By Anonymous on Apr 04, 2015 12:13 am
The wonder that exploration brings within a game is finite. Once we discover something, we can never discover it again even if we start over. A world fully revealed is suddenly a more static place than when it started. It's at this nexus point between the potential and the static that Failbetter's Sunless Sea finds itself in. Though it sports an immensely imaginative setting and fantastic writing, Sunless Sea's roguelike-inspired elements don't quite gel with the longform exploration you're meant to embark on. Built in the mold of such games as Sid Meier's Pirates and Koei's Uncharted Waters series, Sunless Sea sets you loose on The Unterzee with a simple ship, a crew, some supplies, and a blank sea chart that slowly fills in as you explore the zee. That last bit is crucial to understanding where Sunless Sea's heart lies, as your primary instinct in this game will almost always be to sail for the black spots to see what's there. Your reward? A cavalcade of islands and shoreline settlements, each with their own secrets and stories to tell, which takes the form of expertly-written text which occasionally lets you choose how you react to what you find. If you can imagine The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker was a visual novel with resource management set in a series of twisted British colonies, you'd be in the ballpark of describing the bulk of the Sunless Sea experience. The map in Sunless Sea slowly fills in as you explore and discover islands.Of course, it's the intriguing setting that makes you want to explore in the first place. The Unterzee itself is a strange, scary place that combines the unknowable dread of the works of Lovecraft with the diverse, normalized weirdness of Dungeons and Dragons' Planescape setting. London has sunk underneath the Earth's crust and serves as the principal port for the varied inhabitants and societies of the ocean below. Hell is real, and it just had a revolution to exile its aristocracy. Ships have the option of going to the surface, where human society still thrives, but their crews risk exposure from the sun, which can be deadly for inhabitants of the Unterzee (most of whom appear to be human themselves). Three mysterious, powerful beings are worshiped as gods of the zee--Stone, Salt, and Storm--but their influence is so vague and cryptic that you may not even know they're acting. Indeed, should you ever find yourself stranded without food or fuel, you can pray to one of them to give you a boon to tide you over until you make port. That doesn't mean they'll actually answer, mind. Or if they will even be kind rather than cruel. Even positive responses can be treacherous, as praying to Stone for fuel has been known to drop stalactites of coal from the ceiling, crushing crew members in the process. The rich, nuanced backdrop that the Unterzee provides is just begging players to explore its darkest corners. The real terror underneath this backdrop, though, is an elegant resource management game clashing against your desire to press your luck by pressing into the unknown further and further from London. Fuel and supplies are of extreme importance because if one of them depletes, it's game over. You'll also have to manage a third "resource": terror. As you sail, you crew will get progressively more nervous about sailing the weird, treacherous waters. And the further you move from London, the quicker it will increase. Other actions you take in the text portions of the game will also increase or decrease this value. Should it ever hit 100, your crew will try to mutiny and will kill you if you don't calm them down. Returning to London will reset this value to 50 if you're already higher than that, encouraging you to return home every so often. Managing all three of these variables creates a nice tension during your voyage and really informs how far you want to venture out during each trek. And there's nothing like realizing you planned poorly for a voyage as you quickly scurry home, barely making it before your fuel bottoms out. An elegant HUD puts the emphasis on the zee and gives faces to your officers.But the big payoff in Sunless Sea is in the exploration. While you're scouring the zee and wiping out the black little by little from your sea chart, you'll often stumble across islands with ports you can stop at. Each one treats you to several different visual novel-like scenarios, many of which are tied to quests that grant echoes (the game's currency), fuel, supplies, or even different kinds of valuable artifacts or other assorted kinds of unknowable knowledge represented as items. The islands themselves all have their own stories to tell, and you'll feel compelled to unravel each and every one. And though it's thrilling to find out how all of these stories connect and intersect, the best by far are the ones that tell the stories of the societies themselves. One island, Visage, forces you to wear an animal mask and play the part it suggests while you're in the city proper--a frog mask indicates a bumbling tourist type. Playing your part correctly is more important than being polite or not being disruptive. Frog masks who aren't clumsy and thoughtless are immediately booted from the island. In this way, Visage speaks volumes about social interaction as performance and its role in determining identity. Another island, the Empire of Hands, is cultural appropriation taken to the extreme. It's made up of sentient apes obsessed with obtaining souls of their own so they can "uplift" themselves and take their places as humans' equals, even