TeamXbox writes: "
Pandemic's Full Spectrum Warrior was not the Xbox title for the every-gamer, but it did offer a fresh, strategic experience for those that could deal with protocol that was strict enough for the U.S. government. We've been wishing for a developer to take the "in the moment" FSW interface and marry it to a title a bit more liberal in its combat etiquette. Looks like those wishing well pennies have paid off in the form of Creative Assembly's Stormrise, which is due out some time in 2009.
We realize that the Xbox 360 isn't exactly teeming with strategy games, but the Halo franchise has at least brought some attention to this bastard of console software genres. Hey, thanks Master Chief, but strategy game perfection is rarely about its intellectual property alone. RTS' are more about the content of the core gameplay above anything else. But an interesting side-issue arises when a strategy game comes to a system such as the 360. The standard point-and-click control schema made easy with a mouse and keyboard is nearly useless when replicated for controller use. Thus, a console game RTS is normally judged on the efficiency of its controls first-and-foremost, and then on the core gameplay if the users get that far (yeah, most ported console RTS', sadly, are FTL). IP is last. Sorry, Flood fans."
The RTS genre has had a rough ride on consoles through the years, but which are the 7 best games available today?
The Black Panel writes: In this (very special) Christmas episode of Australia’s grooviest gaming podcast, the team tackle Sadistic Santa, The Year in Review, Reader Recollections and much more!
Kim Sellentin, Producer behind Medieval II Total War: Kingdoms at SEGA Studios Australia, discusses her start as a QA tester, her approach of cultivating a learning culture in the studio, and strategies for current and future producers.
