Computer Game Companies

XBox is finally with us - join me for a wired-up, pictorial guided tour of the console and its launch titles.

Dec 4, 2001 - Dan Caines

A look at several of the key trends that could influence gaming during the year 2002.

Nov 14, 2001 - Dan Caines

A death-knell for arcade games seemed to sound at the recent JAMMA show in Tokyo - here a fond farewell is paid to such games, but the inevitability of it all is emphasised.

Nov 5, 2001 - Dan Caines

A re-examination of the industry in the light of what some are calling a "crisis": we must decide what to do and how to do it.

Oct 13, 2001 - Dan Caines

Pleasant surprise greets the launch of Nintendo's Gamecube: although software titles are few and far between those that have arrived are of very good quality indeed...

Oct 6, 2001 - Dan Caines

A look at release schedules, dates and slippages. Sounds boring, but actually intriguing. Trust me.

Sep 24, 2001 - Dan Caines

I believe that ECTS 2001 was a triumph rather than the disaster it has been made out to be - because the smaller companies were given the chance to shine.

Sep 18, 2001 - Dan Caines

The third and concluding part of a brand new series on buying a gaming PC. In this last installment we examine memory and all those attractive “optional extras” and then dispense with a few general tips on buying technical equipment. Happy hunting!

Aug 29, 2001 - Dan Caines

The second part of a brand new series on buying a gaming PC. In this installment we examine that gaming essential, the graphics card and look at some pitfalls you might encounter in your quest for great value.

Aug 22, 2001 - Dan Caines

The first part of a brand new series on buying a gaming PC. We highlight what you should look out for, the traps to avoid and the bargains that lurk behind the small print. This section gives a general introduction and then focuses on the most misleading of all computing figures: chip speed.

Aug 15, 2001 - Dan Caines

An evaluation of the game Max Payne and its so-called "cinematic qualities".

Aug 8, 2001 - Dan Caines

A look at the internal workings of a game company: in other words, we find out how they make their money and how much one game can acheive.

Jul 31, 2001 - Dan Caines

The hatchet job on Rogue software desconstructed... Blame will be apportioned, hands will be slapped and executives will be made to tremble (or not).

Jul 13, 2001 - Dan Caines

Anachronox redux - here Dan Caines positively re-evaluates Ion Storm Software in light of their recent hot streak of quality games.

Jul 6, 2001 - Dan Caines

Now you should buy entertainment systems not because of the hardware they contain but because of the games they will play: Dan Caines examines a shift in game marketing

Jul 3, 2001 - Dan Caines

Game companies are now increasingly turning to film-style advertising to sell their products, but is this move towards a megahit-oriented system going to help the games industry?

Jun 21, 2001 - Dan Caines

An examination of why so few games are made which combine different gameplay styles to good effect.

Jun 7, 2001 - Dan Caines

A warning to games companies and movie makers: STOP TRYING TO ACHEIVE THE IMPOSSIBLE. Why those creating the Matrix and Buffy games are doomed to failure, no matter how good their products are...

Jun 1, 2001 - Dan Caines

A look at the likely fortunes of Sony and PlayStation 2 given the competition coming their way soon.

May 25, 2001 - Dan Caines

A look at the likely fortunes of Sony and PlayStation 2 given the competition coming their way soon.

May 25, 2001 - Dan Caines

Nintendo unveils their new logo. The world falls asleep.

May 15, 2001 - Dan Caines

The CEO of Nintendo, Hiroshi Yamauchi, recently made some extraordinarily gloomy public comments about the future of his firms Gamecube console and this article tries to ascertain the truth about the position Nintendo finds itself in.

May 5, 2001 - Dan Caines

An incredulous look at the poor standards of pre-release playtesting present in the games industry

Apr 26, 2001 - Dan Caines

Does new computer technology create more problems for games designers than opportunities, or will we tame new machines in the way we always have done?

Apr 20, 2001 - Dan Caines

Can an competent game without a spark be inferior to a bad game without one? ,Can an competent game without a spark be inferior to a bad game without one?

Apr 9, 2001 - Dan Caines

A (vain?) attempt to work out why some games sell and some don't, why people react to games in the way they do and why some big companies seem afraid to be original and smaller ones, who have more to lose, don't.

