GamerNode: Tyler Cameron's Columns

Do Achievements Ruin Videogames?

I feel it's safe to assume most gamers would agree that Achievements have been a good thing for gaming. For many, Achievement collecting has become just another layer of their addictions to videogames.

I am one of those people who collect Achievements (and to a lesser extent, Trophies). I have spent countless hours toiling away in front of my TV, striving for nothing more than the telltale indicator to pop up, letting me know that at long last my work has paid off and that I have added another meaningless milestone to my Gamerscore -- currently at 51,488 -- a score that literally means nothing. And it is totally addictive and fun, which is the problem.

It's not really a new concept, but I am here to say that Achievements have ruined gaming for me on a personal level because I find it very di...

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When Enough is Enough

My mother called me last night for a nice little chat -- one that made me realize how over-hyped Modern Warfare 2 is becoming. A strange thing to realize, I know.

"Are you buying that new game coming out tomorrow?" she asked me, somewhat randomly.

"Oh... Yeah, Call of Duty right? Modern Warfare 2?" I said to her.

"Yes, that's the one. It's been on the news all night here. They've been interviewing kids waiting in lines, and videogame store employees about it. They said it's going to be crazy, and that it's the biggest game ever," she said to me. "I figured you would know about it."

Yep, as a matter of fact, Mom, I do know about it. But wait, how surprised could I actually be that my mom has heard about Modern Warfare 2?

It's only the biggest thing since Halo 3 (maybe even bigger, as I'm su...

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A Bad Night for Gaming

I would like to extend a hearty "f*** you" to gaming in general right now.

After packing up all my stuff to move across the country and not having any Internet for almost two weeks (wow, I really missed a ton of gaming news in that time), it became clear that the only thing that would satiate the depressing void in my life would be to sit down, and at long last, play some videogames.

When the beautiful moment finally came when I could sit down, relax, and pop in a game, I was unprepared for what would happen next.

Picking up Fallout 3, a game I had not played in quite a while, I put it in my system of choice (my Xbox 360), loaded my untouched Point Lookout DLC and began my search for the ferry that would take me to Point Lookout.

I battled through some streets in downtown D.C., killed a b...

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History 101: Destructible Environments in Videogam...

Creating non-scripted destructible environments that are both fun and realistic, yet limited enough so that the player can't break the game has been a serious challenge in the past. But many games have gotten them right, and thus have been a blast to play.

Since gaming started to take off in the '80s, through the transition from 2D to 3D in the mid-'90s, and into today's high definition, online multiplayer epics, developers have been able to utilize increasingly powerful hardware to create destructible environments. Brace yourself for some of the best videogame titles in the last couple decades to offer gamers the ultimate in the art of destroying, pulverizing, annihilating and exploding polygons.

This arcade classic was one of the earliest to feature actual destructible buildings. The si...

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Microsoft Exploring Educational Link to Videogames...

Microsoft is using $1.5 million to start The Games for Learning Institute in a joint venture with New York University and other colleges to see whether videogames could enhance education. This won't necessarily look at games designed for education, but popular games like World of Warcraft and Gears of War 2. The idea is that these games develop reaction and problem solving skills, and Microsoft is trying to find a link that could draw students into math, science, and technology based programs.

Despite Microsoft's massive layoffs earlier this year, it's nice to see them putting a nice chunk of change toward a good cause such as this. It also doesn't hurt to put on a good face for the public, because we all know that the Jack Thompsons of the world are ready to make their voices heard at a ...

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Gamers: Hobby Enthusiasts or Trained for War?

Is it really so far-fetched to consider today's videogames and their highly realistic nature as military training tools? Games like Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and the Ace Combat series feature highly realistic environments, complex controls and engaging real-world scenarios. And let's not forget America's Army, a shooter that's openly sponsored by the army and used as a training and recruiting tool. Can years of playing videogames desensitize you while at the same time train you for military use? 

Democracy Now! has posted an interview with P.W. Singer, author of the book Wired For War: The Robotics Revolution and Conflict in the 21st Century, and in it the author tells of a guy who went from high school drop out to a training academy instructor, all at the age of 19. Being a dropout...

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Faith and a .45 in Danger of Cancellation

Back in early 2008, a neat little game called Faith and a .45 was announced. Info about it quickly began flooding the internets, and for good reason. With a wicked-cool name, a unique setting, and a heavy focus on characters and storytelling, it looked like this game truly had the makings of something special.

However, very little was known about it back in 2008, and not much has changed since then. It still doesn't have a publisher, and because of that reason, development of Faith and a .45 has been officially paused.

Many of you may have never heard of this game, and those of you that did, you most likely have forgotten about it since it hasn't been on anyone's radar since early in '08. For the unfortunately uniformed, what I can tell you about Faith is that it's a third person shooter ...

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New Generation of Consoles in 2012?

At least Ubisoft seems to think so. An article from GamesIndustry.biz is reporting that Ubisoft is already adding staff to work on future technology and development for new consoles in 2012. Mind you this comes with no announcements from Sony, Microsoft, or Nintendo regarding any new consoles.

As a gamer, I don't even want to start thinking about the next generation of home consoles. And if I were Microsoft, Sony, or Nintendo, I wouldn't want to either. Both Sony and Microsoft have been hit hard with layoffs while Nintendo continues to annihilate everything in its path with the Wii and DS, so they have no need to come out with another console. But that's from a business standpoint. 

So why do developers think it's a good idea to start working on next-gen stuff instead of perfecting the hard...

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RE5 Demo Dated: Helpful or Hurtful?

Man, I loves me some Resident Evil. Just think, all of the above and then some can be yours on March 13.

While Japanese gamers have had their mits on the RE5 demo for some time now, we will finally be getting our RE5 demo very soon, and with three playable levels instead of two. Take that, Japanese gamers!

But let's take a moment to consider the impact this demo will have, and the impact of demos in general. Digitalspy.com is reporting that Xbox 360 owners will get to sink their undead teeth into the demo on Jan. 26, followed by the PS3 demo on PSN a week later on Feb. 2. According to the article, the three levels from the game can be played with an AI buddy, with a real buddy via splitscreen, or over Xbox Live or PSN. That's a pretty decent chunk of demo to have access to more than a full...

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Source: Mass Effect Trilogy Coming to PS3

Like many of us, I wondered what was going to happen to the Mass Effect trilogy once EA acquired BioWare in late 2007.

Well que up "Another One Bites the Dust," because it appears that a "reliable source" has told Second Story Gamer that the trilogy will in fact be coming to the PS3 after all, with an official announcement at GDC '09. Basically what it boils down to is that the economy sucks, and EA is losing money. With a multiplatform release, EA stands to make more money from Mass Effect. Of course the spin is (in between chuckling and cigar-chomping) that "more people will get to play this awesome trilogy!" That's fine and all, but there's an underlying aspect that I think is more interesting; if the official announcement is made, it would indicate that we will see the Mass Effect T...

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