The Importance of Semantics

"Semantics" is commonly derided in our daily jargon as being nit-picky and annoying, but today I will make the case of its importance...especially in the case of the adolescent game industry. Semantics--or more simply, word choice--can have very subtle ways of affecting the reader without them even noticing (but, as a Communications major, these are effects I pick out quite regularly). Before we dive in, we should go over just why word choice can be so important at all. When discussing "video games," word choice is everything. The medium itself is very young by the standards of media overall (just look how long books, movies, TVs, etc. have been around). More significantly, its roots are not so much that of a new communication medium but rather a new genre of toys. The Atari 2600 and the Nintendo Entertainment System were not heralded as a coming of a new way to tell and experience stories, but rather as a new way to kill time and have fun--especially for kids. This is why many assume (sometimes incorrectly) that the adolescent male is by far the dominant demographic of game consumer; though historically this may have been true, it's not today, and the change is happening fast than most people realize. In fact, many gamers don't even want video games to be looked at as a storytelling tool; they are quite happy with their delightful hobby and just want to play games as games--for fun.

Zaeed doesn't like it when Cmdr. Shepard forgets to italicize Mass Effect.

As I discussed last week, the growing split in game design (and consumption) does not mean that either side is "right" and the other needs to go away. They can both very easily co-exist, but as a whole, it's time for the general public to start paying more respect to the game medium as a true storytelling medium. But for everyone else to respect games, gamers themselves must respect games. And that's where semantics come in. First and foremost, when writing about games, the title must be placed in italics. You'll notice that The Paradigm-Shifting Blog has adopted this practice long ago, and for good reason: in the English language, you are supposed to italicize the titles of full bodies of work. Like a book (duh). Also, a movie. A newspaper. A music album. A television series. A video game. As you likely noticed, a "full body of work" does not necessarily mean "a piece of media with a long story." Game titles need to be capitalized. Period. If we gamers cannot respect our craft with such a simply concept as recognizing them as someone's (or some group's) complete body of work, then why should anyone else? No more Mass Effect, Uncharted, or even Super Meat Boy. It's Mass Effect, Uncharted, and Super Meat Boy.

There was a time when the only objective was to "go right
and you win," but not anymore.

Okay, so maybe italicization is not so much "semantics" as it is a lesson in proper grammar, but the idea is the same. It's part of an overall concept of separating video games from toys. Even if the medium originated that way, it has grown into a full-fledged entertainment outlet. In the old days, the entire point of playing a game was to provide an artificial challenge for the player to overcome. There was no story progression or character development. That was it. "Beat" the game. Except we still use that word. My roommate ran down to my room last week to tell me that he "beat" Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. What he really meant to say was that he finished it. What did he beat? What challenging algorithm did he have to outsmart? What patterns did he need to recognize and execute to perfection? Of course, some gamers still play "story" games--including Assassin's Creed--for that same sense of overcoming an explicitly designed challenge. This is why most games still provide varying levels of a "hard mode", where the point is for you to be better than the computer. You bested them. So in that sense, yes, you can still "beat" a hard mode, or if you are playing a game solely for the challenge, you can "beat" it by doing everything you've been tasked to do. But, if you are playing the game not only for the fun factor, but also to experience this incredible story (which is the reason most people have for playing games like Assassin's Creed) then you're not "beating" anything; you're finishing the story. This idea is very small and may seem unimportant, but it is part of the overall idea of separating video games from toys and grouping them in their proper place as an informational medium.

Another example of poor word choice is the prevalent use of the term "franchise." Now, publishers often use the term "franchise" quite accurately with their hopes and wishes for their game brand. Halo, for example, is very much a franchise, having games developed by different developers, a toy line, an anime series, a long-gestating film project...you get the picture. "Franchise" refers to the big-picture money-maker of the overall brand. But lets take a different angle on this. Obviously, Star Wars can easily be considered its own franchise. But within that gargantuan franchise lies the core of it all: the "series" of Star Wars movies. They exist in the same medium and tell (for all intents and purposes) the same story. They are direct sequels/prequels of each other. They have self-contained story arcs and ones that play out over whole trilogies (or two!). I bring this up because many game developers, writers, and analysts often refer to their series as a franchise when the two terms are not interchangeable. As with Halo, it definitely applies in some cases--and perhaps many of these developers truly wish for their baby to actually become a true franchise. But when referring to a specific series of games, it really devalues them from an artistic perspective tolabel them a "franchise"; doing this is like saying that this game is being made for the sole purpose of making money. Like a toy. And, frankly, like how some games in this business are made (Call of Duty says hi). Obviously, all developers hope to make money off their work. But referring to the Uncharted series as a "franchise" severely devalues the work of developer Naughty Dog in pushing the limits of game design, narratively and otherwise.

Nathan Drake's adventures are about a lot more than just filling the bank.

So, I task you with being aware of these important distinctions when you are reading, writing, or talking about games. These are far from the only examples and if I truly wanted to write about every last one of them, I could probably fill a book. But you don't need to read a book to get to the central idea behind this article. Games are not toys anymore. In many ways, video games are a lot more than the traditional definition of a "game"--perhaps the most striking semantical violation of all. I've long considered "video game" to be a somewhat antiquated term when referring to this interactive medium that I've come to love and respect so much. Right now "video game" is really the only term we've got... but it's about as relevant as describing a movie/film as a "motion picture" (after all, movies are a lot more than simply a moving image nowadays). With that thought, I'll leave you, the reader, to engage in a collective brainstorming over what we should really call the interactive medium long referred to as "video games." What's the best you've got? Post your ideas in the comments.

The Growing Dichotomy of Game Design

There is something happening in the industry of video games. It has been a fissure that has been growing steadily wider the past decade or so and will only continue to widen further in the future. The change it brings has ramifications for fundamental design, for the way games will be sold and marketed, and even for the way they are played. It boils down to the central philosophy driving the game's creation. And, in layman's terms, this dichotomy can be boiled down to two things: is the game focused on story or play mechanics?

The heights of realistic graphical and audio quality that today's consoles are capable of has enabled story and narrative to take a more central role in many of today's games. However, certain game genres--for example, puzzle, fighting, and racing games--are built entirely around the "fun" of their mechanics and any story is usually superfluous and unimportant (or even nonexistent). On the other side of the coin, you have games that are starting to rival Hollywood movies in story quality, production value, and creative talent like Mass Effect, Heavy Rain, and Uncharted. While these games take varying lengths of steps toward being "more movie-like", they all retain the common denominator that the medium's intrinsic interactive qualities are integral to the way the story is experienced. That is to say, the fact that you, the player, are directly impacting the story is a key differentiator between movies and games and is still a defining aspect of these "story-focused" games; the difference is, it's not the only defining aspect.

