Opinion Archive
11 October 2018
FeatureGoogle and Xbox just started the next platform war
And this one will be different.
13 June 2018
FeatureNintendo speaks a little too directly to fans at E3
Super smashing great.
7 June 2018
FeatureSteam's content policy is both arrogant and cowardly
Having appointed itself the god-king of PC gaming, Valve is vacating the throne.
29 September 2017
FeatureNintendo's half-arsed online cripples FIFA 18 on Switch
You'll always walk alone.
13 June 2017
FeatureSony's flat E3 conference shows signs of a mid-generation lull
A less than stellar year for PlayStation.
12 June 2017
FeatureXbox One X promises a strong and stable line-up
But does it have the vision to excite?
9 June 2017
8 June 2017
FeatureXbox is close to being a brilliant games platform, but it needs games to get it there
The pressure's on for E3.
21 April 2017
FeatureA call to arms for the UK fighting game community
"Put aside the petty bickering and embrace a new outlook."
11 February 2017
FeatureSteam Greenlight had to go, but its replacement might just work
Direct is a reasonable solution to one of Steam's most serious problems
12 November 2016
FeatureThe importance of games in difficult times
Alexis Kennedy on games, empathy and happiness.
4 November 2016
FeatureThe Wii U a failure? Far from it
Chapter and Miiverse.
26 October 2016
FeatureBethesda's anti-consumer review policy comes as no surprise
And reminds us not to pre-order video games.
7 September 2016
FeatureLife after console generations has one big upside
Why should we welcome PlayStation Neo and Xbox Scorpio? There is a reason.
6 August 2016
FeatureSonic boom: Ellie Gibson on nostalgia, novelty, and that 9/10
Look, at least it's not another Pokemon Go article.
30 July 2016
FeatureThrough the looking glass: Keith Stuart on the irresistible rise of augmented reality
Gurdurrs of perception.
28 July 2016
FeatureNX is different, and different is Nintendo's best option
Perhaps its only option for staying in the hardware game.
15 July 2016
FeatureActually, Pokémon Go isn't really a Nintendo game
But it's still great news for Nintendo.
8 July 2016
FeatureHow to fix the shooter campaign? Dig in
Deepening the rut.
16 June 2016
FeatureMicrosoft's mixed messages at E3 aren't pretty for Xbox One owners
The great teraflip-flop.
11 June 2016
FeatureThree new consoles will dominate E3 - even if they're not there
Welcome to the post-generational era.
12 March 2016
2 February 2016
5 December 2015
FeatureWhy I play video games
Or the special whatness that makes them so special.
17 October 2015
FeatureJon Blyth on: Pubs vs video games
"'Another hoppy IPA!?' is this industry's 'Oh, they've put in a horde mode.'"
1 July 2015
FeatureTo the Batmobile? The trouble with Arkham Knight's biggest addition
"I didn't sign up for this."
17 June 2015
FeatureNintendo's painful metamorphosis leaves fans reeling
A new Metroid and a new Animal Crossing should have kept the faithful happy, but instead they're up in arms.
11 June 2015
FeatureMicrosoft's difficult choice at E3 2015
Will Phil Spencer try to save Xbox One, or push for the cross-platform future?
6 June 2015
FeatureWill Porter on: Getting old
Something changed.
31 May 2015
FeatureWe need to talk about emulation
The assumption that old games have no value indulges our nostalgia but is killing the industry.
18 March 2015
FeatureWith the announcement of the NX, Nintendo admits defeat with the Wii U
Farewell, Wii hardly knew U.
7 March 2015
FeatureJon Blyth on: Morality
"I love my friends."
7 February 2015
FeatureJon Blyth on: Fixing Far Cry 4
"Time is like location, but for watches."
7 January 2015
FeatureWhen the new becomes old - why 2015 should be a stellar year
Reasons to be cheerful.
26 December 2014
FeatureGames of 2014: Destiny
Xur, you are being hunted.
