With the launch of the PS4 release in November, the line for the PS3’s life has been drawn in the sand. While there are some really great games for it, developers have started to slowly transition over to the new platforms. The good news is that the PS3 isn’t dead yet, far from it in fact. While the new consoles are available now, you’d be hard pressed to find more than a handful of games that you’re interested in, or that aren’t on multiple platforms and generations of hardware.

2014 isn’t going to be too different either. The PS3 is getting some really great games in the coming year. Even if you have a PS4 or an Xbox One, you’d be crazy to unhook the PS3, or just leave it sitting on your shelf, gathering dust. While the hardware may be aged and developers might be looking to make the truly next generation experiences on the new hardware, that doesn’t mean there won’t be some great games coming out in the coming year for the old legend that is the PlayStation 3.

Castlevania: Lord of Shadows 2

Coming at the end of February is the next Castlevania game. This long running franchise has managed to maintain an ever growing fan base. Lord of Shadows 2 is the continuation of Gabriel Belmont’s story. He has been locked away for years, is in hiding and awakens to find that his arch enemies and even his own son seek his death. They’ve also moved in and taken over his castle, turning it against him. This game franchise has evolved from the classic 2D platformer, full of punishing enemies to a fully 3D environment, with enemies that are just as, if not more punishing than the classic games in the franchise.

Konami has a good thing going with this franchise and seems to have garnered even more followers in the last few years, and with good reason. With fast-paced combat, a massive amount of weapons, attacks and tactics there is some really nice looking gameplay coming. The game has the fast-paced energy and explosive attacks that you may expect to find in a game like Devil May Cry, however the monsters the player will come across seem to have more care taken with their designs and sometimes can be truly frightening.

Chris Roberts has spent a large portion of his professional life dedicated to this idea, the commitment to bringing the colonization and exploration of space to the convenience of our home desktops. He released a game in 2003 called Freelancer, a game that basically revolves around traversing the galaxy, buy, selling and trading goods to make a profit. You would have to contend with opposing factions, and groups that were looking for profit off your hard work, like space pirates for instances.

"The game has already managed to get a lot of it’s contributors invested and I don’t mean just monetarily speaking. The forums are already full of people speculating on ship design, maneuverability and of course, what fighter may be the best."

After this game’s release, Mr. Roberts took a bit of a hiatus from game development, but in 2012 he came out of nowhere and decided to kick start a game idea he’d been thinking about. The premise did not vary too much from the original idea of Freelancer, yet with much more technology, new coding methods and a massive advancement in software and hardware Chris Roberts had almost a whole new medium to build the game he’s always dreamed about. This is how Star Citizen was born.

Star Citizen is being developed by Cloud Imperium Games, but if you’re to go to the Star Citizen home page, you’ll see the site plastered with RSI logos. The website isn’t actually called Star Citizen at all, but RobertsSpaceIndustries.com. Here is where some of the magic is currently being developed and one of the things that makes this game so interesting to follow. Cloud Imperium and the development team have spent a lot of time to make this website look like the face of a legitimate company whose speciality is, of course the design and manufacturing of high-tech interstellar space craft.

The website is full of automotive-like “commercials,” and things like customer testimonials as well as even in-depth threats of legal action made by RSI’s competition due to aggressive forms of advertising by the fictitious manufacturer . Cloud Imperium and Chris Roberts are trying very hard to create a deep and connected universe for the game they are working on.

"By this point, the game has been given over 35 million dollars. All of this has been given to the developers in support of this game, and is by far and away the most successfully funded, crowd sourced game that’s ever been developed."

In  a lot of ways, people who are following the game or are active contributors to the site as well as the donors are already being exposed to this universe’s politics, products and of course the civilization more than a year before the game was even being scheduled for early access, let alone release. Contributors have the ability to look at ships and the specifications before they can even fly them, which brings us to our next point.

The game has already managed to get a lot of it’s contributors invested and I don’t mean just monetarily speaking. The forums are already full of people speculating on ship design, maneuverability and of course, what fighter may be the best. We’re already seeing the game’s population developing allegiances to ship manufacturers, weapons types and even other players who are planning on playing together with one another. Not only is this a great way to drum up support for your game title, it’s an even better way to keep players interested, especially since right now, the best case scenario we’re seeing from Cloud Imperium is that this game will be open for beta tested, at best in the end of 2014 and a release scheduled for sometime in 2015.

That’s a lot of time to wait and a lot of time for people to lose interest in the game, yet with a date that has anything playable so far in the future, the RSI website continues to show increased support for this title through public donation. By this point, the game has been given over 35 million dollars. All of this has been given to the developers in support of this game, and is by far and away the most successfully funded, crowd sourced game that’s ever been developed.

"In a market that some times seems like it is suffocating under it’s own reboots, sequels and “re-imaginings,” to many gamers it’s worth the risk in contributing money, or time to this project simply because it’s offering something new and different in a package that is almost too beautiful to be true."