Heavy Rain's revolutionary control scheme brings a new dimension to interacting with the game's story.

In fact, play mechanics are just as important to "story" games as "mechanic" games. As Epic Game's lead designer Cliff Bleszinski just so happened to say today on Twitter,

"If you have a great game with a bad story you still have a great game. If you have a bad game with a great story you still have a bad game. [But] if you have a great game with a great story then you have a classic."

To understand this, you must recognize that the emergence of story as a central element in many modern games is a relatively new phenomenon since in the old days story was very much an afterthought and what always came first were the mechanics. Furthermore, the thing that makes a game a game is the fact that interactivity is central to the experience...and interactivity is achieved via play mechanics. That being said, the few developers that have dipped their toes in the vast ocean of great narratives have opened whole new doors of possibilities.

The added dimension of interactivity means games are capable of stories that no other medium is, and by combining great game design on a mechanics level with the high quality narrative, characterization, and production values of movies, the door is open for fantastic new experiences to emerge. Games like BioShock have already played with the notion of interactivity as a central element to the game's story. Games like Mass Effect give your individual decisions a ripple effect that shows ramifications through the entire game's world--or multiple games' worlds--and affects your path through the story and the way other characters react to you. Games like Uncharted are more exciting than any summer blockbuster at the movie theaters because of the fact you are participating in the action, while witty writing and strong voice acting bring the story to a more personal level.

The way you've acted as Commander Shepard decides whether or not Wrex lives in Mass Effect.

But not all games strive for these goals--and not all need to. There is room in the market for games that merely want to do what games were originally designed to do without all this fancy schmancy new age story business. Fighting games in particular excel at using the idiosyncratic fighting mechanics to drive competitiveness in the players. Racing games center themselves around two simple things: driving cars really fast and being the first one to the finish line. These games don't need canonical explanations; they simply need to be fun. And that's just fine. Even some games that do have stories, like the Call of Duty series, are not necessarily trying to push the envelope of interactive storytelling, and are arguably designed with a gameplay-is-the-only-important-thing philosophy--not that you can blame them given the fact that the multiplayer (arguably a separate "mechanics" game) is so important to their sales.

SoulCalibur IV doesn't need a story to be really fun.

This is the divergence we are seeing in game design today. Some games are simply going to try to push the fun factor of what games can do. Some games are going to push the artistic envelope of what ways they can use interactivity to tell an engaging story. Similarly, when gamers want to play a certain game, they'll often do it because a) they love its mechanics or b) they love its story. It's not a matter of one design philosophy "winning" over another, it's about the way they coexist and feed off each other. Mass Effect 2 is a great example, learning from the cover-based gunplay of Gears of War to make playing through its story more fun whilst still retaining its focus on story and character development. The emergence of truly great game narrative and a push to take artistic advantage of games' interaction does not mean that "fun" games will go away. What it does mean is that games don't necessarily have to be fun, whimsical distractions, and can instead provide an artistic canvas for exploring higher level questions, such as the illusion of free will (BioShock) or the ethics of cloning (Mass Effect).

Mass Effect 2 combines its great narrative with Gears of War's fun cover system.

What do you think of this growing dichotomy of game design? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Spotlight: Mass Effect 2 Wins IGN GotY in Style

Normally I'd rather be promoting my own Game of the Year Awards than someone else's, but IGN outdid themselves this year in announcing their winner for 2010 Overall Game of the Year. Of course, they nailed it on the head by picking the year's true standout in Mass Effect 2, but merely telling you who won the award was not enough for the imaginative folks in the IGN offices. Check out the award video they put together below, it's worth a few laughs:

More IGN Originals Video Videos

11 Games to Watch in 2011

We may already be 2 weeks into the new year, but the new year of games is only just beginning. You've read about the best games from last year, now take a look at what--at least right now--look like the best games going into this year. Of course, a LOT can change with any of these games, including slipping out of 2011 altogether. Also, there is at least one new platform launching this year in Nintendo's 3DS... but we will probably see the PSP's successor sometime this year as well. Furthermore, games for Apple's iOS (and often their Android ports) typically don't get announced until a week or two before they hit the App Store. Even on the console front, many of the big publishers will reveal new 2011 titles between now and E3 in June. With all that being said, however, here are 11 games that you need to keep an eye on in 2011.

11. XCOM developed by 2K Marin // published by 2K Games
Xbox 360, PC~~~Release TBA 2011


XCOM is one of the most beloved franchises in game design, composed of turned-based tactical action on the PC in the 1990s. 2K Marin's reboot is nothing like those games, but features similar themes while re-imagining the game as a first-person shooter in the BioShock mold. 2K Marin's first game was the surprisingly good BioShock 2, with which the studio proved it could handle an established franchise and add to it. The game was shown off at E3 2010 but has remained mostly dormant since; however, from what we have seen, it looks like 2K Marin is looking to evoke a similar sense of conspiracy and eeriness as what made BioShock so memorable.

E3 2010 Trailer

10. PORTAL 2 developed by Valve // published by Valve & EA Partners
Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, Mac~~~Releases April 21, 2011

Valve's breakout puzzler from the 2007 The Orange Box compilation is getting upgraded to a full-fledged retail title for its sequel. Don't think that Valve is selling you short though; the mind-bending puzzler with witty writing is going all out this time, both back inside the Aperture Science facilities and outside in a jungle-looking environment. GlaDoS is back as the antagonist as well, meaning laughs are sure to follow around every turn. On top of the lengthy new single-player adventure, Valve has also developed an entirely separate (but just as meaty) co-op tale starring two Aperture Science test robots. If you don't know what all the fuss is about, go check out the original Portal for cheap on Steam or Xbox Live right now. Few games can claim such an entertaining combination of charm and humor while also making you think.

IGN Video Preview

9. STAR WARS: THE OLD REPUBLIC developed by BioWare // published by Electronic Arts
PC~~~~Release TBA 2011

Look familiar? That's because this game also appeared on last year's list... before it slipped into a 2011 release. The game looks on track to hit sometime in the middle of the year though, and all the things we said last year only ring even more true now. First and foremost, this is a BioWare game, which guarantees a certain level of quality. It's also Star Wars, and in the Knights of the Old Republic part of the timeline (some 1000 years before the movies when Sith and Jedi are both still prevalent). Each class looks diversified enough and interesting enough to stand on its own, and most importantly, BioWare is attempting to infuse an important sense of story progression into the highly-personalized (per class) missions that bring a level of detail usually associated with single-player campaigns, not MMOs. This might be the strongest contender yet to World of Warcraft's MMO crown.

