July issue of Digitally Downloaded magazine now live!

The July issue of the Digitally Downloaded magazine is now live, and is 56 pages filled with the very best interviews, features and reviews; much of which is content not available on the site.

This month's exclusive content includes:

- A special publisher roundtable, featuring EA's COO, Bryan Neider, and the Australian heads of Ubisoft, Microsoft's Xbox division, and Sony's PlayStation, focusing on the business of making games and the challenges and opportunities all face.

- Indie developer interviews on the challenges they face, and what drives them to make games.

- The best reviews of the month.





Head on over to http://issuu.com/MattSainsbury/docs/digitallydownloadedjulyissue to read. It's free, naturally.

As always, we welcome feedback, so do let us know what you think of our work!

Nine of the dumbest characters in videogames

In recent years, the quality of the plots of games and the character design within has risen dramatically. Still, the games industry is not known for its Shakespearean plots and, in some cases, we see characters in even high profile games with strange or downright baffling character motivations.

Below are nine of the 'dumbest' characters the staff at Digitally Downloaded have had the pleasure of encountering. We say pleasure because, in many cases, we adore these characters. It's just that they're idiots.

Review: Top Trumps 007: The Best of Bond (iPhone)

I’ll break one of the rules of writing a game review and give you the summary up front: Top Trumps 007: The Best of Bond is a game that only James Bond fans are going to get into. It’s a silly little card game that doesn’t make a lot of sense, but the fan service is enough to see it through.

Dun dun dun dun dun dun dun... DUN DUN, dun dun dun

Review: Qix (3DS Virtual Console) + some classic Nintendo advertising

Anyone who would claim that the Game Boy couldn’t create an atmosphere of fear has not played Qix. The slinking rows of lines, accompanied by the droning sound and random movements of the Qix, the central enemy that lends the game its name, is stressful to behold. While the gameplay of Qix is no longer original, this is one instance when the original is still the best.

That row of lines gives me nightmares

R.I.P PSP Comics. You were the best thing on the console

Some sad news for PSP fans - this week is the last week in which new comics will be released through the PlayStation Network for download.

The PlayStation blog update for this week confirmed that Sony's digital comics team is now working at bringing the service to other Sony products, though it can't confirm which platforms (fingers crossed for Vita).

Of course, you're still able to download and enjoy the 4,000+ comics currently available for the service, but it is a pity to see it go away. The PSP's great screen (especially the crystal-clear PSPGo) made for a great comic reading experience, and with the likes of Tokyopop on board, was one of the better non-gaming services we've seen on a games console.

We'd love to hear what your favourite comics are on our forums; pop in and say hi!

Review: Star Raiders (PSN)

When I was young, I spent considerable time playing space sims like Wing Commander, Freespace 2 and Freelancer. I loved the idea of being the captain of my own ship and duking it out in intergalactic dogfights with some alien invaders. I loved developing my skills as an epic story unfolded before my very eyes, being witness to massive attacks on allied forces by the enemy, and finally bringing them to justice by the end of the game. I loved being able to quickly issue orders to my flight wing while I perform a strafing run on an interstellar cruiser, and peeling away just before their defensive turrets get a lock. All of it; it was that sort of adrenaline trip that helped fuel my passion for science-fiction.

Considering how much time I put into such games, it’s a shame that space flight sims have largely died out. I’ve heard that the mod communities for Freespace and Freelancer are still alive and well – and I do catch the occasional story of a Battlestar Galactica mod for Freespace – but it’s just not the same. I love and support modding more than some but there’s something about getting a fully polished product from a developer that gives me hope for the future.

That’s why, when I was offered the chance to review Star Raiders, I jumped at the opportunity. A remake of the classic Atari title? Never mind that, a space flight sim being released on the modern market? One that looks pretty enough to compete with other games currently on the market? Sign me up!

See? Very pretty!

Unfortunately, Freespace this ain’t.

Review: Dungeons & Dragons Daggerdale (XBLA)

Dungeons & Dragons Daggerdale (D&DD) brought a lot of promise with it when it released for Xbox LIVE last month. A hack 'n slash with RPG elements in the spirit of Baldur's Gate? Sign me up. But what Atari ended up giving us was something that never quite attained that lofty goal.

