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Walmart sales will be integrated into NPD reports on video games. But why do we still focus on NPD reports? They don't have data from the largest digital retailer, Steam.

A tale of leaving the World of Warcraft behind and rediscovering the vast, wonderful world of gaming beyond Azeroth. Complete with mention of robotic turtles, Congo Bongo, and much more. For anyone considering leaving WOW, this is worth a read.

Is Fez just a harmless puzzle game, or is it a bully that is actively trying to make people feel stupid? Definitely the latter.

What happens when video game characters aren't busy doing your bidding in your favorite video games? They're texting each other, obviously. Luckily for you we've managed to hack into the cell phones of some of the best known video game characters from around the world and share some of the best texts we found.

Divisive without good reason and flexible beyond what we've seen, first-person shooters are diverse gaming experiences with room to grow.

Developers need to stop snatching control from players with short cut-scenes. Instead, start trusting them to figure things out on their own.

In this week's Community Spotlight, we examine games that use (or abuse) gravity, find literary comparisons in Dragon Age 2, inspect video-game art direction, and stand in the shadows of colossi. (Horse and magic sword not included.)

Gravity, much like our own world's existence, has been an in-play force since the origin of video games; however, its development has been limited by our subjective assumptions of its use.

Three games shown at GDC 2012 proved that careful thought and smart design can do what multi-million-dollar budgets often can't.

We have Street Fighter X Tekken, Tekken X Street Fighter, and Marvel vs. Capcom, so why not Mario X Portal?

Small yet irritating things that games do

News Blips for Wednesday, February 15, 2012: Ubisoft remembers which number comes after two in the Assassin's Creed series; Double Fine says the Kickstarter-funded adventure game will be DRM-free; PAX East will be in Boston for the foreseeable future; and more.

To say that good writing is the future of video games is, I think, a bit sort sighted. Video games have generally had relatively good writing, which has really gotten only better over the years. But the future of the medium is not in good writing, but in good storytelling. This may sound like splitting hairs, but it’s an important subtlety.

Trusting a writer to make a game is like hiring a marine biologist to fix your toilet. All you're left with is a lecture on saving the ocean and nowhere to pee.

Creating a strong, memorable intro is no easy feat. Yet Valve managed to do so effortlessly with 2004's Half-Life 2, and without the use of of cutscenes. Here's how.

Bad writing has been a part of video games since their inception. But good stories are starting to sneak their way into our beloved medium.

Are the most common character portrayals of men and women in video games a problem?

As media conglomerates fight to succeed, they hog the spotlight. But as we see more merging companies and less competition, do we overlook smaller developers and indie games that try to get their names out?

In this week's Community Spotlight, we search for the perfect Dance Dance Revolution mat, continue the quest in Final Fantasy 8, examine Portal's influence, and more. Join us!

Portal changed everything for me.