Valve’s New Video Game: Steam
No doubt my fellow Steam users (Steamers?) were as initially perplexed by the advent of “trading cards†as I was. I didn’t know what the hell these things were, why I was being bombarded by them or what purpose they could...
The Ghosts of Consoles Past: Lessons from Gaming Systems of Yesteryear
This week I realized that I am, despite my best efforts, continuing to get old. After the initial panic that inevitably proceeds the realization one is in the twilight years of their twenties, my mind turned, as it usually does...
Nintendo Will Continue to Falter Without New IP’s
According to a Geekwire study of 2012 Q4 sales, worldwide sales of Sony and Microsoft consoles each outsold Nintendo. Nintendo was not only a full 1 million unit sales behind Sony, they were behind in the holiday season when th...
The Loneliness (And Appeal) of the Single-Player Star Wars Multiplayer
A disclaimer: Before I played Star Wars: The Old Republic, my only real experience with MMORPGs – except for running, terrified, in and out of IRC chats back when that was a thing – was a brief foray into Funcom’s...
Skyrim: The Tales of a Gallivanting, Lifeless Mannequin
I recently started playing Skyrim, and I don’t think I’m going to finish it. Hear me out before you make any pre-meditated judgments about the way in which I should conduct my life. Now, I must preface what I’m about to s...
Rack N Ruin Interview
Indie games are a growing genre these days. In an industry that’s been dominated by blockbuster games created by well-known developers, it’s a refreshing change of pace to see smaller devs with big ideas get some of...
Why One Console May be Enough
Sometimes buying a new console requires you to take a new lease on life. With a flurry of new entertainment boxes making their way into our living rooms this coming holiday season, it’s awful difficult to believe that a lot o...
Embrace the Past or Shut Up
I recently got into a heated argument with a friend over the relevancy of backwards compatibility in today’s world. I was a little pissed after Don Mattrick’s comment about the players who like backwards compatibili...
You’re Welcome, Nintendo: My Idea For A Pokémon Game
Pokémon has been a crowd favorite for ages: I’ve been playing it for over 15 years now.  Versions Red/Blue came out and it was the most amazing, addicting, adventurous game I had ever seen.  But it’s been 15 years…...
How To Fix Survival Horror
It’s plain to see that Survival Horror as a genre has been on the decline, at least in the console space, since the advent of next gen consoles. Glaring proof of this is the Silent Hill and Resident Evil franchises: They have...
Which Console Has the Best Exclusives?
It may not have seemed possible, but the Sony/Microsoft console debate is reaching new heights. Especially with the Microsoft DRM backtrack, the odds aren’t so clearly stacked in Sony’s favor. A look at the specs show a...
In the Land of the Free…MMO
MMORPG’s are something that have always caught my attention, even as a kid (when I was running a not–gaming–oriented–at–all Dell PC). I always looked up at the obvious choices like World of Warcraft an...
Modern Warfares to Walking Nightmares: The Best and Worst of Call of Duty
One of the most established and loved (or, to some, hated) franchises on this generation of consoles, which has also seen an unprecedented amount of success, is the Call of Duty series. Being a Call of Duty player, I felt in...
Ring in the New Gen: Top 10 Xbox Exclusives
Over the past few days, we at SpawnFirst have counted down the best Nintendo and PlayStation exclusives in preparation for the next generation of consoles that will soon be upon us. When we were compiling our list of the top te...
Freedom Fighting: Player Choice and Combat
Of all the trends I’ve seen in gaming over the years, few are more exciting to me than the push toward player choice and freedom. As a kid playing The Legend of Zelda, I remember being fascinated by the ability move nearl...
