gaming

Games as art

I love Bioshock. It's honestly one of the best games I've played all year, and has received consistently stellar reviews. I don't just like it because it's fun to play, though it is. The game itself features brilliant art deco-inspired level design and fascinating analysis of Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged and the Objectivist movement. However, do these factors mean that Bioshock is a work of art? I don't mean the colloquial, anything-that's-really-great "work of art," I mean a genuine work of artistic merit. I say yes. Bioshock, along with many other games, … Read more

Movies to video games: Where entertainment has traveled

As I mentioned over the weekend, video games have once again become part of my life. And as I explore far away lands like Hyrule or Gaia, along with newer places like the city of Rapture in BioShock, I can't help but be amazed at how far video games have come in the past decade. And with that in mind, I'm left wondering why the New Release rack at Blockbuster is still filled with 90 percent garbage. For a business that relies on entertaining people, the movie industry really needs to take some pages out of the video game play book.

Video games have become the most entertaining form of enjoyment. Period. Think back to some of the new movies you've watched in the past few years and tell me how many of these justified the two hours you wasted watching it. Chances are, that number will be quite low when compared to the number of great games you've played in the last year. Of course, the reason for this is quite simple: The movie industry has become monolithic and its very business model has become derivative and outdated. There is very little drive for anyone to make a unique and extremely exciting movie anymore because producers know that many of us will go out and watch the garbage no matter how bad it is. On the other hand, video game developers--largely relegated to second-class by the Hollywood-types--have something to prove. And in the process of proving themselves, it's the video game developers that are providing the real entertainment.… Read more

Slim PSP, in the flesh

PHOTOS: Sony's new PSP, in depth

It's not hitting stores until September 10, but Sony is already sending review samples of the new, slimmed-down PSP to various media outlets, CNET included. Not counting the brief walk-through we got four weeks ago, this was our first bit of quality time with the final hardware. A full review is forthcoming; but in the meantime, here are some first impressions of what Sony is calling "the PSP 2000."

Thinner and lighter: While the 19 percent depth reduction may not look dramatic in the comparative photos, when you actually pick … Read more

Video games part 2: My top 5 list of the best video games of all time

If you haven't had the opportunity to take a look at my previous post, I suggest you do so to see what prompted me to make this list.

I'm tired of not playing video games as often as I wish and I would like nothing more than to spend a week and tackle the following games just one more time. Unfortunately, doing so would involve going into my basement and finding the dusty consoles that have been left dormant for years with nary a mention -- until today. It's finally time for me to drag my NES, … Read more

Play a 'Secret Burning Man Game'

Jane McGonigal is a Burning Man widow.

That is, her husband has just left for the annual countercultural arts festival for 10 days, leaving her alone at home in the Bay Area.

But McGonigal, one of the most innovative designers of alternate-reality games, is hoping that even though she won't be in the desert herself, her influence might be felt at the 45,000-person bacchanalia.

To wit, she is hoping that she can seed the idea that if anyone sees her husband, Kiyosh, wandering around Burning Man, "usually wearing an orange jumpsuit, sometimes wearing goggles and/or a … Read more

Making the case for playing more video games

As my girlfriend was shopping her way through the local mall yesterday, I decided to go out on my own and see what the vast open space of shopping goodness had to offer. While the building has been under construction, some of my favorite mainstays (Best Buy, Circuit City, etc.) have been patiently waiting for more patrons who are hesitant to venture through the sounds of saws and hammers. I can't blame them, but I braved the elements anyway.

My first and (ironically) last stop on my venture through the mall was GameStop. As I've written here (here, … Read more

Manhunt 2 gets M rating, will see light of day

Originally branded with an AO (adults only) rating--the film equivalent of NC-17--Rockstar Games' creepy sequel to 2003's original Manhunt has just been graced with the more socially acceptable M-for-mature rating. In addition, Rockstar has announced that Manhunt 2 will be released on the appropriate date of October 31 for the PS2, PSP, and the Wii.

The AO rating was widely publicized in June after reports out of the UK claimed the game would never make it to store shelves. Following the ruling, Rockstar immediately announced that the title's release would be suspended until further notice. Censorship in videogames … Read more

Microsoft Sidewinder strikes again

The last reference to a Microsoft Sidewinder product on CNET was back on an old must-have games roundup from 2002, where we pointed to a Sidewinder steering wheel. Microsoft seemed to have let its gaming hardware brand die since then; that is, until today's announcement of the Sidewinder Mouse. Available in October for $80, the new Sidewinder comes with the usual laundry list of features we demand in our high-end gaming mice these days, including a few we haven't seen before.

Naturally, the Sidewinder is a laser mouse, with a customizable sensor that tops out at 2,000dpi. … Read more

Three better ways to download mobile games

You've got to applaud mobile carriers for knowing how to make a buck. Additional text-messaging and data-transfer services are one way to pad the bill for basic calling, and capitalizing on your boredom and curiosity is another. It's common for cell phone carriers such as Sprint and Verizon to lease games in addition to or instead of selling them. But fees add up, and you still won't own them.

1) Instead, go for game packs such as Hot Games Pack for Palm and Mastersoft Games Pack for Windows Mobile, which generally cut you a bulk deal. Rather than paying $5 to $15 for one game, a pack might net you 10 games for $40.… Read more