The ZX Spectrum turns 30 today and has been suitably honoured on Google’s front page.

Having first been released on April 23 1982 at a price of £175 for the more expensive 48KB model and a more affordable £125 for the lesser 16KB model, the ZX Spectrum holds special memories for many a modern gamer.

Whilst those with fewer grey hairs and stress induced wrinkles may not be able to share in the warm nostalgia, older gamers will be able to remember hours of irritating loading noises and potential mishaps, simply for the purpose of controlling a line which would move shoddily around the screen.

Of course, the Spectrum also heralded far greater rewards and for many (especially those in the UK), it marked the first computer made for the direct purpose of bringing gaming into the home.

Additionally, the computer was responsible for marking a boom in UK gaming, with many home-brew developers formed out of a loyal following; one which lead to more than 23, 000 titles being released for the Spectrum: an impressive haul considering the range of competition (Commodore, Amstrad and Atari) which would shortly follow.

So, whilst you spend today flinging birds across a tiny screen, gunning down would be assassins in some FPS warfare or living out your rock star dreams on any one of your home consoles, spare a thought for humbler times when gaming had just begin to enter the home and raise a glass to the legendary ZX Spectrum.

Whether recalling the “Catcher in the Rye” obsession of Mark Chapman or the “Helter Skelter” insanity of Charles Manson, it seems that popular forms of entertainment have always been the easiest of scapegoats for tragedies we would otherwise struggle to understand.

However, with the latest courtroom admission coming from the mouth of Anders Behring Breivik, Call of Duty has become not only a motivator, but perhaps even a training tool for the travesties which left 77 people dead in the unforgettable tragedy which occurred in Oslo on 22 July 2011.

The Call of Duty franchise has rarely seen a release without some kind of controversy fuelling the media hype. However, could this latest dent in the armour of one of the most successful gaming franchises of all time really cause a longstanding impact?

Perhaps it was Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 which caused the biggest media storm to date, with players taking on the role of an undercover Russian terrorist gunning down innocent civilians as you calmly made your way through a packed airport terminal.

However, in this case, Breivik was not inspired by event depicted in a video game, as much as he used the war-simulator as a means of “target acquisition” with the aid of the game’s virtual holographic rifle sight.

As of yet, the media has been somewhat muted on the subject, however, with the impending announcement of Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 on its way, will this be the last we hear of the ‘video game nasties’ or can we expect to see the same controversy rear its head at the latest suitable opportunity?

We would love to know your thoughts on the subject, so please comment in the box below:

With Star Wars Kinect forcing its way to the top of gaming charts around Europe and utilising its Midi-chlorian makeup to engage in an equally impressive assault stateside, we have to wonder what the average gamer wants from the industry nowadays.

Many have suggested that the current era is being defined by mobile gaming devices and on the go gaming more and more. Of course, with the incredibly impressive sales of Angry Birds et al, it is hard to argue any different.

However, according to the latest Nielsen report, we are a more predictable bunch than you might expect, with very few willing to buck the trend when it comes to our gaming desires, even when it means missing out on the very best games available.

2012 sees the release of some exciting gaming prospects. Whether gazing into the pixelated skies of Minecraft on XBLA, exploring the skyward Utopia of Bioshock: Infinite or taking another mind boggling stroll through the First Person Puzzler mind of Kim Swift, with Quantum Conundrum, it seems gamers would rather stick with what they know.

Nielsen analysed the most anticipated games of the year and found that the likes of Halo 4, Star Wars Kinect, Assassin’s Creed III and Madden NFL 13 were at the top of gamers’ wish lists for 2012.

So, do you game based upon advertising, is branding more important than content, or are reviews and statistics what it is all about? Let us know your thoughts.

In an announcement earlier today Konami released details on a new World War II air combat game.  Recently described as “breath-taking combat simulator featuring some of the most pivotal air battles of World War II, including the battle of Midway, Guadalcanal, Coral Sea, the historic attack on Pearl Harbour, the Mediterranean Maltese island, Germany’s Ruhr Valley, and others”.

This is considered quite a bold move by Konami who are more famously known for their Metal Gear Solid series and slightly less popular Zone of the Enders. They’ve never really branched off into this area before so nobody is really sure what to expect and although they announced the actual game, details were very limited.

Martin Schneider said this “For far too long, first-person shooter fans have been tied to the foot soldier point of view, but we aim to bring the seat-of-their-pants skill and daring of dogfighting and aerial combat to a wider audience, Birds of Steel pushes the throttle of realism by giving fans what they’ve been missing when it comes to co-operative online gameplay, incredibly realistic visuals and game dynamics, while spanning the entirety of the war’s air campaigns.”

Here is the official description of the game taken from the website.