mimicking a melange of other cultures' structures and practices. Thing is, there's really no evidence that taking souls actually works, so it may just literally be a case of "monkey see, monkey do." Not all of the islands offer such fleshed-out cultures, but those that do isolate different aspects of our own culture and put them under a microscope. These transcendent moments inevitably fade, however, when you begin to grapple with the game's recursive structure. Dying doesn't end your journey, but rather initiates the beginning of a new captain's. You essentially start over with a new character, though you do get to carry over a portion of your previous captain's stats provided they were high enough as well as half of their Echoes, an officer, or their entire revealed seachart. And if you don't accept the latter, all the islands outside of the starting area are randomized and placed in completely different positions, forcing you to find them again. In this way, your journeys form a seafaring lineage of sorts equipped with the knowledge of past triumphs and mistakes, giving the game's structure a roguelike feel with a slight cushion whenever you bite the big one. The problem is this structure is a mismatch for Sunless Sea's slow pace. Exploring the zee is a very methodical process as you watch your ship slowly slide along the dark green water like a slug. Many quests involve you taking one or several doodads from one island to another, further limiting feelings of progression. Sunless Sea's writing is its strongest feature as you encounter strange, unexpected situations on the islands.And then there's the game's possible victory conditions, which crib from strategy games like Civilization without taking into account how quickly progression scales in them. You can go to zee for the joy of discovery and experience all you can so you can write your masterpiece, but you're put in an awkward position no matter how you position your new captain. If you start with a blank map, you'll have to spend each new start building up your resources again near home waters, which is time-consuming and monotonous. If you utilize a previous map, however, you don't get any new fragments--essentially experience--for landmarks you already discovered, which hamstrings progress towards meeting the prerequisites for victory. You need to cash in a large amount of secrets here (which let you level up stats, but also serve as a resource), which is awkward because you get a secret every time you get a certain amount of fragments and relying on a revealed map means not getting very many in that playthrough. Rather than creating interesting tension, these two scenarios just exacerbate the game's slow pace to intolerable levels. You can also win by acquiring a lot of money, but this victory condition sidesteps the most interesting parts of the game, instead pushing you to either care about finding the most profitable trade routes or find an exploitable, repeatable way to make some easy scratch. Finding your father's bones, which is the other victory condition, is by far the sanest way to experience Sunless Sea, which gives you a tangible main quest while also giving you the freedom to explore the Unterzee at your leisure. Learning to look for the best deals in trade goods can be a profitable enterprise.Which brings us to the fatal flaw in the game's structure: the diminishing returns inevitably associated with exploration. In roguelikes, the procedurally-generated dungeons ensure that you'll always have a different experience each time you play through the game, but the reason for that was as an ultimate test of mastery. You play until you die, learn from your mistakes, and then try to get further based on your personal growth. Sunless Sea tries to do a similar thing by mixing up the islands every time you die. Each playthrough will feature different discoveries at different times, often mixing up the order you visited them last time in the interest of keeping the world from that inevitable state of being static. The problem is that the content of the islands themselves never changes. Sure, you can pick different options when the game lets you, but for the most part, everything that happens on the islands is the same as before. You're not really dealing with an uncertain, dynamic ocean voyage so much as you're living in a salty version of Groundhog Day where you have very little agency to change things. And though permadeath can be turned off in the settings, the game still encourages you to play many different captains so that you can reset all the quests and reap more rewards as you go when all you want to do is unravel the game's secrets you haven't yet discovered. Sunless Sea is an ambitious work that attempts to capture the sheer kinetic thrill of discovery in a bottle without the inevitable entropy of player completion depleting it, and falls well short. The promise of lengthened replayability only makes the methodical pace a joyless grind at times. But the things you're meant to discover truly defines the best of Sunless Sea. The stories you'll be able to tell from your journeys--that time you helped those rat mechanics defeat a bunch of guinea pig nobles; the creepy place you found yourself after sailing off the edge of the map; your continued struggles with managing your cannibalism--truly makes Sunless Sea a voyage worth taking for those with the patience to deal with the litany of structural issues. In asking how games can tap into our desire to discover, Sunless Sea proves that what we discover matters at least as much as how much we can discover.
