Ever since Apple released the very first iPod Touch the company has been a surprisingly huge contender in the video games industry.  Previous iPods have been able to play games, but they have been very simple ones like the card game Uno or the classic game Bricks. The ipod touch just offers so much more that its predecessors with its increased power and capabilities and its touch screen, and developers are taking full advantage of this. Big name companies like EA are even developing games or iOS devices, not just smaller, independent ones. Throw in the development of the iPad, and you’re looking at even more enhancements in portable gaming.

Not only are new games being released just about everyday, but they’re fun, and most importantly, cheap. Many casual gamers would rather pay five bucks for five smaller but addictive games than fork over sixty for a console game that will soon be outdated, making the purchase not only costly but potentially a waste (depending the quality of the game). Paying less than a dollar for a game is hardly an investment, and if you don’t end up liking the game, it’s not a huge waste of money. 

Relatively speaking, Apple is new to the whole gaming business, especially when you look at how long Nintendo and Sony have been making games, but the company has been so successful at what they’re doing so fast. When taking all of this into account, one can’t help but ask if Apple make an actual video game console. If you do think that, you’re not alone. The Internet has been swarmed with rumors about this new device, especially after their visit with gaming developer Valve. When you look at their success and the quality of many games that come to the App Store, it sure sounds like a great idea. It would be the company’s most drastic departure from their other products, but making something new has never stopped them before.

Personally, I think an Apple video game console would be a success…if done correctly.

The console would have to have compatibility with iTouches, iPhones, and iPads; this feature is key. Whether they would act as touch controllers, stream iOS games directly to the console so you could play App store games on a big screen, or act as a secondary component to controlling regular console games, I don’t know. But it would be silly to not incorporate these devices that are already used as gaming devices.

On the topic of games, the console would have to be able to play regular console games along with the iOS titles. No one would buy an expensive Apple product if it only played simple iOS games. 

While these are just ideas i have no doubt that an Apple video game console would be extremely popular, especially with loyal consumers. The company would certainly need to figure out how to make it different from the Xbox and Playstation, but knowing Apple I’m sure they’ll have no problem doing this.

Mario games have never really been my favorite.  While I’ve always recognized them as fantastic (sometimes even perfect) platformers I’ve never gotten excited over one of Mario’s games; they just weren’t my cup of tea.  However that all changed with Super Mario 3D Land.  It is the first and only game I have on my Nintendo 3DS so far, but as far as I’m concerned, it’s the only must-have 3DS title out there right now.

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After months of waiting and never ending excitement, the long awaited film adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ novel The Hunger Games is finally here.  When a movie with so much hype surrounding it comes out, especially when it is based off of a popular book series, there is always a lot of debate over how good the movie is and how true it stays to the book.  After all, it’s very understandable to be nervous about these kinds of films after Eragon “graced” us with its presence on the big screen.  But I have good news for all the Hunger Games fans out there: this movie is great.  It certainly has its flaws, but it is far from a disappointment.

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Last week Sony finally release its much anticipated hand-console, the PSVita.  Before it was even released the system already looked like it was going to be better than Sony’s previous handheld, the PSP.  For starters, it has a touch screen, a back touch screen, two cameras, apps, downloadable games, amazing graphics, and a killer launch line-up.  Probably the most notable feature is the two joysticks, something that the PSP lacked.

With all of this packed into one portable gaming system many people, myself included, thought that the Vita actually had a chance to beat out Nintendo’s 3DS.  Sure, i felt like I got screwed over by purchasing a PSP just like everyone else, but this new console just has success written all over it.  Two weeks ago I had my mind set on actually buying this thing, but then I found out one crucial piece of information that I had no idea about; the system does not include a memory card.  

Doesn’t sound like a big deal, right?  Wrong.  It’s not like you can pop in any memory storage unit.  The PSVita requires it’s own special memory unit, and it doesn’t even come included with the system.  These memory cards aren’t cheap either.  The smallest one is 4 GB and costs $20, and to get cards with more memory it costs even more money.  The largest one is 34 GB, which costs a whopping $100.  The system itself already costs $250, which isn’t a bad price for such an impressive system.  But that, combined with a $40 game and a $20 memory card (for the cheapest option), is at least $310.  

This whole marketing ploy is just wrong.  You shouldn’t have to pay an extra lump of cash just to play and save your games.  I know it’s only $20 for a memory card, but that’s the smallest option, and once more games come out I would have to buy a new one.  Not to mention the amount of space downloadable games take up.  If I were to buy the 4GB card, I would have to buy a new one in less than a year.  I refuse to pay extra for a crucial component of a gaming system that should come included.  The worst part is that Sony isn’t going to do anything about it, and they don’t feel like they are ripping off gamers in any way.  I will probably end up buying the system once the price goes down, but who knows how long that will take.  In the mean time I really hope Sony starts caring about it’s fans and consumers more and thinking about its already full wallet less.  

I recently read an article on IGN.com about some of the staff members favorite games of this generation and of all time.  Now that I look around, a lot of people are starting to do this.  The video game world is on the verge of a whole new generation, in terms of hardware and in terms of what people think of video games; it makes sense that everyone is starting to take a look back at their all time favorites.  Anyways, I’ve always had a group of my favorite games, but I’ve never actually sat down and thought about two particular games that have stuck out for me.  It took some time, but I’ve made my decisions.  My favorite game of this generation is Dead Space 2, and my favorite game of all time Pokemon Silver version.

Let’s start with Dead Space 2.  This game has to be one of the scariest games I’ve ever played.  Sure, it pulls the same tricks that the original game did, but they still work.  This almost never happens in gaming.  Gamers get tired of sequels doing the same thing over and over again (take Call of Duty for example), but for many reasons Dead Space 2 takes the old and makes it feel like new again.  You have to admire that.  The action and combat in it is also amazing.  I know it’s technically not a third-person shooter, but sometimes it feels that way. Add that with some of the action set pieces like the train scene, and you have yourself a game that keeps you on the edge of your seat.  Dead Space 2 is in no way a perfect game, but I always find myself going back to play it some more, which is something I don’t get too often with the current generation (besides Skyrim, obviously).

I chose Pokemon Silver as my favorite game of all time because I don’t think there is any other game out there that I have logged more hours into.  When I was a kid I played it all the time.  Even to this day I play when I’m bored or when I’m on the road.  I beat it, and then next time I pick it up I start a new game.  Pokemon Silver was also the only true sequel to Pokemon Red and Blue.  After you beat the main story, you could go back to the old region where Red and Blue took place.  You can’t do that in any other Pokemon game.  Silver was the last Pokemon game to keep things simple.  Don’t get me wrong, I really like the new White version, but the old games used to be so straightforward!  There were no abilities or complicated items to give your Pokemon.  I like the new games, but I really miss the old Pokemon days.  I never get bored with Silver, and the amount of nostalgia I get from playing it never ceases to disappoint me.

From Software’s RPG Demon Souls was a game unlike any other; it was specifically designed to beat the crap out of players. However with excellent role-playing elements and fun combat, it instantly became one of the most talked about titles of 2009. It’s sequel, Dark Souls, is no different.  Despite being “easier” than its predecessor, Dark Souls gained the same notoriety as being one of the most difficult games ever created.  After much research, thought, and consideration, I decided to take on the challenges of Dark Souls and see what all the hype was really about.

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