Email Author Luke O'Brien

2006 Stories by Luke O'Brien

• Posterizing EA

  published December 21, 2006

  Aside from that new ball, NBA Live 07 may be the worst product to bear the league's name this year. The new basketball game from Electronic Arts... More >>

• School Daze

  published November 30, 2006

  By now, you've probably heard about Bully. It's the game that was supposed to finally ruin America's youth. Crusading lawyer Jack... More >>

• Coke Dreams

  published November 9, 2006

  In the gangsta pantheon, nobody gets more respect than Tony Montana. Consider all the homages: Not one, but two rappers have named themselves... More >>

• Cold as Ice

  published October 19, 2006

  Ice hockey isn't for the weak of heart. It's a bruising, fast-paced game, featuring large sticks, razor-sharp blades, and far too many angry... More >>

• Fourth and Inches

  published September 28, 2006

  Football is a game of inches. The same goes for the Madden series. Each fall, a new Madden game arrives, with a roster update... More >>

• Road Rage

  published August 31, 2006

  Have you ever looked into onrushing traffic and imagined how much damage you would cause with a simple crank of the steering wheel? If so,... More >>

• Ant Wussy

  published August 10, 2006

  In 2004, Jason Hall, the head of Warner Bros.' new videogame division, did something remarkable: He promised to end bad movie tie-ins. By... More >>

• Cyber Shula

  published July 20, 2006

  The history of football videogames is one of adding layer upon layer of complexity. Tecmo Bowl, the first great football game, had just... More >>

• Shark Bites

  published June 22, 2006

  Not long ago, videogames were about collecting coins and rescuing the princess. Now you're more likely to gun her down in a drive-by. Or eat her... More >>

• Golazo!

  published June 8, 2006

  Face paint? Check. NoDoz? Check. Deep wellsprings of violent nationalistic pride? No doubt, mate. Yes, it's time for the World Cup, that... More >>

• Wild Pitch

  published April 27, 2006

  Boys are oiling their mitts, men have started playing hooky, and Dick Cheney just one-hopped it like a pussy. Yes, baseball season is in full... More >>

• Mob Hit Misses

  published April 20, 2006

  Marlon Brando sleeps with the fishes. But before the legendary actor died, he worked one last job. Curiously, it was for a videogame. In... More >>

• Spray-On Soul

  published March 30, 2006

  Somewhere between the time DJ Kool Herc got the party started in the 1970s and LL Cool J's star turn on MTV Unplugged in 1991, hip-hop went... More >>

• Ghouls on the Go

  published March 9, 2006

  Ask gamers of a certain age about Resident Evil, and a vivid memory springs to mind: They're inching down a long, quiet hallway. Suddenly,... More >>

• Torino It Off

  published February 16, 2006

  Ah, the Winter Olympics. The nip of drama in the Alpine air. The purity of amateur competition. Swedish women in full-body spandex. These are... More >>

• Exit the Matrix

  published January 26, 2006

  Pop-culture pundits generally fall into two camps: those who think entertainment encourages a nation of knuckle-draggers, and those who say it's... More >>

• Full Court Pressure

  published January 5, 2006

  Pity the college basketball coach. He toils endlessly to explain the vagaries of offensive sets and defensive zones. He frets over lineups,... More >>