By Anonymous on Apr 04, 2015 12:06 am
If you were a PlayStation Plus member in January who claimed every available free game, you should now have a new game to download on PlayStation 4. Among January's Plus games was Woah Dave for PlayStation Vita. The PS4 version of the game debuted this week, and as it supports cross-buy, anyone who added the Vita version to their account back in January can now download it on PS4, free of charge.  Despite its flagrant misspelling of the word "whoa" as "woah," Woah Dave is a fun, retro-style 2D platformer where you fight aliens and collect coins by attacking with whatever you have at your disposal. Typically, that's the egg of a soon-to-hatch alien, effectively letting you slay alien invaders with their cousins. Or something. If you didn't grab it while it was free--or subsequently buy it after January--Woah Dave is available for $5 on the PlayStation Store. You still have a few more days to claim March's free games before April's take their place on Tuesday, April 7.
By Anonymous on Apr 03, 2015 11:39 pm
Image credit: Ray StylesWhich character should be added to the Super Smash Bros. Wii U/3DS roster next? That's the question Nintendo posed to fans yesterday when it launched a new voting portal. Microsoft's Xbox boss Phil Spencer has now weighed in, saying he'd like to see Banjo the honey bear from Rare's iconic platformer series. Not only does Spencer think it "would be cool" if Banjo was added to the lineup, but Microsoft and Nintendo have worked together before, so it's unlikely there would be licensing issues.
Twitter user Ray Styles has already put together a mock-up Smash Bros. poster for Banjo (and Kazooie). Spencer didn't say if he'd also want Kazooie to appear in the new Smash Bros. game. The two characters have vastly different attributes, after all. Nintendo's Smash Bros. character voting poll closes in October 2015, so--even if Banjo does make it into the game--you won't get to play the character for quite a while. New DLC characters are coming to Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS much sooner, however. During this week's Nintendo Direct broadcast, the company announced that Mewtwo will be available starting April 15. Beyond that, Nintendo will release another new character--Lucas--in June, though pricing has not yet been announced.
By Anonymous on Apr 03, 2015 11:28 pm
The recently concluded Parks and Recreation featured a very distinctive--and excellent--intro sequence. And while Chris Pratt beckoning you to join him while holding a guitar is part of its charm, the same style of intro also works surprisingly well for Destiny. Appropriately titled Marks and Reputation, a new video put together by Destiny clan Bus of the Undead mashes up Parks and Rec's intro with footage of Destiny. It introduces many of the key characters in Destiny in place of the show's, even nailing the timing of it all, as the comparison video below shows. Bungie announced this week that it will be banning "toxic" players from matchmaking, and also reducing the difficulty of the game's most difficult Strike mission, Ceberus Vae III. The update has not yet been dated, nor has the upcoming House of Wolves DLC, but we will be hearing more on that front sometime this month.
By Anonymous on Apr 03, 2015 11:04 pm
 Digital games seller GOG has introduced a new feature allowing you to obtain digital GOG versions of select games that you have CD Keys for. Even better than simply acquiring a digital copy that will work on modern computers, this means you can take a game that was released on disc with DRM and turn it into a DRM-free digital version. Doing so also gets you any of the bonuses that GOG offers if you buy the game through them, like manuals, wallpapers, soundtracks, and more, depending on the particular game. There are six supported games that can currently be reclaimed on GOG's website, three of which are editions only sold in Russian-speaking territories: GOG says it's working to support additional games, but there's no word on how frequently we'll be seeing more introduced. "We have been fighting to free all games from DRM since the very beginning, and this new feature is the next step for us," said GOG's Oleg Klapovsky in a press release. "It's not a simple job, but we plan to bring in even more games in the future." This initiative is similar to something Steam does, where keys for retail games from Valve and certain third-parties can be redeemed on the platform for a Steam copy. Although GOG's offering is currently very limited, it does have the advantage of shedding any DRM associated with the game without requiring you to use Steam.
