Kids want to play the games their older counterparts play. They seek to emulate us, because they want to be us, little realizing that some day, when the weight of the working world is on our shoulders, we wish we had schedules more like theirs. Enter the “E for Everyone” rating, that hallowed ground where a sharp developer can make an addicting game and a pile of money without parents crying foul or censorship monkeys on the hunt. I’ve elected to redesign id Software’s classic Mature-rated game Doom into an E for Everyone version for the younger generation, combining elements of the classic Doom mythos with a title character that’s sure to charm younger gamers.
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With Doom 4 announced last May, many fans are anxious to find out exactly what id Software has in store. Besides a brief Quakecon preview, things are sill very much under wraps. So, it’s nice to hear that Graham Joyce, the well-known English fiction writer, has been chosen to help drive the story and lore behind Doom 4.

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It has recently come to my attention that there are a number of people who still don’t understand the basic vocabulary of online gaming. Here’s a quick guide of some of the basic phrases that you’ll encounter while fragging online, some of which has been adopted by non-gamers in the real world. You might already know these entries, but feel free to tell all your n00b friends about this post so they can study up on their gaming lingo.

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It’s been said many times before: video game movies suck. But WHY do they suck? It’s not like there’s no material to work with; it’s usually because a game is popular that a movie is made. While they may fail to satisfy gamers, this isn’t the main reason why these movies fail.

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Legendary game designer John Carmack’s next big game may be smaller than you’d expect. The guy who put id Software on the map with gory romps like Doom and Quake is leading the iPhone gaming charge, intent on tapping into the uber-phone’s burgeoning market. What made the father of first-person shooters and one of the minds behind the upcoming 360/PS3/PC title, Rage, turn his bespectacled-gaze to the portable gaming market?

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Have video games ever made you sick? No, I’m not talking about how you felt after Nintendo’s E3 showing. (That feeling’s actually much worse.) I’m talking about “sim sickness,” and contrary to what the name might suggest, this isn’t the premise for a new, hospital-themed Sims game, either. It’s video game-induced motion sickness, and it’s turning lots of stomachs.

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Shotguns, chainsaws, hell spawn, tight corridors, the BFG, and a whole bunch of ass kicking. In case you’ve been living under a rock since 1993, Doom helped to define the FPS genre. With the possible exception of the Wolfenstein series, I’m not sure that any game was a better virtual babysitter during my teen years. Fifteen years since its conception and four years since Doom 3 scared the crap out of us, id Software has finally announced Doom 4. With next to nothing revealed about the game itself, speculation is the order of the day.

As is the case with many early-stage game announcements, the press release seems to be more of an advertisement to lure promising game developers than anything else. There’s no trailer, teaser, screenshots or concept art. We’re not even positive that the game will be using the id Tech 5 gaming engine, which was revealed last summer. That said, the announcement did contain some interesting tidbits that may give some insights into the next installment in this venerable franchise.
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