Opinions Archives

When Worlds Collide, rockets and AI

by Ryan Lambie | Jun 04, 2026 | Feature, News, Opinions

What does a 1950s sci-fi film have to do with a former Google CEO, AI and rockets? Here’s the answer....

Martin Scorsese | Oh no. Not you as well, Marty

by Ryan Lambie | Jun 03, 2026 | Feature, Opinions

Boxcar Bertha director Martin Scorsese has officially joined the AI bandwagon as he helps promote a new storyboard-generating app....

At the 2026 Oscars, genre cinema was the big winner

by Ryan Lambie | Mar 16, 2026 | Feature, Opinions

Is traditional Oscar bait dead? Big awards going to movies in the horror and thriller genres suggests a gradual shift in Academy voter tastes....

Disclosure Day is beginning to look a lot like a Close Encounters sequel

by Ryan Lambie | Mar 13, 2026 | Feature, News, Opinions

Steven Spielberg's Disclosure Day has a new trailer, and it shows numerous connections to UFO lore - and possibly Close Encounters Of The Third...

Sony’s Spider-Man Universe | The story of cinema's weirdest superhero franchise

by Ryan Lambie | Feb 26, 2026 | Feature, Opinions

Between 2018 and 2024, Sony made some of the weirdest superhero movies of modern times. A look at its Spider-Man universe, and why it exists:...

Disney and Paramount are very angry about that new AI video app from the makers of TikTok

by Ryan Lambie | Feb 16, 2026 | Feature, News, Opinions

AI video platform Seedance, from the makers of TikTok, has caused a furore. Disney has unleashed its lawyers. Paramount has written a stern letter....

AI slop generator coming to Disney+ in 2026 to "enhance engagement" says CEO Bob Iger

by Ryan Lambie | Feb 03, 2026 | Feature, News, Opinions

Disney+ users will be able to make clips of Mickey Mouse do assorted… things via an AI Sora tool coming to the platform this year. Yay....

Golden Globes nominates unreleased film for ‘Cinematic Box Office Achievement’

by James Harvey | Dec 08, 2025 | News, Opinions

Avatar: Fire And Ash has scooped up a 'made the most money' nomination at the Golden Globes, despite having made, er, no money yet....

Tron: Ares and 21st century pop culture, where nothing is ever allowed to die

by Ryan Lambie | Oct 10, 2025 | Feature, News, Opinions

Beneath the mayhem, Tron: Ares also offers a timely comment on AI technology and the self-replicating nature of modern pop culture....

Weapons, and why 2025 is the year horror dominates the box office

by Ryan Lambie | Aug 11, 2025 | Feature, Opinions

With Weapons in cinemas, 2025 is shaping up to be a banner year for horror. Here’s a possible reason why the genre resonates with audiences:...

FOMO, and the realities of playing games on a tight budget

by Vikki Blake | Oct 27, 2023 | Feature, Gaming, Opinions

If you can't play a game when the hype train's steaming ahead, what's worse – the FOMO or the spoilers on social media? Vikki Blake has a few thoughts.

Games can provide a solace from the horrors of the real world

by Vikki Blake | Oct 20, 2023 | Feature, Gaming, Opinions

It's okay to find comfort in pretend worlds to protect yourself from the horrors of the real one, Vikki writes.

Yes, I'm angry about games industry job cuts - and you should be, too

by Vikki Blake | Oct 06, 2023 | Feature, Gaming, Opinions

Companies are cutting costs at the wrong end of the scale – and it's our games that will suffer for it, Vikki Blake writes.

Payday 3 | What happens when your live service game isn't live?

by Vikki Blake | Sep 29, 2023 | Feature, Gaming, Opinions

As Payday 3 struggles with launch "day" woes, Vikki Blake wonders how long the live service bubble can survive.

Final Fantasy XVI | The homogeneity of triple-A game design, and what it can learn from Baldur’s Gate 3

by Iain Mitchell | Sep 27, 2023 | Feature, Gaming, Opinions

Final Fantasy XVI had its brilliant points, but it also hews closely to the constrictive staples of modern game design. Baldur’s Gate 3, Iain argues, offers a way forward.

Intro sequences: a relic of the past, or a lost art to be redeemed?

by Jon Bailes | Sep 21, 2023 | Feature, Gaming, Opinions

Games like Tekken and Silent Hill began with intro sequences that pulled you into their worlds. Jon Bailes mourns the loss of an 80s and 90s artform.

Unity and the enshittification of the games industry

by Lewis Packwood | Sep 20, 2023 | Gaming, Opinions

The whole Unity Runtime Fee saga is just a taste of how things are going to go. In short, expect to pay more for less.

Most of us wouldn't watch an unfinished film, so why play unfinished, early access games?

by Vikki Blake | Sep 15, 2023 | Feature, Gaming, Opinions

Not all early access games end up as revered as Baldur’s Gate 3 – so why do we take the risk? Vikki Blake has a few thoughts…

Unity's Runtime Fee is John Riccitiello's Don Mattrick moment

by Lewis Packwood | Sep 13, 2023 | Feature, Gaming, Opinions

The unveiling of the Unity Runtime Fee echos the confusion and outcry of Don Mattrick's disastrous Xbox One reveal ten years ago.

SegaWorld London: remembering the beginning of the end of an era

by Alan Wen | Sep 07, 2023 | Feature, Gaming, Opinions

On the 27th anniversary of its opening, Alan Wen remembers Sega’s futuristic indoor theme park, SegaWorld London, and an old childhood friendship.

Starfield may be amazing, but I’d rather play Sea of Stars

by Jon Bailes | Sep 06, 2023 | Feature, Gaming, Opinions

As Starfield hogs the limelight, Sea of Stars serves as a reminder of the Japanese RPG's uniquely imaginative appeal, Jon Bailes writes.

Cloud gaming | Is the sky really the limit?

by Alan Wen | Sep 04, 2023 | Feature, Gaming, Opinions

Despite some false starts, cloud gaming is becoming a reality - and accessible entry to high-end gaming. So is the technology at its silver lining? Alan Wen investigates.

Starfield, and the age-old debate about review scores

by Vikki Blake | Sep 01, 2023 | Feature, Gaming, Opinions

With Starfield once again sparking debate over review scores, Vikki asks: should the industry stop equating success with an arbitrary figure on a website?

How Gran Turismo helped crash the Toon Racer genre

by Steven Tucker | Aug 31, 2023 | Feature, Gaming, Opinions

With the Gran Turismo movie in cinemas, we look at how Sony’s driving sim helped shunt the toon racer genre clear off the road.

Eight strikes and you're out: does Xbox's new enforcement system go far enough?

by Vikki Blake | Aug 29, 2023 | Feature, Gaming, Opinions

Xbox wants to educate players about respect - but is its new 'eight strikes and you're out' enforcement system go far enough? Vikki Blake takes a closer look.

The October game release schedule is shaping up to be a bloodbath

by Lewis Packwood | Aug 16, 2023 | Feature, Gaming, Opinions

With so many big game releases clustered together in October, there are bound to be some that will lose out.

Papers, Please at 10, and how it inspired one writer to get back into gaming

by Alan Wen | Aug 08, 2023 | Feature, Gaming, Opinions

As Lucas Pope’s indie classic Papers, Please celebrates its 10th anniversary, Alan Wen reflects how this lo-fi dystopia’s mundanity reintroduced him...