Author: John Breeden II

John has spent his journalism career covering just about everything, from small-town meetings and crime scenes to Capitol Hill and the U.S. Congress. He got his start writing about games and technology with a computer column called On the Chip Side, which grew to more than 1 million in circulation and ran in newspapers across several states. Today, John is an award-winning journalist with more than 25 years of experience. His work has appeared in The Washington Post, Newsweek and many other publications, and he writes a regular technology and government column for Nextgov/FCW and hosts security and educational webinars for FedInsider. He is also the founder of the Tech Writers Bureau and the chief editor of GameIndustry.com. He still loves disappearing into games, whether that means crawling through Baldur’s Gate dungeons deep into the night or planning one more big offensive in the latest wargame.

Delving Deeper Into Middle Earth

Lord of the Rings Online is a bright success story in the crop of lukewarm new MMOs, and now it expands, letting players delve into Tolkien’s famous Mines of Moria.

Trading Goods And Fire

Space Trader continues the long line of PC mercantile in space simulations that gamers have fallen in love with over the years. But here, you might also have to pull your pistol to survive like a shooter.

A Diamond In The Rough

Farcry 2 moves away from the monsters of its predecessor and into the reality of fighting for blood diamonds in Africa. The enemies are all human, but very monstrous nonetheless.

For King And Country

Civilization IV: Colonization is a deeply flawed game that will have you wondering what the heck Sid Meier and Firaxis were thinking with this horrible remake of a classic strategy title.

Treasure Searchers Wanted

King’s Bounty: The Legend remakes one of the first RPGs that featured heavy tactical combat, a formula that was often copied. And unlike remakes of other titles, this one does the original justice.

Fallout 3 Is Nuclear Hot

Fallout 3 busts out to the world this week as one of the most anticipated titles of the past two years. Was it worth the wait? Our slightly irradiated scouts (the ones that came back alive) say yes!

Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark

Dark Horizon features some of the most gorgeous graphics to grace a space combat simulation, and backs that up with a strong plot told in many different ways within the game.

Stalking Again

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky is the prequel to Shadows over Chernobyl, and while it does not quite achieve the success of the original, it does provide an exciting atmospheric shooter.

Tanks For The Memories

Obviously inspired by the movie Tron, Tank Universal: Challenger Eight offers some intense gameplay, varied levels, a good plot and price that can’t be beat.

Keeping The Online Lights Burning

Did you know it was possible to lose money running an MMO because of fraud? Chase Paymentech does, and they are working to make sure that companies and players are protected online.