This month in Joystick Division - November 2011

Uncharted 3 proves third time's the charm - Review
Uncharted 3 is out and, yep, it's fantastic. Read all about it here in my review for Joystick Division.

The funneth overfloweth: Rayman Origins review
Find out why Rayman might be the single best platformer to come out in a very long time.

Video game journalism deserves a bit more respect [Infinite Ammo]
I make the argument that, while it may not be the romanticized version of the gig we all have in our heads, video game journalism deserves some respect.

Are video games mainstream yet  [Infinite Ammo]
My first Infinite Ammo column for Joystick Division dives into video games' rise to relevance.

Linear gameplay- In defense of a guiding hand [Infinite Ammo]
I argue that, if it's for the good of the story/experience, we shouldn't be so hard on linear design in our video games.

This month in Joystick Division - October 2011

Rochard rocks hard - Review
Find out why I dug this puzzle/platformer and all its low-gravity, mind bending goodness.

inFamous: Festival of Blood a Halloween treat - Review
Find out why inFamous fans will want to head back to New Marais to take on a vampire horde.

Fighting with physics: An interview with Rochard's Hulu Virtanen
Recoil Games treated gamers to a great side-scrolling physics-based puzzle romp with Rochard. Hear about the game's origins, development and more from Lead Designer Hulu Virtanen.

Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken doesn't quite soar
It looks great and pulls off all the basics of puzzle platforming/shooter well enough, but a lack of original ideas kept me from being too impressed.

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Amy's guiding hand, Paul Cuisset [via Joystiq]

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing game director Paul Cuisset (VectorCell) concerning his studio's upcoming downloadable title, Amy.

Paul shared details about the game's origins, development, and how he hopes Amy will help bring the survival horror genre back to its roots.

The story has been published by Joystiq and can be found at the following link:

Interview: Amy's guiding hand, Paul Cuisset

This Month in Joystick Division - Sept. 2011

The holiday window is too narrow for all of these games
In which I pose the questions "What would be so wrong with releasing more of these AAA games throughout the year, rather than all at once?"

Eternal Darkness - Lessons learned from a decade-old game
I dove into the Gamecube's Eternal Darkness recently and, man, the video game landscape sure has changed in the past 10 years.

Blood on the walls - An interview with BloodRayne: Betrayal Art Director Matt Bozon
Matt Bozon discusses BloodRayne: Betrayal's unique aesthetics, how it evolved through development and why it looks so damn good.

Five franchises that would make good fighting games
As the fighting genre makes a comeback, I look at a handful of existing IPs that might translate well into fighters.

Resistance 3 review - A reason to keep fighting
Here's what I thought about Insomniac's latest alien-infused shooter. Spoiler: It was pretty great.

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This month in Joystick Division - August 2011

The Lord of the Rings Online - My Journey Home
Hopping into LOTRO after a long break, a return to my first days of play stirs up some unexpected emotions.

Top 10 vampires in video game history
Vampires have gotten a bad rap in recent years. I take a look at 10 from video games that remind us why blood-suckers can be awesome.

Video games: There's no escape
No matter what device you're fiddling with, chances are you can play video games on it. I ponder how gaming continues to seep further and further into the mainstream.

The 5 worst mission types in video games
From the fetch quest to the escort mission, we ponder why these tired staples of gaming remain in our favorite titles.

10 of gaming's most memorable songs
It's hard to get into a game if it doesn't have good music. Here are 10 of the best songs to ever appear in a video game.

This month in Joystick Division - July 2011

Top 10 worst video game box art
Check out some of the video game box art designs of all time. Fair warning: It’s about to get ugly.

Chinese couple sells children to fund gaming lifestyle
Believe it or not, these types of people actually exist. It's a sad, sad world we live in sometimes.

 Five games to play during Comic-Con
Can't hit the road to Comic-Con this year? Play these five comic book games instead.

