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Monthly: June 2010

The Importance of a Video Games First Level Not Sucking

June 14, 2010 • 1 Comment
Unfortunately it’s all too common for video games, sometimes even the really good ones, to have crap opening levels. This is a major design mistake that often comes about when developers incorrectly identify the goals of the first level. Far too often the first level has the player reading endless dialogue boxes about what each button on their controller does or sitting through a long backstory that preludes the game (hint: they’d rather be playing that backstory). The first level is the most important level of the entire game, period. It needs to be treated as such.
Category: Game Design • Tags: , , ,

The Real Reasons People Pirate Games

June 4, 2010 • 1 Comment
Game companies would have you believe that those who "pirate" their games (as its come to be known, though of course the definition is hardly a good fit) are evil, unethical beings who seek to destroy the gaming industry. In reality of course pirates are no different than you and me (they may even be you and me, who's to say?) - average gamers who for one reason or another elect to download a game rather than purchase it. Here are some of the most common reasons:
Category: Articles • Tags: , ,

Why Digital Rights Management (DRM) in Games Can Never Work and How to Fix it

June 4, 2010 • 26 Comments
It seems that every other week there is another developer in the press with news of their latest cockamamie DRM scheme. Every time it's the same nonsense about protecting their IP rights, quite often delivered in arrogance over how unbeatable their latest idea is. That is how the snake oil salesmen sold it to them after all. These vain attempts to thwart game piracy consistently fail, unsurprising to anyone who understand that it's simply impossible for them to work.
Category: Articles • Tags:

New Ghostbusters Game

June 1, 2010 • 1 Comment
Fujishoji Co. of Japan has come out with a new, officially licensed Ghostbusters game. Ray Stamtz, Egon Spengler and Dr. Peter Venkman's latest adventure has them battling through key scenes from both the first and second Ghostbusters movies against familiar foes including Gozer, Zuul and the Scoleri brothers. Be warned, the Ghostbusters feel may not be recreated exactly as you remember.
Category: Videos • Tags: ,