By Anonymous on Apr 03, 2015 09:30 pm
 Check out the latest updates coming to the SNOW closed beta.
By Anonymous on Apr 03, 2015 04:30 am
 Dark Souls II runs at a higher frame rate on PlayStation 4 than on Xbox One; New features are coming to Smash Bros, Mario Kart, Wii U and 3DS, and Battlefield: Hardline is getting a big patch.
By Anonymous on Apr 03, 2015 04:14 am
1. You Relentlessly Pursue Monetization Opportunities
It may sound crass, but the most useful thing you can prove on your resume is your zeal to increase profits. If you've played any Mario games, this skill should be well honed by now.
2. You're Comfortable Wearing Several Hats at Once
In today's rapidly shifting business environment, candidates who can perform a variety of tasks will excel. Your new employer wants someone who can multitask and engage in multiple projects simultaneously. (Image via sexgamesandrocknroll)
3. You Are Proficient at Typing
Mavis Beacon's got nothing on this Italian wordsmith who pounds out sentences even faster than he does goombas. If you can clock at least a solid 70+ WPM, you'll leave the competition in the dust.
4. You're Excellent at Spotting Potential Red Flags
The last thing a boss wants to hear is why a problem everyone knew about never got fixed. After decades of flag pole sitting, both you and Mario know a red flag on the horizon when you see one, and you know just how to tackle them.
5. You Launched A New Line With Exponential Profits
The sound of cascades of numbers rapidly increasing is music to any start-up's ears. You've kicked enough koopa shells to get callouses on your thumbs. That's something to brag about.
6. You've Got Expertise in Long-Tail Distribution
The marketplace has transformed. Instead of focusing on huge hits at the head of the demand curve, companies are making more money by giving their attention to smaller niches in the tail. You've handily trounced Bowser the exact same way.
7. You've Demonstrated Sound Risk Management
Whether you're jumping over lava pits or wisely ducking inbound projectiles from powerful magikoopas, your portfolio proves you know exactly how to take risks and when to avoid them. (Image via 1JPS)
8. You Judiciously Let Go of Unproductive Staff
Look. No one likes to fire anyone. But you consider downsizing a way to reward the best members of your team, instead of a way to punish the ones who don't carry their weight. Both you and Mario know how to make the tough calls.
9. You Swam Upstream in a Challenging Economy
It's been about seven years since the great financial crash of 2008, and times have been hard on everyone. But with your handy frog suit, you've swum upstream and managed to stay afloat in the middle of trying circumstances.
10. You Protected Key Resources from Hostile Takeover
Loyalty is hard to come by. But you've got a consistent record of protecting key assets from outside forces. While phantoms lurk at the door, you've held your own. (Image via nathanthemoldy)
11. You Unearthed Hidden Revenue Streams
Never satisfied with the well-trodden path, you've dug deep to discover new avenues for your enterprise to grow. Any headhunter would kill to snatch you up. (Image via Brother Brain)
12. You Provide a Solid Foundation for Teamwork
While a resume is your moment to shine, it's always useful to highlight how well you cooperate with others. You can't spell teamwork without "work," and you've certainly put in more than your share with 4 player co-op.
13. You Stand Firm in the Face of Adversity
It's an unfortunate fact that the marketplace is often hostile, and the weak of spirit don't last very long. You know how to remain calm and levelheaded when the odds are stacked against you. (Image via 1JPS)
14. You've Negotiated Several Golden Parachutes
While golden parachutes have recently come under fire as corporations review their governance policies, there's no denying you've managed to secure dozens of them in the past. Your negotiating position is strong.
15. You've Got Fire in Your Belly
Ask any hiring manager and they'll tell you the number one quality they look for in an employee is passion. You and Mario have over 30 years of combined experience setting a fire under everyone's feet while avoiding burnout. (Image via SSB88)
16. You Are Results Driven With a Proven Track Record
Your princess may be in a different castle, but you don't stop until you reach your goal. You undertake and complete gargantuan tasks every year. Your determination always gets results. Now your resume will too.