Remembering the good ole' days of gaming
How an obscure Japanese cooking game called Ore no Ryouri helped me remember the simpler days of my gaming life.

Microsoft Pours $15 Million into U.S. Classrooms
Microsoft looks to help improve the U.S. educational system by providing funding for equipment, training and more.

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This month in Joystick Division - June 2011

Uncharted 3 beefs up its online offerings - Hands-on
Naughty Dog has injected a whole lot of "stuff" into the Uncharted online experience. Find out how it's shaping up.

The top 5 biggest babies in video game history
Babies pop up in video games from time to time, usually as some demented monster looking to kill you. Check out the five best video game babies here.

inFamous 2 Review
Find out why I think inFamous 2 pulls off the concept of "karma" better than any other game on the market.

E3: Press conference report card for The Big Three
Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo each had their moment in the spotlight during the 2011 E3. Here's what I took away from each event.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim steals the show at E3
Bethesda's newest Elder Scrolls game looks to improve on Oblivion in every way.

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This month in Joystick Division - May 2011

Paper Cuts shows off creative gaming art
Check out these awesome shadow portraits of characters from all over pop culture.

PlayStation's Welcome Back Package: A look at the games
Need help deciding which free games to get once the PlayStation Store is back up and running. Read up on your options here.

Terraria will ruin your life (in a good way)
Terraria released on steam last week. Find out why I've already sunk 24 hours into this more action oriented, 8-bit homage to Minecraft.

MotorStorm: Apocalypse an explosive good time
I got to spend some quality time with the PlayStation 3's latest extreme racer, tearing up the tracks in a world that is literally falling apart around you.

3DS Fan gets Altered Reality Card tattoo
This extreme 3DS fan took his love of the portable console to a whole new level, opting to permanently tattoo his left wrist with one of the images that activates the Altered Reality games.

Sony responds to the US House of Representatives
Following the PlayStation cyber attack, Sony looks to be facing multiple legal battles, including a not-so-happy House subcommittee.

PSN Outage - Gamers talk back
Check out some of the buzzing going on around the interwebs regarding Sony's hacked servers and the events that followed.

Sony offers identity theft protection
As Sony works to rebuild its servers, get the details on the latest branch of their apology package here.

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This month in Joystick Division: April 2011

Free Realms sugary sweet, great for the right age group
I spent a few days with SOE's latest family-friendly free-to-play MMO and report back with my findings.

Top 10 Video Game T-Shirts
If you're going to wear a shirt, it might as well be a cool one. Check out 10 of the best video game shirts the world has ever known.

10 Badass Video Game Tattoos
These folks have already worked past the questions of whether or not video games are art and permanently inked said art onto their bodies.

10 PSP Gems You May Have Missed
Sony's portable console is home to loads of great games. Before the NGP buzz starts building, here are 10 classics that may have flown under the radar, but definately should be played.

PSN Still Down, No ETA on Fix
Following an attack on PlayStation servers, PSN has remained down for about a week with little word on a fix or what, if anything, was compromised.

Top 5 Hardest Video Game Bosses
These guys are the reason controllers get broken, TVs get busted and swears get shouted.

This month in Joystick Division: March 2011

A protagonist, but not exactly a "good" guy

The top five movies based on video games
In honor of the Oscars, I take a look at the video game movies that were the most enjoyable; or, more accurately, those that sucked the least.

Supremacy MMA brings women into the fight
Women fighters finally get their chance to stand in the spotlight and kick the crap out of each other thanks to the upcoming Supremacy MMA.

Kinect to connect with PCs
Microsoft opens up Kinect's features for the PC so even more creative mods can be built with greater ease.

The top five protagonists we love to hate
From Nico to Kratos, these protagonists aren't exactly the hero type.

Mortal Kombat brings the pain- Hands-on impressions
Judging by my time spent with the game, Mortal Kombat is shaping up to be a fighting fan's dream come true.

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