The Old Republic Action Trailer

8. GEARS OF WAR 3 developed by Epic Games // published by Microsoft Game Studios
Xbox 360~~~Releases Fall 2011

Originally set for an April release date, Microsoft instead pushed it back to anchor its pivotal holiday lineup. The extra 6 months of development is on top of what was already 6 extra months compared to the development time on Gears of War 2. A talented studio like Epic will not let all that extra time go to waste, and considering how good the first two entries in the franchise were, one can only imagine what Epic will be bringing to the third. For the story, the humans are even more desperate than last time now that their last city has been sunk, and they are scattered in small pockets with even women and children bearing arms. Meanwhile, a third "army" called the Lambent (mutated Locust) is now in the fold, promising some thrilling 3-way firefights. On top of that, Epic is looking to beef up an already wildly-popular multiplayer suite.

Interview with Lead Designer Cliff Bleszinski

7. BULLETSTORM developed by People Can Fly & Epic Games // published by Electronic Arts
Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC~~~Releases February 22, 2011

Epic's other game coming out this year is a brand new IP from their recent acquisition People Can Fly. The game is billed as a "shooter with style" and takes place on some alien planet. Unlike Gears, it is shooter in the first-person perspective, but your arsenal is made up of all sorts of ridiculous concoctions like quadruple-barreled shotguns. On top of that you get a lasso-esque whip and the ability to kick enemies backward, both of which are encouraged to be used in combination with various weapons to create some memorable results. You get extra points for style and from what we've seen it looks like you'll be getting some good laughs along the ride. At the very least its a very interesting take on the genre, and we'll find out just how good it is in February.

IGN Video Preview

6. DEUS EX: HUMAN REVOLUTION developed by Eidos Montreal // published by Square Enix
Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC~~~Release Q2 2011

Human Revolution is a prequel to the original groundbreaking Deus Ex, which was one of the first shooters to incorporate aspects of other genres. Puzzle solving and RPG character building are just as important to Deus Ex as the shooting, and Human Revolution adds in other augmented abilities (you play as a cyborg) that spice up the action even further. Visually, the game resembles a kind of mash-up between Blade Runner and Perfect Dark as it oozes heavy themes amid its dark, in-the-future-but-not-too-distant sci-fi setting. Putting it all together is a story of mystery and conspiracy that promises to keep the player enthralled throughout. We'll see if Eidos Montreal delivers on this promise later this year.

IGN Video Preview

5. THE ELDER SCROLLS V: SKYRIM developed and published by Bethesda
Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC~~~Releases November 11, 2011

After a fantastic trip to the Capital Wasteland in Fallout 3, Bethesda is going back to their signature franchise in The Elder Scrolls. Skyrim follows up 2006's Oblivion and takes place in the northern region of the continent Tamriel, called--you guessed it--Skyrim. Little is known about the game so far, but given Bethesda's track record (especially under director Todd Howard) there is little reason to doubt the draw of this game. What is known is that the events of Oblivion have caused the return of a legendary dragon that has ravaged the mountainous, snow-covered land of Skyrim, which is populated by a people called the Norse. Furthermore, according to the dragons' lore, they fear a human who in their language is called "Dragonborn"... who just so happens to be your character.

Debut Teaser

4. UNCHARTED 3: DRAKE'S DECEPTION developed by Naughty Dog // published by Sony CEA
PlayStation 3~~~Releases November 1, 2011

Naughty Dog made their name with the Jak and Daxter series on PS2 before making their current generation debut with the fun-but-flawed Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. Then, in 2009, the studio released a follow up in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, which wowed anyone who got to play it. More of the same is expected in this third installment, which takes Indiana Jones/Lara Croft-like protagonist Nathan Drake to the Arabian Desert in search of the mythical Atlantis of the Sands. Among Thieves was one of the best examples of how to combine a great narrative with engaging gameplay and wrap it in a polished cinematic presentation. Here's hoping Drake's Deception ups the ante even further.

First Gameplay Footage

3. BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY developed by Rocksteady Studios // published by Warner Bros. Interactive
Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC~~~Releases Fall 2011

The sequel to the game that beat out Uncharted 2 for the 2009 PSB Game of the Year is developer Rocksteady's follow up. Something's happened on Arkham Island and new mayor Warren Sharp (the Arkham warden in the last game) has relocated the inmates to a closed off section of Gotham. Confirmed Bat-cameos include the Joker, Harley Quinn, Two-Face, and Catwoman, but the villainous headliner is none other than Dr. Hugo Strange, who in the comics deduces Batman's alter ego and threatens to sell the identity to the highest bidder. It'll be interesting to see how all these personalities are juggled, and if Rocksteady can maintain the outstanding pacing in a game that is reportedly four times the size of its predecessor. Arkham Asylum was great, but this fall we'll find out if Rocksteady is truly an elite studio or merely a one-hit wonder.

VGA Reveal Trailer

2. L.A. NOIRE developed by Team Bondi // published by Rockstar Games
Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC~~~Releases Q2 2011

L.A. Noire is a landmark on many fronts. It's the latest game from acclaimed company Rockstar, best known for Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption. Unlike those games, L.A. Noire puts you on the law's side in a recreation of 1940s Los Angeles. Shady killings, gangsters, and police corruption are prevalent, so the detective aspect of the game actually takes the forefront from any gunplay you'll be doing. Team Bondi has also utilized some state-of-the-art face-scanning technology and put it to use with real Hollywood actors...a feature that not only gives the game a striking sense of realism, but is actually incorporated into the gameplay as you'll have to pick up on physical cues and decide if a suspect is lying. The premise is incredibly intriguing, now all that remains to be seen is whether Team Bondi and Rockstar can succesfully balance the difficulty of this player-based detective work (after all, there's a reason most players aren't actually homicide detectives).

