Gamers have been yelling at their TVs since time immemorial. We yell at tough bosses, missed jumps and frustrating game design. So when the Kinect actually made use of this, it was well overdue.

Now when yell at our jackass companions to do something, they actually do it. But what of the decades’ worth of games that missed out on this opportunity? What of the millions of times we shouted at in-game companions as the continued to walk into that damn wall? With the recent inclusion of Kinect capabilities in Skyrim, I had to think about some games of millennia past that could use a similar retrofit.

Chrono Trigger – SNES

This instant classic created a canvas on which countless other JRPGs were painted. As such, I will assume this covers the myriad JRPGs that followed, including the stalwart Final Fantasy series. With any turn-based combat system featuring allies and their respective moves, simply using your voice to command an individual to use a certain move would feel pretty awesome and save a lot of time. It would certainly make the game go quicker when dealing with repetitive, low-level baddies. After a battle, it would also be pretty sweet to simply access restoration items immediately with your voice instead of having to open up your menu and sift through piles of potions.

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Mother’s Day, for some, is an opportunity to show their mothers how much they truly love them. For others, it’s just another holiday spent rushing to the pharmacy to buy a card the day of. But for everyone, it’s a reminder of just how important mothers are. Perhaps because of their inherent nature as loving caregivers, game developers have taken advantage of mothers as a storytelling device for decades.

Video game moms have taken bullets for their offspring, abandoned them during a zombie outbreak, and sent them off to wander an unsafe world full of deadly monsters (in fact, this last one has happened in more than a couple JRPGs). Mothers in games run the gamut from obsessively protective to criminally negligent. Regardless of their role as evil harpy or expendable plot device; generally when a mother is presented in a game, she’s bound to evoke some strong emotions.

One not particularly subtle way to evoke these emotions is to simply martyr someone’s mother. Heroes in games—much like those in comic books—seem unable to maintain a healthy relationship with their moms. Sometimes this is due to a long separation like, say, a kidnapping or murder. In these cases, mothers are used to further character development or build backstory without much explanation. Indeed, if someone murdered your character’s mother, it makes sense that he’s tearing apart the world to find her killer; what more do you need to know? In Dragon Quest V, once the hero finds out his mother is trapped in the demon world, he doesn’t fret or hesitate to battle through hell itself to find her.

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I’ve been watching Skyrim mod videos on YouTube since the game came out. They’re entertaining, fun and unique; but they’re also a clear sign that gamers are more than ready for some new content for the game. Bethesda delivers with their newest game patch with Kinect support.

Many—mostly those who have dismissed the Kinect wholesale as gimmicky—wrote off the announcement as silly and kitschy. Others who enjoyed the Kinect inclusion in Mass Effect 3 were more than happy to finally use their dusty add-on for something other than a party trick. Truly, Bethesda’s initiative has opened up quite a few doors for publishers looking to breathe life into not-so-old games. So sit back and relax while I fantasize about other 360 games that could use a little Kinect retrofitting.

Fallout 3/New Vegas

For anyone who spent hundreds of hours with Fallout 3, the appeal in opening your Pip-Boy probably wore off before you left Vault 101. Not too dissimilar from the Kinect support in Skyrim (minus the badass shouts), voice commands in Fallout 3 and New Vegas would allow you to adjust to situations more swiftly and naturally. Now I understand this might detract from the RPG feel, but it would probably just make dropping the 23 burned books you accidentally picked up less troublesome. And I’d much rather just say “Stimpak” when I needed one rather than hoping I hot-keyed it and dying as a result.

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Pop music might not be on your iPod rotation, but video games have warmed up to them over the years. More than just audial wallpaper, there’s a method to this musical madness. As games have matured, the way that they utilize popular music has matured with them. Now if only popular music could do the same.

More often than not, you can guess the music a game will feature before you even open the package. Is it action, adventure, RPG, or a shooter? Then you can probably expect some instrumental music not far removed from Pirates of the Caribbean or Lord of the Rings. Is it spooky? Then some shrill off-key piano is probably in store. Indeed, BioShock was praised for its haunting melodies, but were they really that different from any other survival horror game?