20 December 2014
FeatureDavid Goldfarb on: Three seasons in game development
"Most likely, you live with them..."
14 December 2014
FeatureBuilding Better Worlds - an MMO Tale
From the archive: If you come at the king, you best not miss.
13 December 2014
FeatureRich Stanton on: GTA's growing pains
The tone problem in Rockstar's classic series.
2 December 2014
FeatureMoving targets: the scattergun politics of Far Cry 4
Ubisoft Montreal's latest could be a fine portrayal of a country under siege, if only it stopped to breathe.
29 November 2014
FeatureThe Nintendo difference: Wii U's first two years
It's struggled in the marketplace, but Nintendo's console has remembered something its competition seemingly forgot.
15 November 2014
FeatureWho needs games: PlayStation 4's first year
It was the console that could do no wrong - but software was another matter.
8 November 2014
FeatureEverything not saved will be lost
What Destiny tells us about life, the universe, and everything.
1 November 2014
FeatureDeath to the mini-map
Why it's time to tear up the open world genre's greatest crutch.
25 October 2014
FeatureThe problem with video game guns
Is that lots of them are boring.
11 October 2014
FeatureLet's have more games that show rather than tell
Shadow of Mordor becomes great, but introduces itself poorly.
2 October 2014
FeatureThe patch helps, but Destiny still has a loot problem
The Vault in our stars.
29 September 2014
FeatureFIFA 15 Ultimate Team: time for a shake-up?
Our resident obsessive is still playing, but gradually losing interest.
20 September 2014
FeatureEnjoying Destiny's quieter moments
Traveller's tales.
19 September 2014
FeatureJapan's slumbering giants awake at Tokyo Game Show
Metal Gear and Final Fantasy prove there's still plenty to get excited about from gaming's spiritual home.
13 September 2014
FeatureSorry, Microsoft, but you can't own Minecraft
It's a force of nature.
9 September 2014
FeatureStaring into the eyes of FIFA 15's new player ratings
And god looked back.
6 September 2014
FeatureSometimes I wish more games were just a vertical slice
Always leave them wanting more, not less.
30 August 2014
FeatureWhy we need more developers like Zoe Quinn
To reach their full potential, games need to stop empowering the player and embrace the raw and personal.
16 August 2014
FeatureSnake moves with the times, Lara doesn't
The Tomb Raider deal dominated headlines, but Metal Gear's move onto Steam is the true harbinger.
2 August 2014
FeatureUnsubscribe?
EA's Access service is good value, despite what Sony says - but it's still a less than ideal solution.
26 July 2014
FeatureWhen too much is not enough
Crowdfunding has freed developers from old production models, but at what cost?
19 July 2014
FeatureYou've got male
Marvel just announced that Thor is becoming a woman, but games don't need sex changes to be better at diversity.
12 July 2014
FeatureThe best games of 2014 are actually from 2013 - and that's okay
Why the flood of remasters and remakes should be embraced.
5 July 2014
Feature"It's not historically accurate!"
Why arguing against women appearing in games to preserve historical accuracy is silly.
28 June 2014
FeatureThe sickening side of the Steam summer sale
Hey, check out that gift horse's mouth...
21 June 2014
FeatureEnding the Minecraft fantasy
Notch is right to clamp down on paid Minecraft servers, but at what cost?
13 June 2014
FeatureDirectly to you: Nintendo wins E3 on its own terms
New games, fresh thinking and brilliant PR bring the Kyoto giant bang up to date.
12 June 2014
FeatureAssassin's Creed Unity is a backward step for progressive games
'They're not avatars' defence sends the wrong message.
10 June 2014
FeatureForget E3 press conferences, sometimes Cliffhorse is all you need
Just watch those Dogecoins rolling in.
FeatureSony had more wow moments, but Microsoft has closed the competence gap
A lack of 2014 titles on both sides of the console war favours Xbox.
7 June 2014
FeatureThe art of the E3 press conference
A handy guide for puzzled executives turned showbiz frontmen.
