Writer, Agilist, Elder Geek
The bad: EA appears to be having layoffs in Vancouver. It doesn't sound too big, but still bad for those losing their jobs, and it might be worth seeing if this is the start of something bigger.
The good: Ignition games raised $5 million for a realistic driving game. I'm sure you could help them spend the money, so send a resume.
(Also, is it just me, or do driving games never go out of style no matter what?)
When Skyrim was done sucking down my spare and not-so-spare time, I tried some smaller downloadable games. First I played "Dungeon Defenders", a tower defense/RPG fusion. Next (well, at the same time), I played "Orcs Must Die," a case of truth in advertising that was . . . an RPG/Tower Defense Fusion.
Starting to see a trend?
In fact, Microsoft apparently did, they even had a Tower Defense discount/special on XBox. It appears that Tower Defense has become pretty popular and produced some good games lately, even if the genre has been around for awhile (such as "Trapt/Dark Illusion")
This made me wonder, just are these games popular? Why was I enjoying them? Why did these RPG-style fusions seem especially enjoyable and well-received? I mean, yes, Tower defense was and is popular, but these games seemed to reach something in me and other gamers that made us play for hours and speculate on new ways to immolate orcs (I recommend a spring trap that throws them back into Brimstone, by the way).
For you current and future game professionals, here's my analysis.
THQ is making cuts. Where it is is a bit of a question, and this roundup tries for some context. It might be several layoffs.
Analysts seem positive about THQ's moves.
TAKEAWAYS: