Explosion

Sara Swanson

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I picked up a B.A. in English with a specialty in Poetry. I also draw manga-inspired webcomics and play far too much Minecraft in my free time. My favorite game is Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, while my favorite series is Suikoden!

  • DLC Console Exclusives Hurt Everyone

    It’s no mystery why gamers dislike paid DLC—companies have a habit of developing them before even launching the game and have fans pay extra to...

    Features
    Sara Swanson
    by Sara Swanson
    It’s no mystery why gamers dislike paid DLC—companies have a habit of developing them before even launching the game and have fans pay extra to play the true full game. It’s not true of all DLC, but it’s certainly true of enough games to give DLC a bad reputation. However, whether or not DLC is...
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  • 4 Things We Can Expect From LucasArts

    The October 30th Disney acquisition of LucasFilm certainly led to speculation about the seventh Star Wars movie and its other major movie franchises, but it...

    Features
    Sara Swanson
    by Sara Swanson
    The October 30th Disney acquisition of LucasFilm certainly led to speculation about the seventh Star Wars movie and its other major movie franchises, but it also has significant impact in the video game world. Here are five things we can expect from the video game division of LucasFilm, LucasArts, after its Disney acquisition. 4 Hordes...
    828

  • Cheap Pricing Will Give Sony the Lead Next Generation

    There’s currently a rumor going around that the new PS4 will be called the Orbis, that several versions are currently in the hands of developers,...

    Features
    Sara Swanson
    by Sara Swanson
    There’s currently a rumor going around that the new PS4 will be called the Orbis, that several versions are currently in the hands of developers, and that the specs are not what we’ve all been expecting. While these rumors should be treated as just that—rumors—they are being confirmed by multiple sources, so it’s worth taking...
    844

  • Why Mobile Gaming Will Replace Handheld Gaming

    Handheld gaming has certainly had its ups and downs: the Nintendo DS was a huge seller and showed that the casual gamer could buy handhelds...

    Features
    Sara Swanson
    by Sara Swanson
    Handheld gaming has certainly had its ups and downs: the Nintendo DS was a huge seller and showed that the casual gamer could buy handhelds along with consoles, while the lackluster PSP showed that graphics and power aren’t the best selling points of a handheld system. Although recent handheld systems have had their share of...
    837

  • Kickstarter Focus: Shadowgate

    One of the first point-and-click games to hit the markets and one that shaped the entire genre for decades to come, Shadowgate is finally able...

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    Features
    1
    Sara Swanson
    by Sara Swanson
    One of the first point-and-click games to hit the markets and one that shaped the entire genre for decades to come, Shadowgate is finally able to make a reappearance through the Kickstarter platform. Massively updating the graphics and UI with current-gen capabilities, the new Shadowgate looks amazing compared to other point-and-click adventures, and absolutely blows...
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  • 5 Ways Developers Can Make Their Game Accessible

    When you think of a stereotypical gamer, the first person that pops into your head probably isn’t blind, deaf, or missing any fingers. Even so,...

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    Features
    3
    Sara Swanson
    by Sara Swanson
    When you think of a stereotypical gamer, the first person that pops into your head probably isn’t blind, deaf, or missing any fingers. Even so, a quick search on Youtube will bring up several videos of people finding a way around their disabilities in order to enjoy the hobby they love. There are plenty of...
    839

  • Why Next Generation Can’t Wait

    With a Wii U that’s only slightly better than current generation consoles (and bogged down by its gimmicks, on top of that), the potential of...

    Features
    2
    Sara Swanson
    by Sara Swanson
    With a Wii U that’s only slightly better than current generation consoles (and bogged down by its gimmicks, on top of that), the potential of next-generation consoles from Sony and Microsoft is still filling the media with buzz. What will the graphics look like? Which engines will run best? What kind of processing power will...
    821

  • Is 40 Hours Enough Playtime Anymore?

    It was recently revealed in a Polish Magazine called CD-Action that the entirety of the Assassin’s Creed III game will be playable over 40 hours....

