Chella hails from the UK and joined Gameindustry.com around the year 2000. It was so many moons ago, she can't quite remember. Back then, the only women you saw in the games industry were in bikinis and vertiginous heels at trade shows - oh how times have changed, kind of. Chella started as a humble reviewer, but soon became our European Correspondent and keeps us on top of industry happenings across the Pond.
She tends to like the weird Japanese games we've never heard of, so that's good for making us look all-encompassing and stuff. Chella does like games, so don't be fooled by the copious amount of columns devoted to bemoaning the lack of variety in the industry. When she's not surfing (the sea, not the internet) or camping up mountains, Chella likes a good action RPG (especially if it's sci-fi), anything with a good narrative and like we said, the weirder the better. She's also a regular in the GiN Lounge, but that's just because we like her accent.
Something is rotten in the state of the UK's videogame industry and ironically it goes by the name of FairPlay. Last week the FairPlay Group announced plans to stage "Don't Buy A Videogame Week" all in the name of its "campaign for cheaper games". "Consumers are being conned and it's time they made a stand," is the battle cry and the industry has been left a little stunned. FairPlay is a group of developers and journalists who claim that that "there isn't a single reason why games couldn't be sold at £20 or even less" and the whole campaign is … Continue reading Fairplay, Smareplay→
As its name suggests, Dinotopia is a dinosaur romp. In my opinion, there are too many dinosaur games and not enough of them are any good. Before your heart swells with expectation, Dinotopia is by no means the saviour of the dinosaur theme. Nor will it lead to the hasty demise of the dinosaur genre, and I can’t quite decide if this is a good or a bad thing. Dinotopia is teamed-up with what has been heralded as an exciting, new fantasy series of the same name, showing on the Hallmark channel. The fact that there is such a thing … Continue reading Dinotopia is No Utopia→
Another September rolls by and it’s time for the ubiquitous Tokyo Game Show (TGS) round-ups. As always, just one month after another dull ECTS, everyone’s suddenly got exciting new title announcements that set the Internet all abuzz. News of DOA 4 as an Xbox exclusive was music to my ears and produced a flurry of excitement in my household. The release day cannot come a moment too soon. But the biggest news from TGS has to be NUDE – no not a bunch of ageing, saggy German naturists – a hot new title destined for Xbox. NUDE stands for Natural … Continue reading Tokyo Games Time!→
This year there was no need for spotty teenagers to try and sneak into ECTS, pretending to be the CEO of McGames Warehouse in Slough. Fortunately Sony and their unfailing loyalty to their customers decided to corral them all into a consumer show. Saves us having to deal with them back in the confines of the trade bit – the only drawback being, most of the publishers spent money on the consumer bit and put the minimum of effort into the trade side. Let's just say things were turned on their head a bit, as we all tried to sneak … Continue reading Games In My Coral→
Well, after a bitterly disappointing non-event last year, the UK industry’s hopes were pinned on 2002 being the year ECTS came back with a vengeance. The organizers promised us a return to central London – this much they delivered as we all descended on Earls Court. They also promised us a bigger, better, all-singing, all-dancing trade show – if you interpret "all-singing" as a poor rendition of Kum bay then okay, but otherwise consider ECTS 2002 another lame duck. My only consolation was that the press office had fresh flowers on every table – it’s all in the detail you … Continue reading ECTS 2002→
Last Saturday morning, I found myself at a loose end. "First things first, I guess I'd better drag myself out of bed," I thought and hauled on some clothes. Now, some girls (and boys) would have gone shopping, or called a friend to "do lunch." I could have gone to the pub for an afternoon drinking session with friends, but only one thing was on my mind – a day of quality gaming stretched before me. No distractions, no interruptions and no pressing engagements. It was just me, the PS2 and a couple of games that needed thorough investigation. There's … Continue reading Solitary Confinement That I Love→
Games – just one big irritation! Ain't scientists great? There they are in their labs with beakers pipettes and electrodes that measure all kinds of stuff. Well, do you know what the eggheads have come up with now? Do ya, huh? Wait for it"Video games cause irritability! I know, I know, it's all revolutionary stuff. Thank God for scientists, otherwise we'd never have known that. It seems the boffins at Tokyo's Nihon University have conducted a study. In true boffin style, they examined the brain waves of 240 people over several months. The researchers studied the alpha and beta brain … Continue reading You Give Me Irritability→
Let us all rejoice! We have next generation consoles, which should herald a new wave of titles featuring exciting leaps in graphics and game play. Okay, so we got the graphics bit, but when it comes to game play it's just the same old, same old. The fact is there are just too many sequels to mention, as the publishers continue to play it safe. Meanwhile us gamers have to sit with baited breath, waiting for some originality to inject some energy back into the industry. After Metal Gear Solid 2, there comes Metal Gear Solid 2 Substance and after … Continue reading Sequel Madness→
Mike Tyson’s career may be on the fritz after getting the old KO a few weeks back, but that does not mean that we are not still seeing a lot of games with his name on them. Don’t get me started on Mike Tyson. I mean the fact that he’s been convicted of rape and various acts of violence is disturbing enough. Then there’s the small matter of him being allowed entry into countries around the world, representing the USA, all because he’s a human goldmine. Now Tyson has the gall to sully the world of video games with another … Continue reading Mike Tyson Boxing→
They're cute, but beware sleepless nights I'm tired today play chums. I can barely lift my tired eyelids, and tapping my keyboard is a feat nearing biblical proportions, in my weary state. I am suffering from fevered dreams that allow me only a few fitful moments of sleep. The dreams are the same every night – must break down the wall, get more reds, reds are strong. Oh no, they're falling in the water, drowning, only blues can swim. Must grow more before sundown and leave to flower. Do better tomorrow. I am of course a victim of Pikmin. Play … Continue reading Cute But Deadly→
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