Just got done watching the videos. My first console was a Sega Master System. I also used to play arcade games - it was weird some of the places they would turn up, out the front of little mixed business shops, or in fish and chips restaurants where you could play while your food cooked. I actually still see them around a lot, mostly in various cinema lobbies.

@Willy105 Yeah, thanks a lot for your insight Willy, but the original press release said very little. When they said 'successor' it could've meant that it was just another DS, only with 3D - they are calling it a '3DS' after all. I just read GameSpot's update where they specify that it's going to have a thumb stick, etc. They'll have to show how different this is from a regular DS before it can be considered a completely new handheld.

I agree with Giancarlo that the announcement was really weird. Came out of nowhere...why didn't they wait until E3? From what I read, Nintendo hasn't yet made it clear whether this is going to be a regular DS with 3D (blegh) or a new handheld with better graphics in 3D. So I'll reserve judgement.

"Like my new watch? Got it for $800. Great deal." "Ugh, horrible, keep that $2 knockoff pile of trash out of my sight!" "$2? Knockoff? ...I. Have. Failed."

I think Half-Life 2 is a good example of story and gameplay complementing each other...and that's not just because the player is directly involved in scenes with other characters (where most games would have a cut-scene). It's also because of the somewhat bleak atmosphere Valve creates in the environments, and that in itself is telling a story. Maldoror19 also mentioned Fahrenheit, which I think is another good example. Though the storytelling went awry partway through the game, it was interesting enough to keep people hooked, and its mixing of different gameplay styles actually fit in well with the story. Anyway, good article, GS...I'll be interested to read part two.

Great article - it was particularly interesting to hear about the early years of E3. Bring on E309!

Alan Wake, BioShock 2, Halo 3 ODST, Heavy Rain, Lionhead's mystery game, Mass Effect 2, Uncharted 2...and any new hardcore Nintendo games. Yep, this year's E3 is looking good to me.

Valve rules, you tell 'em, Gabe! As for me, I agree that game piracy on the PC is a serious issue, but most DRM is more trouble than it's worth (for gamers and developers alike). I'm glad Dragon Age: Origins and The Sims 3 will have more old-school verification methods.

Great, great article. I think games are without a doubt an art form, and are similar to movies in the way that they are (a mixture of different artistic elements, such as music and storytelling). Of course, the interactivity of games makes them different to movies in the end, but they're the same in that they are often both collaborative projects, with many different aspects of art in them. In the article, Helen Stuckey sums it up perfectly.

I think there should be an R18+ rating for games, but it's probably not going to happen soon. Besides, Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo have banned all AO games from their consoles (copy and paste if you don't believe it: http://au.gamespot.com/ps2/action/manhunt2/news.html?sid=6172830), so even if we did get an R18+ rating, it would only be good for the PC. Adult gamers - keep writing to the OFLC, Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo if you disagree with them regulating adult games so heavily - I know I am. Not allowing adult games on their consoles for which we've paid hundreds of dollars, and possibly just under a thousand dollars in the 60gb PS3's case, is an absolute joke.