    Features
    2
    Sara Swanson
    by Sara Swanson
    It was recently revealed in a Polish Magazine called CD-Action that the entirety of the Assassin’s Creed III game will be playable over 40 hours. This includes 20 hours of main plot and 20 hours of side quest, giving plenty for people to occupy themselves with. However, compared to the huge amount of time that...
    827

  • Why Selling at a Loss Gives Nintendo a Win

    In Nintendo’s Second Quarter Financial Results briefing, the company revealed that it will be selling the Nintendo Wii U at a loss immediately on release....

    Features
    Sara Swanson
    by Sara Swanson
    In Nintendo’s Second Quarter Financial Results briefing, the company revealed that it will be selling the Nintendo Wii U at a loss immediately on release. They expect their finances to take a small dip upon release because of this—despite the fact they are releasing a brand new console and several games to go with it....
    833

  • Kickstarter Focus: MAK

    MAK (pronounced ‘make’) arguably contains the best relative gravity of any game ever designed—and just as well, since the game is based around it. The...

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    Features
    Sara Swanson
    by Sara Swanson
    MAK (pronounced ‘make’) arguably contains the best relative gravity of any game ever designed—and just as well, since the game is based around it. The game gives you a character that can jump from rock to rock through space, along several different building blocks (literally—they are cube-shaped) to help you travel or defend your territory....
    813

  • Hard Mode Makes a Good Game Great

    Sometimes games contain a difficult level that make gamers throw down their controller. Some easy examples off of memory would be a first-time playthrough of...

    Features
    Sara Swanson
    by Sara Swanson
    Sometimes games contain a difficult level that make gamers throw down their controller. Some easy examples off of memory would be a first-time playthrough of Ocarina of Time’s Water Temple, or the part in Star Ocean: Till the End of Time where you have to navigate through Kirlsa Caverns via a non sequitur mini game...
    824

  • Season Passes Expand the Games Industry

    Over the past year, many triple-A titles such as Assassin’s Creed III, Black-Ops II, Borderlands II, and Quantum Conundrum have released with a DLC Season...

    Borderlands 2
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    Features
    Sara Swanson
    by Sara Swanson
    Over the past year, many triple-A titles such as Assassin’s Creed III, Black-Ops II, Borderlands II, and Quantum Conundrum have released with a DLC Season Pass included. These ‘season passes’ allow for the download of multiple pieces of DLC after the initial release of the game without forcing the consumer to buy the extra DLC...
    830

  • Kickstarter Focus: Distance

    Backed by industry leaders such as the co-creator of Gears of War, Cliff Bleszinski, and lead programmer of San Francisco Rush 2049, Aaron Hightower, Distance...

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    Features
    Sara Swanson
    by Sara Swanson
    Backed by industry leaders such as the co-creator of Gears of War, Cliff Bleszinski, and lead programmer of San Francisco Rush 2049, Aaron Hightower, Distance is a spiritual successor to indie racing game Nitronic Rush. Their intention is to take arcade racing to the next level, and instead of pursuing realism like the rest of...
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  • 5 Games That Redefined Their Genres

    A game doesn’t have to be first at something in order to succeed—it just has to take an old element and find a way to...

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    Features
    2
    Sara Swanson
    by Sara Swanson
    A game doesn’t have to be first at something in order to succeed—it just has to take an old element and find a way to make it new and enjoyable. These five games did just that: they took everything good about their genre, added in their own unique ideas, and delivered a new archetype that...
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  • How Sci-fi Games are Getting Old

    Recently Mojang’s developer tweeted about a surplus of space games in the indie and major games market—and while it was mostly sarcasm referring to his...

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    Features
    5
    Sara Swanson
    by Sara Swanson
    Recently Mojang’s developer tweeted about a surplus of space games in the indie and major games market—and while it was mostly sarcasm referring to his own space game, 0x10c, it still stands as a problem in the current games industry. Browsing through Kickstarter, nearly all of the upcoming games are based in space, and a...
    823

  • Why Sony’s Tongue Control Patent is Making History

    When Sony first patented its unique tongue controls, many of the comments and discussions were skeptical about its applications. Is that some tool for gamers...

    Features
    Sara Swanson
    by Sara Swanson
    When Sony first patented its unique tongue controls, many of the comments and discussions were skeptical about its applications. Is that some tool for gamers to finally ‘experience’ dating sims? Some terrible gimmick for their next console? One step closer to controlling games with our mind? It obviously doesn’t have the advantages of an actual...
    843

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