Apr 1, 2001 - Dan Caines

The merger between 3DFX and Nvidia will have a profound effect on the graphics cards seen. But in a good way?

Mar 9, 2001 - Dan Caines

An investigation into EAs intriguing web game Majestic, which could signal the arrival of a whole new genre....

Feb 27, 2001 - Dan Caines

A look at the (slightly surprising) demise of the Dreamcast, and how this affects the new superconsoles in development.

Jan 31, 2001 - Dan Caines

Is the GameCube far too little too late? Dan Caines thinks so and he’s gonna tell you why...

Jan 22, 2001 - Dan Caines

A news roundup for the first month of the year 2K1, touching on X-Box strife, Sega struggles and Infogrames excellence.

Jan 12, 2001 - Dan Caines

A look at whether Yummy Interactive's bet on download rental of games will pay off,leading into an examination of the future of games retail.

Nov 21, 2000 - Dan Caines

I examine in this article whether a great end is necessary for a game to be great, or whether endlessness is excellent.

Nov 5, 2000 - Dan Caines

Part two of my look at Nintendo and its future, this time taking a look at its existing systems, the N64 and Game Boy Colour, and the impressive lists of soon-to-launch games for these platforms.

Sep 27, 2000 - Dan Caines

Part one of my look at Nintendo and its future, covering the new Gamecube and Game Boy Advance systems, and I also take a look at what Nintendo had on show at the ECTS games conference.

Sep 19, 2000 - Dan Caines

The game that blew me away: an in depth look at Neverwinter Nights and the Bioware development team behind in.

Sep 10, 2000 - Dan Caines

An attempt to psychoanalyse games designers by means of a comparison to Britney Spears and her songs (don't worry, it's not as weird / boring / plain kooky as it sounds).

Aug 17, 2000 - Dan Caines

Can solo programmers still cut it in the more complex gaming world of today?

Aug 1, 2000 - Dan Caines

The badass theory explained: a (kinda facetious) look at how to acheive success in the computer game industry.

Jul 24, 2000 - Dan Caines

Can we trust a company purely based on its past performance? In the case of computer companies I would be very careful indeed...

Jul 17, 2000 - Dan Caines

Analysis of why companies are wary of making games for the Apple / Macintosh platfom, and how Mac gamers may be at fault for this.

Jul 8, 2000 - Dan Caines

A deconstruction of 'free games'website www.freeloader.com , showing why I think this site is symptomatic of all that is wrong with the dot com boom.

Jun 30, 2000 - Dan Caines

Sony are not is as fine health as it may seem, and in a post E3 deconstruction I look at why this is the case.

Jun 23, 2000 - Dan Caines

TOP SECRET: the key to developing a wholesome and excellent game is released on this exclusive www.suite101.com recipe card. And for news about Pamela Andersons new man....

Jun 15, 2000 - Dan Caines

The Rough Guide to Survival: with so many developers going bankrupt this is how I reckon survival should be assured.

Jun 8, 2000 - Dan Caines

My predictions as to which games will be the best in the coming year, and what will happen to the companies behind them..

Jun 1, 2000 - Dan Caines

A look at why the PC has not, as expected, taken what many see as its rightful place at the top of the gaming tree.

May 20, 2000 - Dan Caines

Part two of an industry ego check, ending with a clarion call to the flamboyant characters of gaming to step up and raise the profile of gaming.

May 9, 2000 - Dan Caines

First of a two part look at the computer game industry’s ego problem, with a specific look at Richard Garriott and Origin. It’s not a normal prblem, however: in this case they just don’t have enough egos.

May 1, 2000 - Dan Caines

A frustrated look at how not to integrate gaming with entertainment, focusing on the men who brought you Star Wars. Remember, for every Star Wars, there is a Jar Jar Binks.

Apr 22, 2000 - Dan Caines

The concluding part of my look at the state of gaming, in which I hypothesise about the future for games companies, possibly as small parts of a bigger uber-entertainment conglomerate.

Apr 15, 2000 - Dan Caines

Part three of my look at the state of gaming, in which I study the effect that Microsoft, potentially the largest Games Company, and the uncertainty that surrounds it.