2010 "Debut" Trailer

1. MASS EFFECT 3 developed by BioWare // published by Electronic Arts
Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC~~~Releases Fall 2011

Given the series' pedigree, it should come as no surprise that the final installment in BioWare's carefully orchestrated and pre-planned trilogy lands at #1 on this list. Everything you've done so far in the first two games comes down to this. The Reapers have somehow found their way to Earth and are assaulting humanity's homeworld (how the hell did these guys do this after I already foiled their plan twice??). Now its up to the galaxy's greatest hero, Commander Shepard, to rally the divided civilizations together for their defining moment. We saw how well BioWare was able to refine the original Mass Effect into Mass Effect 2, and only our future selves know what tweaks will be in store for the finale. BioWare and EA have promised that the franchise will likely continue past this installment, but as far as the main, three-part story arc of Commander Shepard...well, this is it. That's all there really is to say since--either than our own guesswork--all we have to go on at this point is the trailer below:

2010 PSB Game of the Year Awards

Another year gone by and another pile of great additions to the shelf of all-time classics. As this generation of consoles reaches its 5th year on the market, the combatants still show remarkable momentum and no signs of slowing down, especially with plenty of room for price drops and two big new peripherals--Kinect for Xbox 360 and Move for PlayStation 3--entering the fold. Before we peek into the exciting year ahead of us, let's reflect back on what was a great year of gaming from start to finish.

GAME OF THE YEAR
MASS EFFECT 2 // BioWare
Despite being one of the first games to be released in 2010, BioWare's space epic's dark second act stood tall against stiff competition throughout the year--and now stands as arguably the best game of all time (so far). There are countless reasons why Mass Effect 2 deserves such an honor, so many that it'd be near impossible to name them all here. The game simply must be played. Better yet, the game simply must be played with a character who you as a player has personally taken through the events of Mass Effect 1. That's because Mass Effect 2 is the first true direct sequel to a video game; it is the first to take actions and choices that you personally made and applies them to change the game you're playing now--and saves some for yet another that you'll be playing in the future. You take one Commander Shepard--your Commander Shepard--from one chapter of the saga straight into the next without missing a beat. Delivering on this promise is probably the greatest of Mass Effect 2's lasting legacies, and it's a concept that's already spreading (Fable III accounted for some world changes based on Fable II saves). On the other end of that, it is actually possible for your Shepard to die--permanently--at the end of Mass Effect 2. The basic mechanics of the first game are back, but refined in every way. Combat is more fluid and simply more fun, feeling a lot closer to a Gears of War. The cumbersome inventory system was replaced completely by streamlined customization and loadouts. The leveling mechanic was simplified to emphasize the different abilities of each squad member. The graphics have been improved to a silky smooth rate and are heavily detailed to a point that they are used for all of the cutscenes. And at the center of those cutscenes, which are heavy in character interaction, is the same innovative conversation wheel, but now certain moments allow you to interrupt the talking with a Paragon or Renegade action--provided you've gone far enough in either of those directions. The conversations themselves are also improved, taking a lot of cinematography techniques from Hollywood and applying them so that conversations seem less static and mechanical and instead more natural.

And I'm just getting started. Mass Effect 2 features some of the best voice acting in the business, and, as you've read below, has one of the best video game soundtracks ever. The theme of choice is prevalent in everything you do, including choosing what order to tackle missions or whether to do them at all--except at pivotal moments when you are forced to confront the Collectors. The fact that you must do these whether or not you want to adds to the sense of urgency and tension of the missions. The choices you've brought over from Mass Effect 1 are everywhere, big and small, and the world truly feels like something you've affected. The narrative and the overall fleshed-out universe behind it is incredibly detailed and intelligent, having scientific reasoning supporting it and possessing references to various sociological problems we have today--but all the while, it never calls these out by itself, and instead just lets it be there in a natural state where the player can interpret the meaning for themselves (or ignore them altogether). The other characters that populate your squad and the rest of the world are also astoundingly fleshed out with incredible personal stories. It is obvious that so much passionate work has poured into this story and this universe. Mass Effect 2 is the greatest example from top to bottom of the game industry's potential to tell a compelling narrative while using the medium's unique interactive qualities to enhance it. By the time you get through its heart-pounding conclusion--which itself has its own qualities to be praised of--you're left salivating for the final act in Mass Effect 3 and excited to see how two games' worth of choices ultimately coincide for a thrilling finale. Because Mass Effect 2 does all this--and so much more--it is the 2010 Game of the Year.


honorable mentions: Red Dead Redemption, Heavy Rain, Alan Wake, Limbo

STUDIO OF THE YEAR
BIOWARE
2010 was a banner year for the studio run by the AIAS Hall-of-Fame "Doctors". They started off the year with a bang, launching Mass Effect 2 in January...a game that would turn out to be the yardstick by which all Game of the Year contenders were measured from there on out. They continued support of their 2009 hit Dragon Age: Origins with a steady stream of downloadable content... and simultaneously kept players engaged in the Mass Effect story with its own stream of DLC on top of in-game daily "news" updates. They revived their heralded Knights of the Old Republic series by showing off Star Wars: The Old Republic, their first MMO and the first such game to bring a level of detailed storytelling usually reserved for tightly-orchestrated single player adventures--something that, with the Star Wars license, has some critics saying this game has a legitimate shot of going after World of Warcraft. They even developed a Dragon Age sequel that will be dropping in early 2011, before The Old Republic takes PCs by storm in the middle of the year and Mass Effect 3 closes the epic trilogy in the fall. Most of all, through everything listed above on top of their critically-acclaimed pedigree and all they've been able to accomplish and everything they have going for them in 2011, BioWare has cemented itself as one of the premier studios in the industry--and, arguably, the best of them all.

honorable mentions: Quantic Dream, Remedy, Rockstar San Diego

BEST EXPANSION/ADD-ON
"LAIR OF THE SHADOW BROKER" (Mass Effect 2)
Downloadable Content has become a staple of this generation of games--and so has empty promises to provide it. The original Mass Effect was one such empty promise, and many had doubts whether BioWare would come through on recent promises to bridge the second and third installments on the trilogy via DLC. Well, let's just say nobody doubts them now. After a solid first effort with "Stolen Memory" and an excellent, thought-provoking follow-up in "Overlord", BioWare came back with its best downloadable effort yet. "Shadow Broker" is the first DLC to take place after the main storyline of Mass Effect 2. It reunites Commander Shepard with a major party member from the original game, continues a love story with said character (provided your a love story exists for your Shepard), solves a major mystery in the story's universe in the identity of the Shadow Broker, provides some new twists to gameplay, and refines what's already there, most notably the interruptable cutscenes. Hell, there's even an awesome car chase sequence that's as cool as the scene in Attack of the Clones should have been. "Shadow Broker" is a meaty, fast-paced tale that executes on all fronts and is one of the best examples of how to create compelling DLC for a successful game. Even better for the Mass Effect lovers out there, it continues in the series mold by introducing choices that will have major ramifications in the final act.

honorable mentions: "Minerva's Den" (BioShock 2), "Undead Nightmare" (Red Dead Redemption), "Overlord" (Mass Effect 2)