When you take the time to look at what is being promised upon launch, there is no real wonder why people are so willing to just throw money at this project. The contributors are helping to make this game a success before it even launches, a game that is really by no means a safe “bet,” not for a publishing company anyway and may have been ignored otherwise, is getting substantial amounts of fanfare.

This game is going to be PC exclusive, so this knocks out the console players who may have at least been interested. While the PC gaming market has a lot of dedicated and die hard fans, it is one of the smaller gaming markets, despite the growth that it’s experienced in the last few years, it still lags behind the console market by a fairly large margin. There aren’t many publishers who are going to be willing to take such a big risk on a game, for the cost it would take to develop it, the target release date and sheer scope of the project makes Star Citizen one of the most risky titles that is being developed right now.

Even with all the gamers out there that want to play a game like this, the risks of totally screwing it up and bombing the project  are very real, and most likely higher than any one publisher may ever want to really take. It’s because of this risk, this vision and the scope of the whole idea that makes Star Citizen perfect for crowd sourced support. It’s worth it to give  the gamers something new and exciting to look forward to. In a market that some times seems like it is suffocating under it’s own reboots, sequels and “re-imaginings,” to many gamers it’s worth the risk in contributing money, or time to this project simply because it’s offering something new and different in a package that is almost too beautiful to be true.

"Star Citizen is such an attractive option for gamers because of it’s flexibility, not just because the game’s graphics, physics and world design is the software equivalent of Mila Kunis dressed up for a lovely red carpet affair."

Yet, the entire package does appear to be true. Star Citizen is such an attractive option for gamers because of it’s flexibility, not just because the game’s graphics, physics and world design is the software equivalent of Mila Kunis dressed up for a lovely red carpet affair. Star Citizen will have three game modes, real game modes; not like different variations of similar game types, like Domination, Death Match, or Capture the flag. No, nothing like that at all. Star Citizen has a single player mode, basically this is the story mode for the game, think of it as a very long introduction, much more in-depth than a tutorial, but ultimately only scratches the surface of the game. This mode is simply called Squadron 42, presumably because you’re a pilot who will be flying in this squad.

What this game is, at it’s core though is a multiplayer game. This experience is very flexible. For starters, Star Citizen is an MMO, but it doesn’t have to be an MMO, if you following me? The game allows you to connect to the same, large-scale persistent world, or the “official” RSI-game servers where everyone can play. This will essentially be the same world for everyone who decides to play here, regardless of where you are in the world. The incredibly attractive option that many PC gamers are excited for will be the ability run their own game server, either on their own desktop, or presumably in a rented server space that will be hosted and in a server farm that is up and running 24 hours a day.

This server space well let you manage your universe and be able to modify certain values, essentially run the game how you and your friends see fit. For a PC gamer, this is pretty much one of the most attractive options for any game, which has been seen through the history of PC gaming. Developers have and continue to garner flack from the public when the option to run and manage their own dedicated servers for themselves and their friends are removed and understandably so.

"Star Citizen will be offering nail biting space combat, coupled with space exploration and even the ability to move around on planets, and cities you land in."

The PC market, more than any facet of the gaming market is used to doing things their own way, from the OS’s they run, to the hardware they decide to put into the rigs. Why should playing online with your friends be any different? Chris Roberts and the rest of the team at Cloud Imperium understand this and that’s why they are building this game specifically to please the high expectations for sci fi and PC gaming fans around the world.

Star Citizen is one of the most in-depth and technologically impressive titles that is in development right now. There are a few other games that seem to be trying to create a similar experience, but not in the scope that Cloud Imperium is. Games like Starbound, which is currently in development by Chucklefish and available for early access has players exploring the galaxy in either single, or multiplayer modes in a beautifully crafted 2D environment. Another game, No Man’s Sky is very similar to the idea of Star Citizen, but with more emphasis on the individual planets and life that seems to exist on them, this game however does not offer a multiplayer option, not in a classic sense anyway.

Star Citizen will be offering nail biting space combat, coupled with space exploration and even the ability to move around on planets, and cities you land in. You will be able to trade, fight and steal what you need to survive, or make your life more comfortable and arguably the most important thing about all of this is you will be able to do it with friends, or complete strangers for that matter. Players will be able to fly deep into the solar system to explore an asteroid field and call in their buddy who has a mining ship to come in and gather resources, or explore derelict space vessels.

"Star Citizen’s success is a wet dream for people looking to crowd fund their game. The capital as well as the talent is there to make sure that this game is going to be completed and hopefully become a runaway success."

RSI won’t be stopping there though, they’ve already promised extended support of the game, so even when it’s finished it’s not going to be finished, not immediately anyway. Players can expect more ships, weapons and configurations as the game furthers its development cycle. In fact, with more people seemingly giving Cloud Imperium money on a weekly basis, there is more content being scheduled for development. The more support that is garnered for the game the better the game will become. While this funding system can be a double-edged sword for many developers, it looks like things have worked out perfectly for Cloud Imperium and Star Citizen.

