In modern-day video games, open-world design has become synonymous with adventure on a grand scale. As the industry continues to add depth and breadth to these designs, the amount of content has increased exponentially. From open fields to endless side quests, the growing magnitude in games has left many players feeling overwhelmed and drained. After struggling through my own backlog
Read moreAs if the year 2020 was not awkward enough, a new rival has entered the video game console market. The competition not only is coming from the most unlikely of sources but also offers a feature that no one expected. Dubbed the KFC Console, the fast food chicken giant is now entering the video game industry with a series of
Read moreIn recent times, rewards systems have inundated the retail industry. From in-store credit and discounts to points systems and memberships, stores have employed an abundance of rewards systems to increase customer involvement. While this approach is commonplace for brick-and-mortar outlets, the video game industry been slow to adopt rewards systems. Gamestop’s PowerUp program is currently the industry standard; however, Nintendo
Read moreThe last few days have been tumultuous for the video game community. Numerous Twitch streamers received Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) notices, and content creators removed countless non-complaint Videos on Demand (VOD). The DMCA violations pertained to background music, which creators typically play during “in real life” (IRL) streams. As the online community scrambled to remove years of content, a
Read moreFor a plumber who specializes in collecting gold coins, Mario has not upgraded his appearance in several years. Since the release of New Super Mario Bros on the Wii in 2009, the Nintendo staff has not considerably altered Mario’s character model. Speculation across the industry quickly arose, and fans criticized the franchise’s lack of innovation. But during an interview shortly
Read moreAs the year slowly draws to an end, the video game industry remains enthusiastic towards the release of Cyberpunk 2077. CD Projekt Red’s upcoming action-RPG arrives on November 19th and continues to garner criticism and praise. While players flock to preorder their copy, many fans are wondering: what exactly makes a video game have cyberpunk style? Does art direction, gameplay,
Read moreIn recent years, the explosion of online retailing has not been kind to brick-and-mortar companies. During 2020, several traditional storefronts, such as GNC and JCPenney, have declared bankruptcy, and many others are on the cusp of financial ruin. The iconic video game store GameStop is among those on the verge of economic ruin; however, another industry titan is attempting to
Read moreGone are the days of intense industry rivalry and competition. After decades of strategy focused on dethroning the closest competitor, global leaders discovered that cooperation yields better results for entire business segments. Although the video game sector is late in adopting the new mindset, multiple industry veterans are partnering to deliver fans unprecedented gaming experiences. The Nintendo and Xbox collaboration
Read moreFew companies have experienced peaks and valleys quite like Nintendo. From the ground-breaking success of the Wii to the disaster of the Wii U, the iconic video game company was on the brink of financial ruin. But Nintendo quickly regained status among the industry’s titans with the release of the Nintendo Switch. As the hybrid console continues to sell at
Read moreAs the video game world anticipates the release of Sony and Microsoft’s next-generation consoles, the Nintendo Switch remains the most popular platform across the industry. On September 9th, Bloomberg published a report indicating that Nintendo increased its annual target of Switch console sales by 120 percent. While the statistics are impressive, Bloomberg revealed another pivotal detail concerning the Switch: Nintendo
Read more