http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/dennis_mccauley RSS Feed for Inq Col Dennis McCauley en-us Fri, 21 Aug 2009 07:01:00 GMT http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/dennis_mccauley/20090821_Power_Up__A_contagiously_good_game_inspired_by_the_flu.html For the first time in a while, I was totally blown away by a video game. No, it wasn't the new edition of Madden NFL 10 (although that's an impressive game if you are an NFL fan). Nor is the game that captivated me from Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, or any of the other major publishers. Oddly enough, this amazing game is offered by a team of Dutch influenza researchers. It's called the Great Flu. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/dennis_mccauley/20070713_Power_Up___Entertainment_is_gone_from_E3_event.html SANTA MONICA, Calif. - The video-game industry's big dance is a lot smaller. For the last decade, I've attended the Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3, as it is known. As the video-game industry grew, each show became more ear-splitting and more jam-packed than the one preceding, until last year 60,000 sweaty gaming types herded themselves into the Los Angeles Convention Center. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/dennis_mccauley/20070629_Power_Up___In_planning_a_long_car_trip__dont_omit_games_for_the_kids.html So you're packing the car for that long drive to the Poconos or Jersey Shore? Don't forget the games. Take it from the voice of experience - if you've got kids and a car ride, nothing cuts down on those annoying, plaintive whines of "Are we there yet?" quite like a good portable game system. There are a number of options available. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/dennis_mccauley/5951347.html http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/dennis_mccauley/20070126_Power_Up___Hard-boiled__Hotel_Dusk__is_worth_checking_in_to.html When one considers the Nintendo DS, light gaming fare such as Nintendogs, Mario Kart DS or Animal Crossing generally comes to mind. You probably wouldn't expect to encounter a gritty, film-noir adventure on this popular handheld. But that's exactly what players will find in Hotel Dusk Room 215. The new game is a hard-boiled detective story, the likes of which novelist Raymond Chandler could have been proud. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/dennis_mccauley/20070112_inq_weekend_WK-POWER.html If you planned to go cold turkey with your World of Warcraft habit anytime soon, forget about it. In fact, prepare to become addicted all over again. On Tuesday, a long-awaited expansion, The Burning Crusade, will launch. WoW players are already frothing over this $39.99 release, which is the first official add-on to the immensely popular online role-playing game.