Of all the games that people play, the blame game is perhaps one of the oldest - it's almost as old as the human race itself. These days, it seems that violent video games are occupying a top spot on the lists of finger pointers. But are video games the real issue? Or is there something deeper at stake here?

Join us as we take a closer look at how this classic "pastime" relates to human nature. More perspectives follow after the jump.

Innovative. That's probably the best word we could use to describe Crush. Being able to move from 2D to 3D and back has been explored in many games by many developers, but few can boast what the guys at Zoe Mode have accomplished. They even upped the ante by allowing players to switch views on six axes at any time during the game. Crush is without a doubt one of the best games on the PSP to date. It marries innovative gameplay with a storyline that's interesting, innovative and compelling

The game is about a kid named Danny, who was hospitalized for his insomnia. Danny's is not your average Joe and has a lot of emotional baggage that begins manifesting in his subconscious. He seeks help from Dr. Reubens, whom other professionals in the field of psychology criticize for being a bit too... eccentric.

Dr. Reubens "suggests" a treatment that uses a special machine he created: C.R.U.S.H (Cognitive Regression Utilizing pSychiatric Heuristics). The therapy has Danny undergoing hypnosis while hooked up to said machine. It should allow him to cut through his neuroses and come to terms with the secrets he has hidden in his psyche. At least in theory...

Senior Producer Paul Mottram at Zoe Mode was nice enough to let us pick at his brain regarding Crush. He discussed their choice to release it on the PSP, the current lack of multiplayer options, and even the possibility of user created levels. Those who have been enamored by the game will also want to read about the possibility of a sequel to the game (which is referred to multiple times in the interview).

The full interview can be found after the jump!

 

Weekend Slowdown? Weekend reading more like it. An interesting and well written article on the Only a Game blog, attempts to outline the basic player patterns in an attempt to classify and categorize the different types of gamers out there.

We won't focus on the methodology and the references that the article drew upon, all the psychology stuff might bore you folks. Instead we'll present to you guys the 9 Basic Player types that this amazing work-in-progress has arrived at so far.

The 9 types are:

Conqueror - Conquerors seek to beat any challenge, the harder the challenge is to beat the more the satisfaction. Most commonly found in First Player Shooters, where the competition is against another human being - the ultimate AI so far - and where the competition is more often than not one against many, conquerors seek to be pushed to their limits and to triumph against adversity. The article notes that Conquerors on average are younger than most players

Manager - Managers seek complexity and thrive to discover how systems and how gameplay works. They derive satisfaction in discovering how things interact, and how actions within the game play out in the long term. Mastery is their middle name. Most managers find a home in Strategy games and RPGs.

Wanderer - Wanderers seek immersion and engagement in imaginary worlds. Good stories and great characters provide them more satisfaction than the challenge that the game's gameplay offers.

Get the rest of the types after the Jump!

We previously covered a story about creator Tetsuya Mizuguchi claiming that his game is actually for everybody. It apparently was designed, with the help of a great music library, to appeal to both men and women of all ages. Developer Buena Vista Games came forward today saying that while Lumines IImay indeed posses a mass appeal, it still suits and caters better to women.

Accordingly, the company commisioned U.K. psychologist Susan Quilliam to study the phenomenon. In simple terms, the conclusion reached by the study is that, "women may be physically and emotionally programmed to be better than men at strategic games." Also, the report stated that women have ability to analyse, categorise and link large amounts of small detail. In case you haven't noticed, those exact characteristics are employed by Lumines II and even classic Tetris.

What do you think, guys and err, girls? If you ask us, we don't have a degree in Psychology so we can't tell one thing from the other. But we are all gamers here anyway, so whatever floats your boat is fine with us. We're having a funny feeling though that the men-folks will somehow take offense. Oh well, let's just bring out those PSPs and show them who's boss.

By the way, in case you're interested, major key points of Quilliam's study include:

• Multi tasking, a key component of Lumines II, is easier for women as the two halves of the female brain are physically better connected than the male brain.
• Unlike men, women aren’t particularly motivated by games that pit them against other players. Women prefer to achieve by rising through the levels of a game, not by killing off rivals.
• Lumines II looks good! The screen is enhanced with ‘gender-balanced’ colour ranges. Until now, video game palettes have been largely targeted at the male market.
• Women tend to lead integrated lifestyles, whereas men often compartmentalise their activities, working and playing within discreet block of time. Women often find themselves flipping in and out of different activities and switch mental approaches more frequently. Lumines II appeals to this side of women as it can be picked up and played easily, and does not require hours of setting the scene within a game.