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I’ll be honest; I haven’t been much of a fan of handheld consoles since the Game Boy Advance. I realize that handhelds have evolved and improved since Metroid Fusion, but I never felt like they were keeping up with home consoles. That is until I first heard about the PlayStation Vita. It seemed to me immediately that the Vita made up for five years of a yawn-worthy handheld market. Cameras, tilt control, front and back touchpad, dual joysticks, and incredible graphics all represent one giant leap for handhelds.

After playing a dozen games on a dozen Vitas at CES this year, I’m even surer of the limitless possibilities offered by the handheld. With a lineup of games from the biggest franchises in video games, the Vita is here to stay. Needless to say, I’m excited. But more than just excitement for the Vita, I’m excited for games I think would be perfect for the system. Picking up Uncharted on the Vita felt the same as the PS3, until I saw something sparkly on the screen and instinctively tapped it to pick it up. So without further ado, these are the games I feel absolutely need to be seen glowing on a screen on the train.

Every Sports Game

I love sports games, and gobble them up indiscriminately. After playing FIFA on the Vita, I was stunned at just how natural it felt. My main problem when it comes to sports games—be it hockey, soccer, or basketball—is passing. But with a touchpad, you can properly lead your player with a pass, or simply ensure you’re passing to the right guy. Further, the overwhelmingly crisp graphics on the Vita may make some competition for sports titles on home consoles. I would love to shoot foul shots using the gyroscope or use the touchscreen to block a penalty kick.

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As nerds, we are constantly beset by an insatiable technolust; one that can be fed but never satisfied. There’s always a cooler TV, a better console, a crisper speaker; and then the next best thing hits a month later. Nowhere is this lust harder to subdue than on the floor of CES, where I was surrounded on all sides by an unimaginable collection of the coolest new technologies imaginable. So like any good nerd, I began fantasizing about which electronics I would put in my game room at home and before long I had built the perfect gaming room. You know, for a month or two.

Samsung UNES8000 – The Big Picture

I’ve long been a fan of Samsung TVs, and am grateful to see they are committed to constantly improving their design. Their newest TV revealed at CES 2012, the UNES8000 is as sleek and sexy as many of their current lineup but with some major changes. The TV comes with a standard LED screen that will support 3D viewing. The screen is gorgeous and comes almost all the way to the end—with only a paper thin border around the outside.

But by far the most promising feature is the Kinect-esque camera subtly placed on the top of the TV. I was told the camera reads faces and hand motions in order to carry out functions. Essentially it will be a Kinect for every moment you don’t have your Xbox on—and it will allow for one less controller cluttering up your coffee table. As the centerpiece of the perfect living room, the TV is obviously the one thing you can’t screw up. And Samsung apparently knows it.

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I don’t get toys for Christmas anymore. And that’s fine. I got a really nice Swiss Army watch this year and was probably more excited than the one time I got the green Power Ranger. But if anything could possibly reanimate my desire for toys, it’s the AR Drone 2.0 from Parrot.

We all saw the original AR Drone in ads or every dammed Brookstone from here to Manila, and we all had the same question: “did you guys not see Terminator?” Apparently not, as the team at Parrot seems destined to improving this machine to the point of its eventual use as a deadly hunter of human resistance fighters.

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There’s no denying that Mad Catz has "second run" reputation to many seasoned gamers. The Mad Catz controller was the one your mom mistakenly bought for you for Christmas and the one you always made you friends use when they came over to play N64. Recently, however, the company has been working hard to turn around their  reputation of making second-class controllers. And with this year’s lineup, they’re on the right path.

The first peripherals I saw were Mad Catz’ latest line of fight sticks for both Street Fighter X Tekken and SoulCalibur V. The fight sticks are both designed to the specifications of Capcom and Namco’s button/stick layouts, and even the buttons are placed at just the right angle to resemble the original arcade machines. Designed for comfort and stability, the sticks offer a nice wrist rest and feature sturdy (and for some smaller gamers, a bit too heavy) construction.