BEST DOWNLOADABLE GAME
LIMBO
This indie-darling-turned-Xbox-Live-Arcade-centerpiece was one of the great games of 2010--period. Despite being a $10 download, Limbo is one of the best examples of interactive media as an art form ever created. At first glance, the game seems deceptively simple: it's 2D, there's no color, no music, and the controls are comprised of two buttons and a joystick. That's it. But it is exactly that simplicity that makes Limbo so special. There is such a low barrier of entry that the game allows the player to fully become engulfed by the experience of it. At its heart, Limbo is a 2D puzzle-platformer. But the way it delivers that mold and the way it encourages you into trying anything you can think of makes for a truly mesmerizing game. The trial-and-error design is normally a recipe for headaches, but developer PlayDead designed the game in a way that checkpoints are frequent and automatic, and you never get frustrated by having to do something complicated all over again. It's hard--impossibly, really--to describe Limbo in a short paragraph; it simply needs to be experienced.

honorable mentions: Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, Shank, RISK: Factions

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
MASS EFFECT 2
There is something special to be said about a truly great musical score. A good score infuses such an elevated sense of emotion--sometimes subtly--into what our eyes are already seeing that it takes those special moments to a whole different level. Jack Wall's for Mass Effect 2 was exactly that despite not only the inherent challenge of creating musical company for a player that dictates what happens, but also for the sheer variety of settings in BioWare's game. Wall evokes Shepard's heart-throbbing excitement at the new Normandy, the hypnotizing futurism aboard the ship, the raucus techno inside one of the galaxy's biggest dance clubs, the romantic tension of two lovers staring at their doom, and most importantly, the pure desperation of Shepard & Co. as they try to solve the secrets of the seemingly indomitable Collectors. Wall ties it all together with a couple staple tracks that are appropriately epic for a sci-fi tale of this magnitude.

honorable mentions: Red Dead Redemption, Halo: Reach, Super Mario Galaxy 2

BEST ACTING PERFORMANCE
ROB WEITHOFF as JOHN MARSTON (Red Dead Redemption)
2010 was one of the best years to date when it comes to digital acting performances in games, and no doubt the quality of these performances will only continue to rise. Among the great crop this year, Rob Weithoff's John Marston stood out as a shining figurehead. Weithoff took an excellently-written character and brought him to full life in Rockstar's epic Western, absolutely nailing the accent and idiosyncratic behaviors that define the renegade-turned-family man we all grew to love. No matter how you play Red Dead, Weithoff provides an anchor for the kind of man that John Marston is, and he keeps you deeply invested in this man's story to the very end.

honorable mentions: Martin Sheen as The Illusive Man (Mass Effect 2), Matthew Porretta as Alan Wake (Alan Wake), Yvonne Strahovski as Miranda Lawson (Mass Effect 2)

BEST SCIENCE FICTION GAME
MASS EFFECT 2
Developers love to set their games in the future, but few can capture the full magic of the genre in a way that rivals cinematic greats like Star Wars--something that BioWare has absolutely done so far with its Mass Effect trilogy. The distant-future tale has you commanding a ship and a ground team as you run all over the galaxy recruiting the best of the best to take out a mysterious threat. Like any great sci-fi story, Mass Effect uses its distant setting to provide subtle commentary on issues we deal with today, through its character-focused mini-serials to its overarching racial tension and social structure that is much-criticized by more minor characters. The weapons suit does not disappoint either, and of course the Force-like biotic powers add another element of futurism. Perhaps the most impressive thing is how meticulously and rationally BioWare's writers have accounted for everything in the universe, and it's this grounded and explained realism that truly adds a unique weight to the setting. Even the DLC expansions likewise do an excellent job of tackling whole new science-fiction issues within the Mass Effect context.

honorable mentions: Halo: Reach, StarCraft II, Fallout: New Vegas

BEST HISTORICAL FICTION GAME
RED DEAD REDEMPTION
Rockstar San Diego did something truly magical this summer: they successfully captured the spirit of the Old West in a video game. Redemption had just about everything you could ask for, from train robberies to Mexican shootouts and everything in between--and then some. The open world formula that Rockstar perfected with its Grand Theft Auto series shines like never before in this wide-open adventure that will have you galloping up and down the wild countryside between scattered towns and outposts. The lawlessness of the West also comes through well, and although you play a character with good intentions at heart, you can be as sly and dirty as you want to be, be it by cheating at poker or ending a dispute with a bullet. And then there's the incredible cast of lively characters, headlined by the cowboy  protagonist John Marsten, all of whom have been written wonderfully with unique personalities and motivations. An excellent (albeit somewhat dragged-on at parts) plot that fully captures its Western themes brings Redemption home as one of the great history-based stories.

honorable mentions: Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, Call of Duty: Black Ops

BEST FANTASY GAME
DARKSIDERS
Vigil Games' debut effort is a spin on the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse that evokes equal parts God of War, The Legend of Zelda, and a sort of gothic-comic art design. The game deserves praise for both its fresh approach to setting while channeling two of the best franchises in the history of games, which combined create an engaging (albeit slightly flawed) experience that will no doubt improve in the upcoming sequel. The real star of the game was the stylistic art and character design, which is not surprising considering the game was headed by comic book artist Joe Madureira. A couple tweaks on combat design could have made Darksiders one of the true gems of the year, but it still stands out as this year's Best Fantasy Game.

honorable mentions: Bayonetta, Fable III, Final Fantasy XIII

BEST HORROR GAME
ALAN WAKE
Pickings were somewhat slim for horror fans this year as most "horror" games to come out in 2010 were not really scary, but more tongue-in-cheek efforts like Dead Rising 2 and Red Dead Redemption's "Undead Nightmare" expansion. That being said, Alan Wake stood out as one of the best--and freshest--horror games of the whole console generation. The game invokes a constant sense of dread at night as the "darkness" envelopes and takes control of everything around you, twisting it into some demented possessed being. The folks at Remedy successfully designed an action-based horror title by heavily involving the use of light and guns into the combat without artificial limitations like scarce ammo. The narrative particularly stands out as a multi-layered mystery that keeps you on edge and guessing while you eerily find clues of what's to come--and what has passed. This game is a unique experience from the top-down and delivers for horror and action fans alike.

