You've heard of a "Let's Play" video, right? That's a common term for YouTube videos featuring video game commentary and gameplay. People have built careers out of this kind of content (folks like Pewdiepie, Game Grumps, Markiplier and others) and it's a fairly ubiquitous term -- which makes it all the more weird that Sony is apparently trying to trademark it. Really.
Source: Justia
You probably have a short list of favorite video games from 2015, but what do you think game creators would pick if given the chance? You don't have to wonder: the Game Developers Choice Awards has delivered its nominees, and there are a few clear front-runners this time around. For one thing, third-person action is definitely in vogue: Metal Gear Solid V and The Witcher 3 were both nominated for four awards each, including game of the year. A few other well-known games also received multiple nods, including Bloodborne, Fallout 4 and Splatoon.
Source: Game Developers Choice Awards
The most ridiculous spectacle to ever grace the Engadget stage at CES is over. But you can relive the magic of the Engadget Challenge right here.
We're never satisfied doing just one thing at a time any more. We're Snapchatting with one hand and Googling with other. If we're looking up actors on IMBD while watching TV, that's not even "multitasking" anymore, that a "second screen" experience. But, the truth that nobody wants to admit is, they're not really as good at multitasking as they think they are. We're going to prove that point in episode two of the Engadget Challenge.
If you've been holding your breath for Half-Life 3 over the past 12 years, we have two questions for you:
Marc Laidlaw, an 18-year veteran of Valve Software and the lead writer of Half-Life, Half-Life 2 and its two subsequent episodes, has left the company. News of his departure broke on Reddit after user TeddyWolf posted screenshots of an email exchange with Laidlaw (which Eurogamer has since verified). In the email, Laidlaw confirms his "retirement" from Valve.
Amplitude is a quiet kind of phenomenon. Not that the game itself is silent -- depending on how high you crank your speakers, it can be soul-pounding and skin-tingling -- but there's a surprisingly deep pool of reverence for this music-driven, space-racing series. Against all odds, the PlayStation 4 version that launched this week raised $844,000 from 14,000 backers on Kickstarter in mid-2014, its campaign riding the nostalgic, neon waves of its 2002 PS2 predecessor.
Those aren't the only waves that players might ride while playing Amplitude, creative lead Ryan Lesser told Engadget. The game is dark and bright at the same time, shooting you down winding, floating platforms littered with orbs that create a soundtrack as you shoot them. In the right environment, the latest version of Amplitude sparks an intimate connection with music and movement.
With this experience in mind, we asked Lesser to divulge the best way to play Amplitude, whether with friends, alone, while drinking alcohol or maybe even consuming other mind-altering substances. He laughed before answering.
"I sort of hope that the game has the same effect on people that some mind-altering substances do," he said. "Personally, I am a big fan of solo play on a gigantic TV (with no AV lag), huge speakers and in total darkness."