MLB Bobblehead Pros slides onto XBLA

MLB Bobblehead Pros arrives on Xbox LIVE Arcade this week. The latest digital offering from Konami features a full compliment of MLB action with a big headed twist- all the cartoony players are bobblehead dolls.

There isn't much of a description of modes of play but it looks like there is a co-op mode and some kind of online 'battle' is supported.

If nothing else, it's something different, Bobblehead Pros is available now for 800mspts and there is a demo if you wish to try before you buy.

Click through for some screens of the very Mii-like players in action:

Review: Cargo Runners (iPad)

There are a number of different ways iPad developers are handling the board games that are proliferating on the device. Some opt to create a robust AI and online multiplayer gaming experience, such as Ticket to Ride.

Others try and recreate the experience of playing a board game on a table, with games like Small World and Monopoly HD acting as though the players are sitting around a table – which means if you’re playing solo the AI player is essentially upside down.

Cargo Runners goes one step further, and eliminates the AI entirely. This is quite literally a board game, designed around having the iPad set down on a table, and people sitting around it. It means that sometimes it’ll be difficult to get a game going, and eliminates it as a way to pass time on the train commute to work, but for those social gatherings, this is brilliant stuff.

Board game maps are always fun

Civilization World is now in open beta

The Civilization Facebook game is now in open beta. This update was posted on the official Facebook page of the game just now:

Hello CivWorld fans! We’re excited to let you know that as of today, Sid Meier’s Civilization World has graduated to Open Beta! The game is now open for anybody to play, no invites necessary. So head on over to the app page to get started right now!

But don't get too excited, the servers seem to be experiencing some kind of difficulties. I've been trying to log in but the servers aren't responding. I guess a lot of people are trying to get on right now. We are at Digitally Downloaded are excited about the game and can't wait to get our hands on it.

Find out more about the game here and discuss.

Grab indie 4-game bundle for 50% off

Indie publisher, Winter Wolves, has put together a bundle of four of its sci-fi games for a combined discount of 50 per cent.

The bundle includes:

Gemini Rue		Award-winning oldschool sci-fi adventure game
Date Warp		Sci-fi visual novel with captivating and mysterious plot
Bionic Heart		Sci-fi visual novel with 24 different endings
Planet Stronghold		Sci-fi roleplaying game with over 50h of gameplay and high replayability

The offer is good for the next four days. If you're interested in finding out more, head on over to http://www.winterwolves.com/scifi_bundle.htm

Facebook games: Five worth playing

Yes yes, we know, we know. Facebook gaming sucks and all that. But really, it doesn’t. Facebook games are fun little time wasters, especially good for a quiet day at work.

And the range of Facebook games has increased dramatically, with major publishers like Square Enix and Tecmo Koei joining the incumbents like Zynga to the party.

So what are five of our current favourite Facebook games (at least, while we wait for Civilization)?

Review: The Dungeon Saga (iPhone)

The Dungeon Saga is an interesting meld between Bejewlled and an RPG and provides enough content to keep a player captivated for hours.

Taking control of one of two specific character types, a wizard or an fighter, you attempt to delve into a many layered dungeon to fight a vicious demon who has been terrorising the neighbouring town (if any are left to save after a rather hilarious opening cut scene. Well, its funny if you’re not a sympathiser of the pitchfork weilding mob). Taking a linear path, the player is forced to defeat various monsters and level bosses, hurdles in your task to proceed further into the dungeon. So how do you defeat the monsters? By playing a puzzle game that will provide powers to bring down your opponents and protecting yourself.

It's Puzzle Quest, but with hexes!

Review: Hard Lines (iPhone)

If you’ve played a video game, chances are you’ve played a version of the classic game Snake at some point. You know the one I’m talking about, where you have a little line that you navigate around an enclosed area while trying to eat pixels that make the line grow. Yeah, that one: it’s a game that’s been around since the ‘70’s and is one of those classic video games that are grouped with the likes of Pong and Asteroids. The really interesting thing about Snake, however, is that there have been so many different variations on the basic formula. I mean, heck, Wikipedia lists well over fifty different variants of the game Snake that have been released over the decades. That’s a lot of Snake!

