Nick's Games Haven

Hey there, ladies and gents! It's been a while, hasn't it? I used to be known on here as Tech Light, back when I was first getting started in the world of freelance writing. Maybe you read a few of my pieces - I primarily focused on computer hardware and technology. Then I sort of disappeared for a few years.

Sorry about that.

Now that I've re-settled into my little corner of the web, I'll be shifting my focus a bit. I'm going to be covering gaming - more specifically, all the awesome developers, amazing innovations, and epic titles which make the games industry worth following and video games worth playing. Sounds pretty cool, right?

Anyway, let's get started: it's good to be back.

-Nick

P.S: Those of you who are interested can find me putzing about in the following locales:

Twitter: @OmniscientSpork

My Personal Blog(updated when I feel I've something particularly important to say): Double Crit

On Steam: Omniscient Spork

On Xbox Live: Azrius

On League of Legends: Vindicair

Can the Xbox One Stand Up to the PS4?

by Nicholas.Greene

As many of you are no doubt already aware, the Xbox One was announced today. The press event was...interesting, to say the least. Since watching it, I can't help but wonder: has Microsoft already lost the next-gen game?

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The Real Story Behind the Failed Sale of the Sega Pluto

by Nicholas.Greene

Some time ago, a fellow on Destructoid who goes by the handle "kidvid666" made a very exciting revelation. Apparently, he owns one of the only two Sega Pluto units in existence. He decided to see what he could sell it for, and opted to put it up for auction. Unfortunately, things didn't exactly go as planned.

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The Foc.Us Gaming Headset Will Jolt Your Brain Awake

by Nicholas.Greene

Good news, everyone! If you want to be a better gamer, a solution might only be a few volts away. At least, that's what Michael Oxley and Martin Skinner - inventors of the Foc.us headset - think. They've developed a device designed to jolt your brain with electricity....

And up your game in the process.

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Nvidia Tackles the Uncanny Valley with New Rendering Tech

by Nicholas.Greene

The Uncanny Valley - when something appears almost human, but not quite - might well be one of the most prevalent (and somewhat disturbing) trends in gaming. Tackling the valley is a challenge - how do you make something undeniably artificial look well and truly human? Nvidia may well have the answer.

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Arena.XLsm Receives a Huge Content Update

by Nicholas.Greene

Arena.XLsm - a game created and played entirely in Microsoft Excel - enjoyed a rather considerable content update today. I've talked about the title before, but it's definitely worth mentioning again. After all, Walkin - the accountant responsible for the title's development - has changed quite a bit.

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The Power of Psychology: How Gaming Helps Fight Cancer

by Nicholas.Greene

It's incredible the degree to which one's mindset can impact one's well-being. To that end,one team of doctors and programmers has devised their own unique means of attacking the Cancer: they've made a video game. Several, actually.

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The Exciting New Frontier of Brainwave Control

by Nicholas.Greene

Brain wave control is hardly a new concept. It's something scientists, designers, and inventors have been fiddling around with for years. Now, however, there might be a new source of innovation and advancement in the field: gaming.

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Gaming With Spreadsheets: A Closer Look at Arena.Xlsm

by Nicholas.Greene

Game development's big business these days, but what a lot of developers - and gamers- seem to have forgotten is that you don't need top-tier development tools to create a great game. Sometimes, all you need is an idea and a bit of knowledge: that's all it took for Cary Walkin, who created a whole RPG using nothing but Microsoft Excel.

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Valve Is Considering Eye-Tracking and Sweat For Gaming

by Nicholas.Greene

In the games industry, Valve is widely known as an innovator - and one of the most beloved organizations to boot. One of their biggest focus of late is bio-feedback: control of digital devices through one's own body. To that end, they're toying with some pretty absurd concepts...including using sweat.

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Roll 20 is Bringing the Spirit of D&D to the Silicon Screen

by Nicholas.Greene

Although this isn't necessarily my regular fare (if indeed I can be said to have anything of the sort), I'd argue that it's close enough to video games that it qualifies for this blog. After all, a great many video games could very well be said to owe their roots to table-top roleplaying; D&D is considered the grandfather of all RPGs by many. But we're getting a touch off track, dear readers. Today, I'd like to discuss an innovative new tool known as Roll 20.