So here we are again, another year and another FIFA.

I remember a time when FIFA was only big in England and EA went for cover and advert stars of big premier league players like Wayne Rooney. Even back in the early days, they had David Ginola, David Beckham and Thierry Henry and even the first ever FIFA had David Platt on the cover.

So I will admit that the Sims is one of those games series that I just forget how popular and successful they have been since the original way back in the year 2000 and in the 14 years since has sold at least 18 million copies worldwide. Will (SimCity) Wright, Maxis and EA must have a winning formula as with each game and expansion the sales just never seem to drop.

Now I'm not being accompanied on this trip down memory lane by a fish, no sir. COD is known to all but fisherman as the acronym for Call of Duty, which is perhaps the most successful and well known gaming franchise in the world. The series contains a number of games that each have their own resonance and meaning to gamers out there.

Before the fun begins I would like to say that I enjoy the Call of Duty series. Single player mode, anyway. That’s the problem in a nutshell, the campaign story mode are action blockbusters with memorable characters and gripping plotlines with enough snap, crackle and pop to keep it fresh over the years. Veteran mode provides a tough challenge without it being ridiculous and they’ve always been good games for achievements. 

As One Up Gaming’s biggest fan of the Mass Effect games, it seems only right that I put together a brief piece of speculation on the next Mass Effect title. I loved the first three games, the immense, in-depth, and interactive story lines, the third person action, the collection of versatile weaponry and of course, Biotic power.

Are you bored of your standard, generally plain controller for your Xbox or PlayStation? That dull, black or sometimes off-white coloured plastic block in your hands, that stares up at you from its comforting seat in your lap, groaning “I’m so boringly unexceptional’   Well, look no  further, as we may have found the answer for you in the form of a web-based UK company, called Custom Controllers UK.

Since tablet PC's became the new fashionable accessory that sure enough will replace all laptops and most PC's as the future of home computing, us gamers have struggled with them. Yes, there are games available for them, and some of them look and play fantastically, if you can use the touch screen technology fast, or efficiently enough. We gamers don’t want that, we long for the feel of a controller in our hands. Something tangible, physical, that has buttons and d-pads etc., to make the game play as fluently as any other.

Have you ever had a great idea for a game? Are you musically talented, and think its about time you started creating your own music? What about those budding artists out there, that are so addicted to their Nintendo DS, that they do not have any time to create their masterpieces?

Horror games put you in the middle of Demon's spawn hell, you can have monster scream and spit on the screen or a small doll talking about the end of the world, most of these games are manic and mind-bendingly odd, but these games are obviously suppose to be 'horror' and loses the spark what-not.

Nintendo eShop… Your one gaming stop for everything Nintendo… and a bit more.

The Nintendo eShop is, as its name suggests, an online marketplace available through the Nintendo Network for its console Wii U, and handheld device the Nintendo 3DS. 

I've always had an interest in things that are a bit messed up and disturbing. To see how deep and dark our imaginations can get and to also see what our minds can handle. As a result I'm always on the lookout for movies, books and games that try to push those limits and rend me speechless, horrified and disturbed and although video games haven't been the biggest source of this for me, I've still come across a few moments that gave me an unsettling feeling in my gut.

 The gaming industry has had its ups and its downs over the years and since the XBOX 360 and the Playstation 3 were released onto the market, it seems that everyone has jumped onto the bad wagon and started developing games for the industry. But is this really a good thing?

Word has finally reached the gaming community of an impending release of Saints Row 4. From various websites and press releases, the story follows the 3rd Street Saints who are no longer celebrities but their leader is the President of the USA. But as ridiculous as this sounds, it’s about to get a lot more over-the-top.

2K games are almost set for their newest instalment of Bioshock, Biosock Infinite. 2K rocked the gaming world senseless back in 2007, with the first game in the Bioshock franchise. The game Bioshock, is a more modernised spin off, from their earlier games Systemshock and sytemshock 2.

One of the key releases and biggest cash-cow is the Gears of War series. One of the first releases for the XBOX 360 has smashed the market and was an instant hit. But with the release of Gears of War Judgement about to hit the shelves this month, let’s take a look at the rise and possible fall of a great series.

The original survival horror and the game that smashed zombies into the gaming scene. Originally released on the Playstation one when I was about 13, I first picked it up when I was 16 and immediately got hooked. It was a game like no other at the time, survival horror at its finest and storytelling at its height.

I recently published a post on the violence we see in video games, but of course every Ying has a Yang, and too be honest I’m not sure which of the two is more controversial. You’ve probably already guessed what I’m talking about, because with violence, Sex soon follows.

Whenever an idea comes into my head I never think to write it down, but luckily today my laptop was already on and ready to go. So my idea or rather my question which I will now attempt to answer is certainly an intriguing one indeed.

I have recently talked about the most popular genres within the gaming industry. I have discussed the pros and cons of Simulation and Real time strategy games. I have delved into the Role Playing genre and why I believe it is worth every penny when investing in these lengthy titles. I have not however included beat em up’s, puzzle and platform, and driving games.