A quick google search of the term ‘video game depression’ or ‘recent video game research’ will show a startling difference in results between the years of 2008 and 2010. During the earlier time frame, it seemed the general consensus was that video games were nothing but harmful, addicting, and damaging to all of those who played them. Several studies were released in those years that claimed absolute truth in how even a couple hours a week could cause teenagers to be less social, less intelligent, and more depressed.

These views slowly started shifting into the cusp of 2010, though few still linger. With the peak of motion gaming, and developers creating games that involve the entire family, the dark world of gaming was given a second look.

Most of the opinions were formed by people that had not played games, but rather just watched behavior from an outsiders point of view of a specific group of teens and adults. Video games were harmful because that is what they observed without having been part of the activities. One could say that football is harmful, having never played it before and only seeing the physical injuries that the players take on a constant basis. Why would anyone enjoy a sport so violent and aggressive? Why would anyone want to play a video game that seems pointless or one that is filled with violence?

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Just in case it hasn’t been mentioned enough, Fall Damage really enjoyed Trine.  If you STILL haven’t played it, despite all of our press about how awesome this game truly is, then now is certainly the time to do so.  Steam’s Midweek Madness has the game at only $5, which is a deal that none of you should be ignoring.  To top it off, it’s now available on the Mac as well through the shiny new Steam-Mac service.  [Something I like to call S-Mac.]

It’s time to play, guys.

Have you noticed a decline in the quality of games recently released? Are you left wondering where all the good games have gone every time you step into the electronics section of your local store? Do you wonder WHY it seems like we’ve been getting the same mindless gun-fight, breast filled game, time after time?

Hint: It’s Your Fault.

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All the more reason to look forward to traversing the depths of Hell this spring; Dante’s Inferno DLC promises Co-op and Content Creation [For Both 360 and PS3].  

What does this mean for my excitement level for the most salacious game of the season?  Oh, it’s sky-rocketing.  Most hack-and-slash games that have come out lately have all been well and good, but they haven’t been complete.  Demon’s Souls lacked Content Creation; Bayonetta lacked both.  The entertainment factor was there, but going above and beyond expectations with additional content besides new levels or new abilities was something they all seemed to fall short on.

For just a couple extra dollars to add a little more meat to my bone, I am definitely going to look into Trials of St. Lucia.  [and you should too!]

I am verging on forgiving Blizzard for splitting the game into three seperate parts…but they need more than a 37 second clip to truly win me over. I am trying to comfort myself with the presumption that more time in between games means that they’ll be wonderous and beautiful, and everything a girl could hope for.. I really hope I’m not wrong

I mean, it would be completely irrational for them to have finished all three parts at the same time with minimal effort and they’re just releasing them spaced out like this because they’re a bunch of no good, lazy, bastard, suits who are just in it for the padding of my wallet. Right?

According to February’s edition of Game Informer, the prequal to Halo: Combat Evolved, brings us back into a world of Spartan III’s and all the joys that are had in saving the world while still being completely and utterly expendable.  There are a few notable differences though.

Instead of being just a singular bad ass that is charged with the duties of being the only hero awesome enough to finish the job, Halo: Reach brings us an entire team of Spartans and their squad called Noble Team. You play as Noble 6, the newest member of Noble Team. The leader is Carter-259, gender equality is portrayed by the female Spartan Kat-320, Jorge-052 is heavy weapons specialist and the only Spartan II on the team, Emile-239, and Jun-266 star as canon fodder or “red shirts”, I am sure.

You and your bad ass squad will be going to Reach, a planet that is falling to the hands of the invading Covenant.  The rest of the mission seems pretty clear from here.  Don’t die, save the world, get little to no recognition for it.  A few things that will bring this game out of the typical Halo world will be the darker art styles, battles that support up to 40 AI and 20 vehicles [the original only supports 20 AI, for comparison sake], new weapons [the Marksman Rifle and Needle Rifle, which read like ownage via bullets], Melee Assassinations, and new Armor Up abilities that will allow a player to choose between powered up abilities like Sprint or Camoflauge.  There are new enemies to look out for, as well.  [Lizard faced bipedals that travel in packs.]

From a technical stand point, you can look forward to motion capture having been used in all the cinematic scenes, and 20-40 dynamic light sources at any given time.  Translation: The game is going to be pretty. 

There are a few hommages to Halo: Combat Evolved, so don’t think that you won’t see anything you haven’t already seen before.  The health bar damage will be the same as the first game and a few of the more memoriable weapons will be turning up from time to time.  Regardless, though.. Halo: Reach is proving to be able to stand on it’s own in a series that seems like it’s already done everything it could.  With Multiplayer remaining untouched in the perfection that it is, and the single player starting to sound like it’s going to blow all the other Halo games out of the water; it really leaves me hoping for one thing.

Please be less lame when it comes to your commercials, Bungie.  If this game is going to be as good as it sounds, the overdramatic stylings of advertising are going to be unnecessary.

Over at our Forums, Animate The CAKE has shared with us an… interesting Youtube find.  This is, from what I have been able to decern, a trailer for the live-action Tekken movie.  I don’t think there are enough adjectives in the english language to sum up my feelings on this video, so I will just let you watch it and decide for yourself.

In what has become a DD tradition, it seems that when games reach a certain anniversary, the developers decide that they no longer want to rip everyone off.  I shouldn’t say Rip Off, really… most games are priced fair for the amount of fun you get out of them and the delight that they  bring to otherwise meaningless existences.  World Of Goo was the first game to do this [that I am aware of] and now it seems that the makers of Crayon Physics Deluxe has decided to follow suit.

Pay A Penny?  Pay A Billion Dollars?  

Well, that’s up to you and your moral compass, but either way it’s going on until January 15th.

 In case you haven’t signed into Steam today, and Fall Damage was your first stop in the journey around the internets; I’d thought you’d like to know about the massive sales going on on right now.  Games %60 – %80 off, bundle packs for less than $3?  You bet your sweet candy-ass it has all of that!  In addition to the sales that are going on until January 11th, Steam is also having special price sales every 40 hours or so.  You can pick up Mirror’s Edge for just $4.99, or S.T.A.L.K.E.R for just $1.99!  

There is bound to be something for everyone, so even if you don’t find something for yourself.. maybe you can get that last minute hard to shop for gamer gift out of the way in time for the Holidays! Go! Shop!