Birds of Steel features a breath-taking level of detail, with the weather effects of each war zone brilliantly brought to life, while the handling and battle-scarred planes are susceptible to damage and will suffer in terms of control accordingly. Similarly, a series of camera views allow users to witness their skills from a series of external views, or within the varied cockpits of the 100 planes. The missions are presented in a pre-conflict briefing, and players can also see how their contributions related to the overall path of the scenario, with new planes available on the completion of specific goals. Birds of Steel also offers the user a number of control systems, ranging from simplistic arcade-style movements, to entirely faithful control systems that offer total control over every aspect of flight.

Birds of Steel also enjoys a huge online element. Players can support co-op missions alongside friends, or enter massive multi-player online dogfights to see who owns the skies. Gaijin are busy creating a series of absorbing missions for online users, with team death matches, co-op strike missions, airfield raids, and tournament play all set to throw open the skies for the most intense aerial combat ever to grace the PS3 and Xbox 360. Squadrons can even edit their finest hours to showcase their skills, and share them with their peers.

Not sold on it? Neither am I but we’ll see. It is supposed to come out in early 2012 but it’s probably safe to expect some delays as release is still some time away.

If you were like me, you dreamed of creating your very own video game. Also, if you were like me, you had a stash of Victoria’s Secret catalogs underneath your stack of Highlights magazines you stole from the dentist. (Ahem.)

As a youngster, Super Mario Bros. 2 on the original NES just didn’t seem right. Why was Mario in a weird dreamland? Why were frowny faces popping out of vases and where the hell was Bowser? We all found out Super Mario Bros. 2 was actually a redesign of a Japanese game called Yume Koujou Doki Doki Panic. But hell, during the gameplay, I thought of designing a better SMB2 and later on, a slew of games I could release onto the American market where I would become a giglo and have Madonna gyrate for me. (This was 1993, mind you.)

It was nearly impossible for me to design a game back then. The at-home tools were non-existent and, well, I didn’t really have the gumption. But today’s players can easily make video games to their hearts content.

Here is how you do it. Think of what kind of game you’re wanting to make. Will it be a side-scroller? A fighting game? An RPG? Write that stuff down and think of the pros and cons to each. A mind map application can also help here. Since we humans don’t think in a linear fashion, a mind map may be easier to capture your ideas. If you want to make a video game centered around fighting, you’re in luck. Make up a tournament held in a faraway place…like the clouds or Utah and be done with it. That’s all you need. If you looking to make a ’80s-era side-scroller, have the bad guys capture A) a girlfriend B) a princess or if you’re progressive C) a gay boyfriend. Think of it! You could be the video game maker with a gay boyfriend. You’re a pioneer.

Make another mind map or flip to the next page. Now you need to develop the story further and include main characters along with heavy scripting. Let’s say the game revolves around a lady of the night named Lana, played be Rebecca De Mornay, stealing your mom’s Faberge egg after you can’t pay for a fun-filled night of poke-poke. What will the ho-bag say?

Ho-bag: You can’t pay me? Ok, no problem. Go to the bank and cash in your grandma’s saving bonds. While you’re gone, I’ll steal this egg.

During this scene the young high school boy (played by Tom Cruise) will be shocked with fear. The game action will have Tom and his BFF traveling to a hotel to get the egg back, but instead the ho-bag (still played by Rebecca De Mornay) will jump into your ride and a pimp will chase you.

Or you can write whatever you want. You’re story, your ideas.

Your goal is to make video games and making video games is what you are going to do. Now that you have your story laid out, along with the lines and voice-work (you may need to hire somebody or have your goony friends do it), determine which console you are going to make your video game for. Xbox 360? Playstation 3, Nintendo Wii? If you’re a hipster, maybe a hombrew for the Sega Dreamcast?

Forget it. Don’t waste your time there. Go for a PC launch. If you’re just beginning in the exciting world of video game design, the PC platform will be the easiest to make video games for. Plus, you won’t get phased out as fast with updates as you will with the consoles.

Decide on which console you’re going to distribute your game. After you finish writing your game, you’re ready to start bringing it to life. Of the current gaming consoles, the PC is the easiest platform for beginning game designers. It doesn’t phase out like next-generation consoles, and it’s not too difficult finding game design software.

Here’s the fun stuff: designing your game. Get Genesis 3D or Reality Factory. They are the leaders in the video game creation industry. They’re free. If you have not listened to me at all and want to make video games for the Xbox 360 (you cad), then you’ll need XNA Game Studio Express. All these programs are free. Interested in the Wii? Go with WiiWare.. Unlike the earlier apps, this bad boy costs around $2000. However, if you created a great game and you’re looking to run a business around it, you stand a great chance with Wiiware because you could potentially sell it on the Wii Shop Channel.

That’s it! Get to it!