Blog Posts by Ben Silverman

The internet is overflowing with fan films, but most of them are merely good for a giggle.

This fan film based on the hit Portal franchise, however, should be good for much, much more. Like funding from a major studio for a feature length film, for instance.

It's spiking in search, trending on Twitter and captivating critics.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution (Square Enix)But there's still a pretty good chance you've never heard of Deus Ex. That's about to change.

Cyberpunk thriller Deus Ex: Human Revolution released for the PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 on Tuesday, and it's on track to become one of the year's biggest critical hits. It's a prequel to the original Deus Ex, which debuted back in 2000 to widespread acclaim. A sequel followed in 2003, but it didn't have quite the impact of the original.

Looks like the third time's the charm. With all three versions averaging in the neighborhood of a 90 on Metacritic, it's quickly turned into the must-have first-person game of the summer.

FarmVille just got a nosy neighbor.

The Sims Social (EA)The Sims Social has officially gone live on Facebook, marking EA's biggest push to date into the lucrative social games world. And thanks to a robust beta period and that dependable brand name, its town is already 7 million users strong.

Unlike past games, however, The Sims Social is entirely free. It plays out much as you'd expect: you create a Sim and manage his or her life, from preparing meals and designing rooms to mowing the lawn and, of course, interacting with friends. Thankfully, it's less about managing 'hunger' and 'bathroom' meters and more about leveling up by completing activities, achieving lifetime goals, and mercilessly flirting with your pals.

Wilt Chamberlain (2K Sports)With an NBA lockout looming, basketball fans might have to look for alternative ways to get their hoops fix in the coming months. NBA 2K12 for the Xbox 360 and PS3 hopes to fill the void -- and they're making a compelling case, especially if you dig old-school roundball.

2K Sports has unveiled the full roster of NBA legends set to appear in their anticipated game, and it's a pretty serious list of Hall of Famers.

Set your phasers to love.

The internet is overflowing with geeky wedding proposals, but few can hold a candle to this magic moment captured during the Wizard World Chicago Comic Con last week.

Forget the fact that you can't quite hear what burgeoning Trek legend Zach Munn says to his now-fiancee -- she's clearly digging it and rewards him with a "yes!" -- and stick around for what might be the most perfect ending in the history of geeky wedding proposals:

One of the most beloved multiplayer shooters ever is finally being brought up to speed.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (Valve)On Friday, Valve Software announced Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, a downloadable shooter for XBLA, PSN and Steam due out early next year.

"For the past 12 years, [Counter-Strike] has continued to be one of the most-played games in the world, headlining competitive gaming tournaments and selling over 25 million units worldwide across the franchise," said Doug Lombardi, VP of Marketing at Valve.

For years, Nintendo has held its ground as the premier name in handheld gaming.

iPhone 4 (Apple)But to the company's financial backers, it's time to wake up and smell the Apples.

Bloomberg reports that Nintendo's investors are so unhappy with the recent performance that they're demanding the company start creating games for smartphones and other devices.

According to the Entertainment Software Association, the average gamer is 37 years old. Kids born the day the original Nintendo was released are entering their late 20s, while geeks who whiled away the days with a Pong machine are storming past 40.

Umeji Narisawa (Japanprobe)But compared to Umeji Narisawa, we're all just a bunch of babies.

Japanprobe caught up with the 99-year-old gamer, who got hooked on the hobby at the tender age of 73 when her grandkids brought home a copy of the action/puzzle classic Bomberman for the NES (technically the Famicon, the Japanese version of the system.) Narisawa was intrigued, gave it a shot, and has been playing it for several hours a day since.