Sony PlayStation3

5 Most Important Video Game-Related News Stories of 2011

​2011 has come and gone, and the year that seemingly slipped right past us was full of major events--some of which may very change the landscape of the video gaming industry forever. Everything from new a new Nintendo console to the death of a computer pioneer was all crammed into the previous yea ... More >>

10 New Year's Resolutions Gamers Should Have

​It's a time-honored tradition. At the beginning of each calendar year, people from all over the world make resolutions to better themselves. What better time to make commitments to improve your health, ability to save money, and chase your dreams than the start of a new year, right? Whether or no ... More >>

Peter Mai, the Best Weekly Culture Writer You've Never Heard Of

Meet our video-game blogger extraordinaire

Top 10 Video Game Posts of 2011

Flickr user Rad Jose​If you're a regular OC Weekly reader and a gamer, our video game writer Peter Mai is probably your hero. Our video game columnist consistently gets hundreds of thousands of page views every week with his insightful and well-written blogs. Which ones were the most popular this ... More >>

The Best and Worst Video Games of 2011

​It's that time of year again. After drudging through the torrent of great and not-so-great video games that consumed just about every minute of my free time, I've narrowed down what I believe is considered to be the best and worst games of 2011. Which games are considered gems? Which aren't even ... More >>

5 Video Games With the Worst Bugs of 2011

Wrong kind of bug, Link!​It's not easy to make a video game, and it's certainly not easy to make a game that is free from bugs. Developers only have a limited amount of time to exterminate any game bugs and glitches before it's forced to be released to the world, and oftentimes, there will be a fe ... More >>

PS Vita's Six Most Glaring Flaws (So Far)

​I can't wait to buy the PlayStation Vita. Considering how much mileage I got out of Sony's previous handheld, the PSP, it's a no-brainer that the Vita will be of great use to gamers on the go like me. The device can play games that look almost as good as the PlayStation 3, and compared to Nintend ... More >>

Report: Best-Selling Video Games of Black Friday 2011

​Like watching football or having a nap after stuffing yourself with turkey, Black Friday shopping has become a Thanksgiving tradition for millions of Americans. If you're a smart shopper and a gamer, there's no doubt that you've saved many of your video game purchases for the weekend following Th ... More >>

5 Video Games That Help Put Me to Sleep

​If you are like me or any of the 60 million Americans out there, then you have trouble falling asleep at night. As a gamer, I find it especially difficult to catch some shut-eye at night, since most games out there are meant to be thrilling and get your heart pumping.However, I've been a gamer lo ... More >>

Five iOS Games That Made Me Ignore This Year's Greatest Games

​It's that time of the year again. During the tail end of each other, video game developers release their biggest games in order to catch the high potential of sales during the holiday season. This can be a great or daunting time for hardcore gamers. On the plus side, there are a ton of great game ... More >>

Top Eight Highlights from Tokyo Game Show 2011

​Tokyo Game Show, the Japanese expo equivalent of Los Angeles' Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), was held over the past weekend in the midst of the Japanese scorching summer heat. Along with new information regarding Sony's PlayStation Vita, new game and hardware announcements along with hands-o ... More >>

Vaporware: 5 Video Games That Should Be Released By Now (But May Never Be)

​Most high-budget video games take around three to four years of development time to complete. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, for example, took at least three years to develop--from the moment the game began as an idea to the release date. However, there are some games that have been in pro ... More >>

E3 2011: Hands On With Nintendo's Newest Console, the Wii U

Peter Mai/OC Weekly​Only hours after the official announcement of their newest gaming console, Nintendo opened the doors to their booth and allowed attendees of the 2011 Electronic Entertainment Expo to get their hands on the Wii U. Don't let the name fool you. This is not a mere update to their p ... More >>

Five Video Games to Convince Non-Gamers They Can Play Video Games

Flickr user ChelseaCharliWhite​Many of my friends don't play video games too often. Sure, they'll pick up a casual game once in a while, but gaming is mostly a solo hobby of mine. Unfortunately, most of them are also extremely competitive. That means whenever we do play games together, I have to ... More >>

5 Games You Probably Didn't Play in 2010... But Should Have

2010 is coming to a close, and it has been a great year for the video gaming community. From the release of big-budget masterpieces such as Mass Effect 2 to exciting new hardware such as the Kinect and Playstation Move, there's something for just about every type of gamer this year.Unfortunately, th ... More >>

The Best and Worst Video Games of 2010

​The year has come to an end, and that can mean only one thing: awards for the best and worst video games of 2010! It has been an exceptional year for gaming, more than most gamers have time to even experience. However, there are only a few games out there that stood out above the rest. What were ... More >>

The Best Video Game Black Friday Deals

Flickr user markhillary​Black Friday is just around the corner and it's a perfect opportunity to stock up on discounted video games for your family, friends, and--if there's any money remaining in your budget--yourself. However, with so many different stores offering so many different deals, how w ... More >>

Rain, Rain, Go Away! Oh, You're Back ...