Apr 9, 2000 - Dan Caines

Part two of my look at the state of gaming, looking at how the games industry is damaged simply by its proximity to high-tech, and whether games companies can be truly profitable.

Apr 2, 2000 - Dan Caines

Part one of my detailed look at the state of gaming, dealing with small games companies and their fate.

Mar 25, 2000 - Dan Caines

Second part of my in-depth X-Box analysis, containing info on developer lineups and possible repercussions.

Mar 18, 2000 - Dan Caines

The first part of a series examining in more depth than anywhere else, ever before the new X-Box console from Microsoft. In part one we look at the specs

Mar 10, 2000 - Dan Caines

Why Nintendo are in such serious trouble: reaction to the news of the slippage of Dolphin and Game Boy Advance.

Feb 27, 2000 - Dan Caines

A slightly irreverent look at young programmers, making to reference to the dinosaurs, will smith and guys called Doug..

Feb 20, 2000 - Dan Caines

A (slightly disgusted) look at PlayStation 2's launch and the journalistic coverage of it - and lots of Sandra Bullock...

Feb 12, 2000 - Dan Caines

Which is the odd one out from Matt "Condor" Hoffman, Pokemon, Talonsoft and a leopardskin thong? Only one of them is not in this article. Guess which?

Feb 4, 2000 - Dan Caines

No tacky Master P film jokes here (except in the title), but what I can give you are my views on market dominance, Electronic Arts and Pamela Anderson (got your attention there, didn't I?).

Jan 25, 2000 - Dan Caines

A whipround of the hottest industry stories of the moment... Sony screw up, Romero is set up, and PowerVR fess up. It's all inside

Jan 17, 2000 - Dan Caines

Every industry has got to have its figureheads. Here are the big three guys that I think will "take gaming to the next level" in the new millennium. One established figure, one hidden hero, and a surprise. Can't get slicker than this!

Jan 10, 2000 - Dan Caines

Interactive environments are one of things that people see as crucial to the continuing success of gaming - are they ready yet as some people claim, or are they just too hard to handle for some of todays superconsoles?

Jan 4, 2000 - Dan Caines

This correspondent is really bored with reading the same articles about originality 100 times in every different magazine. Get off the soapbox guys!

Dec 28, 1999 - Dan Caines

Ion Storm screwed up what could have been one of the greatest debuts in corporate history. And took so damn long to send me a press pack.....

Dec 21, 1999 - Dan Caines

A look at whether Ion Storm, the Dream Team of computer games, can hold together, against the background of such a chequered past.

Dec 14, 1999 - Dan Caines

A look at whether the PC and any number of consoles can handle multiplayer games between them, or will the scene polarise?

Dec 7, 1999 - Dan Caines

A look at the very best things coming your way this Christmas.

Nov 30, 1999 - Dan Caines

A look at whether the new internet gaming era will be short bursts of pure energy or a complete usiverse

Nov 23, 1999 - Dan Caines

Is Microsoft games strong enough to compete with the industry giants without the power of a parent company behind it?

Nov 16, 1999 - Dan Caines

An in-depth look at Microsoft's new X-Box console.

Nov 11, 1999 - Dan Caines

An introduction to a new series we will be running about new hardware that is relevant to gamers

Oct 26, 1999 - Dan Caines

A review of new games designer Titus.

Oct 17, 1999 - Dan Caines

An evaluation of whether populsr culture will boost or break gaming.

Oct 5, 1999 - Dan Caines

A response to the first real mainstream evalutaion of computer game culture

Sep 28, 1999 - Dan Caines

A start to a forum on what makes games interesting

Sep 21, 1999 - Dan Caines

A rundown of what happened in the last days of ECTS this year, and the results of the worlds game awards.

Sep 14, 1999 - Dan Caines

Part one of a two-part review of this years ECTS trade show

Sep 7, 1999 - Dan Caines

A brief set of biographies about three of the leading firgures of the computer industry.

Aug 31, 1999 - Dan Caines

Mergers and movements in the computer industry.

Aug 24, 1999 - Dan Caines

An analysis of the problems that game developers face.

Aug 17, 1999 - Dan Caines

An overview of ID Software and the games they have made.

Jul 19, 1999 - Dan Caines