Many gamers’ first memories involve swapping a controller back and forth during the original Super Mario Bros. , or memorizing the fatality combos in Mortal Kombat . Today, young gamers are far more likely to remember being cussed out on Xbox Live. Multiplayer games have undergone a massive shift in recent decades. Compared to the cozy prevalence of couch co-op games in the 90s, very few games today include local multiplayer as an option. Online multiplayer games are the new standard, but when and why did this trend be

More revenue. Another, less benign, reason for this shift to online multiplayer is money. Many distributors cite piracy as a major cause of declining profits , and increased DRM restrictions make sharing games with friends much more difficult. Decreasing the amount of local multiplayer means that friends who want to play together need their own copies of the game, their own system, and their own subscription. The result is increased costs for gamers and increased revenue for distribut

Fading demand for local multiplayer. Perhaps most important in the disappearance of local multiplayer is decreased demand. Players want better graphics, and better graphics means cutting split-screens. Since online multiplayer games sell better than solely single-player experiences, developers include them—even when they are essentially clones of other popular series. Online multiplayer games are always available (provided your internet or the server isn’t down), there are always people waiting to play, and they don’t require graphical sacrifices. Online multiplayer games also constitute more of a challenge—while your friends’ talents might be all over the place, online ranked matches mean you can almost always find somebody at your skill le

The latter is even more surprising, since Tearaway actually beat out Irrational Games’ BioShock Infinite for a Best Game nomination. BioShock Infinite , the spiritual sequel to Irrational’s critically-acclaimed FPS BioShock , suffered a critical backlash after the initial praise that it received and this seems to still be in full effect. BioShock Infinite did manage to achieve nominations for Audio Achievement, Artistic Achievement, Original Music and Best Performer (Courtnee Draper), but the snubs for Best Game and Best Story seem rather poin

This Razer headset offers high fidelity audio through its large 50 mm custom-tuned drivers and features sound isolation so gamers can focus on which direction the opposing team’s Reaper is running in from. The plush ear cushions and wide headband make it comfortable for an all day session, while the fully retractable microphone boom offers a flexible design so players can yell “get on the point!” with e

Optimus Prime is back, Josh Duhamel is back, Megatron is back, and Michael Bay is back. Transformers 5 ( Transformers: The Last Knight ) is aimed to be a continuation of the mega Hasbro movie franchise but also a fresh start for newcomers that will launch – you guessed it – a share cinematic universe Marvel style) with the first spinoff coming in 2018 based on Bumble

For this list, we only considered trailers from World of Warcraft forward, but the best five cinematic moments from the pre- WoW days could be an entirely different list. Despite the limited technology of the time, Blizzard still managed to produce amazing cinematics for the original versions of Diablo, StarCraft , and Warcraft 1

This made for an extremely competitive awards season, as each gaming site elected its own Game of the Year , and last week saw The Last of Us dominating the D.I.C.E. Awards . Now the games of 2013 are set to go head-to-head once more in the British Academy Games Awards, which will take place in mid-Ma

Now, online multiplayer games are the norm. Even series that feature single-player campaigns, like the Call of Duty , Battlefield , and Gears of War franchises, are better known for their multiplayer. Games that once featured only single-player stories, such the Uncharted and Assassin’s Creed series, have implemented online multiplayer in sequels. And although more games are incorporating multiplayer elements, few allow for local multiplayer; the focus is almost entirely on virtual shared gaming experien

February is a bit of a dry month when it comes to video game releases, which makes it a great time to look back on the biggest hits of 2013. It was an exciting year in gaming, not only due to the launch of two major new consoles, but also because of the high quality of storytelling and gameplay in the titles that were relea

Everyone here at MOBA game Hero builds Rant would like to wish the inanimate, mass-produced, nostalgia-inducing Game Boy a very Happy North American Birthday. While it can’t reciprocate the love many gamers still have for it, it revolutionized an industry that we still care about all these years la

This zip-up jacket hoodie will look great on your favorite Overwatch fan whether they’re just chilling at home or going at it in Blizzard’s upcoming Overwatch eSports League . The hoodie is 80 percent cotton and officially licensed by J!NX. Currently available in small through XXX-Large, the hoodie has mostly positive reviews on Amazon, with many noting its lightweight and soft inter