I was 13 years old when I first encountered Brian Moriatry’s Loom. It was on a friend’s ninja PC that sported both VGA and AdLib cards and I was, understandably, blown away. The complex, whimsical story, the wonderful graphics, the unique musical interface and the amazing music itself were unlike anything I had ever seen. Or have seen since.

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The skill of being a human being is to allow the correct thought to escape at the correct time. I have many thoughts that I don’t tell people about, because the UK has hilarious laws against libel, treason, and terrorism, and the courts probably couldn’t keep up with my awful brain. But when I’m not planning all the terrorism, I do think about games. One thought I had when I played the MMO-inspired action game Forge was that it would probably be better as a free-to-play game. Now Forge has hastily scrubbed over its price-tag and scrawled ‘free’ in biro, and I’m terrified at my other thoughts being given form. (more…)

Forge is proof that not earning your Kickstarter funding isn’t the end of the line. The third-person multiplayer action game fell some way short of a $300,000 cash grab, but regrouping on Steam Greenlight gave it a boost and it managed to launch this week. Here’s what a few hours on the servers has taught me. (more…)

If I arranged to meet an MMO for a blind date in a crowded café or bar, chances are I’d end up in an awkward situation, smiling and half-nodding at every MMO that walks past in case it’s the one that’s expecting me. “Hi, you must be Forge?” I’d say, before realising I was talking to a bloody panda or high-ranking member of the Illuminati. Then I’d leave without ever meeting the PVP-centred potential love of my life. Thankfully, Forge’s developers have released a video to coincide with its release, hoping that people will pick up on a distinguishing feature or two. Let’s see what we can see.

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