Aaron BouldingWebsite

Aaron Boulding began writing about the video game industry as a founding editor at IGN. Since then he’s ridden in helicopters, driven race cars and lost a professional curling match all under the auspices of covering video games. Before he learned to properly use words like “auspices” at UC Berkeley’s journalism school, Boulding began his still-active streak of always reaching the second level of every arcade video game he’s ever played on the first quarter. Find him on Twitter @aboulding

Destiny Debuts and Jumpstarts a Hype Machine that Will Not Quit (VIDEO)

By Aaron Boulding | February 19, 2013 @ 12:25 pm
Hell. Yes.

This game will dominate. The pedigree of Activision (Call of Duty) and Bungie (Halo) is enough to instantly and forever put Destiny on the minds and in the hearts of gamers everywhere no matter what happens. That is, months from now, Destiny could be a steaming pile, but because of the history of the companies behind it, the franchise will still have a fighting chance and loyal apologists. That's what the official release on the game says, anyway. Read More » »

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Bioshock Infinite Will Put the Focus on the Mysterious Elizabeth as Hell Breaks Loose Around Her (VIDEO)

By Aaron Boulding | February 19, 2013 @ 11:40 am
So much trouble is going to happen here

The damsel-in-distress thing has been such a staple of video games and movies for so long because the premise always works like gang busters. Heroic dudes need things to be heroic about and a chick that needs help always fits the bill. You think Luke Skywalker would've been swinging on ropes and shooting stormtrooper if he'd known Leia was his sister? Hate to say it, but probably not. Going to war over a girl you want to snog is a different kind of motivation than fighting for a blood relative that you've just met.

Anyway, Bioshock Infinite puts Elizabeth --not Betty, not Liz, not Beth-- as the motivation for Booker's adventures in Columbia. She's got powers, somebody wants her and Booker will get paid for getting here. Simple. Or at least it should be. Check out Bioshock Infinite's stylized action in this latest trailer and try to convince yourself this game won't be awesome. You can't do it.

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Star Trek Video Game Boldly Stacks Up the Features (VIDEO)

By Aaron Boulding | February 15, 2013 @ 12:33 pm
This one might sneak up on everybody

So you can take control of the Enterprise like a kind of space flight combat game, play cooperatively with Spock and Kirk in third person shooter action and walk around the Enterprise as a game world environment. What else would you want from a Star Trek-based game? Check that, a rebooted Star Trek movie-based game. Exactly, the green chick. There's got to be a chance to snog a green chick using Kirk's swagger and charm. I'm not saying picking up alien lovelies isn't in this game, but it's not on the list of things revealed so far.

This trailer for Star Trek shows off a lot of action including a nice balance of campy-yet-authentic phaser combat action. They didn't do enough of that on the original TV show and the new film franchise seems to have figured out that this is a good place to play with the audience. We love things that light up.

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Bioshock Infinite Continues to Creep and Tittilate with Doc Series (VIDEO)

By Aaron Boulding | February 15, 2013 @ 11:34 am
Oh, this one is going to be great

Okay, this retro "documentary" series on the mysteries surrounding the floating city of Columbia featured in Bioshock Infinite is really starting to creep me out...but in a good way. I didn't even know that was possible. I remember watching investigative reports and documentaries made in the 1970s and, regardless of subject matter, they were all creepy. The use of film, sketchy production values and truly bizarre music could make a 1977 documentary about cupcakes seem like a visualization of a serial killer's diary. Just bad stuff. Read More » »

Crysis 3′s 7 Wonders Series Hits Penultimate Installment (VIDEO)

By Aaron Boulding | February 14, 2013 @ 2:53 pm
Pimp on, walking weapon platform

You know the drill: Crysis 3 has a pre-launch video series created by Albert Hughes who directed the pivotal documentary "American Pimp" once upon a time. In this clip you'll be treated to some fine post-apocalyptic style visions of New York City where the left over bits of skyscrapers have been overgrown with weeds and thrown into darkness. That's the kind of world that could use a hero in a badass nanosuit with cloaking ability setting things right. And that's exactly what we're getting in Crysis 3. Nanosuits, son. Read More » »

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Injustice Gods Among Us Shows You a Real Hero in Aquaman (VIDEO)

By Aaron Boulding | February 14, 2013 @ 1:39 pm
Seafood dinners for everybody

Who in the bloody hell would challenge Aquaman to a fight underwater? We just have to start there in this discussion about the latest trailer for Injustice: Gods Among Us. Aquaman, the King of Atlantis, the Fishiest of the Fishy is a bad ass with his ability to control sea life with but a thought and all of his physical powers that come from living underwater. Let's be clear about that. But if you've got a problem with Aquaman, why in the hell would you choose to rumble with that guy in an underwater lair? Get him up on a mountain or in the desert or in department store and you have an exponentially better chance of success. You don't fight 50 Cent at a hip hop concert in Queens, NY and you don't fight Donald Trump in a corporate boardroom or wig factory. Like the San Antonio Spurs at AT&T Center, those guys are a different challenge on their home turf.

Anyway, check out the intro trailer for Aquaman and absorb all the details you can about his and the larger game's story. Most importantly, keep in mind he's a bigger hero than Hillary Clinton.

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Remember Me Takes You on a Tour of Parisian Landmarks in 2084

By Aaron Boulding | February 14, 2013 @ 12:57 pm
Remember Me Landmarks of Paris
View the Gallery / 5 Photos »

About 71 years from now --according to Capcom's upcoming action game Remember Me--  there will be special agents that can steal and rewrite memories by directly interfacing with our brains and change the world in the process. Sounds pretty awesome, because clearly nobody would ever do anything nefarious with that kind of power and those agents would always do good things. But let's not focus on that extremely powerful premise for a game/movie/book/way of life. Today, Remember Me takes us on a tour of Paris circa 2084 and it's full of both history and the future at the same time. For the record, I've never been to Paris but you'll find out about that when you click on the gallery above.

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