Zoned In

Zoned In Writer's BlockGameZone Editorials are special features - Zoned In or Writer's Block - by your favorite GameZone journalists. Here they share their opinions on a variety of game related topics; covering everything from trends, favorite games, developments in gaming, personal gaming experiences, and more.

Check back often to see what they have to say about the Game Industry today.



 

Can publishers blame it on the boogie?
11/02/2009 10:05:00 AM
Currently, the publishers and developers of the popular music-based video games are at a standstill trying to plan the future.
My Favorite Scary Games and Movies
10/30/2009 09:54:00 AM
Here is a list of games and movies you may want to check out during the late hours on Halloween night.
What makes a great game?
10/23/2009 11:57:00 AM
There might be criteria for what makes a top-tier game, but the final verdict is in the hands of the gamer
Zoned In: A Look at Upcoming Games to Film Adaptations
09/04/2009 10:00:00 AM
With high-profile film adaptations of videogames on the horizon, could gamers finally be treated to a great one?
Zoned In: Where has the innovation gone?
08/27/2009 10:10:00 AM
RTS and turn-based gaming seems to be stuck in a rut but is that a bad thing?
Take 2: China’s ban on gold farming
07/09/2009 09:37:00 AM
Will this move by the Chinese government change the MMO landscape? Two writers weigh in.
Zoned In: Don’t shoot the game reviewer
07/02/2009 02:33:00 PM
While often thought of as a cool job, reviewing attracts its share of critics
Sequelitis
05/29/2009 10:27:00 AM
Sequel after sequel, our industry is degrading into an area of predictability
Badge of Honor
05/21/2009 09:14:00 AM
E3 ’09 gives honor to the E3 name.
Readers are the real winners during the upcoming E3
05/14/2009 03:08:00 PM
It’s chaos unleashed … or at least it could be
Zoned In: Happily Ever After: When Sequelitis Affects Games and their Endings
04/23/2009 10:00:00 AM
As franchises become more and more important to game publishers, are video game endings falling by the wayside?
Zoned In: The Graphics Obsession
04/16/2009 08:25:00 AM
We can blame our ancestors for our penchant to take looks over substanceWe can blame our ancestors for our penchant to take looks over substance
Zoned In: Counterpoint: Should developers be held to moral responsibility within their games?
04/09/2009 06:00:00 AM
A counter argument to Michael Lafferty’s suggestion that the gaming industry be held morally accountable for the content within their games.
Zoned In: Should developers be held to moral responsibility within their games?
04/02/2009 09:38:00 AM
Illicit content is being glamorized more and more but is it for good gaming content or just to be edgy and sell games?
Zoned In: Tough Cookies: Are video games too easy now?
03/25/2009 07:00:00 PM
One bitter, jaded gamer looks back at the tougher days of console gaming.
Zoned In: The selling of high-profile IPs
03/12/2009 11:01:00 AM
What will the Eidos sale to Square-Enix mean for franchises like Tomb Raider?
Video-games are not 'toys'
02/19/2009 05:22:00 PM
When it comes to inappropriate content in the hands of children, who is failing - retailers, parents or the ratings system?
Weathering the Storm: Videogames and the Economic Crunch
02/11/2009 12:25:00 PM
A look at what the video-game industry may do in the tough years to come.
THE END OF EGM
02/04/2009 10:19:00 AM
Electronic Gaming Monthly closes for good.
Zombies, zombies, zombies!!!!
10/31/2008 09:00:00 AM
GameZone's Mike David takes a chilling look at zombie games over the years.
Still Alive After All These Horrific Years: Silent Hill
10/29/2008 09:02:00 AM
We take a look at survival/horror’s two most enduring franchises.
Still Alive After All These Horrific Years: Resident Evil
10/29/2008 09:01:00 AM
We take a look at survival/horror’s two most enduring franchises.
Still Alive After All These Horrific Years
10/29/2008 09:00:00 AM
We take a look at survival/horror’s two most enduring franchises.
Horror through the Years: A Look at Some Pivotal Titles in the Horror Genre
10/27/2008 09:00:00 AM
From Texas Chainsaw Massacre to Dead Space, the Horror Genre has seen some change for the better over the decades.
E3 failed in more ways than it succeeded
07/23/2008 04:25:00 PM
Show is degenerating and lacking value
Feeding the Flames: Sex in Videogames
06/19/2008 12:25:00 PM
As the debate rages on, is sexual content in videogames really as big a problem as the media lets on?
Gamers are Spoiled
02/08/2008 08:09:00 AM
There is a little 'brat' in all of us
Devs may be out of touch with target audience when it comes to kids' games
01/11/2008 01:08:00 PM
Kids are much more proficient at gaming now than they were 10 years agoKids are much more proficient at gaming now than they were 10 years ago
Why The Game Industry Is Smarter Than Hollywood – And Must Stay That Way To Survive
12/13/2007 09:09:00 AM
Which do you think Hollywood cares about more: movies or light bulbs?
To sequel or not to sequel, that is the question
11/09/2007 10:17:00 AM
There are times when making a sequel diminishes the impact of the original story
Gaming cliches: Rounding up the usual suspects
10/19/2007 07:30:00 AM
Taking a look at some of the cliches that keep showing up in today’s games
