One problem with using Let’s Plays and livestreams to fill video game-shaped longings in my life when I can’t summon the will to actually play one myself–and there may be several problems with this–is that so many are terrible. While good players or good performers can be genuinely entertaining, if they’re not I can’t pretend I’m not trying to fill a gaping emotional hole with ‘content’ and human voices. So huzzah! Twitch is tapping its Steam connection to use magical metadata so viewers can find the good stuff, starting with Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.

… [visit site to read more]

On May 14th this year, Castello di Pavone, one of Northern Italy’s swankiest strongholds, was invaded by an army of conflict-obsessed game developers. Were the devs in question…

a) Laser-scanning the fortress for a level in the soon-to-be-announced Hidden & Dangerous 3?> b) Laser-scanning the fortress for a level in the soon-to-be-announced Commandos 5?> c) Laser-scanning the fortress for a level in the soon-to-be-announced Bella Cantarella*?> d) Attending Home of Wargamers 2014, a Slitherine Group press conference?>

*Flare Path Soft’s debut project – a poison-sprinkled serving-wench sim set during the War of the Holy League.

If you crossed your fingers and answered a, b, or c, this week’s column may prove disappointing. … [visit site to read more]

I do so love indie game development. One second I’m minding my own business, sipping coffee and wondering if trees dream, and the next I stumble across what may well be the next Skyrim, the next colossal, gorgeous first-person fantasy RPG bonanza. Northern Shadow, however, comes with a twist: it’s also a city builder ala Banished. You have a living world to both explore and> build a kingdom in. My kingdom for this game. Trailer below. Watch it, because it’s crazy impressive.

… [visit site to read more]

Nvidia and AMD aren’t friends. Over the years, their game of one-upmanship has evolved into a full-on war, with proprietary tech and buzzwords whizzing every which way through the open air. The latest chapter in the ceaseless struggle? A claim from AMD’s Robert Hallock that Nvidia’s GameWorks program – used prominently by Ubisoft in Watch_Dogs, among others – represents “a clear and present threat” to PC gaming. According to Hallock, participating in Nvidia’s program often forces game developers to steer clear of AMD. Nvidia, however, says that allegation couldn’t be further from the truth.

… [visit site to read more]

In order to stay true to the tone and spirit of Broforce, I have decided to compose some Broforce poetry, or Broetry, as it must be known according to The Only Laws That Matter. You are required to listen to this music while reading it. OK, let us begin. Ahem:

Broforce / Like “breakfast” spoken really fast / And with more breaking things / Puts other Early Access games in the trash / And doesn’t need no stinkin’ rhyme scheme / Or meter / BROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

… [visit site to read more]

Ever. Ever! Everrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

If you were at all doubting Epic’s plan to resurrect Unreal Tournament as an openly developed, entirely free (user-driven mod/map marketplace aside) enterprise, doubt no more. There’s a game now, and it has guns and big, gray texture-less cubes and everything else all videogames have. You can see it in sorta-action below.

… [visit site to read more]

Awww, this is rather sad. Once upon a time, Mythic created classic MMO Dark Age of Camelot, one of the few real alternatives to EverQuest back in its heyday, and classic MUD Dragon’s Gate before that. Later it also warred out the warrisomely war-packed Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, which recently went bye-bye itself. Since then, Mythic’s been in a strange spot, unable to find a new niche with middling arena brawler Warhammer Online: Wrath of Heroes and eventually, the utterly wretched mobile version of Dungeon Keeper. Now, however, it’s in no spot, as it no longer exists. EA has shut down the studio once and for all.

… [visit site to read more]

Want it cheaper? Want it faster? This week, I can offer both. But not quite at the same time. I speak of SSDs and the first part of the puzzle is Crucial’s upcoming MX100. It replaces the existing M500 as Crucial’s value SSD. And may I remind you the 240GB M500 can currently be had for a preposterous 80/$110? The MX100 sports 16nm NAND memory, doesn’t replace the higher performing M550 and I can only assume its raison d’etre is to be even cheaper. Meanwhile, the first looks at quad-channel SATA Express are popping up (cue 1GB/s SSDs), Nvidia has a new driver out that promises to make your graphics card eleventy-two times faster. Ish. And some other stuff including yet more cheap 4K panels, including one with G-Sync support, and a hot looking gaming lappie from Gigabyte. … [visit site to read more]

April 1st can be confusing enough already, and it’s only going to get harder if things that were jokes once upon a time continue to make the leap to really-real existing games. Last April Fool’s day, Arma 3 creators Bohemia Interactive released a go kart parody of a Volvo Truck advert. Now they’ve released Arma 3 Karts as a piece of DLC, out today for 1.19 on Steam and with a portion of the proceeds going to the Czech Red Cross. The original trailer is embedded below.

… [visit site to read more]

Evolve is the next game from original Left 4 Dead developer Turtle Rock, and that alone should be enough to turn an eye or two or however many you happen to have. I was a giant firebreathing space mutant recently, so I can’t judge. I got to go hands-on with Evolve’s second batch of Hunters and gameplay options, and I came away with opinions. Powerful ones, beastly thoughts that couldn’t be caged by mere words alone. So I made this video for you instead. Watch it below.>

… [visit site to read more]