But now we have Hard Lines, a game that takes the basic concept of Snake and turns it on its head by adding new features and game modes and actually giving the game some character. How does it manage that? I’m glad you asked!

Eclectic colours

Greatest naval strategy game of all time, Harpoon, gets new demo

We reviewed Harpoon quite a while ago now, but it's a genuine classic strategy game, with a level of depth that has meant it has real military value.

And it's still kicking strong for publisher, Matrix Games, with a new, special demo being made available in conjunction with the U.S Naval Institute.

The demo features five scenarios highlighting the US actions in Libya in 1986, Attain Document III and El Dorado Canyon. You can find it at this website: click here.

Great Little War Game exceeds $150,000 in iOS sales

A forum post over at indiegamer.com has given an idea of just how hard it is to break even with an iOS game.

The developers of Great Little War Game, Rubicon Development, had a budget of $100,000 for their game, and across all platforms, have now seen a $50,000 profit.

That in itself sounds fairly impressive, but going into detail shows that, for most developers, they won't see this same kind of success:

Retro Review: Punch-Out!! Featuring Mr. Dream (Wii Virtual Console)

Back in the eighties, Nintendo simply could not stop releasing sports titles. The company published video game adaptations of all kinds of activities from golf and hockey to pro wrestling and, most importantly, boxing. While a handful of the sports titles have become dated and lackluster, Punch-Out!! still manages to stand out from the crowd. The level of personality poured into this title surpasses so many others from the NES era, and it should be one of the top contenders for your cash on the Wii Shop Channel.

David and Goliath?

Review: Limbo (XBLA)

Given the awesome news that Limbo will be heading to PSN, it was about time we ran a review of one of the greatest XBLA downloadable games.

Somewhere between the balance of life and death lies Limbo. A frightening realm where there is only light and darkness tangled together fighting for dominance, completely devoid of any true colour. Here is where we meet our unnamed character – a dark silhouette of a gentle young boy that’s easily distinguished by his glowing white eyes. But, why is he here in Limbo? Where this place and what lies in wait before him? There is only one way to find out and that it is to take the first step forward – deeper into uncertainty; Limbo.

The artistic direction of this game is breathtaking

Review: Game Dev Story

Game Dev Story is a simplified management sim with cute art style. It was developed by the Japanese Kairosoft, which seems to be the definitive management sim studio out there right now. The game is very reminiscent of the old-school Tycoon games as well as the Theme games from (now sadly defunct) Bullfrog except the choices and customisation features are somewhat limited.

If only the real industry was this much fun

Critical Mass, 50% off!

Indie developer, Manic Game Studios, has just released its action puzzler, Critical Mass. It's a game we loved (read our review here), and it's already been discounted heavily.

Between July 1 and 10, you can pick it up for 50 per cent off from the official website, CriticalMassGame.com. The Steam and ImpulseDriven prices remain the same ($US9.99).

It's worth the full price, let alone the discount, so do go and pick it up now!

Ubisoft's Ubicollectibles snubs retailers

Collectibles and other non-game mechandise is one of the major selling points retailers have to capitalise on with customers; because after all, while you can download a game, you can’t download a character miniature.

Except Ubisoft just snubbed the retailers.

Only available online

Review: Delbo (DSiWare)

It’s hard to get too excited over Delbo. It looks like a bog-standard puzzle game on a service that is very easy to ignore. On top of that, the only genre that DSiWare ever actually excelled at, the puzzler, already features some very stiff competition for this game.

orb will be thrown

Review: Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions (PSP)

Final Fantasy Tactics is a legend of the genre. Originally released on the PlayStation, it was an epic in every sense of the word, with charming visuals, Final Fantasy traditional tropes such as chocobos, and a lengthy, entertaining plot.

It's a bold statement, but the cut scenes in this game are Square Enix's most artistic to date

Pride of Nations winners announced

We've been running a little competition over here for one of five copies of the excellent Pride of Nations. It's now been drawn - if you entered, check over at the forums to see if you've won!

Thanks to everyone for entering, and reading us! We hope to keep coming up with great content and competitions for you.