Communities can make or break a game
09/28/2007 12:30:00 PM
There is a certain amount of responsibility in being a member of a game’s community – one that means helping others to enjoy the game
The rush to release hurts the industry more than it drives it
09/21/2007 12:30:00 PM
Economics drive release dates where pride in the product should be the determining factor
Sound in games has come a long way, but it still has a ways to go to be consistently good
09/14/2007 12:30:00 PM
When it is good, it can be blissfully ignored; when it is bad – you hunt for the remote and the mute button
A Boyfriend's Guide to Get Your Girl to Game
09/07/2007 02:30:00 PM
He games but she doesn't; can it work out for both of them? Yes, it can
Single-player versus multiplayer in game design
08/31/2007 02:30:00 PM
The journey should be the focus, not tacking on familiar multiplayer for replay value
The Delay Game
08/24/2007 10:45:00 AM
Let's spin the Wheel of Delays and see who we'll lose next
Personalizing the experience makes sports games more compelling
08/17/2007 10:45:00 AM
Having a namesake in the game puts name pride on the line and lures gamers deeper into the experience
To Swag or not to Swag: That is the question
07/20/2007 08:56:00 AM
Wanted – journalists who want to write about the industry, not just those interested in seeing how much free stuff they can get
The New Face of Casual Games
06/29/2007 07:45:00 AM
The sheer amount of games to choose from is staggering! The sheer amount of games to choose from is staggering!
AMA wants compulsive video gaming declared a mental illness – a rebuttal
06/25/2007 11:32:00 AM
Medical profession needs to focus on the true illnesses of this world, not try to make a profit over irresponsible behavior
First-person shooters: Breaking out of the mundane
06/22/2007 07:45:00 AM
A look at what’s on the horizon in the realm of first-person shooters to determine if developers are still trying to push the envelope
Technology or so to speak
06/01/2007 08:53:00 AM
I am talking about the designing, building, fortifying and outfitting of an actual movie theater/video game room.
Fighting Games – What We’ve Gained, What We’ve Lost
05/18/2007 07:45:00 AM
Risks, as Ed Boon learned more than 15 years ago, are very much worth taking
What if Microsoft released a handheld?
05/04/2007 07:47:00 AM
In a Nintendo universe and a Sony planet, what if Microsoft decided to compete in the world of portable gaming?
Gaming on the Go: Size Doesn’t Matter
04/06/2007 07:47:00 AM
As the console wars go into full swing, the power of handhelds cannot be denied
Playing games is not just childs' play
03/30/2007 07:47:00 AM
Studies show that the more engaged we keep our minds and bodies, the more likely we’ll live longer
Writer's Block: Why Hollywood’s fascination with games is a double-edged sword and why Orlando Bloom is just so pixel-icious
03/02/2007 10:21:00 AM
Hollywood’s influence on games isn’t an entirely bad for games
Writers' Block: Christmas is Over – Now What?
02/12/2007 04:14:00 PM
What happens when one system shortage has run its course, and another just won’t seem to end?
Writer's Block: She's On My Team!
01/26/2007 09:28:00 AM
How a hardcore gaming girl slowly became accepted on Xbox Live and other online games
Goodbye 2006 – you did a great job of setting up the next generation of immersive gaming
12/31/2006 02:30:00 AM
We have the graphical power at our fingertips, now all we need are the stories
Goodbye, E3
08/01/2006 10:17:00 AM
The so-called “evolution” of E3 is a nice way of disguising its dissolution.
E3 is not gone, but it will not be as it once was
07/31/2006 04:38:00 PM
What was once a cacophony of sight and sound is not more, but the trade show will survive. With that in mind, it is time to look back
Gamers rule in hand-eye coordination, but only in the context of games
05/22/2006 05:10:00 PM
Survey prompts thoughts on who has the best hand-eye coordination
Cyber athletics versus real-world athletics: Never the twain shall meet
02/01/2006 01:39:00 PM
Video games allow us to pursue dreams of glory in settings that are, for the most part, less than realistic
Angelina's Most Anticipated Games of 2006
01/30/2006 08:26:00 AM
There are certainly a number of games across the platforms that this girl has her sights set on and so I thought I would share a few of the games that have me eagerly awaiting their arrival.
Are Video Games In Danger?
08/02/2005 01:15:00 PM
I recently heard about something that wasn't so funny: outsourcing. It's just a rumor (for now), but the fear is that it won't be for long.
Anticipation Station: Nintendo DS
06/26/2005 07:56:00 PM
Check out the DS games coming that GZ's Louis Bedigian is anticipating the most
Do real-life players create unrealistic expectations in sports games?
06/13/2005 05:47:00 PM
When rules of the game are not adhered to, frustration can set in
The Price is Right
05/05/2005 11:28:00 AM
One of the things I believe is that gamers pay $300 for a home console because that's what they're used to doing.
Again, George Lucas's point is proven: Hollywood doesn't care about anything. Just money.
04/15/2005 04:05:00 PM
It's a joke that actors would expect royalties from games.  We don't buy games because of the actors.