​You know how lightning and thunderstorms slammed central and south Orange County this morning--including Westminster, Huntington Beach, Santa Ana, Irvine and Costa Mesa? And how the National Weather Service issued a flood warning through 1 p.m., adding the rains would quickly lighten up and mo ... More >>

11 Things You Did Not Know About "Castlevania: Symphony of the Night"

​Tuesday marks the release of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow for the XBOX 360 and Playstation 3. This is a reboot of the Castlevania game series, taking the series back to its linear, action-based roots of the earlier games. To many, this is a refreshing direction for the series to take. The series ... More >>

The 5 Best Video Games...With the Worst Graphics

Gameplay or graphics--which one one of these characteristics is more important to create a successful video game? It seems like this debate has gone on for as long as video gaming has been around. One side claims that good gameplay is the most important aspect of gaming and the other believes that i ... More >>

Learn Real-Life Skills by Playing These Video Games

This year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (or E3) was all about motion control. Each of the major consoles during the annual event proudly featured new technology that involved players getting onto their feet to move, jump, wave their arms, and point in order to control their games. Because motion c ... More >>

Five Most Embarrassing E3 Moments

With the 2010 Electronic Entertainment Expo approaching in a few weeks, gamers and electronics fans across the globe have a lot to look forward to. During this event, industry giants such as Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo will have the opportunity to show off all of the great products that they have t ... More >>

Video Game Shopping for All Stereotypes! Spring 2010 Edition

Gamers know that the best games of the year don't necessarily arrive near the Holiday Season. Previously known for the long months of little or no game releases, spring is now a popular release time frame for some of the industry's most popular titles. Game publishers have learned to avoid the Holid ... More >>

Best and Worst Video Games of 2009

2009 has come and gone, and with it we are left with the memories of all of the wonderful video games we have played throughout the year. Which game deserves Game of the Year? What games don't?Here we take a look at what went right in 2009, and what went wrong. Although there were numerous quality c ... More >>

Five Regrettable Music/Video Game Moments

​Motörhead are currently on tour (including a stop at the House of Blues in Anaheim), they also play a role in upcoming action/adventure game Brütal Legend, out next week on Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 (we got a chance to play it at Comic-Con this year, it's a fun, straight-forward beat 'em up wi ... More >>

[Game On] Scared Shipless: In 'Dead Space,' No One Can Hear You Sob Like a Pansy. Lucky for You

[Game On] Like Diggin' Ditches: Whatever 'Fracture' Is Breaking, It Ain't New Ground

[Game On] A Bit Force-ed: Lightsabers and Tits Don't Quite Hide 'Soul Calibur IV''s Lack of Ideas

[Game On] Viva La 'Revolution': Get In Touch With Your Inner Despot

[Game On] From Wii Speak to 'Final Fantasy,' E3 Lets Gamers Glimpse at Their Next Obsessions

[Game On] A new take on the old 'Space Invaders' is all the extreme you need

[Game On] 'Metal Gear Solid 4' Is Part Movie, Part Game, All Failure

[Game On] 'Guitar Hero' and 'Rock Band' Give New Meaning to 'Rock & Roll Excess'

[Game On] Niko Bellic and 'Grand Theft Auto IV' Are Great, But Is That Enough Anymore?

[Game On] When Less Is Less: 'Prologue' Is Tantalizing, Overpriced

[Game On] Just Shy of Seaworthy: 'Viking: Battle for Asgard' Shows Promise, But Not Much More

[Game On] Online Turnoff: Who Said First-Person Games Need a Second Person?

[Game On] Thinning Crowds: It's Always Dead at the Club

[Game On] Hell, Yes: Dante's Inferno Rages On in Devil May Cry 4

[Game On] Auto Erotica

Car lovers find a new flame in Burnout Paradise

[game on] Lukewarm Gun

Unreal Tournament III blasts new holes in old terrain.

CD Review

Various Artists, Well Deep: 10 Years of Big Dada (Big Dada)

Game On

Gaming's Greatest Hits: A look back at the best of 2007

Game On

WEB EXCLUSIVE! The New Face of Evil: Call of Duty 4 hits maybe a little too close to home

Wednesday - 11/28

No End In Sight at Marie Callenders, Army of Darkness at Regency South Coast Village

Shred Cred

WEB EXCLUSIVE! Shred Cred: You wanted the best—you got the best: Guitar Hero III

Game On

Bang Bang for Your Buck: Five great games for $60—Shoot first, Ask questions later

Game On

Down in Flames: Lair's fire-breathing dragon is just a big turkey

Game On

Mechanical Bull: A few more changes would’ve helped transformers

Superzero

Spider-Man 3 spins a web of mediocrity