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As someone who can hardly tell the difference between a keyboard and a typewriter, German peripheral developer ROCCAT’s newest keyboard and mouse are more hardware than I can handle. But if you want—no, need—an unbelievable amount of customization in your PC gaming experience, it’s a dream come true. We got to check out the ROCCAT Kone[+] mouse and the Isku keyboard at CES 2012 and walked away very impressed.

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SteelSeries, ones of the leading competitive gaming peripheral manufacturers have revealed their 2012 CES lineup. The list includes the two headsets, the SteelSeries Flux and the Siberia v2 Frost Blue, as well as a wireless gaming controller, the SteelSeries Ion, and three mice, the Kana, the Kinzu V2 Pro Edition, and the Kinzu V2. Let's take a look at each one after the break.

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It's nearing the end of 2011, a deeply craptastic 12 months. It was a bad year for the world economy. And for movies.  And for almost everything else on earth, but while Western civilization may be crumbling around us, know hope: 2011 was definitely a great year for one thing: Video games! And the peak part of this peak year was the 2011 holiday season.

It’s not often that gamers have nothing to complain about, and this holiday season is no exception. However, this time around, the complaints aren’t about bad games or exploitative publishing firms. Instead gamers are complaining that there are just too damn many good games out there. Or that there aren’t enough hours in the day to play them. Or that they have to work during prime Skyrim hours. Either way, I’m nearly positive that this year’s holiday season will go down as one of the greatest few months in video game history.

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Online gamers are particularly hard to shop for come holiday season. They already own their favorite game and they’re probably not interested in a new one. So what do you get the gamer that already has everything they need? Glad you asked. Check out the list below and get your online-gaming pal the greatest gift this season.

World of Warcraft Pets

With the upcoming Mists of Pandaria expansion promising pet battles, everyone is clamoring to pick up the coolest pets and become the greatest Pokémon master in Azeroth. Oh, come on, like Blizzard is fooling anyone. Luckily you can get that special someone just the pet they need on Blizzard’s convenient online pet store. Although the expansion isn’t out for a few months, it’s never too soon to pick up a pet that won’t violate your rental agreement.

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Mere months after releasing the highly anticipated Infamous 2, developer Sucker Punch managed to march out the first dowloadable content for the game: Festival of Blood. Getting in the spirit of Halloween, Festival of Blood features everybody’s favorite blood-sucking freaks – vampires. Perhaps more seasonally appropriate is the developer’s apparent love for self-torture, cranking out a value-packed add-on only four months after launch. I spoke recently with Sucker Punch’s Animation Director Billy Harper and Lead Environmental Model Emilio Gandin about their newest shocking (yeah I said it, don’t judge me) turn for Cole MacGrath.

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It’s pretty hard to imagine living in some video game worlds. Even though many find release in WoW, picturing actually living in Azeroth is still a bit of a stretch. Borderlands is another fine example of a fantastical and entirely difficult to imagine game world. People definitely play games like these with a different mindset than more plausible games like Call of Duty 2, which hold a firmer grip on the real world.

This is certainly something developers take into consideration when creating a game. The amount of realism or connection with our world doubtlessly affects any game. Not to be bound by the restrictions of history, realism or fantasy, early developers struck off into territory destined to be explored for years to come – alternative history. Wolfenstein 3D turned out to be innovative in more ways than one, as shooting Nazis/zombies/both promised to be a staple in the video game industry for years to come.

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What's in store for the future of fighting games? 2011 has been the year fighting fans have been waiting for. Mortal Kombat and Marvel vs. Capcom 3 alone made fans weep with joy, but toss in Super Street Fighter IV 3DS and you’ve got yourself a year like no other. And the best part of it – they’re all so damn good.

This resurgence of great classic games all so bunched together has us wondering, where are fighting games headed? Should we duck and weave as more and more fly our way? The short answer, it seems, is yes. With Soulcaliber V, a couple of Street Fighter/Tekken crossovers and indie game Skullgirls on the way, we can look forward to a few more years of plenty. So buckle up your headgear as we take a look at the future of fighting games.

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