At BlizzCon, not even Hydralisks get to jump the line. Here is a truly inspired piece of BlizzCon cosplay, a Hydralisk from StarCraft. Go below for more images and some video. Apologies for the blurriness. I need a better camera. And here’s some video of Hydralisk and his friend/foe who I think is a Terran…

Elmo Versus The Jet Engine

Hope I’m not spoiling the outcome of this battle for anybody. In the name of parents everywhere, PowerModz strapped either the most delightful or most insufferable (depending on many factors) Muppet on Sesame Street to a pole and placed that pole behind the jet engine that was just sitting around on the back of a…

My Favorite Black Ops III Feature So Far Is Theater Mode

Because official screenshots wouldn’t dare get us this close to Jeff Goldblum’s majestic virtuosity, there is Theater mode. Giving players free access to gameplay footage and virtual camera controls is nothing new—games that pride themselves on their visual flair have been letting players show off their stuff for years. Perhaps one day it will be…

This Week In The Business: A 5.9 Billion Dollar Bargain

QUOTE | “…Activision got them cheaply…” – Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter giving his thumbs up to Activision’s $5.9 billion purchase of Candy Crush Saga maker King. Elsewhere in the business of gaming this week… QUOTE | “Another near-term initiative for Activision Blizzard Studios will be the development of a robust cinematic universe based on the…

Heroes Of The Storm‘s New Two-Player Hero Is Actually Great For Beginners

Heroes of the Storm is introducing a crazy new hero, Cho’gall, who’s controlled by two players at once. This has never been done before in any big MOBA—not DOTA, LoL, or HOTS Hi everyone. Quick public service announcement: By this point in the post, you might have noticed that I’m not Yannick LeJacq, our resident…

Remember: People Made This Game, And They Want You To Have Fun With It

Fire up Black Ops III for the first time and you’ll be presented with this message. It sticks out amongst the corporate logos and splash screens, but it’s also a nice little touch. Like, everyone knows that games are made by large teams of human beings, but do we really? A lot of fans treat…

Could a Video Game Start A Religion?

I’m a confirmed believer in the church of video games, a sect whose faith has been rewarded over the past decade, as games have sailed easily over the hurdles that have been placed in front of them by the apostates. No one really disputes anymore that games can make us cry, make us laugh, teach…

“IT’S JOHN CENA.” Overheard (about a life-sized Overwatch statue) at BlizzCon. Winston is, of course, a kindly yet terrifying genetically engineered gorilla—not John Cena, who is a different kindly yet terrifying genetically engineered gorilla. I wonder who would win a fight. Here’s the statue up-close: He even has actual hair. Clearly someone cares a lot…

The Bob Ross Twitch Phenomenon Supposedly Ends Tonight

The best thing to happen on Twitch all year comes to a close later tonight. Or at least, it’s supposed to. For the last week, a Bob Ross marathon of every episode of The Joy of Painting has been broadcasting on Twitch, and it’s been a delight. Every time I’ve tuned in, I become mesmerized…

How Snoopy Killed Peanuts

By the end of its run in 2000, Peanuts was an institution. It had become an omnipresent part of American culture, and that’s not a compliment. (Note: this piece originally ran on August 20, 2015.) The general response to reading the average Peanuts strip in the 80s and 90s was a ‘meh’ half-smile — a…

Fabled ‘Nintendo PlayStation’ Console Only Cost $75 at Auction, Seems to Work

Earlier this year, reports surfacedof a surviving Nintendo PlayStation prototype from the short-lived partnershipbetween the two video game giants. Many were skeptical if the device was real. But now there’s video of the prototype powering on and playing games. Video footage of the Nintendo PlayStation prototype comes via Engadget, who also have an in-depth interview…

Ask Dr. NerdLove: Can I Be Happy As An Older Virgin?

Hello, Internet! Welcome to Ask Dr. NerdLove, the only dating column that carries an unlicensed portable nuclear accelerator on its back. This week, it’s less about getting into someone’s pants and more about getting out of your own head. We’re going to be talking about anxieties and expectations and how to handle them. One reader…

Overwatch Base Price Will Be $40, $60 On Consoles

Turns out Overwatch won’t be free-to-play, as many (myself included!) had predicted. Instead it’ll cost you $40 to buy the base version of Blizzard’s new hero shooter on PC, Blizzard just announced. To buy the premium “Origins” edition, which comes with a bunch of skins and other perks and is available for PC, PS4, and…

New Hearthstone Adventure Comes Out Next Week

Blizzard’s mega-popular competitive game is getting a bunch of new card and mechanics with the League of Explorers adventure mode, which will launch next week. Announced today at Blizzcon, League of Explorers will be a four-wing pack full of bosses and new legendary cards. It’ll also add new game boards, some class challenges, and a…

Crazy New Heroes of the Storm Character Is Controlled By Two People At Once

Heroes of the Storm’s next hero is going to be a giant ogre named Cho’gall, game director Dustin Browder said today at Blizzcon. In a unique twist, he’ll be played by two separate people at the same time. Holy crap. Blizzard really meant it when they said they’re breaking all the MOBA rules! Browder also…