On Excitement for the LEGO Lord of the Rings Video Game

Though its existence has been known for weeks, today it became official with a press release and a trailer — later this year, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and TT Games will be releasing LEGO Lord of the Rings, a video game that transports J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic story of good’s struggle against the forces of evilContinue reading “On Excitement for the LEGO Lord of the Rings Video Game”

On Waging the War in the North

A group of Orcs rushed down the rocky, snow-covered mountain trail toward my party. My two-handed sword was held out in front of me, and as the orcs approached I swung. The sword connected with the lead Orc. He staggered under the blow, and my momentum carried him into the Orc immediately behind him, knockingContinue reading “On Waging the War in the North”

On Anticipating the Next Lord of the Rings Game

For the first time in about five years, I am really excited about a video game. Specifically, Warner’s The Lord of the Rings: War in the North, which is coming out next week. I used to get excited about video games all the time. I just had to have this or that or the other.Continue reading “On Anticipating the Next Lord of the Rings Game”

On Completing LEGO Star Wars

On April 6, 2005, I bought LEGO Star Wars for the Xbox. (I also blogged about the death of Pope John Paul II and Tartan Day). Today, September 9, 2011, I finished LEGO Star Wars 100%. I built all seventeen minikit starship models. I scored True Jedi on all seventeen levels and built the TantiveContinue reading “On Completing LEGO Star Wars”

On Books I Would Like To Play

When I worked for EB Games, especially toward the end, it seemed like every major movie property, and some television properties too, was becoming a video game. James Bond, Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, the Spider-Man films, etc., etc. Books, though? Actual printed books? They weren’t really game fodder. Comic books seemed easierContinue reading “On Books I Would Like To Play”

On Taking to the Skies with Snoopy

So, how long have I had an Xbox 360? Five years? How much have I played it? Umm. I think maybe three hours. Today I hooked it up, attached a network adapter, and signed up for Xbox Live. Like I said a year and a half ago, I really wanted Snoopy Flying Ace. I’d neverContinue reading “On Taking to the Skies with Snoopy”

On Civ-Builders and Authoritarianism

Yesterday, Andrew Sullivan‘s blog at The Atlantic linked to an essay at The American Prospect by Monica Potts on how civ-building computer games don’t really allow for liberal-progressive solutions to life’s problems. Games like The Sims and Civilization model a rightward ideology, if not by design then certainly by practice. There are many ways toContinue reading “On Civ-Builders and Authoritarianism”

On the Medal of Honor Controversy

We live in an age of artificial controversies and manufactured indignation. How else to explain the kerfuffle over the new Medal of Honor video game? Medal of Honor has, for a decade now, been one of the top military first-person shooters, all set around World War II. The first game was loosely based on SavingContinue reading “On the Medal of Honor Controversy”

On the Upcoming Age of Empires Online

Two years after Microsoft shuttered Ensemble Studios, the makers of the Age of Empires real-time strategy game series, Microsoft has announced a new chapter in the venerable series — Age of Empires Online The game is being developed by Robot Entertainment, an outfit comprised of former AoE vets, and it’s to be played in aContinue reading “On the Upcoming Age of Empires Online”