Most gamers are into science fiction and the future of space exploration and even if you’re not, Star Citizen may be the game above all others to pay attention to in the coming 2014-15 development season and for more than one reason. Cloud Imperium and Chris Roberts are doing their damnedest to push the envelop of gaming, in both scope, design and sheer content. They’ve already made a great bid for it too, with the ability for players to visit their ships and look around to see what they’ll be piloting in the cold void of space, soon hopefully.

It is also a project to keep tabs on because they have  become wildly successful in the crowd sourced arena of development. Star Citizen’s success is a wet dream for people looking to crowd fund their game. The capital as well as the talent is there to make sure that this game is going to be completed and hopefully become a runaway success. Chris Roberts and Cloud Imperium Games certainly have set a lofty goal for Star Citizen, but with the money and the dedication needed for a project of this magnitude already available to them, this game is on schedule to change the entire way the world’s favorite entertainment medium will be played forever.

Indie games have absolutely exploded in popularity in the better part of the last two years. The games that have been developed outside of the influence of major production companies and in many cases, major, well known developers; have managed to spawn some of the most memorable experiences for gamers in recent history. Games like Minecraft and the new Shadowrun Returns and FTL, Gone Home and Rogue Legacy really helped to get the ball rolling.

Games like these show the world that a small, yet dedicated development team with enough money, support and spare time can make a game that is equally as entertaining as any of the big names, and sometimes more so. These developers blaze new trails in gaming, take risks and really try to inject some life into an industry that, frankly has a lot of stale or over-used ideas floating around in it. With the new consoles getting onboard the indie-train, the indie scene is really going to continue to pick up speed. With some great games coming in the near future, there’s even more to be excited for.

Starbound:

If this game looks kind of familiar,  you’re not exactly wrong. Starbound is being developed by Chucklefish and looks to be the successor to their popular title, Terraria. At first glance, the games do look incredibly similar, but this 2D theme is all that is similar. While you can still mine and explore the planet you start on, you can also traverse the galaxy, explore new worlds, find different resources, items and of course face the bad guys. In fact, if you run into the same monster that wants to kill you on another planet, it’s nothing but procedural luck of the draw.

Starbound is currently available for early release on Steam, but is still in very early beta stages. Things like balance and world generation are being modified regularly, sometimes daily. The quest system in place at the moment is not much more than a placeholder either. If you don’t mind having random character wipes, and want to help the developers refine the game to it’s finished product, then this early beta access may be for you. If not, you may want to wait for stage two of the three stage testing phases that Chucklefish has put in place, or maybe even longer. At any rate, Starbound certainly has a lot of potential and we’re seeing more of it almost everyday.

Yes, this technological leap that Sony decided to take by embedding content capture elements into their console was a very smart move. With all new technology though, there are always problems. Not necessarily failures in functionality, but what some would consider, misuse of the new technology. In this case, Sony has been having trouble fairly recently with people using Playroom feature to stream some unacceptable content, specifically obscenity. While they have started to crackdown on these users, is there more that Sony can do to manage it?

Twitch TV has already starting to swing the ban hammer, not just on obscene material, but just non-gaming related content in general. Twitch is very particular about the kind of streaming that can be done on their channels, which is understandable. The streaming services that Twitch offer are easily abused. The idea behind this service was originally meant as a place for gamers to create and generate unique content revolving around games and is well within the fair usage clause for any game available, at least in the United States; other countries will certainly have different laws.

"Sony could use a warning system, with increased penalties per infraction. For instances, if you’re caught streaming non-game related content to Twitch, since Twitch is most likely going to ban you, Sony could simply give you a warning, with a list of ways to avoid such actions in the future."

This isn’t Sony’s decision to ban users, for whatever content they produce though, this is all coming from Twitch. I am sure Sony is in full support of the decisions Twitch is making, however Sony has no control over the service they’ve partnered with. Remember, Twitch TV wasn’t banning users because of the content that they were generating, specifically. The users were being banned because the content that was being streamed was not related to gaming in any way.

There is a variety of things that Sony can do, some of them would be what we could expect from a large, multi-national corporation. Other ideas, may be a bit far-fetched, unlikely and maybe even downright impossible, but still could be an advancement in how gamers use their service.

The first obvious step that could be done to curb content generation of the more lewd or obscene variety would be simply to disable accounts that caught using it. At times, these things can simply be mistakes. Someone broadcasting something by accident, or not reading the terms and services carefully enough, or at all for that matter. Sony could use a warning system, with increased penalties per infraction. For instances, if you’re caught streaming non-game related content to Twitch, since Twitch is most likely going to ban you, Sony could simply give you a warning, with a list of ways to avoid such actions in the future.

Being banned on Twitch is a minor annoyance for people who have just started casting material. The user can simply create another profile. You may loser viewers, but it’s not a total loss. It’s not like the hardware itself is going to be banned from streaming and there is no way to adequately stop a user from creating a new account, especially if it’s from a public, non-static IP address.

"Sony could also further leverage their console’s parental control features on the PS4 to manage what content is actually available for individual users and profiles."