By Anonymous on Apr 03, 2015 04:13 am
1. Ryu's Stage in Street Fighter II
The midnight castle backdrop of Ryu's classic Street Fighter II stage closely resembles Matsue Castle in Japan's Shimane Prefecture. The entry fee to visit this historic landmark is only 560 Yen, which comes out to about $5. Or the cost of 10 rounds on the original arcade game.
2. Chun Li's Stage in Street Fighter II
Chun Li's stage could be based on any number of markets in Hong Kong but we've pictured Wan Chai above, because it's the party district. If you're coming from the US, the exchange rate's gonna work very strongly in your favor, so expect to have a lot of fun even on a tight budget.
3. Dhalsim's Stage in Street Fighter II
The best place to see elegant elephants in India is at the Thrissur Pooram Festival in Kerala, which takes place in April. The streets and temples will abound with elephant pageants, and you can get a hotel and tour for under 2000 Rupees, which is roughly $30.
4. Sagat's Stage in Street Fighter II
This giant Buddha statue in Sagat's stage is based directly on the Ayutthaya Ruins in Thailand. If you're in Bangkok, you can catch a riverboat to tour the ruins and ancient temples, all for about $65. Tiger uppercut!
5. E. Honda's Stage in Street Fighter II
E. Honda's stage could be any number of Honshu bathhouses across Japan. The one pictured above is actually a sake spa located in the Hakone Kowakien Yunessun. Admission to the resort is about $25, and you're guaranteed to feel like a sumo champ.
6. Urien's Stage in Street Fighter III
The illustrious illuminati tyrant Urien likes to tussle in front of Olmec ruins, some of which can be found in the Parque Museo La Venta pictured above. Entrance fee to the museum is 40 pesos, which is less than $3. Urien can offer a beat down, but he can't beat those prices.
7. Cammy's Stage in Super Street Fighter II
Technically, Cammy's stage is labeled as England in Super Street Fighter II, but the design was based on the famous Castle Lichtenstein in Swabian Alb, Germany. For a mere 7€ you can get a guided tour of the centuries-old castle. Unfortunately, a dress code more modest than Cammy's is required.
8. Blanka's Stage in Street Fighter II
If you've seen the movie City of God or played Blanka's level in Street Fighter II, you know that favela life in Brazil can be dangerous. There are certainly pockets of friendliness though, such as this stilt city in Manaus on the Amazon River. You can stay in a Manaus hostel for only $10.
9. Historic Distillery Stage in Street Fighter IV
If you want to get a tour of a historic distillery, Scotland's definitely your place to go. At the 200 year old Edradour Distillery in Perthshire pictured above, a full tour will set you back £7.50, so a little over $10. A wee dram awaits you.
10. Balrog's Stage in Street Fighter II
Balrog lands several Buffalo Headbutts in front of the Las Vegas luxury hotel and casino, The Golden Nugget. Despite all the glitz and glamour, if you book on the right night, you can stay in the hotel for under 70 bucks, with some change leftover to gamble.
11. Volcanic Rim Stage in Street Fighter IV
It's hard to believe, but you can actually get pretty darn close to an active volcano just like the one featured in this explosive Street Fighter IV stage. A full tour of Hawaii Volcano National Park, which brings you right up to the lava-spewing Kilauea, usually runs for under $100.
12. Cammy's Stage in Street Fighter Alpha 3
Mykonos in Greece is known as the island of the winds, as evidenced by the windmills scattered liberally around the town. While Mykonos Town is a bit of a tourist hotspot, you can still snatch a hostel for about $20 a night.
13. Ken's Stage in Street Fighter II
Ken throws down some serious dragon punches in San Francisco Bay, but if you'd rather stay above the fray, you can catch a ride on the Harbor Ferry for $6.50. You'll have a safe view of any rough and tumble dock brawls below.
14. Deserted Temple Stage in Street Fighter IV
The Old Temple in Street Fighter IV features some imposing statues which highly resemble the Koumokuten Guardian Deities at Todaiji Temple in Nara, Japan. Todaiji also houses the largest Buddha statue in the world, along with a gang of adorably ravenous deer. Access to the World Heritage Site is 800 Yen, so just under $7.