honorable mention: Limbo

BEST PLATFORMER
SUPER MARIO GALAXY 2
Nintendo brought back their go-to man for a second tour of duty around planetary platform puzzling, and the results were nothing short of what you'd expect from a main-line Mario game. The second Galaxy improves upon the first (already phenomenal) game while bringing a whole ton of new flavor, most notably everybody's favorite dinosaur sidekick, Yoshi. The brilliance of Nintendo and head honcho Miyamoto-san are well-documented and Galaxy 2 is no exception, having become of the best-reviewed games of all time. The magic of Mario is still there, and better than ever, and if I have to tell you anymore than that then you need to go pick up this game right now.

honorable mentions: Donkey Kong Country Returns, Epic Mickey, Mirror's Edge (iOS)

BEST DRIVING GAME
NEED FOR SPEED: HOT PURSUIT
Developer Criterion Games--best known for their acclaimed Burnout series--did something truly spectacular this year: they made Need for Speed relevant again. Perhaps that's not entirely fair given last year's successful Shift, but at least in terms of the arcade line of Need for Speeds, Criterion's debut completely revitalized the series by bringing back the fan-favorite Hot Pursuit sub-series and modernizing it for the new generation while adding a lot of elements that made Burnout so fun. The game is flat-out gorgeous and channels the high-speed intensity of Burnout Paradise, but with the added layer of a well-integrated cop chase element. Criterion took full advantage of their first opportunity to use license cars with a bevy of high-speed gems and even licensed cars for the mundane civilian traffic. Finally, the Autolog--a kind of social network meets constantly updating leaderboards--pulls the whole package together to drive that competitive spirit in every gamer, even while playing alone. In a year of many arcade racers, Hot Pursuit stood out.

honorable mentions: Blur, ModNation Racers, Split/Second

BEST ORIGINAL GAME
ALAN WAKE
Remedy's long-gestating "Psychological Action Thriller"--which had first been announced at E3 2005--finally made its way to the market this year...and then it hit a wall coming out the same day as mass-market friendly Red Dead Redemption. Don't let lower than could-have-been sales figures fool you; this is one of the best games to come out in 2010 (as is its same-day release brother). Alan Wake is truly a one-of-a-kind experience, melding together in perfect harmony action-based gameplay and a tightly-written and engaging story, the combination of which keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout. The game scares you not with artificial limitations like scarce ammo, but rather with an enthralling atmosphere and a pervading sense that you are surrounded by the unknown. Remedy does a fantastic job of tapping into that childhood fear of darkness, and a couple added gameplay elements--most notably the fantastic use of light as both a weapon and puzzle tool--combine for a game that truly shines as an example of what can be done when the interactivity of story and gameplay merge so gracefully.

honorable mentions: Heavy Rain, Limbo, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West

BEST ADAPTATION
TRANSFORMERS: WAR FOR CYBERTRON
First off, let me clarify that this award is for a video game adapted from a medium other than video games. Often times movie-based games are derided for rushed and lackluster quality (often rightly so) but movies are not the sole source material for game adaptations. Case in point: War for Cybertron is based on the revered cartoon and comic series, rather than the recent Michael Bay popcorn flicks that have inspired the recent poor Transformers games. San Diego-based High Moon Studios brought to life a world set amidst a conflict before these giant robots came to Earth, and the result is by far the best Transformers game ever made, a thing of many of our childhood dreams. From an appropriately action-packed summer-blockbuster-style campaign to a suprisingly deep and engaging multiplayer suite, High Moon executed with much praise and cheers from the fanbase, creating a new benchmark for future entries in the beloved series.

honorable mentions: Risk: Factions, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Spiderman: Shattered Dimensions

BEST COMPETITIVE MULTIPLAYER
STARCRAFT II: WINGS OF LIBERTY
There's a reason Blizzard's original StarCraft was an RTS revered by its fans so much that even more than a decade after its released, it spawned a UC Berkeley class, 2 (two!) dedicated Korean TV channels, a canceled stealth-action spin-off, and the advent of e-sports terms like APM (actions per minute): the multiplayer was so thoroughly competitively balanced that it provided one of the truest yardsticks by which to measure the aptitude of a competitive RTS gamer. The long-awaited sequel arrived fulfilling all its astronomical expectations, and while its campaign/story is nothing to sneeze at, it's still the game's uber-balanced multiplayer suite that has captured the hearts--and free time--of countless gamers. Blizzard's gem has reinvigorated the PC platform unlike anything in recent memory and simultaneously provided a launchpad for the studios revamped Battle.net 2.0.

honorable mentions: Call of Duty: Black Ops, Halo: Reach, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit

BEST CO-OPERATIVE MULTIPLAYER
LARA CROFT AND THE GUARDIAN OF LIGHT
Developer Crystal Dynamics completely retooled their iconic Tomb Raider heroine for her downloadable debut, including a new perspective (isometric), new gameplay mechanics (twin stick controls), and even a new name (notice the explicit absence of the words "tomb" and "raider" in the game's title). All these changes proved to combine into a thoroughly enjoyable game, but there was one more ace the studio had up its sleeve that truly made Guardian of Light great: a human-controlled co-operative pal named Totec, armed with different abilities than Lara. While the game was entirely playable in single player, CD was wise to tweak the gameplay for the two modes. The addition of Totec in co-op provides some incredible puzzle and combat scenarios that require the two players to think creatively and work together, all the while keeping the action-packed essence of the source material.

honorable mentions: Splinter Cell: Conviction, Call of Duty: Black Ops, Halo: Reach

BEST CHARACTER
MORDIN SOLIS (Mass Effect 2)
Of all the colorful characters BioWare has created for Mass Effect 2's dynamic cast, the "scientist Salarian" Mordin Solis stands out even above his peers. He is equal parts intelligent and hilarious, and his character has a myriad of underlying wrinkles, from a dark past, a distinct-though-unique moral compass, and even some hidden singing talents--the latter of which forever cemented his place in the heart of gamers everywhere. He also proved to be a valuable member from a combat perspective, where he continues to charm gamers with his one-off quips on the battlefield. Finally, he single-handedly allows for in-game upgrades to various other characters, weapons, and the ship itself; what more can you really ask for out of such a wonderful character?

honorable mentions: John Marston (Red Dead Redemption), The Illusive Man (Mass Effect 2), Alan Wake (Alan Wake)

MOST VISUALLY IMPRESSIVE
GOD OF WAR III
Turns out, David Jaffe wasn't exaggerating when he said that Santa Monica Studio's latest entry in the blockbuster God of War saga was one of the best games he has ever seen. The game is simply stunning as is the true pinnacle of graphical design thusfar in the short history of video games. But it's not just the sheer beauty that impresses; it's the way it's all presented. The opening scene of the game in particular is one of the most mesmerizing bits of any piece of entertainment, particularly since you are in control of it the entire time. At the same time, the scene is expertly choreographed in a way that truly makes your jaw drop as you try to fully comprehend the details of everything happening on screen. There are so many moving pieces, yet you never feel lost or pushed to the background. All the while, the game maintains its sexiness throughout.

