Rob Manuel Quotes

#1. I'll be the first to admit it - after the first episode, I wasn't sold on Peter Capaldi as the new Doctor of 'Doctor Who,' with the bewildered Clara following behind like a lost puppy, haphazardly flinging aggression around like cream pies in a 'Three Stooges' marathon.

Rob Manuel

#2. A little light on the RPG elements but heavy on action, 'Mass Effect 2' was the game that created a world of characters that I actually cared about. When it came down to making those tough decisions during the final mission, I actually had to put the controller down and think about my choices.

Rob Manuel

#3. One of the great joys of launching your idea on the web is that it's a meritocracy. The good stuff will rise to the top and find an audience, and you don't have to impress one idiosyncratic commissioning editor.

Rob Manuel

#4. My wife - an ex journalist and current TV producer - has a rule that she taught me at the start of B3ta. Does the item make you laugh, or does it make you go, 'Oh my God?' If you score on either count, then you have something that is worth sharing.

Rob Manuel

#5. Try celebrating the best and not the worst.

Rob Manuel

#6. 'Fowl Space' was a lovechild of boredom. While in class, two of the developers started passing designs back and forth. Somewhere in the middle of all that ink and crumpled paper, a chicken in a space helmet was born and thus we have 'Fowl Space.'

Rob Manuel

#7. Not only a great game, 'Uncharted 2' raised the bar for storytelling for the medium. The game treated action as a part of the overall story rather than a way to move from plot point to plot point.

Rob Manuel

#8. There's a certain logic to avoiding the haters, but as a strategy, it's utterly flawed. When you turn off the feedback, you lose the benefits as well as the drawbacks. It's like having a sore finger and cutting off your arm.

Rob Manuel

#9. One part puzzle mixed with one part racer with just a dash of art and music just to blend everything together, 'Dyad' takes you on a fast-paced trip down a tunnel filled with lights and a shifting list of rules to keep your neurons nimble.

Rob Manuel

#10. One of the things 'Minecraft' is most noted for is the freedom it gives the players to build and experiment with the tools. You start off with simple objects; axes, torches, helmets and swords. With a little time and experimentation, you move to switches, complex machines, mine carts, glass.

Rob Manuel

#11. 'Armada d6' proves that some of the best games out there are still being playing on your tabletop.

Rob Manuel

#12. With multiplayer, permanent death, and an ever-changing world to explore and conquer, 'A Valley Without Wind' might be the place you're looking for if you need to escape the same dreary titles.

Rob Manuel

#13. The idea that everyone in their lives has played a video game is becoming more acceptable to the general audience. Now we just need to work on the idea that, even out of adolescence, that it's okay to still play.

Rob Manuel

#14. 'Borderlands' came out of nowhere to appease the gnawing hunger left behind with the dearth of quality dungeon crawlers on the market.

Rob Manuel

#15. However vile the abuse they receive, media people must remember this is part of the price of getting a public voice. Stay grateful. Don't kick down, kick up. Criticise power rather than proles.

Rob Manuel

#16. If you are willing to take the trip through 'Analogue,' you'll be rewarded with some of the best writing in gaming today and a look into the future of what kind of meaningful stories video games are capable of telling.

Rob Manuel

#17. 'Faraway' takes only minutes or a couple of bus stops to play. The easy to use touch controls work beautifully on the iPad. This is the game that should come standard on every new iPad.

Rob Manuel

#18. Videogames based on golf have often been viewed as, to mangle a phrase, a good walk through a virtual world spoiled. Connecting with your virtual golfers has often been as hard for gamers as understanding the sport itself.

Rob Manuel

#19. More than just music, the splash of water or a lone footstep can put you in the moment. Sound is just another tool in the developer's toolbox to draw the player further into the game.

Rob Manuel

#20. The world is full of people who say, 'But I had that idea first,' but did they do anything about it? Nope, they sat on their bum dreaming.

Rob Manuel

#21. For me, it's great to see 'Gateways' finally make it to the console. Think of it as 'Portal' meets 'Castlevania' as you try to put together your gateway gun before your lab becomes overrun with nasty enemies.

Rob Manuel

#22. The difference between you and the funny person on TV is that they acted on their ideas.

Rob Manuel

#23. Trolling taps into people's desire to poke fun, make trouble and cause annoyance.

Rob Manuel

#24. The scariest part to any story is the sliver of truth you hide in the horror. Sometimes its not about the axe wielding murder, but the fact that he's lurking somewhere in your basement. Sure, you keep telling yourself that you'll replace the burnt out light every week.

Rob Manuel

#25. Most of us grew up with video games in the household, either the original Nintendo in the living room or hoarding quarters for that trip to the arcade. And as time moves on, that line of nostalgia will keep moving forward where 'Frogger' gets replaced with 'Street Fighter 2' or 'Resident Evil 4.'

Rob Manuel

#26. Sometimes we need to step back and understand the power of video games. 'Dear Esther' does just that. Through visuals, audio, and narration, this title weaves a story around the player as they explore different areas in the game.

Rob Manuel

#27. 'Minecraft' opens up a world of limitless possibilities, driven by the player and created by the fans who love it.

Rob Manuel

#28. Keep it simple, stupid. Good game design shouldn't keep you looking at the manual but should have enough depth where you feel like you bring something new to the game every time you play.

Rob Manuel

#29. One name always stands out when it comes to actors taking on the monsters of our nightmares - Robert Englund. In the 'Nightmare on Elm Street' series, Englund kept us awake as night with a striped shirt and his special glove.

Rob Manuel

#30. High-profile columnists should remember they are in a privileged position. Writing isn't a dreadfully specific skill - it's taught to millions via our schooling system. And opinions? Well, I've yet to meet people without opinions.

Rob Manuel

#31. Libraries have a PR problem - or at least that's what they call it when no one under the age of 40 walks through the door. To bring in a younger crowd, the paper pushers have turned to tech to bring in the public. DVDs, CDs and, yes, even videogames are hitting the shelves of your local library.

Rob Manuel

#32. Hollywood is the kind of town that likes to make everything larger than life: movie premieres, aging actress' lips, and murders. Actors come from all over the world to find their sliver of fame on the street of L.A. Many stars rise, but many more fall.

Rob Manuel

#33. Bacon. Let's talk about bacon. There's no meat more glorious than bacon. You can add it to pasta instead of cheese. You can stick it in a sandwich, er ... instead of cheese.

Rob Manuel

#34. Sometimes it's not always about what you can see or hear but what's under the hood of a game that's most impressive. Between those thousands and thousands of lines of code, magic happens. Sometimes the most amazing feats of gaming wizardry happen without you even noticing.

Rob Manuel

#35. While the Super Bowl still smashes records for butts in the seats, eSports often run longer and never blinks. There's no commercial break. There's no halftime show. From start to finish, someone is going to walk home a champion, and you don't want to miss a second of it.

Rob Manuel

#36. Sweet, loveable, and with every click revealing a new surprise, 'Botanicula' creates both a wonderful world where bees and twigs play in the universe and sets up a daring story of a group of unlikely heroes taking on a tree's last hope of survival.

Rob Manuel