15. Snowy Rail Yard Stage in Street Fighter IV
If you're taking a trip through Russia, chances are high you'll come through the train station in Novosibirsk, Russia's third largest city. If you want to stay and explore the city, you can stay at any number of hostels for under 580 Rubles, which is about $10.
By Anonymous on Apr 03, 2015 04:11 am
1. Beware of the Lycanthrope
As you begin your bloody journey, you'll awaken unarmed to face a Lyncanthrope. Go against your natural instincts and don't fret if you die. You won't be able to reach Hunter's Dream until you kick the bucket.
2. It was all a dream
Now that you've been killed for the first of many, many times, it's time to explore Hunter's Dream. This mystical land is your headquarters in Bloodborne. Initially you'll be able to read basic game tips and level up here.
3. Choose wisely
It's time to choose your starter weapons. In Bloodborne, you'll be able to choose between three melee weapons -- Saw Cleaver, Hunter Axe and Threaded Cane. Each weapons has their own quirks, but the Saw Cleaver is the most balanced of the three. You'll also choose between a handgun and shotgun to start off.
4. Non-bosses are hard too
Finally, you're armed and ready for some payback. Before you fight your first boss, you'll need some revenge on the Lycanthrope. Quick melee attacks is the best tactic when fighting the fast creature. Watch out when the Lycanthrope lunges too, it can be fatal.
5. Lanterns are more than just light
Despite their usefulness in emitting light, lanterns serve an even greater purpose in Bloodborne. They are used as checkpoints, which are vital since you'll die A LOT. Lanterns also can transport you to Hunter's Dream.
6. Create shortcuts, it'll make life easier
With lanterns few and far between, unlocking shortcuts is a key to staying alive. If you see a locked gate, there's a chance there's a path through. Shortcuts could be rather handy in the long run.
7. Study your enemies
Each enemy you encounter offers dangerously different fighting styles, so make sure to know your plan of attack before rushing in head first.
8. Be a transformer
Upgrading your weapons is key to defeating Bloodborne. Each weapon has its own transformation that gives the weapon more damage and longevity. Don't forget to repair your weapons often, the more you attack the less damage your weapons deal.
9. Be stunning
Stunning gives you the chance to deal big damage. To stun an enemy, shoot them as they're attacking. You'll know you've stunned an enemy when you hear a high-pitched screech. Then it's on!
10. The Regain System is crucial
In some cases you'll have a small window of time to regain health back after an enemy attack that damages you. A successful hit will illuminate your character and some health will be regained. You can never have too much health in Bloodborne.
11. Blood Echoes
Blood Echoes serve the same purpose as in previous Dark Souls games. You collect blood echoes from fallen enemies, and it's the currency you use to buy weapons, gear, repair items, and level up skills. As in the Souls series, every time you die you'll drop your Blood Echoes.
12. Get armor before the first boss battle
Bloodborne isn't a game for shields. With that in mind, make sure to procure as much armor as possible. Definitely pick up some armor before your first boss encounter. You can either buy armor or pick some up in the sewers.
13. Aggression is the name of the game
Get used to dipping, dodging and diving. Playing it safe just doesn't work in Bloodborne.
14. Farmers only
If you just can't seem to get past a certain spot in the game, then maybe you should take a step back and work on your agriculture. Farming allows you to level up in Bloodborne, but this isn't your typical farming.
15. Don't fear the grind
Fight smaller enemies to replenish vials for boss battles. Vials allow you to regain health quickly. Something you'll need in these killer boss battles.
By Anonymous on Apr 03, 2015 04:10 am
1. Dota 2: $28 Million-plus Awarded in Prize Money
The amount of money being won in Dota 2 is astonishing. In just two short years the game has become a cash-generating machine. The top players, such as Jonathan Berg featured above, frequently bring home upwards of $1 million dollars with their teams.
2. League of Legends: Nearly $20 Million Awarded in Prize Money
After Dota, League of Legends is the next eSports heavy hitter, seeing an explosion of tournament payouts recently. The 2014 LoL World Championships had one of the largest prize pools in history: $2.3 million!
