Xbox 720 coming within 18 months

We now have a somewhat solid confirmation that the next-generation Xbox console will arrive within 18 months, making the latest it can show up, early 2014. This isn't some rumour either, but comes straight from a Microsoft job posting making it more legitimate than the hinted end of 2013 dates we've heard previously. "Over the next eighteen months Microsoft will release new versions of all of o... more.

I had the great fortune of participating in a couple video game conferences recently.  Let’s face it – it’s a great industry to be in!  Lots of talking about games, lots of learning about games, and a whoooole lot o’ fun!  (There’s even a wee bit o’ gameplay thrown in to mix things up.) As I network more with seasoned gaming professionals as well as those new to the field, I also... more.

Through my research of the MENA video game industry for a video interview series about gaming, I came across a news segment in which a scholar reports that there are two kinds of video games – those serving as murals for society and those serving as propaganda tools.  Often, video games are used in the latter sense to propel the image of the U.S. army.  However, the most recent attempt to prom... more.

When will video games be taken seriously?  When video games (or their creators, rather) take themselves seriously… The basic guideline for a Nobel Prize in Literature is that the work signifies, “the greatest benefit on mankind in an ideal direction.”  While you certainly cannot encapsulate the full impact of this definition in one short paragraph, the general spirit of this guideline ... more.

Games are pushing the limits in ways the creators couldn’t have anticipated – helping children learn, aiding people in their quests for weight loss, etc.  Now there is a conference dedicated specifically to the games intended to make a difference. Games for Change was created to discuss and showcase games for social change.  In addition to a wide variety of presentations (including a keyn... more.

Remember the excitement surrounding the announcement of the new South Park RPG, written by the show’s writers Matt Stone and Trey Parker?  Well, more has been unveiled about this coming treasure. The demo and trailer of South Park: The Stick of Truth further reveal the fantastic adventure of the beloved South Park cast, with the fate of South Park up to you, the new kid.  As Cartman says, �... more.

Sexual harassment has always sickened me, but I have to say, I have never encountered anything as bad as the many of the other hardcore female gamers.  (I also limited my online interactions for a reason, unfortunately.) This recent article includes extraordinarily colorful and offensive language by male gamers to female gamers online.  The article itself is difficult to read and reflects the... more.

Would you believe me if I told you it is possible you could soon use the Force?  Okay, not the actual Force but close to it! These decades of further research into technology and science has really paid off (for gamers that is).  The smart science-folk over here in Silicon Valley discovered how to use brainwaves to manipulate not only digital information but even physical objects as well!  T... more.

How important are achievements to you?  Can you imagine playing kids’ games (and other games that really weren’t that great to begin with) to death in order to rack up the points? Brandon, part time game reviewer, recently achieved a goal few have accomplished – celebrating a gamerscore of 100,000.  Wow.  In celebration, he interviewed himself on NoHighScores.com, in which he wrote tha... more.

Yesterday, I wrote about the importance of storytelling within video games and why storytelling matters more than other components like graphics.  Video games are a unique medium in that players are able to virtually explore and interact with other worlds.  Instead of rehashing similar settings and themes to create more games about zombies, hack and slashers, military shooters, and fantasy world... more.