The video game industry is a fast-moving beast. Trends appear overnight and disappear just as quickly. Development studios close at the click of an executive’s finger. The game of the moment becomes tomorrow’s afterthought. One constant, however, is the period in early summer, when publishers, developers, and hardware manufacturers showcase plans for the rest of the year and beyond, although the format has changed from what was regarded as the standard for twenty-something years. The Entertainment Software Association held the inaugural Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3 – get it?) in May 1995 with the goal of making it the premier …
Switch 2 Launch 2025: Nintendo Is in Dangerous Territory
I’d put myself in the upper echelons of Nintendo fandom. I’ve had a long history with the company since my first hand-me-down GameBoy Pocket. I’m an Animal Crossing die-hard, my girlfriend beats me at Mario Kart, and I frequently reminisce over Wii Sports taking over the world in 2007. I still enjoy most of Nintendo’s first-party output, and the Nintendo Switch, the hybrid console phenomenon entering its eighth year on the market, is my preferred choice for third-party titles when possible. I’ve been anticipating a jump in hardware since the dreaded Switch Pro rumour cycle in 2021 and thought this …
The Next Video Game Craze Could Keep Us Trapped in a Vicious Cycle
Like all multi-billion dollar industries, the video game industry is driven by trends. We’ve seen the balloon burst on many a craze: first-person shooters mimicking Call of Duty’s progression system, open-world games akin to Far Cry 3, “choices matter” games, loot boxes, season passes, cosmetic bundles, etc. More recently, the unpredictable success of Fortnite Battle Royale resulted in numerous studios releasing their own take on a battle royale mode as soon as possible; everyone wanted a piece of the pie! A few years later, though, the craze has calmed down drastically. Few have succeeded; many have fallen. Apex Legends and …
The Game Awards 2023 – Picks & Predictions
It’s awards season! And there’s no better way to kick it off than The Game Awards, a show that I consistently enjoy despite not always being the most entertaining. Geoff Keighley has stuck with his vision for TGA and evolved the show into a slickly produced showcase of the past year full of exciting announcements, random celebrity appearances and the celebration of some of the year’s best games. TGA isn’t perfect — it’s a bit like potpourri. Made up of different elements, it can be flashy and entertaining, but ultimately, you end up looking at it and thinking, is all …
Modern Warfare Zombies Review: A Bold New Step Into the Dark Aether
Much was said about Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III’s “Modern Warfare Zombies” before release. Perhaps too much. Many wrote it off and assumed it would repeat the mistakes of the half-baked Zombies mode found in Call of Duty: Vanguard. The reveal confirmed that the mode wouldn’t be round-based, further splintering opinion. I was more optimistic. As a fan of Treyarch’s first attempt at open-world Zombies in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, Outbreak, I truly believe there’s potential for another type of Zombies mode that can complement round-based maps by keeping players invested in the undead during …
BO3 is EIGHT // Modern Warfare Zombies
Black Ops III is eight years old. Time does fly. While there’s certainly a lot of revisionist history surrounding it – omissions of major frustrations at launch, rough DLC launches with game-breaking bugs, and the Revelations ending and “super EE” debacle, to name a few – the game was undoubtedly the golden age of Call of Duty Zombies. It combined a standard of cinematic flair previously unseen in Zombies with gameplay improvements and new systems like Gobblegum that increased replayability and rewarded players. There was a great mix of maps in both setting and gameplay, with some unforgettable Easter Egg …
This Week at Bungie: Fire, Everywhere
It’s been a red-letter week for Bungie, the studio behind Destiny 2, with almost 10% of its staff made redundant, reports of the live service game missing financial and player retention targets by large numbers – 45% below projected revenue – and the all-but-confirmed delay to the next Destiny expansion, ‘The Final Shape’. Players have been unhappy with the direction the game has been heading since the release of Lightfall in February, and the fears for the future are only growing following the reports (that are still) coming out of Bungie. As someone who was a very late adopter of …
Every Wake-ing Moment in the Dark
I first laid hands on the original Alan Wake on my fourteenth birthday. After watching a few trailers that piqued my interest, I requested it on a whim. I didn’t like horror at the time, but something about the game spoke to me. I reckoned I could handle it. Apart from a few Barbara Jagger-related nightmares, I think I did okay. From then on, Alan Wake was always on my mind, whether it be a rumour about a sequel popping up, a YouTube theory video, or the urge to revisit it. A replay of the game during the Coronavirus Pandemic …
We’re All Drowning in Video Games. It’s a Nice Feeling.
It’s been an overwhelming year for video games — and it’s not finished yet! October and November are rammed with games from across the genres releasing on an almost daily basis. We’ve even had some titles delayed until next year to escape the madness, like the Alone in the Dark remake starring Jodie Comer and David Harbour, and some delayed indefinitely, such as Ubisoft’s FPS XDefiant, which risked being dwarfed by Call of Duty Modern Warfare III’s potential return to form. Alongside a bunch of new releases, there are also some redemption arcs taking place. Add in some backlog and …
The Dark Aether Storms Towards Call of Duty NEXT
When Black Ops 4 Zombies concluded with Tag Der Toten, many questions arose about the future of the cult-followed mode. What has followed has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride, as Zombies tries to find its footing in the “Modern” Call of Duty landscape. One thing is for sure, though. The undead mode just will not die! The first game in the new era of Zombies, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, overhauled many systems and mechanics to give Zombies a “familiar but fresh” feel. All updates for the game were free, and Treyarch released the largest amount …