3. StarCraft II: $15 Million Awarded in Prize Money
StarCraft II quickly surpassed even the formidably successful original StarCraft in competitive earnings. This year's StarCraft II World Championship Series, hosted by Blizzard, has a $1.6 million prize pool.
4. Counter-Strike: $10 Million Awarded in Prize Money
Counter-Strike in its original state may be an older game, but it still brings in money at tournaments to this day. CSGO is close at its heels, though, so there are many indications it will quickly overtake its immensely popular predecessor
5. StarCraft: Brood War: $6 Million-plus Awarded in Prize Money
Thanks to South Korea's continued interest in the game's legacy players, Brood War continues to remain relevant. Competitions have largely moved onto SonicTV Starleague, with nearly $50,000 still awarded each year.
6. Call of Duty: More Than $4 Million Awarded Across the Franchise
Call of Duty's a tricky prospect due to its annual updates. Typically, the most recent game rules the day for payouts, like this year's $1 million in prizes for Advanced Warfare at the Call of Duty Championships. It definitely pays to play Call of Duty, and it always pays to play the latest version.
7. The Halo Series: $4 Million-plus Awarded Across the Franchise
Like Call of Duty, all the Halo games remain popular for tournaments, with the biggest cash prizes typically going to the most recent releases. If you want to make some money, focus on Halo 4, and Halo 5 when it's released this year as well.
8. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive: Almost $4 Million Awarded in Prize Money
Counter-Strike: GO just came out in 2012, but its pro players have already collected a significant amount of money at competitions worldwide, like the DreamHack Tournament featured here, with a $250,000 community-funded prize pool. (Image by Adela Sznajder)
9. Warcraft III: Over $3.5 Million Awarded in Prizes
Another older title that has had surprising longevity in the competitive scene. Most of the money still being made these days is in Asian tournaments, such as the World Cyber Games pictured above.
10. SMITE: $3 Million Awarded in Prizes
The online deity battler SMITE has become a worldwide sensation. The SMITE World Championship in Atlanta, Georgia, saw teams from Europe and China fighting for $2.5 million.
11. World of Warcraft: Almost $2 Million Awarded in Prize Money
A lot of serious dough has been won from World of Warcraft Arena tournaments. Team Bleached Bones, the winners of BlizzCon's World of Warcraft Arena Championship 2014, snagged $120,000.
12. Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraf: $1.3 Million Awarded in Prize Money
The digital Warcraft card game Hearthstone has had massive popularity at tournaments too. Pro player Firebat (featured above) just took home $100,000 from the Hearthstone World Championships at BlizzCon 2014.
13. World of Tanks: $1.2 Million Awarded in Prize Money
The online shooter World of Tanks has experienced gigantic success in the European competitive scene, with hundreds of thousands of dollars circulating in contests annually.
14. CrossFire: $800,000 Awarded in Prize Money
CrossFire's a tactical first-person shooter that dominates South Korea and China. Most of the serious prizes have been won in the World Cyber Arena, which recently paid out $187,335 for a tournament in October of 2014.
15. FIFA: $600,000 Awarded Across the Franchise
FIFA used to make some serious cash for pros when Virgin Gaming held its huge EA Sports Challenges. Virgin recently transformed into World Gaming, but as long as EA keeps making quality FIFA games, you can expect the competitive scene to continue.
16. Madden NFL: $500,000-plus Awarded Across the Franchise
Another victim of Virgin Gaming's transformation, competitive Madden at this point is definitely more of a speculative proposition. A lot of money flows through the franchise, however, and as competitive gaming continues to grow, you can bet on more tournaments in the future.
16. Heroes of Newerth: $500,000-plus Awarded in Prize Money
This online battle arena game faithfully follows the path set out by Defense of the Ancients, and it's seen some of its enormous success as well. The prize pool for this year's HoN Tour World Finals in Thailand climbed to over $185,000.
17. Super Smash Bros. Melee: Nearly $400,000 Awarded in Prize Money
While there are competitions for newer versions of Smash, Melee will always reign as the king of the tournament scene. Melee features in a large number of tournaments with small prizes, so you'll want to focus on Apex and MLG for bigger payouts.