For each infraction, Sony could step up their punishment. The first time would be a warning which simply gives users the benefit of the doubt. The second infraction would result in having your PSN account disabled for a certain amount of time, maybe 24 or 48 hours. This wouldn’t be something that’s too extreme, but for a majority of users it would certainly drive the message home that Sony is taking things seriously.

The third infraction could simply be to ban the entire online user profile outright. This would be quite a big loss for most gamers. If that isn’t enough to deter a content provider that has gone rogue, Sony always has the last and final option of nuking them from orbit, not literally of course. What Sony can do is outright ban their hardware via the console’s MAC or physical address.

Sony simply does not have full control over the entire content generation ecosystem for the PlayStation 4. The way that this could be remedied would be to set up their own streaming service. While that’s a bit of a tall order, this would give Sony complete control over the network that hosts and the content being generated by users. This will also give Sony the option to maybe allow non-game content to be generated. Whether Sony will allow them to create content that could be considered offensive, lewd or sexual is another issue altogether, but even with the right content generation system and ratings features this could work.

Sony could also further leverage their console’s parental control features on the PS4 to manage what content is actually available for individual users and profiles. You have small kids who are smart enough to know how to use the PS4, but you don’t want them coming across any pornography, or crazy, separatist, gun-nut’s mature themed channel? No problem, just set a parental control and a password that a curious child won’t be able to figure out in a million years. This way Sony can allow people to use their devices as feel is acceptable for themselves, while Sony can minimize exposure to mature content.

"It is unlikely that Sony will be putting up a comprehensive content management system for people to set up and distribute their media as the individual see fit, but something like this would give Sony more control over broadcast. It could also potentially be another revenue stream."

The reality is that they can’t stop it, it is not Sony’s job to manage content for individuals or families. A Corporation should never be put in the place of being the Gatekeeper for so much raw content, it would be nearly impossible to keep up on it and frankly, it would be completely impossible to come up with a system that works for everyone. That is why leveraging the parental and content management controls that are already built into the system would be the smartest move in a case like this. No doubt they would need to be modified a bit, but it’s definitely feasible.

That’s not to say Sony should simply allow any content that users deem fit for viewing, there should be a content management system in place that is done from within Sony. A new network like this could help to compete with Microsoft’s ability to connect to cable Television, which ironically enough is a form of media that is slowly changing and very well may not be around in the next 10 years, at least not in the form that it is today.

Sony could get in on the ground level and help generating content for a new generation of users who want something more than cable TV and Netflix as their providers. There have been other media providers like Giantbomb.com, whose subscription based content fees are well worth it for most people and are actually helping to blaze a new trail for media distribution. At this point, why not? Sony already manufactures TV’s, video games consoles, they make movies and record albums that are distributed around the world. The next logical step may simply be something like “Sony TV.”

It is unlikely that Sony will be putting up a comprehensive content management system for people to set up and distribute their media as the individual see fit, but something like this would give Sony more control over broadcast. It could also potentially be another revenue stream.

We could see added competition within the market, which is great, since the only major broadcast players are Cable and Satellite companies, which frankly is something that needs to change in most locations within the United States. Sony really has a golden moment with the PlayStation 4 and can really choose to pursue a whole new form of content generation and distribution, that is if Sony sees the opportunities and are willing to take the risks.

While games like this do well and in their own right have some great entertainment to offer, it’s not the place that every game should end up. Games like the inFamous series have done quite well at providing not only a great gaming experience, but a wonderful and in-depth comic book-style story the caliber of which we don’t typically see. In this case, it looks like Sucker Punch games is at it again, as they’re trying to add a new protagonist the the third game and hopefully marry it with the successful storytelling from the first two games.

"As a PS4 exclusive, Sucker Punch isn’t going to have to worry about scaling back any of the game’s functions to meet the requirements of aged hardware, like the PS3."

inFamous: Second Son isn’t too far away, at this point in it’s development is coming to a close. With a few months left in the development cycle, so there’s a whole lot of polishing left to be done with the game, but at this point is very close to being finished. The current release date for inFamous: Second Son is scheduled for March 21st 2014, so that’s something to look forward to as winter (for some at least,) begins to round itself off.

The big change for this franchise is main character from the first two games, Cole McGrath is long gone. In fact, after Cole uses the RFI device to destroy a powerful Conduit, not unlike himself, named John White; the world becomes pretty peaceful for awhile. In fact, we don’t get to meet our new protagonist until seven years after the events in the second inFamous. Our new character, named Delsin Rowe. who is being voiced by the always welcome and talented, Troy Baker; discovers his powers while trying to help some unfortunate folks involved in an accident. Now, our character certainly is no choir boy, but he’s not going to let people die.

inFamous: Second Son may be the first, true next generation open world game we’ve got that’s coming to us. As a PS4 exclusive, Sucker Punch isn’t going to have to worry about scaling back any of the game’s functions to meet the requirements of aged hardware, like the PS3. This is going to hopefully give this new game a bit of a leg-up. The inFamous franchise has already quite a bit going for it, and hopefully they can continue the gruff charm that the first two games have. Sucker Punch is definitely willing to change their lead characters around for this game as well, as the first and second games in the series had two, very different Cole’s. There was a quick and seemingly random decision to redesign a character that plenty of folks seemed to like as it is. In this cause, while it worked out just fine, it’s still a big risk to just start changing your main character. In this case, Second Son is a bit more setup for this change.

