Something is rotten in the state of the UK's videogame industry and ironically it goes by the name of FairPlay. Last week the FairPlay Group announced plans to stage "Don't Buy A Videogame Week" all in the name of its "campaign for cheaper games". "Consumers are being conned and it's time they made a stand," is the battle cry and the industry has been left a little stunned. FairPlay is a group of developers and journalists who claim that that "there isn't a single reason why games couldn't be sold at £20 or even less" and the whole campaign is … Continue reading Fairplay, Smareplay →

Another September rolls by and it’s time for the ubiquitous Tokyo Game Show (TGS) round-ups. As always, just one month after another dull ECTS, everyone’s suddenly got exciting new title announcements that set the Internet all abuzz. News of DOA 4 as an Xbox exclusive was music to my ears and produced a flurry of excitement in my household. The release day cannot come a moment too soon. But the biggest news from TGS has to be NUDE – no not a bunch of ageing, saggy German naturists – a hot new title destined for Xbox. NUDE stands for Natural … Continue reading Tokyo Games Time! →

This year there was no need for spotty teenagers to try and sneak into ECTS, pretending to be the CEO of McGames Warehouse in Slough. Fortunately Sony and their unfailing loyalty to their customers decided to corral them all into a consumer show. Saves us having to deal with them back in the confines of the trade bit – the only drawback being, most of the publishers spent money on the consumer bit and put the minimum of effort into the trade side. Let's just say things were turned on their head a bit, as we all tried to sneak … Continue reading Games In My Coral →

Well, after a bitterly disappointing non-event last year, the UK industry’s hopes were pinned on 2002 being the year ECTS came back with a vengeance. The organizers promised us a return to central London – this much they delivered as we all descended on Earls Court. They also promised us a bigger, better, all-singing, all-dancing trade show – if you interpret "all-singing" as a poor rendition of Kum bay then okay, but otherwise consider ECTS 2002 another lame duck. My only consolation was that the press office had fresh flowers on every table – it’s all in the detail you … Continue reading ECTS 2002 →

Last Saturday morning, I found myself at a loose end. "First things first, I guess I'd better drag myself out of bed," I thought and hauled on some clothes. Now, some girls (and boys) would have gone shopping, or called a friend to "do lunch." I could have gone to the pub for an afternoon drinking session with friends, but only one thing was on my mind – a day of quality gaming stretched before me. No distractions, no interruptions and no pressing engagements. It was just me, the PS2 and a couple of games that needed thorough investigation. There's … Continue reading Solitary Confinement That I Love →

Games – just one big irritation! Ain't scientists great? There they are in their labs with beakers pipettes and electrodes that measure all kinds of stuff. Well, do you know what the eggheads have come up with now? Do ya, huh? Wait for it"Video games cause irritability! I know, I know, it's all revolutionary stuff. Thank God for scientists, otherwise we'd never have known that. It seems the boffins at Tokyo's Nihon University have conducted a study. In true boffin style, they examined the brain waves of 240 people over several months. The researchers studied the alpha and beta brain … Continue reading You Give Me Irritability →

Let us all rejoice! We have next generation consoles, which should herald a new wave of titles featuring exciting leaps in graphics and game play. Okay, so we got the graphics bit, but when it comes to game play it's just the same old, same old. The fact is there are just too many sequels to mention, as the publishers continue to play it safe. Meanwhile us gamers have to sit with baited breath, waiting for some originality to inject some energy back into the industry. After Metal Gear Solid 2, there comes Metal Gear Solid 2 Substance and after … Continue reading Sequel Madness →

They're cute, but beware sleepless nights I'm tired today play chums. I can barely lift my tired eyelids, and tapping my keyboard is a feat nearing biblical proportions, in my weary state. I am suffering from fevered dreams that allow me only a few fitful moments of sleep. The dreams are the same every night – must break down the wall, get more reds, reds are strong. Oh no, they're falling in the water, drowning, only blues can swim. Must grow more before sundown and leave to flower. Do better tomorrow. I am of course a victim of Pikmin. Play … Continue reading Cute But Deadly →

The world's gone mad and predictions say it should last at least a month. Gamers the world over are sliding their consoles back under the TV and hanging up their control pads. There's a more important game to be played at the moment and that's the beautiful game of football (or soccer to all those Stateside). Yes folks, it's the World Cup. There is of course the small matter of the United States of the Blissfully Unaware. Er"hello, America! For once your team doesn't totally suck. It's very uncharacteristic for you to miss such a prime flag-waving opportunity. Are you … Continue reading World Cup Time →

Are games imitating art or is art imitating games? Are video games art or are they merely childish, mindless fun with a tendency towards hyper-violence? Once again these old questions are being bandied about. May 16 saw the launch of Game On, the biggest computer game exhibition, since, well"ever. And I went along to see what it's all about. Imagine a world where arcades don't smell of BO, aren't situated in run-down coastal towns that are well and truly past their glory days and feature all your favourite games from the past 20 years and beyond. And the best thing … Continue reading Games Imitate Art (or vice, verca) →