Jake 
Xbox didn’t need to be any shorter. Xbox 360 was straightforward: X360 is unambiguous, and even just 360 is perfectly workable. But abbreviating Xbox One? That way danger lies. XO is a good starting point. What could be wrong with using the machine’s initials? Well, amongst many other things, it’s a rather good album by …
With the third Xbox being unveiled this evening, it seems like a good time to look back at how Microsoft approached launching the first – over a decade ago now. The tagline ‘Play More’ is well-remembered, mainly thanks to the Champagne TV ad. The print campaign was just as unusual, but has been largely forgotten. …
The reign of the undead is at an end. Dead Island Riptide drops to #2 in this week’s UK chart. Koch Media’s Deep Silver label keeps the chart sewn up though: it’s replaced at #1 by its rather better critically received stable-mate, Metro: Last Light. FIFA 13 has had a promotional boost up to #3, …
Let’s go to Japan! Not literally of course, the last minute flights would be cripplingly expensive. But it has been a while since Street Viewtiful – our regular jaunt around the world of games via the medium of Google Street View – went to Japan. For many it’s the spiritual home of the video game, …
The humble video game controller has gone through a lot of changes over the years. Compare the NES pad to the Wii remote, and you could argue that it’s come full circle. But there have been plenty of evolutionary dead ends along the way. Here are five we left behind. Original Xbox controller The original …
Blimey, it’s a barren week for new releases. The lone arrival on the high street is The Croods: Prehistoric Party!, for all Nintendo formats: Wii U, Wii, 3DS and DS. Reviews? News10’s Game Guys called the Wii version “rather bad”, and Capsule Computers didn’t think much more of it on Wii U. Still, the film’s …
With only a pair of new releases last week, most of the UK chart top five has adopted a holding pattern this week. Top of the pile for a second week is Bioshock Infinite, despite a 75 percent drop in sales. Tomb Raider stays at #2, FIFA 13 at #4 and Luigi’s Mansion 2 at …
Everyone loves something for nothing, so when some freeness is offered as a bonus for pre-ordering, or dished out at a games show, you’re not going to turn it down, are you? But you’re also not going to use it, are you? Let’s see what tat’s been languishing in a box in the attic for …
They might have peaked in about 2009, but there’s still a healthy market for games with the word ‘brain’ in the title – certainly on mobile. But rather than playing another clone of Nintendo and Dr Kawashima’s 2006 effort, why not contribute to medical science? Well, there’s an app for that: The Great Brain Experiment, …
There are a lot of ‘angles’ on Ridiculous Fishing: the tortured development; the indie supergroup that eventually finished it; the chart success since last week’s launch, despite having been preceded by a blatant clone; the active eschewing of IAPs in favour of a £1.99 upfront price tag. And 45 degrees: the angle that the graphics …
There are two video game characters obviously ripe for an endless running revival. Sonic Dash ticks one off the list, but someone needs to get Naughty Dog to stop wasting their time on PlayStation 4 and give the public what they really want: mobile Crash Bandicoot. And hey, Jason Rubin might have some time on …
A thread of darkness is part of the appeal – and indeed function – of folklore and fairy tales. Simogo’s Year Walk – based on the Swedish tradition of year walking, a ‘vision quest’ meant to offer a glimpse of the future – puts the darkness firmly front and centre. It’s a puzzle-adventure, where the …
As you may have noticed from the flood of coverage online this week, Sony have unveiled the PlayStation 4. Or haven’t, in that we didn’t get to see the box itself. But we could argue over semantics all day. (We won’t.) They did show the new DualShock 4 controller, so let’s focus on that. I …
Time for another of our regular jaunts around the gaming world via the medium of Google Street View. Nothing topical or clever this month: let’s just go and have a gander at Sumo Digital. After all, it’s official: everyone likes Sumo Digital. With various Sonic Racing and OutRun titles to their name, you would, wouldn’t …
There’s a lot to be said for novelty. This doesn’t sound like a terribly original concept for a mobile game: a cute giant cat roams the streets setting free animals held captive by evil scientists. But when it’s your streets, well, then you’ve got my interest. The level select screen is an OpenStreetMap of your …