Activision is using its blockbuster Call of Duty first-person shooter franchise to test the waters for microtransactions on Xbox 360, with $1-$5 items currently available.

This week, our partnership with game criticism site Critical Distance brings us picks from Katie Williams on topics including SimCity's disastrous launch, the pope as a gameplay mechanic, Anita Sarkeesian's Tropes vs. Women series, and more.

Gamasutra speaks to Sohei Niikawa, the creator of the cult-hit strategy franchise, which marks its 10-year anniversary in 2013, about what he has done to keep reeling players in for all these years.

DrinkBox, the team behind the open-world action platform game Guacamelee!, speaks to us about where the game from, its inspirations, and what went into its unique, IGF-nominated art style.

"It's not like people love seeing their families less often, or that that doesn't cause problems. It causes problems for me, it causes problems for everyone." - Levine says that with the game's ambition, overexertion is necessary.

Possibly in response to vice president Joe Biden's warning that video games have a public perception problem, the ESA has launched a new campaign to drive awareness for the ESRB ratings, as well as games' potential for education.

Metal Gear series creator Hideo Kojima ponders whether developers might save money during this next, expensive generation of AAA game development by selling a small chunk of their games first and seeing if it sticks.