"Sucker Punch is doing a pretty good job about keeping Delsin’s true abilities under wraps too. We did find out earlier this year that his powers have something to do with his ability to either, take, borrow or mimic other Conduit’s powers."

Sucker Punch is doing a pretty good job about keeping Delsin’s true abilities under wraps too. We did find out earlier this year that his powers have something to do with his ability to either, take, borrow or mimic other Conduit’s powers. From what we’ve seen thus far, he can create and manipulate smoke and it also looks like from a couple of shots in the trailer that he can teleport short distances very quickly. The ability to use other Conduit’s powers though really opens this game up and expands on a focus which was in the previous two titles.

If you have played either, or both of the first two games in this franchise, chances are you remember that Cole had a selection of powers to choose from and to buff as the player saw fit. The big difference in inFamous was that your decisions decided what major tree of powers you could choose from. Being “good” would lock you out of powers that would only be available to someone who decided to follow the path of “evil.” It was a great idea, however at times this made the game feel somewhat restrictive.

The games certainly put a lot of stock into the decisions made by each individual player. The problem that some had was that if you made the wrong choice, or wanted to maybe change their alignment, then players may have found themselves being punished for these choices by losing abilities that’d previously spent points to unlock. This was what seemed to be the one, glaring flaw that gamers perceived it to have. While the game is based off of the choices you’ve made, making a choice that didn’t follow your history of decisions on whether or not to save your girlfriend, or the city would punish you for having a chance of heart, or simply misinterpreting the choices you have at hand.

"It would be a nice touch, if given the decision, players could pick and choose what to take and what to upgrade, based on what individual powers they liked or even the choices they make in the game."

The ability to have the potential to choose whose powers you take, and use may take care of these annoying setbacks from the original game, and free the player up to play it the way they want too, instead of being hemmed in from the very beginning by the first couple of choices you’ve made, while you’re still ultimately getting the hang of the game. This also is going to expand the options for players. It doesn’t sound like we’re going to be shoehorned into using nothing but lightning or static-electrical based attacks, which is wonderful and adds to the open-ended aspect of Second Son.

The one thing we really haven’t seen so far is how many powers are going to be in the game, or if we’ll have the ability to pick and choose what powers will combine together as the player help to shape Delvin’s abilities. It would be a nice touch, if given the decision, players could pick and choose what to take and what to upgrade, based on what individual powers they liked or even the choices they make in the game. This would put a little bit of the character’s progression at stake, without feeling like you made a mistake and need to go all the way back or start over to get the solution and satisfaction you’re looking for out of Second Son.

Yes indeed, Sucker Punch has got a good thing going here. While they are up for making quite a few changes to this franchise as it stands, it doesn’t look like they’ll be pulling the rug out from under gamers completely. From what we’ve seen so far, Second Son certainly looks and feels like an inFamous title. It’s giving players control over their powers and even their environments to a degree. The inFamous series has a lot going for it and it may just be the first, true next generation, open world title to hit our shelves in the beginning of 2014. For now though, the best we can do is wait and see.

If you love zombies, or more to the point, you love blowing them into itty-bitty pieces to stop the infection in it’s tracks then chances are our list below will have at least one game you’re interested in. If not, maybe you’re finally all zombied-out? That’s just crazy though, you’ll never get sick of killing zombies. Never.

Dying Light:

Techland, the developers of Dead Island are at it again and bringing us another zombie game. From the looks of it though, this game is sharing very little with it’s Pacific surrounded, older brother Dead Island. Dying Light is very much more of a twitch, action survival game. Players will be expected to be able to navigate and maneuver fluidly through all sorts of different urban terrain, utilizing the character’s freerun ability.

There is a twist with this one too. Once the sun goes down, it would be highly recommended that you stay off the street. What are normally slow moving, shambling shells of their former living selves in the daylight, become ravenous, violent and flesh crazed monsters at night. Of course, it won’t be that simple or else it wouldn’t be much of a game if you could just stay inside. While Dead Island had zombie fans on both side of the fence, who either loved or hated the game, it looks like Dying Light is going to be a bit more of a crowd-pleaser. With an emphasis on action, survival and flexible mobility, this just may be the zombie game you’ve been waiting for.

We’re going to take a look at No Man’s Sky, why it will be awesome and what this means for people who’ve always wanted to explore a galaxy, planet by planet and star by star. While there are plenty of things that can be found in others games that are out now, No Man’s Sky is still pairing these designs with some wonderfully fresh ideas.

"In the case of No Man’s Sky you just fly out of the planet’s atmosphere and into space with no stoppage, no waiting, you just continue to fly, hopefully uninterrupted. This alone makes the game design something worth taking note of."

