Was DSiWare really that bad?

DSiWare is virtually dead. Though we still see a trickle of new releases (and indeed, the entire catalogue will be available through the 3DS eShop when it launches), for all intents and purposes, we've moved on from the DSi's little download portal.

DSiWare also didn't exactly have a great reputation. It was effectively competing against the PlayStation Network Minis portal and the Apple App Store, and most would believe it failed to beat either, both in terms of quality and quantity of releases, and for capturing a section of the market - the number of developers that could rely on DSiWare to be profitable was minuscule.

Why Final Fantasy III is worth $20 on the iPad App store

So, Final Fantasy III, which was released on the iPhone a few weeks ago, is now also available on the iPad, for the premium price of $Au19.99 - which also makes it Square Enix' most expensive iOS game to date. The question is - at over twice the price of some of the biggest iPad games, is it worth the investment?

Fable 3 comes to Steam - with bonuses

One of the bigger names in Western RPGs, Fable 3, will be available for purchase on Steam from May 20.

Get all the King Arthur games together in one pack

Paradox Interactive will release a combined pack of its hit RPG/ RTS, King Arthur, with its expansions in the King Arthur Collection late in May.

New Panzer Command: Ostfront screens!

It's a Panzer happy day today with Matrix Games. Already we posted screens for the upcoming strategy game, Panzer Corps, and now we have a handful of Panzer Command: Ostfront screens to sink your teeth into!

Is the App Store actually profitable for developers?

The App Store has been seen as one of vast opportunities for indie developers, giving the likes of Halfbrick, Firemint and Rovio a platform to release games on they might not have had by sticking to “conventional” consoles.

But is it really a happy marketplace? If we have a look on Game Center, it would seem that all but the very highest profile games do, in fact, struggle to make any real money.

Preview: Panzer Corps (new screens; trailer)

Hardcore wargame specialists, Matrix Games, is back in action, gearing up for the release of World War 2 strategy-em-up, Panzer Corps.

Editorial: Why Japan's games industry is not struggling

It wasn't so much the kick-off point, but when ex-Capcom legend, Keiji Inafune, quit his post, after repeating on multiple occasions that the Japanese games industry is "in trouble;" it was the feather that broke the camel's back.

Now, it's almost canon in the press that Japan's games industry is floundering. Western writers constantly note how few Japanese games appear in the charts. They point to any poor financial results as a portent of doom.

But it's not really the case. The Japanese games industry has its fair share of challenges - but then so does the Western games industry (or did Activision not just shed a whole bunch of staff and IPs?). It's evolving and changing, but overall it's actually quite well placed.

So, in the interest of playing Devil's Advocate, here's a very different reading of what's currently going on in the Japanese games industry.

Digitally Downloaded is looking for staff!

Digitally Downloaded is rapidly growing - so much so that we simply can't keep up with everything we'd like to do!

So we're looking to take on additional, talented folks to join the team. It's an exciting time! While we can't pay for your hard work, you will get a body of work published, and we do our best to keep you up to your neck in games to play and review.

If you'd like to work with a growing brand and help take us to greater heights, then please head on over to our jobs page. If you'd like to join us, but don't fit one of the listed categories on that page, we're still interested in hearing from you - pop us an email at digitallydownloaded@gmail.com to let us know how you'd like to help out.

We hope to hear from you soon!

Hands on preview: escapeVektor: Chapter 1 (WiiWare)

Sydney independent developer, Nnooo, has on its hands one of the most interesting WiiWare releases in ages on its hands with escapeVektor.

Upcoming PSN strategy game, Under Siege, releases April 27

Seed Studios' massive investment, Under Siege, is set for release on the PlayStation Network on April 27 (Europe) and May 3 (The US).

Review: Portal 2 (multiformat, downloadable on PC)

You’ve got to love when retailers sneakily launch games early. People in Australia just got lucky - usually the afterthought in the world gaming scene, they were the first to play Portal 2. And the good news for the rest of the world? Totally worth the wait.

Portal 2 is proof of how important story and character can be to a game. Without the brilliant scripting and cinematic approach to plot, it would actually be quite a forgettable experience.

Quite possibly the most refined game of all time

Etolis: Arena gets massive iPad update

This is one of the biggest updates we’ve ever seen. Chillingo has updated its so-so Etolis: Arena with a massive list of new features that might well change up the entire game.

N3V Games releases My First Trainz Set for Android

N3V Games is behind the fan-favourite Trainz simulator on the iPad. Not content with an iOS offering, the Australian publisher has also released My First Trainz Set for the Android platform.

One for the same people who enjoy model trains, this software lets you build virtual model train sets. Players will be able to chose between nine trains to drive, and features a comprehensive track builder.

The team was developed by 10 year veterans of this genre of game. It certainly looks good, so it might be worth a look-in for 'Droid-owning trainspotters. Doesn't look like much of a 'game,' as such, but then neither are many other 'Sim' style games when you break them down.

FortressCraft breaks all kinds of XBLA Indie game records

FortressCraft has become the fastest selling XBLA Indie title of all time.

Review: Advanced Tactics: Gold (PC)

Consider this: Advanced Tactics: Gold is the work of a handful of people. In that context, and for all its unwieldiness, it’s a brilliant, complex, nuanced game that grognards (wargamers) can easily lap up.

It’s going to be impossible to explain how Advanced Tactics: Gold plays. It’s a game that comes with a 130-page .pdf rules manual in the download! But, in an attempt to draw comparisons; imagine if the basic idea of Civilization was turned into a board game, and you’ll be more-or-less there. The goal to the game is to occupy cities, which provide both supplies and victory points, and capture enough of those victory points and you’ll win the game.

The scope of this game is massive

Review: Forgotten Places: Lost Circus (iPad)

A circus is creepy. The bright colours, the laughing clowns, the freak shows and the interplay between humans and various deadly animals are, on the surface, an entertaining escape from the real world for a day, but in reality it’s a grand mockery of humanity.

It’s the kind of horror that HBO channelled so well in its TV series, Carnivale, and a derelict and abandoned circus sets a distinctly creepy scene for hidden object release: Forgotten Places: Lost Circus.

This circus has seen better days

Watch Galaxy On Fire 2 DLC trailer here

Galaxy On Fire 2 is a brilliant RPG on the iPad - in fact it's one of those games we feel proves the iPad can stand up as a gaming machine. So naturally the trailer for the upcoming DLC - Valkyrie - has us interested.

Retro Review: Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen (Wii Virtual Console)

The Tactics Ogre series has been a bit of a hidden gem over the years. Overshadowed by the likes of Final Fantasy Tactics, the GBA release; Tactics Ogre: the Knight of Lodis and the PSP remake of the original Tactics Ogre: Let us Cling Together have been real gems, offering up deep gameplay and quality stories.

Even less known are the two RTS games set in Quest Software's little universe: Ogre Battle. The first was a release back in the SNES era, the sequel, one of the few N64 RPGs worth buying. Both are now available on the Wii Virtual Console, and given the RPG section of WiiWare remains so weak, these are worth looking at instead. We'll review one this week, and one next week.

Yes, he does look like a leader