I admit that Dota 2 has the benefit of an established fan base unmatched by almost any free-to-play game (League of Legends excluded). Not many games have fans who are willing to pay for something that doesn't benefit them in any way. Taking that into account, though, there still is no good excuse for free-to-play micro-transactions that benefit the company more than the player. Honestly, the solution is just to make your game cost money. Remember that? When games cost a flat fee for the entire thing? This was a largely successful model, and the only reason I can see for the shift is pure greed, especially by a company like EA that already has boatloads of money to roll in.

Tyrael's Sacrifice is the first of a few tear-jerkers to make our list. Unlike the World of Warcraft opening cinematic, this Diablo 3 cinematic is entirely devoted to established characters in the game's universe. The three-minute cut scene contains lots of flash and action in the heavens, but what makes it great is how well it pulls at the player's heart stri

Code Name S.T.E.A.M. is a remarkable game for a couple of reasons. It’s a turn-based strategy game set in a steam punk past, the action is simple to understand and the storyline is unique. As a special agent, taking orders from the President of the United States is part of the job; especially if those orders are to eradicate swarms of alien armies. Combining characters from literary classics makes it an even more fantastical journey. It’s the kind of game you’d usually see on PC, which makes it being on the 3DS refreshing for fans of strategy games.

Because The CW typically airs its crossovers at the end of November, Crisis on Earth-X debuted only 10 days after Warner Bros. and DC Films' premiered their own massive team-up event with Justice League . While the reviews for Justice League were undoubtedly an improvement upon previous DC Films entries Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad - and the film topped the domestic box office in its opening weekend and performed well overseas - the dominant narrative has been that it didn't quite meet expectations. Certainly, the movie has its fans, and redeeming qualities, but Justice League wasn't as big of a success - critically, financially, or with fans - as many were hop

While the whole editorial staff contributed to our 2015 awards, we wanted to allow everybody the opportunity to publicly name their personal top 10 games of the year. While many did play the majority of releases in 2015, please remember that unlike our main awards, the editors are not naming the best games, but their personal favorites out of the selection they played.

As someone who plays Dota 2, I thought "'worth'? What do you mean 'worth'?" It hit me pretty quickly that they meant worth money. The concept of paying real money for a hero eludes me, as a Dota 2 player, with a game that has more than 100 heroes available to everyone, free of charge. While League of Legends is technically free to play, players can get a better experience by buying access to better champions - champions that have "worth." Dota 2, not so. There's not a single item in the moba game updates that can be purchased in any way to give players an advantage. This got me thinking how Dota 2 really is the only game that does Free to Play right, that is, in a way that benefits the player as much or more than the company.

Who's a good Frostwolf? WHO'S A GOOD LITTLE FROSTWOLF?! This World of Warcraft Frostwolf Cub Plush is great for some holiday snuggling or as the latest trophy up on your wall of gaming collectibles. An official Blizzard Gear product, this pup's soft blue-eyed gaze will never betray the fact that it's seen some seriously harsh things on the battlefronts of Draenor and Alterac Valley while serving the Ho

Mario is not only a staple in video game history; he is THE pinnacle of the industry. His games have defined what it means to be a video game. But guess what? I can make a video game too! Super Mario Maker is a phenomenal concept that allows fans to bring to life their very own versions of the plumber’s classic adventures. I’ve had tons of fun just imagining my own Mario levels and feeling like a real developer at Nintendo. If only they could see my creations…sigh. Whatever, Super Mario Maker is in fact a fantastic game despite all the extremely hard user-created levels that I’ve skipped over.

Not only have we gotten two Avengers movies in the last five years, The CW has aired yearly crossover events since 2014, and Netflix even debuted their own small screen superhero team-up this summer with The Defenders . Ultimately, the team-up aspect of Justice League is something comic book TV and film fans have seen many times now, though not necessarily with these exact characters. While there's undoubtedly excitement each time a team-up event occurs in either film or TV, Justice League simply using different heroes in a story we've seen before - even though they're unquestionably some of the most beloved and storied heroes in comics - isn't quite enough anym