As you know, 1UP.com has breathed its last. Such are the vicissitudes of business. Happily, Jose Otero managed to pull together a startling number of former 1UP staff during Game Developers Conference this year for one final podcast. Not everyone was there due to the last-minute nature of this show (or because they had other duties that kept them away), but if you paid any attention at all to the site for the 10 years it lived you're bound to hear some voices you recognize in this three-hour tag-team adventure. Rather than spoil the surprise, though, we'd rather just let you hear the show for yourself.

Thanks for all the years of support. Your enthusiasm for our work fueled these shows, and we very literally couldn't have done it without you. Please enjoy this final gift to you all.

I used to love Sony.

As with anything in entertainment that changes, people are going to yearn for the way things used to be (while also worrying about what the future will bring). For me, one of the things I miss most is the sort of manuals games used to come with. What I looked forward to most when first buying a new game, regardless of what it was, was opening the box up and flipping through the manual before actually trying the game out. And I'm not just talking about spending time devouring the pages of a manual (or whatever other paperwork a PC game would come with -- keyboard shortcut cards, tech trees, etc. -- as it installs); console and handheld game manuals had to be read cover to cover before the game went into the system. This wasn't a matter of preparing for games with no tutorials, as I treated those with in-game instructions no differently. I specifically remember reading the entire manual for Mario Party 2 -- Mario Party 2 -- before I would even stick the cart in my Nintendo 64.

Everyone has their quirks, and when it comes to playing videogames things are no different, whether it be inconsequential things no one would ever notice or more drastic habits that radically alter your playing experience.

Writing about the way I tend to play open-ended games like Mass Effect recently prompted me to take a more critical look at the way I play games to see what else I do that might be considered... unusual. Wrong would not be the correct word to use, as I'm not sure that you can play a game the wrong way. You can certainly play them in a less than ideal way, as demonstrated by my propensity for playing Mass Effect or Heavy Rain in such a way that important decisions are rendered insignificant. Other eccentricities are less harmful, which is certainly good news for me as I seem to be in never-ending supply of them. ]]>Tue, 13 Mar 2012 11:41:00 PDTNEWShttp://localhost/news/op-ed-netflix-failures-highlight-steamRyan Winterhalter Netflix subscribers will find their movie selection gutted tomorrow, as the service removes thousands of movies and TV shows due to the end of its contract with the premium cable movie network Starz, which, while providing only around 5% of the overall Netflix library, just happens to offer some of the more popular content.

The same thing happens to online game providers, from Netflix-like streaming services like OnLive, to more traditional digital distribution platforms like Xbox Live or Steam. With all this uncertainty one might be tempted to simply stick with physical media, but despite what its ardent defenders will tell you, the physical media sold by normal retail channels comes with a finite lifespan. Regardless of whether you stream, download, or buy optical discs, no game you purchase will last forever, and any streaming service will face periodic mass delistings like Netflix as contracts change every few years. Meaning downloadable game services may offer you the best chance of playing your favorite game thirty years from now. ]]>Tue, 28 Feb 2012 16:00:00 PSTNEWShttp://localhost/news/love-video-games-movieRyan Winterhalter For Valentine's Day we examined 35 reasons why we love games, but we're not done expressing our affection yet. Prose alone couldn't handle out boundless adoration; we had to make a video. Watch as we discuss our personal favorite reason to love.

]]>Thu, 16 Feb 2012 17:10:00 PSTNEWShttp://localhost/news/op-ed-activision-defends-innovationChris Pereira

Between DICE taking place last week and Tim Schafer successfully turning to Kickstarter to fund a Double Fine-developed graphic adventure, there has been a lot of talk recently about the role publishers serve in the videogame industry. There is the belief among many people that publishers do little more than stifle innovation, a suggestion Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg takes issue with.

During a panel at DICE, Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter made the case that today's publishing model isn't good for for the industry. Publishers are opposed to risks and many shy away from bringing out games unlikely to sell millions of units, he said, also adding, "We are getting fewer choices as consumers because financial guys are taking over. Financial guys are making the decisions." ]]>Mon, 13 Feb 2012 18:47:00 PSTNEWShttp://localhost/news/god-war-creator-calls-storyRyan Winterhalter When I first downloaded God of War creator David Jaffe's PSN game, Calling All Cars, I didn't quit playing until my thumbs literally grew too sore to continue. The game borrowed heavily from NBA Jam despite its cops & robbers aesthetic, and like that arcade classic, my friends and I fought down to the wire in every round. Though Jaffe has in the past referred to the game as a "mistake," I would place it above the original God of War as my favorite game of his. I know it seems strange to value a forgotten PSN downloadable title above one of the best PS2 games of all time, but I've come to a point where I prefer experiences that don't aspire to tell a grand story, and I'm thankful that game creators like Jaffe feel the same way.

Jaffe explained his feelings to other game makers in a presentation recorded by Gamespot at last week's DICE summit, "My talk is actually a warning about why we shouldn't tell stories with our video games. I think it's a bad idea. I think it's a waste of resources and time and money and more importantly I think it actually stunts, and has stunted over the last ten years or so, the medium of video games."

]]>Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:59:00 PSTNEWShttp://localhost/news/notch-tim-schaefer-psychonauts-2Ryan Winterhalter "Let's make Psychonauts 2 happen," tweeted Minecraft creator Markus Persson (AKA Notch) yesterday to Double Fine CEO, and designer of the original game, Tim Schafer.

Notch's Tweet alone would pique the interest of Double Fine fans. Pychonauts' retail performance was so poor that mentioning it at this point, after Double Fine has produced so many other excellent titles, seems kind of cliché, meaning that all hope for a Psychonauts sequel died years ago. However, Notch didn't just tweet, Tim Schafer responded, "Oh wait. Hm. This is interesting."

Following a report late last week that Kaz Hirai had been chosen to replace Howard Stringer as president of Sony, the company has since made it clear that no such decision has been made.

"Certain media reports were published on January 7, 2012 regarding Sony Corporation's executive officers' appointments," said an official statement issued over the weekend. "Sony Corporation has made no announcement in this regard and nothing has been determined at this time." ]]>Mon, 09 Jan 2012 13:12:00 PSTNEWS