honorable mentions: Limbo, Red Dead Redemption, Halo: Reach

MOST ADDICTIVE GAME
GAME DEV STORY
Developer Kairosoft brought a wonderful idea to the iOS App Store this year: a simulation game about running your very own game development studio. The premise is simple, but the execution is outstanding. You begin with a low-budget start-up and grow your studio into an industry powerhouse while along the way managing talent, game direction, employees, finances, etc. The whole thing is wrapped into a charming package that includes humorous nods to real-world game development, such as console manufacturers named Intendro and Sonny, employees named Gilly Bates, and even a trade show called Gamedex that you can hire booth babes for, a la E3. Once you get a game or two under your belt you won't be able to put this game down, especially if you are a big fan of games to begin with.

honorable mentions: Cut the Rope, StarCraft II, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit

BEST THROWBACK DESIGN
DONKEY KONG COUNTRY RETURNS
Austin, Texas-based Retro Studios already wowed the world in 2002 when they revived another key Nintendo franchise with Metroid Prime. This year Nintendo tasked them to bring back the revered Donkey Kong Country from its SNES glory days (and also to help people forget about the existence of Donkey Kong 64). The final product is akin to what Nintendo itself accomplished a year ago with New Super Mario Bros. Wii--an old-school 2D platformer that channels the spirit of its predecessors while providing all-new graphics and gameplay hooks. If you are a Wii owner, this is not a game you want to miss.

honorable mentions: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Shank, Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Ep. 1

MOST INNOVATIVE GAME

HEAVY RAIN

Quantic Dreams' PS3-exclusive title is, in a word, peerless. It is simply a unique approach in today's market, a type of game that sits much closer to cinematic Hollywood films than early mechanic-heavy games like Super Mario Bros. Despite what from a glance may seem like a distancing from "traditional" game design, the variations in the games story based on each of your actions actually takes better advantage of the interactivity of the medium than most games could ever hope to manage. The revolutionary control scheme immerses you in the story and the protagonists' actions, forcing you to make split-second decisions in intuitive ways; failure to react can have adverse affects on the characters themselves as well as the overall plot. Simply put, Heavy Rain is a blueprint that will no doubt be mimicked in some capacity in many games to come.

honorable mentions: Dance Central, Infinity Blade, Rock Band 3

BEST TRAILER OR ADVERTISEMENT

"FIGHT FOR THE LOST" (Mass Effect 2)

This was BioWare and EA's final trailer before the release of Mass Effect 2 in January 2010. The GotY-candidate-to-be got a jump start of excitement with this absolutely phenomenal trailer that is on par with the best that come out of Hollywood. The way the images and dialogue are cut together, coupled with the fantastic track in the backgroud, set the stage for Commander Shepard's heart-pumping suicide mission. It's rare that a game trailer takes the cinematic angle, but even almost a year later, this "Fight for the Lost" still sends chills down my spine. Best of all, this is 100% in-game footage. (Actual trailer posted below, links provided for runners-up).

honorable mentions: "Deliver Hope" (Halo: Reach); "MJ's Greatest Moments" (NBA 2K11); "There's a Soldier in All of Us" (Call of Duty: Black Ops); "Go to Hell" (Dante's Inferno)

Check out this hilarious Mario/GTA mash-up

A friend sent this to me this morning. It's essentially a trailer for a would-be mature-themed, realistically-approached Mario game (or movie) made by YouTube user TheGameStation using what appears to be a mod of the Grand Theft Auto IV engine. Even if you think a gun-laden Mario is somewhat sacrilege, just check out the video (posted below). It's very well-made and put together and the creators do a good job of incorporating a lot of characters from the Mario universe in hilarious ways. I never thought I'd see Mario and Luigi as gangsters, but hey, everyone has their dark secrets.

Hiatus Almost Over!

Hey Folks!

As you probably noticed, The Paradigm-Shifting Blog has been pretty much entirely dormant the last four months (has it really been that long already?). Well, that's because our staff of 1 has been overseas doing some foreign studies in Madrid, Spain. But fear not, for the blog is alive and well! In fact, I have many big plans coming for the blog in 2011.

In the meantime, you can satisfy your game fix over at our friends at NerdsOnTheRocks.com, which I am set to become a correspondent on in the new year. If reading is not your thing, catch me banter about gaming on the site's Dual Wielding podcast, starting with Part I of the 2010 Game of the Year podcast (you can also subscribe via iTunes).

As 2011 approaches you can look forward to the return of an increasingly unique way of looking at and dissecting the great interactive medium of video games, starting, of course, with the upcoming PSB 2010 Game of the Year Awards. If you just can't wait, follow my random blurbs, game-related and otherwise, on Twitter @Darth_Raggy.

Happy Holidays!

-Jason

Spotlight: Superstars of the Gaming Industry

For those of you that don't know me on a personal basis, my ultimate career goal is to be a game designer that helps to push the industry forward with his products, both from the inside with innovative gaming ideas as well as the outside with fresh approaches to the business. Particularly in regards to the way games are pitched, approved, developed, and marketed, the industry has clung on to some seriously archaic practices--but that is a topic deserving its own in-depth article. Let's just say that one aspect of my strategy is changing the way games are promoted, and it starts with promoting the creators themselves. Many consumers don't understand the difference between a publisher and a developer, let alone the creative talent that serves as the driving force for our favorite games. Below I am presenting who I think are the biggest, most influential, and most successful creative minds our industry has today, names that gamers from casual moms and dads to hardcore enthusiasts should all know. These are obviously some of my biggest idols in the industry and increasing mass-market awareness of creative talent starts and ends with these people.

VINCE ZAMPELLA & JASON WEST-- let's start with two names you might have just heard because they've been in the news a lot this year. They are undoubtedly best known for founding and directing Infinity Ward, creators of the Call of Duty/Modern Warfare series, and following an ugly dispute with parent company Activision-Blizzard, have left to form an independent studio named Respawn Entertainment. Before Infinity Ward, they created the Medal of Honor franchise for Electronic Arts (who Respawn is again partnered with). They have attracted the eye of Hollywood agents and must be regarded as the mastermind architects of the first-person shooter action blockbuster.