The first thing that makes this game pretty awesome is that the universe is completely procedurally generated. While this isn’t necessarily anything new, games like Minecraft, FTL and Starbound are all doing this now. What is impressive about it is the scale at which it is being generated. The universe that’s being created can be completely explored and it is absolutely massive, with unique life forms, planets and environments.

The trailer of the game starts with your character submerged in a deep ocean, full of all sorts of life. From small fish, to Coral and even predators, like sharks. From there, the player slowly swims to the surface and steps onto the shore, moving towards what looks to be a small, single passenger spaceship or fighter. The player then boards the ship and flies into space. All this is in-game graphics and gameplay, according to the developers, Hello Games. There doesn’t seem to be any loading screen as players move from the ocean, to the beach then to their ship and finally into orbit. All of this exists within one instance of the game. Once more, what is even more impressive about this, is that there is no skybox.

If you’re unfamiliar with this term, basically it’s a theoretical limit to which a game’s terrain can be generated. Anyone who has played Minecraft or Terraria is most likely familiar with these little devils. Essentially, these skyboxes are invisible markets within the game that stops you from moving, well, up. In previous titles, you’d need to go through some transition to get into orbit or another part of the world. This transition is almost always in the form of some loading screen, whether it be progress bar, blank black screen or a convincing graphic that makes the player believe they are moving from one location to another very quickly. In the case of No Man’s Sky you just fly out of the planet’s atmosphere and into space with no stoppage, no waiting, you just continue to fly, hopefully uninterrupted. This alone makes the game design something worth taking note of.

"The planets themselves are vast, being able to explore a multitude of environments within one planet is impressive in itself, but to spread this across a galaxy, to potentially every planet in the game is a staggering feat in itself."

What is also exciting about this “lack of skybox” is that when the player looks up from the surface of the planet, the things that they see in their solar system, the objects that might be orbiting the planet like moons, space stations or large spacecraft are all really there. This is not some painted-on backdrop that will shift once the player gets closer to it. Hopefully this sort of thing also extends to distant stars and planets that players may see outside of the solar system.

What we also know about the trailer is that everything we’ve seen in it is all within one solar system. The simple fact that the player can move from planet to planet within the solar system without going through much waiting and without hitting those pesky height limits in game is stunning in itself. If the game had no loading screens whatsoever, we can only assume that the entire development team had made some shadowy pact with the dark one, damning their souls to burn in a fiery lake of molten hot sin, with only demons as company for eternity.

Anyway, back on track. The trailer only shows us a single solar system and this was something that Hello Games has done on purpose. Characters start out in the fringes of a Galaxy. The goal is to move your character to the center of this galaxy. As the players move in, the planets, ecosystems and life forms will become increasingly more alien. Some of them will be downright uninhabitable for whatever life form you may play as.

The planets themselves are vast, being able to explore a multitude of environments within one planet is impressive in itself, but to spread this across a galaxy, to potentially every planet in the game is a staggering feat in itself. The developers plan on populating these planets with unique life that fits their surroundings, like sharks and fish that we’ve seen in the trailer, for instance. For gamers who love to explore, and have had a long time love affair with the open world environments and space, No Man’s Sky is something that dreams are made of.

"You can also just cruise the stars, discovering planet after planet, making a name for yourself with other players who are looking to take advantage of all the hard work you’ve done exploring the galaxy."

The game also appears to be geared towards the many facets of exploration. Let’s say you’re the completionist-type. You can discover a planet and spend all your time on that one craggy, cold rock, floating in space. You can reap the benefits of it’s rare natural resources and delve deeper into that planet than a majority if any other player has done. You can also just cruise the stars, discovering planet after planet, making a name for yourself with other players who are looking to take advantage of all the hard work you’ve done exploring the galaxy.

Now comes a game mechanic that many gamers who have played a survival sandbox may be familiar with. You will need to explore the galaxy to find resources and materials so that you can upgrade your character as well as your ship. Things like weapons, armor and shields will be upgradable. They will also affect how far your ship may be able to travel in a single jump. Hello Games is certainly keeping this bit of information under wraps, but they have mentioned that we’ll be able to advance our ship. Another great thing about the exploration system that the developers have planned is that any planet you discover will mark it with relevant information for others.

This makes the planet’s information available to not only you, but anyone else that you might be playing with as well. Things like atmosphere, environment, location and name should all be plotted for everyone to see, not only that but you’ll get credit for it’s discovery. If you’re playing with other people and as they explore, your map becomes populated. This is a great way to share the load of exploration and discovery so to speak. This also allows players to fly to a very awesome discovery so that it can be shared, which is a pretty new idea when compared to other exploration games.

