buying this now” across their favorite forums just because of an optional feature or two.  I speak, of course, of the core gamer.  Having had a controller in our hands since day one, it seems some of us are having trouble letting go of it, or even working in conjunction with it and Kinect for that matter. Read On »