CLIFF BLESZINSKI-- Probably one of the most recognizable names on this list simply because Microsoft has leveraged him as the face of Epic Games in press coverage of their Gears of War series. A long time employee of Epic and high-level designer for Unreal, he got his biggest break as lead designer of Gears of War, the first real "killer app" for the Xbox 360. Since then he has been involved in overseeing and promoting Epic's projects big and small, from the Gears and Unreal sequels to new projects like Chair Entertainment's Shadow Complex and People Can Fly's Bulletstorm.

SHIGERU MIYAMOTO-- widely-regarded as the grandfather of modern video games, he hit the scene creating the arcade hit Donkey Kong for Nintendo in the 80s, but his true claim to fame has been constructing just about all of Nintendo's massive stable of franchises, including Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Star Fox, Pikmin, Kirby, Wii Fit and many others; needless to say, it's quite obvious why you should know who he is. His understudy, EIJI AONUMA, is another important Nintendo designer, having taken point on every Zelda game since Majora's Mask on the Nintendo 64.

HIDEO KOJIMA-- Much like Miyamoto at Nintendo, Kojima-san has risen to deity-like status at Konami, where his brainchildren are the multiple PlayStation-selling games that make up the Metal Gear Solid series. Despite repeated Brett Favre-esque retirement claims, Kojima-san has maintained tight oversight and creative control over Metal Gear and his internal team at Kojima Productions. Konami values him so much that they put him in charge of their effort to revive Castlevania on consoles with this fall's Lords of Shadow.

WARREN SPECTOR-- another old name in the industry, Spector has long been at the forefront of pushing engaging, interactive storytelling. His resume includes a plethora of critically-acclaimed darlings, such as Ultima, System Shock, Thief, and Deus Ex. He is currently working on Epic Mickey, Disney Interactive's Wii-exclusive title coming this fall, and recently tweeted his desire to design a game based on Duck Tales.

PETER MOLYNEUX-- Molyneux made his name creating PC "god games" Populous and Black & White as creative head of Microsoft-owned, UK-based Lionhead Studios. He's also served as creative director of all the Fable titles, claiming during the development of the original that he wanted to create "the best RPG ever made." He's consistently been a great designer to interview as his passion for the medium always seems like it can hardly be contained--and making his PR handlers pretty nervous. Last year, Molyneux was promoted to the creative boss of all of Microsoft Game Studios' European branch, though he is still actively involved in the development of Lionhead's games, including this fall's Fable III.

MARTY O'DONNELL-- He's the only person on this list that's not directly involved with the big picture design of his games, but that doesn't mean he isn't equally important. He's known for his work on Bungie's Halo games as sound director and composer and his work is easily on the level of Hollywood legends like Hans Zimmer and maybe even John Williams. He is without a doubt the best in the business when it comes to audio production, and mark my words we've yet to see his best work, especially now that Bungie is moving on into uncharted territory after Halo: Reach.

Dr. RAY MUZYKA & Dr. GREG ZESCHUK-- "The Doctors", as they are often referred to, are founders of arguably the most talented game developer on the planet: BioWare. They went through med school together but after completing their degree decided they wanted to give a shot at exercising their creative muscles, so they founded BioWare with another of their med school buddies. Since then, they have cemented BioWare's reputation as the pre-eminent RPG house with Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Mass Effect, and Dragon Age. Their mission with their games has been to consistently push the medium forward and truly take advantage of the player interaction element inherent to the game medium. Their studio has fostered other talent, including CASEY HUDSON, who has served as creative director for the Mass Effect series.

SHINJI MIKAMI-- Mikami-san is probably the most under-appreciated of top tier Japanese game designers. While his exposure has increased as of late at his new studio, Platinum Games, he had formerly created a slew of masterpieces at Capcom and its now-closed subsidiary Clover. His more notable games include Resident Evils 0-4, Dino Crisis, Devil May Cry, Steel Battalion, Viewtiful Joe, Killer 7, Bayonetta, and the upcoming Vanquish. He is currently the head of aforementioned Platinum, a studio of former Clover developers that is one of the preeminent studios in Japan.

KEN LEVINE--the creative boss at Boston-based Irrational Games, Levine comes from the Warren Spector school of game design, having worked with him on Thief: The Dark Project. He has gone on to develop critical darlings such as Tribes, System Shock 2, Freedom Force, and most recently BioShock. Just last week, 3 years after BioShock's release, he unvieled Irrational's next project: the equally stunning and original BioShock Infinite.

TODD HOWARD-- he is the creative head of Bethesda Game Studios, known best for The Elder Scrolls series and most recently Fallout 3. His next title is shrouded in mystery, but much like Levine and Irrational before the Infinite announcement, that doesn't mean it isn't highly anticipated. Howard and his team at Bethesda have solidified themselves as cream of the crop when it comes to the open-world RPG as there let-you-do-anything-and-I-mean-anything approach has captured the imagination (and free time) of countless gamers.

AMY HENNIG-- she's the creative director at Naughty Dog and the only female on this list. At Naughty Dog, she's overseen the creation of PlayStation 2's standout series Jak and Daxter, while in the HD era she has lead development on PS3 blockbusters Uncharted: Drake's Fortune and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves...the latter regarded as one of the best games of this console generation when it comes to both story and gameplay, as well as the intertwining of the two.

DAVID CAGE-- Cage is the leader--creatively and otherwise--of French development studio Quantic Dream. If you've played any of their games (most notably Indigo Prophecy or Heavy Rain) then you know that their products represent an entirely different approach to game design, one that is rooted closer to cinema (with an interactive filter) than "traditional" games. In fact, it's hard to describe one of their games without actually playing it, but suffice to say that David Cage holds an increasingly ambitious vision for the future of the medium that comes through in his envelope-pushing creations.

Well there you have it: the biggest and brightest stars of today's development landscape. That's not to say that this is a comprehensive list, especially when it comes to gaming's history; the reality is that there are many, many people who have influenced the medium. If the above heavyweights have piqued your interest, perhaps you might be interested in looking up some of the biggest names of gaming's past, many of whom still have upcoming projects in the pipeline: Tim Schafer (Brutal Legend, Grim Fandango, Monkey Island, Psychonauts); Hironobu Sakaguchi (Final Fantasy, Chrono Trigger, Parasite Eve, Lost Odyssey); Tomonobu Itagaki (Dead or Alive, Ninja Gaiden); Yuji Naka (Sonic the Hedgehog, NiGHTS); Michel Ancel (Beyond Good & Evil, Rayman, King Kong); David Jaffe (Twisted Metal, God of War, Calling All Cars); Jordan Mechner (Prince of Persia); Will Wright (SimCity, The Sims, Spore); Sid Meier (Civilization).