I’ve been analyzing game mechanics since the arcade era, which means I understand when a simple idea executed brilliantly creates a new genre. Gears of War’s cover mechanics are deceptively simple – you press a button to take cover behind objects and peek out to shoot. But that…

I came to Jade Empire expecting a competent action RPG set in an Asian-inspired world. What I found was a game that completely understands how to integrate real-time combat with RPG progression and storytelling. Coming from construction, I appreciate systems that solve specific problems elegantly. Jade Empire’s action…

Here’s something I teach in my history classes – sometimes a single product creates the conditions for an entire industry shift. Halo 2 is that product for console gaming. It proved that consoles could have robust online infrastructure. It proved that competitive multiplayer could drive hardware sales. It…

I spent fifteen years in IT management understanding that sometimes the best systems are the ones that respect user agency completely. Fable is a game that respects player agency in ways that were genuinely innovative for 2004. Your character’s appearance changes based on your actions. NPCs react to…