The fact that other players can see what you’ve discovered is curious as well, since No Man’s Sky is not a multiplayer game, not in the classic sense and how most gamers identify with a multiplayer experience anyway. The game is persistent, in the sense that everyone is looking at or discovering the same planets. Something that would be considered a monumental moment or even that shakes up the galaxy, or forever changes it is something that is share amongst players. For instance, if you kill a being in the game, it most likely won’t be reflected. However, if you were to say, commit some horrific alien genocide on a particular race and species, well there is a good chance that that entire race will just be wiped from existence for every player. That’s pretty awesome, in a really irresponsible and destructive way, but awesome.

"Changes made in the game affect everyone. If a player clears an asteroid field of mineral, then they are gone. If you happen to crash into a planet, or destroy your ship in that very same, mined out asteroid belt then your wrecked spaceship may be there, as somewhat of a warning for all those to see."

This game is very heavily dependent on it’s user base, even if we cannot expect the players to directly interact with one another, which is an interesting thought. Changes made in the game affect everyone. If a player clears an asteroid field of mineral, then they are gone. If you happen to crash into a planet, or destroy your ship in that very same, mined out asteroid belt then your wrecked spaceship may be there, as somewhat of a warning for all those to see.

As beautiful, captivating and interesting as this game universe is though, it is also dangerous. These dangers come with consequences as well. Hello Games has said that your character themselves will not die. But that’s not to say you will not be affected. If you’re shot out of the sky by a rival race of sentient, space traveling life, or need to abandon your ship for whatever reason, that’s it. The ship you spent time upgrading and all the resources you’ve mined are forfeit. You will be left floating adrift in a lifepod, waiting for rescue. This aspect of the game seems to come from the roguelike games, where your character, at least to some degree needs to start over from square one. If you’re big on risks, you may want to weigh your options carefully, because there is no quick and easy way to right a mistake as drastic as having your ship destroyed while playing No Man’s Sky.

There are still a lot of questions that gamers have about No Man’s Sky. There will more than likely be many more questions that will remain unanswered or ambiguous up until the game’s release; where players can hopefully expect to find the answers to all their questions first-hand. This is, indeed a very exciting project and if you find yourself not wondering more about this game as it’s being developed, give it time. It sounds like Hello Games has some surprises for us, probably both good and bad.

He becomes a intriguing character to play in the situation he was in.  Jimmy’s quick wit and smart mouth attitude made him a character to remember for many gamers. Recently, there have been grumblings online about a Bully 2. Take-Two Interactive recently registered a trademark for Bully Bullworth Academy, so there may be something going on. Could this just a Bully (Redux) edition, or a whole new Bully game? It’s definitely not wrong to hope for a new Bully game at this point, and Take Two making it would mean it’s in good hands.

"Rockstar has had so much time to also perfect this kind of open world genre title, and I’m sure plenty of games wouldn’t mind heading back to class at Bullworth. We certainly don’t need to play little Jimmy Hopkins again, and there’s been enough time where a new character would be just fine."

There hasn’t been a new Bully game since the era of the PS2, so it’s about time for one. Rockstar did well with the first game but really hasn’t done much with the franchise, which is surprising, Bully was a unique approach to the open world game play in the setting of a boarding school in the Eastern United States. The original Bully had quite a bit going for it too, with great satire playing quite ridiculously off the the stereotypes you’d find in just about any school. Rockstar took the most absurd parts in schools and exploited the crap out of them. All the NPC’s in the game, teachers, staff, and just general students personalities are so blown out of proportion that only Rockstar could do. We see these sorts of characters in all their games, From every GTA to Max Payne and Bully. There is an outlandish quality to the player’s character in Rockstar games, but they fit the world they exist in, which is also almost just as crazy, still most of the characters in any Rockstar branded game seems to still be an outcast in one way or another, an extreme personality that don’t quite fit societies norms, even if they are nutty as hell, themselves.

This is what made Bully such a brilliantly unique and unexpected kind of title. Mr. Hopkins is a fish completely out of water in this case. He’s not a well-off privileged kid, he just seems to have find himself surrounded by people who come from rather “well to do,” families. Bullworth Boarding School is certainly the last place that he would want to be in. There is quite a lot of great content already, and Take-Two certainly has a good thing going with both 2K and Rockstar games, we’ve seen some great games come from them in the last few years so they are riding high from releases like Grand Theft Auto V, it would be a perfectly acceptable time to announce a new Bully game.

Rockstar has had so much time to also perfect this kind of open world genre title, and I’m sure plenty of games wouldn’t mind heading back to class at Bullworth. We certainly don’t need to play little Jimmy Hopkins again, and there’s been enough time where a new character would be just fine. It would be wonderful to see them at the same school, hopefully with some familiar faces. These NPCs helped make the first game what it is, so why not bring at least a few of them back. Or maybe they could go a bit more crazy and take us back to sometime in the 50’s or 60’s Rockstar’s version of “The Dead Poet Society.” With various students causing mischief and a bunch of trouble at the school, it would be a nice change of pace to the run and gun, style gameplay that we’re used to in open world games, especially where Rockstar is concerned. Maybe even take control of a couple of students from different classes to run the long-con, much like the player character setup in the most recent GTA game.