19. Street Fighter IV: More Than $250,000 Awarded in Prize Money
Street Fighter IV may have singlehandedly revived fighting games for a broad audience. While recent tournaments have focused on Ultra Street Fighter IV, expect Street Fighter V to rise in the competitive scene when it releases later this year.
20. Team Fortress 2: More Than $150,000 Awarded in Prize Money
Valve's team-based shooter has been a heavy in the tournament scene, with the ESEA's competitions showing the most life recently. But in all honesty, you could generate even bigger sums by trading rare hats for the game on the black market.
By Anonymous on Apr 03, 2015 04:00 am
1. Poro
Milynn Sarley dressed up as a lovable Poro begging for snax at San Diego Comic-Con.
2. Ahri the Nine-Tailed Fox
Ahri might be the most popular LoL character to cosplay as. This mobile assassin champion was spotted in the wild at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany.
3. Rengar the Pride Stalker
Welcome to the jungle! We're pretty sure this cuddly cosplayer has already reached 5 Ferocity at DreamHack Winter 2014. (Photo by Jennika Ojala)
4. Darkflame Shyvana
French Cosplayer Galuren shows off her perfectly executed Darkflame Shyvana cosplay at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany.
5. Firefox Themed Ahri
This cosplayer took a fun spin on Ahri by combining her with the iconic Firefox web browser icon. This photo was taken in a cosplay competition at DreamHack Winter 2014. (Photo by Gabriel Kulig)
6. The Sheriffs of Piltover
A couple of unique takes on Caitlyn come from this waitstaff at a League of Legends restaurant in Chongqing, China.
7. Caitlyn the Sheriff of Piltover
Here's a dedicated solo cosplayer's take on Caitlyn. Unlike the previous Caitlyn group photo, this undertaking was completely a fan enterprise at DreamHack Summer 2014. (Photo by Frederike Schmitt)
8. Akali
This Akali costume competed in a cosplay contest in Lyon, France. The shadow warrior Akali upholds the balance between light and dark, but she also has dance moves that rival Beyoncé.
9. Elise Spider Queen
Elise sacrificed her humanity to become the vicious queen of the spiders. We're pretty sure this cosplay required cool down nukes and crowd control at DreamHack Winter 2014. (Photo by Jennika Ojala)
10. Shaco, Akali and Annie
A trio of legends showed up for the Frankfurt Book Fair in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. If you look closely you can even spot Annie's bear companion Tibbers!
11. Irelia the Will of the Blades
She may be cursed by a powerful necromancy, but Irelia is still our favorite melee champ, featured here at DreamHack Winter 2014. (Photo by Frederike Schmitt)
12. Miss Fortune the Bounty Hunter
Miss Fortune's strut is anything but passive here at this League of Legends event in Athens, Greece.
13. Orianna the Lady of Clockwork
In the line of glib and enticing AIs like GLaDOS, Orianna has an undeniable appeal. This cosplayer has an excellent take on her Bladecraft skin at DreamHack Winter 2014. (Photo by Gabriel Kulig)
14. Shaco the Demon Jester
Charley Lewis has an almost friendly take on the infamous death enigma Shaco at the London Comic Con 2013. He's pretty cunning though, so we still recommend keeping your distance.
15. Orianna the Lady of Clockwork
This painstakingly accurate evocation of Orianna was accomplished by Marina Shisterova, the winner of DreamHack Komplett.se Cosplay Championship at DreamHack Summer 2014. (Photo by Frederike Schmitt)
16. Jarvan IV
There's something so endearing about this fan posing for a photo with the formidable Jarvan IV in his full regalia outside of the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Center. She's smiling like she has no idea his armor is made out of the bones of his enemies.
By Anonymous on Apr 03, 2015 02:56 am
 The entire Mortal Kombat X roster has been revealed. Did you guess all the right characters?
By Anonymous on Apr 03, 2015 02:52 am
 Sonya features three unique variations including: covert ops, demolition, and special forces.
By Anonymous on Apr 03, 2015 02:45 am
 Kenshi has finally been confirmed playable in Mortal Kombat X. Check out his three variations including balanced, possessed, and kenjutsu.
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