31 May 2014
FeatureWatch Dogs: stuck in the unfunny valley
Open-world games are often better when they lighten up.
19 May 2014
FeatureSunset Overdrive's respawns: should more games rethink the little things?
That Bill & Ted homage is a good start.
17 May 2014
FeatureThe end of gimmicks?
Kinect's failure suggests a bright future for game hardware served straight - no chaser.
14 May 2014
FeatureBetter without Kinect
Microsoft makes the best of a bad situation.
10 May 2014
FeatureLocal multiplayer is gaming's holy grail
And, until recently, the industry had completely forgotten about it.
3 May 2014
FeatureGrave business: ET, Atari, and the reason some games need to be buried
"Dig up the past, all you get is dirty."
26 April 2014
FeatureGame Boy got soul
How the simple heart of Gunpei Yokoi's Game Boy has a legacy that goes beyond hardware.
19 April 2014
FeatureThe silent composer
Marty O'Donnell's departure is a shock, but also a reminder that music in games is more important than ever.
12 April 2014
5 April 2014
FeatureThe numbers game
Why Amazon's use of Metacritic scores is a terrible idea.
26 March 2014
22 March 2014
FeatureGround Zeroes shows open worlds how to be open
By getting back to Mother Basics.
8 March 2014
FeatureGames are squandering their potential to truly immerse us
To create truly believable worlds, they need to let go of what's safe.
23 February 2014
FeatureDown the replay rabbit hole
Why Ken Levine's plan for endlessly replayable narrative could be a risk not worth taking.
22 February 2014
FeatureTwitch is the gaming revolution that can't be owned
How gaming video is a game in itself.
19 February 2014
FeatureBe advised: I was wrong about Titanfall
If you're feeling jaded and dismissive, like I was, then pay attention.
15 February 2014
FeatureWe no longer have to be space marines
We can be goats instead.
10 February 2014
FeatureThe Hearthstone you didn't get
Looking back at the way Blizzard changed card values during the closed beta.
8 February 2014
FeatureConsole developers need to look at Dungeon Keeper and learn
Mobile gaming is a joke. Don't become the next punch-line.
1 February 2014
FeatureSavour the Wii U and Vita - they're our new Dreamcasts
Commercial success may evade them, but these ailing consoles are future classics.
25 January 2014
FeatureIwata isn't Nintendo's problem. It's Miyamoto
A lack of new game ideas is what's holding Nintendo back.
18 January 2014
FeatureStories with dice: the thrill of old-school D&D
When is a role-playing game not a role-playing game? Most of the time, it turns out.
11 January 2014
FeatureValve plays the long game again
Steam Machines are about protecting the PC, not beating consoles.
4 January 2014
FeatureIs 2014 the year of virtual reality?
Come in Luigi, your time is up - why Oculus Rift is the true next-gen experience.
14 December 2013
FeatureBeyonce's onto something, you know
Her new album-out-of-the-blue is a cool idea that would work brilliantly for games.
7 December 2013
FeatureIn praise of early adopters
Let's hear it for friends who splash out on day one.
30 November 2013
FeatureThey give us 500 gigs and expect us to smile?!
Welcome to the digital future.
23 November 2013
FeatureWhat happens when free-to-play games aren't free?
Microsoft's misappropriation of free-to-play mechanics is at the head of a broader problem this generation.
9 November 2013
FeatureThe fall and rise of the franchise titans
With Assassin's Creed and COD sales slowing, their next-gen successors are waiting in the wings.
2 November 2013
FeatureYou're in charge!
From vital patches to game cancellations, players are often intimately involved.
1 November 2013
FeatureSaints Row 4: a fun game that makes serious points
Beneath the parody, there's a brilliant game about friendship, sex and strong women.
26 October 2013
FeatureThe strongest next-gen line-up from the unlikeliest source
Why the Wii U is the best next-gen choice this Christmas.
19 October 2013
FeatureUbisoft cancels the next-generation launch party
Watch Dogs' delay is a blow, but also a sign of the French publisher's growing might.