bit-tech.net Columns Feed

This was meant to be a Fallout 3 DLC review

Sat, 31 Jan 2009 08:30:21 +0000

Joe has lately been trying and failing to review the new downloadable expansion to Fallout 3, Operation Anchorage. It seems that Microsoft just doesn't want to let him though and is fighting back with every worthless inch of Games for Windows Live. Now Joe has had enough.

Yes, Games Critics Understand Innovation

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 07:39:16 +0000

In reply to Keith Stuart's blog over at The Guardian about the critical reception to Mirror's Edge, Joe puzzles over the role of the reviewer and whether comparisons between games and film journalism can ever be fairly raised.

So, You Call Yourself Indie?

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 16:00:51 +0100

Cliff Harris is an independent developer who gave up a career at Lionhead to start his own studio and make his own games - but don't they all say that? Cliff has a look at how indie development has evolved and asks if indie studios are truly independent yet.

Release Day Nerves

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 07:15:00 +0100

Indie developer Cliff Harris is on the verge of releasing a brand new game and is feeling a little bit nervous. With life simulator Kudos 2 set to hit shelves on Wednesday, Cliff weighs up the pros and cons of being indie and tries not to stress himself to death.

Give Me Back My Sandbox

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 12:51:40 +0100

Guest columnist Cliff Harris is upset this week, lamenting the decline of truly free-form, sandbox gaming on the PC. When did real sandbox games like Sim City become unfashionable and get replaced with linear FPS games? Why won't someone give us back our sand?

Shiny, but not polished

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 07:55:46 +0100

Google surprised just about all of us in the bit-tech office when it announced Chrome - its first foray into the browser market. Tim Smalley has been playing around with the first beta for a few days and has some thoughts on the browser's direction.

The Economy of Happiness

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 09:10:22 +0100

Continuing after his recent piracy survey, Cliff Harris wants to ask you a question about how happy games make you and whether choice is always a good thing. Cliff outlines a new pricing model for games based on how happy they make players.

Game Phone Home!

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 00:14:24 +0100

Are all games that phone-home to a publishers server inherently bad? Isn't it possible that in some case copy-protection can be a good thing that can help game design? Cliff Harris ponders how the software that traps us could also be used to free us.

What The Hell Is Wrong With Japanese Games?

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 03:05:49 +0100

Why is it that different countries seem to produce such different games and what does this mean for the games industry? In a world where Japanese RPGs are a large enough part of the market to have their own acronym, what can the western world bring to the table?

Dumbing Up Gaming

Thu, 29 May 2008 11:30:08 +0100

Why do games always cater for the lowest common denominator, wonders Cliff Harris. Why are there no games for educated professionals and why do we have to rely on hacking mini-games in BioShock to explain elements clearly within reach?

A Picture-Perfect Quandary

Tue, 13 May 2008 06:56:26 +0100

Copy protection and piracy seem like two inescapable forces in modern digital media. But is either side right? Brett Thomas sounds off about pretty pictures, perils of intellectual property, and the dollars and cents behind everyone's favourite "freedom fighters."

Making Gaming Better

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:57:53 +0100

Cliff Harris sees a bleak future for the games community. An insular group that purges n00bs, defends violent media and pirates games regularly - the end could be at hand! Thankfully, Cliff has a whole list full of ways to make gaming good again...

Playing The Blame Game

Sun, 06 Apr 2008 07:48:38 +0100

Simon Hill, developer for Outerlight software has just finished reading The Byron Report. As someone clearly affected by any changes that may be made because of the report, Simon has a few things to say, first of which is; Who is to blame?

Here Comes The Fear...

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 06:39:12 +0000

It's a dark and haunting day at the bit-tech offices and James Silva is taking to the columns page once more to tell us some ghost stories. How is it that games create a feeling of fear in players and how do horror games generate such a feeling of unease? Jim explains.

Make It Again, Man

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 07:49:41 +0000

Cliff Harris, ex-Lionhead AI coder turned indie developer, talks us through why he thinks sequels are actually a good thing. Is it possible that EA's endless sequels are a good thing? Cliff thinks so, pointing to his experience at Lionhead as an example...

This Isn't About Monkey Island, Honest

Fri, 07 Mar 2008 10:45:57 +0000

Joe Martin wants to know what it is that makes a hardcore gamer. Prompted by the death of somebody close to him, Joe examines what hardcore is and invites readers to share their stories about what game it was that first hooked them.

The Sea of Grey

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 07:35:38 +0000

With so many great products in the £100 to £150 price range, there's never been a better time to buy a performance mainstream graphics card... or has there? Tim Smalley mulls over the ups and downs of having lots products to choose from.

Advergaming and Other Horror Stories

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 08:31:13 +0000

Simon Hill of Outerlight Studios tackles the concept of advertising in games and the despicable, dirty nature of designing advergaming. Is there a way out for developers who don't want to place advertising in their games? This column is sponsored by bit-tech.net.

The Curse of Genre

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 07:55:00 +0000

Cliff Harris, the indie developer behind games like Rock Legend, Democracy and Kudos, muses on the limits designers impose on themselves when they try to make games in certain genres. Cliff asks 'Why were games so much more imaginative in the good ol' days?'

Halo 3 and The Art of Repetition

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 08:46:31 +0000

James Silva talks about how repetition in game design is actually a very good thing and, looking closely at games like Halo 3, Marathon, BioShock and Ninja Gaiden, asks whether repetitive gameplay is responsible for ruining otherwise excellent titles?

The sky is falling

Sat, 02 Feb 2008 08:16:12 +0000

PC game sales only account for 14 percent of total sales, according to the latest half cracked study that ignores most PC games sales. Is it the beginning of a bad joke, or are the first pieces of the computer game sky falling? Brett Thomas discusses the hype, marketing, and utter idiocy.

Staying Independent

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 07:43:41 +0000

Mark Morris of Introversion Software, makers of DEFCON and Darwinia, writes in this weeks developer column about publisher pressure, how all the characters in Darwinia almost had smiley faces on them and why it's good to be indie.

Climbing The Difficulty Curve

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 08:10:09 +0000

Simon Hill, designer for Outerlight Software, takes the stage this week to discuss trends in game difficulties. Are games becoming too easy, or are players just getting better? Can developers ever really balance frustration with satisfaction?

How I Became A Games Designer, Part Two

Sat, 05 Jan 2008 06:23:58 +0000

When we left the story, James had just entered in a competition to have his indie game published on Xbox Live. Now, read the second part to find out how he bagged the prize without winning and completed the transition from dishwasher to game designer.

A DRMerry New Year

Mon, 31 Dec 2007 08:57:51 +0000

On the last day of 2007, columnist Brett Thomas takes a look back at a year of the People vs. the RIAA. Who fought, who won, and what we have to look forward to in 2008 - a DRMerry New Year.