"Simply because the game has been trademarked, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re about to use it. Sooner rather than later may be better for this one, but Rockstar’s never been the company to “strike when the iron is hot.”"

There is quite a lot they can do with this game format at this point, with new consoles and the original game’s success we can probably look forward to playing another great title like this, that is if we’ll be seeing it any time soon, which is unlikely. Simply because the game has been trademarked, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re about to use it. Sooner rather than later may be better for this one, but Rockstar’s never been the company to “strike when the iron is hot.” They are more the “bide their time and wait for the right moment kind of company” and they never release a game until they think it will be ready, so even if there’s a very good chance that we’ll be playing another “Bully,” it definitely won’t be any time soon. We also don’t know what platform the game will be launching on. With so many options now, it could be a handheld, or it could simply be a remastered version that runs on Nintendo Wii U.

All of us at Gamingbolt know what we’re holding out for another game of “Bully,” but it’s going to be awhile. With scores of advancement in the open world genre and Rockstar’s continued ability to surprise us with good stories, no matter how ridiculous they may be; makes it a great time for another Bully game. Rockstar’s labels are doing wonderfully now, so spread some of the wealth around and give fans of Bully something to look forward to.

The PC as a gaming platform is at the top of it’s game, with a myriad of game developers, from the big names like EA and Ubisoft, to small indie developers and to the classic and iconic developers like id and Valve Software that have always backed the PC as a solid and reliable gaming platform.

The PC has always been a forerunning in gaming, swapping affordability for flexibility. Power can have it’s advantages if the gamer is willing to put a bit more time and effort into chasing down their favorite hobby. It can certainly get pricey and you’ve got all the overhead and more that comes with any personal computer, but it’s well worth the investment of time and money, specially with products like Steam, and now Valve’s new expansion into their own Operating System and specially branded “Steam Box.” Very soon, gamers won’t even need to drop a small fortune to get a high powered, PC running a new version of Linux. Yes, no doubt, that the up and coming 2014 is going to be an excellent year for PC gaming.

Note: List is in random order.

Eden Star:

Are you into Minecraft, but may want something a bit new? Or may be you are really big space nerd as well. Did you happen to enjoy the hell out of games like Portal and Portal 2? Well then, Eden Star may be a game for you. This first person, survival and world manipulation title, is the ultimate sandbox with a twist. The player can manipulate the environment with what looks like an anti-gravity glove, as well as explore a new mysterious and content with its native population.

Xbox 360 Quick Charging Station:

No doubt you’ve got the wireless 360 controller if you own a console. If you don’t have one of these convenient little charging stations you’re missing out. These things take a massive load off your wallet in the long-term when you no longer have to buy and change batteries. Just a few rechargeable batteries and one of these stations can keep you in a weekend marathon gaming session while you’re out of work or on break for University.

Elgato Game Capture:

This neat little unit may not be in your price range at 170 bucks. But if it is, and either you or someone on your shopping list who is into generating and streaming content to the web then there is no doubt this will make for a perfect gift. There is sure to be even a few people that work for this site that want one of these handy-dandy magical capture devices.

12-Months of Xbox Live:

12 months of Xbox live is great for anyone with either a 360 or an Xbox One. You aren’t just paying for the ability to play online with people anymore either. Microsoft took a page out of Sony’s playbook and started giving out free games monthly as well. There is a bit more to go around now and it works with the new hardware giving you a new set of features.

Microsoft Bluetooth Wireless Headset:

Who wants to be tethered. You’ve already gone wireless with your controllers, you might as well go wireless with your headset too. No annoying cable, and its a low profile design will stay out of the way for the wearer and ensure it’s comfortable fit. This is perfect for any online gamer who plays with his friends.

A New Controller:

The Xbox One only comes with a single controller so you may want to think about picking up another controller, especially if you’ve got more than one gamer in the house. Everyone has their favorite gamepad too, so why not look for some new colors, or just go with standard, simple and always elegant, black. There are even some really nice customer controllers out there. The same company [evilcontrollers.com] that makes really nice PS4 controllers has also released a nice, snazzy line of Xbox One controllers as well.

Steering Wheel:

360 has a great selection of racing games, why not spring for a steering wheel that gives the racing fan on your list a better feel than a few buttons and some silly, little analogy sticks. Give them the gift of steering for the holidays, because letting people slide their whip around a hair-pin turn with all the grace and elegance of a 400 horsepower car is one of the simple joys in life that everyone should be able to experience, even if it’s just in a video game.

Xbox One Gift Cards:

These things will certainly make sure the gamer in your life gets what they want for the holidays. Depending on the value of the card you will be able to buy latest games, map packs, music, movies, TV shows and more. It also serves as a great credit card alternative.

Microsoft Xbox One:

If you’re a big spender or have some extra money laying around for the holiday season, why not get an Xbox One for the family? It’s not just for gaming these days and is a kind of handy tool for any TV junkies out there as well. With all the great games on it, you can probably even find something fun for the -non-gamers in the family to get into. It’s a bit more expensive than it’s competition, however it’s got the Kinect standard with it.