Blog Posts by Mike Smith

Show me the money.Cut-throat, competitive, and unapologetically capitalist, Monopoly's winner-takes-all gameplay has made it the world's most popular board game.

But it wasn't always quite so ruthless. Believe it or not, Monopoly began its life as an anticapitalist teaching tool, spent decades as an underground pastime played by early American progressives, leftists, and other radicals, went on to aid countless wartime prisoners escape from German camps, and wound up in a ten-year trademark dispute with a Californian economist. And you thought it was all about Boardwalk.

What's the biggest difference between board games and video games?

Pacing. Video games have to pace themselves. They're expected to be throwing new content at their players for the duration of a 10-20 hour story (or longer), and can't afford to lay out everything right off the bat.

But a board game? Under normal circumstances, players can expect to see just about everything the game has to offer in the first session.

Hasbro's latest spin-off to their globetrotting classic Risk, which hits streets this week, doesn't play by those rules.

Courtesy flickr user 'trekkyandy'Now that the clocks are turned back and the nights are getting longer, leaving the house somehow isn't as appealing as it was a few months ago. And while sitting down to a game of rummy or cribbage is a time-honored way for you and your partner to while away a cold evening, what if you'd rather play together, not against each other?

Look no further than these six cooperative card games, guaranteed to make the evenings fly by -- and with somewhat less chance of starting unpleasant arguments. Whether you like your games modern and intricate or old-fashioned and playable with a standard deck, you'll find something to keep out the cold.

Turkey, stuffing, football, the Macy's parade: there's a lot to love about Thanksgiving. But spending the better part of a week cooped up with just your family for company can get pretty old -- and pretty dull.

Since you can't just hop in the car and leave your relatives behind, you'll need to find ways to have fun without upsetting the guests. These games and apps should do the trick.

Although beloved, family-friendly board games like Scrabble, Monopoly and Trivial Pursuit bring in millions each year, the road to success isn't always smooth. In some cases, it's downright bumpy.

Ill-advised relaunches, misguided rules changes, and even accusations of plagiarism are just a few of the missteps that almost derailed some of gaming's biggest hits. Here are a few of our favorites.

Ever wondered about the real length of a Slinky? Or how, exactly, an Etch A Sketch pulls off its magical disappearing act? You'll find these classics lurking in every toy closet, but how much do you really know about them? Read on for some curious facts about five legendary playthings.

Has it really been ten years since the launch of the first Halo?

Apparently so, according to Microsoft, and they ought to know. Launching alongside the original Xbox a full decade ago, Halo's one of a handful of games released this century that can genuinely claim to have made a permanent impact on the development of video gaming, turning the console first-person shooter from a curio into the dominant genre it is today.

In celebration, Microsoft is going right back to where the adventure started, re-releasing the original game in a revamped, remastered Xbox 360 version sporting all the bells and whistles modern gamers have come to expect from their shooters. High-definition visuals, online multiplayer: it's all here.

But can a ten-year-old shooter really compete with the latest and greatest Modern Warfare installment? Yes and no seems to be the answer, though with average scores well into the 80s, it's more of the former than the latter.

Gamers love fall: the leaves turn brown, the clocks go back, and stores nationwide fill up with an avalanche of shiny new video games.

True to form, the last few weeks have been packed with a bewildering quantity of top-tier releases that are sure to feature heavily on holiday wish-lists. But what should you know before buying a game as a gift? How can you tell if it's age-appropriate, or might be too much for a younger gamer to handle?

While the Entertainment Software Ratings Board -- or ESRB -- assigns each game a helpful age rating, not all Teen-rated games are created equal. Read on for the lowdown on six of the season's top picks.