Playing games won't make you a good designer, understanding the constraints within which actual development occurs will. Thinking through your ideas in terms of actual gameplay will make you a better designer, thinking up "cool ideas" will not.

Playing games should give you interesting points of reference when designing a similar game, but theory and goals of design are more important than playing games, since you probably don't know "why" a design is good, so playing Final Fantasy VII is not going to teach you anything in that regard. If I was going to teach people design, I would actually have them read books on design, get them to build games with post it notes and collaborate with people outside their field of expertise. Also you have to be able to present your idea to other people and allow them to tear it apart.

Penny Arcade has done some relatively good points for people who have some interest in this;

http://www.penny-arcade.com/patv/episode/so-you-want-to-be-a-game-designer

http://www.penny-arcade.com/patv/episode/playing-like-a-designer-pt.-1

Since you posed this as a question rather than simply a request for a list, I am providing my opinion based on some experience. I think you're not required any one game, just have a good breadth of experience in gaming.

You can download the Closed Beta client and log in. You don't have to buy anything, I did it last night on the EU store and that one updates with new content on Wednesday.

The client is still the Closed Beta client, but you just register and log in. That's it. Didn't manage to play any though, didn't have time.

Glad it's not only me:

http://fuse.gamespot.com/users/Arath_1/achievements/all/title/

Catherine PS3 (EU) - tons of Achievements have not been updated
- Have been going for the Platinum, so 1 achievement 17/9 that has not update
- Tons from past few days
Red Dead Redemption - A few trophies from beginning of september

Compare to:
https://www.playfire.com/Arath_1

You can see the achiements correctly updating.

Is this still being looked into?

Why close down the company though if you are just going to carry on the same project, with the same company and the same team? I don't understand. Wouldn't it have made sense to say they are resizing them?

Also why not say that they are being moved into another company. This is confusing.

Its never a question of buying just a graphics card, some RAM and shoving it into your tower. If you want a gaming rig you have to make one. If you want to set up a PC from scratch, you have to buy,

A monitor
Speakers or Headphones
Keyboard and mouse
Tower
Mobo (lets assume it has network and audio card itegrated)
CPU
RAM
Graphics Card
Cooling System

Also outside of America the option of NewEgg does not exist so good look build a gaming capable rig for less than 1000 dollars. Trying to argue the contrary is just bull. Yes PCs are more powerful, there is no argument there, but to argue it is some how comparative in terms of entry price is just incorrect.

Or could it simply be a problem on your end? Controller connection dropping out, or battery being low dead, etc. Nobody is talking about this probably because nobody is experiencing this, or at least its not a prevailent problem.

As far as I'm concerned the internet is the worst thing to ever happen to gaming. I hate dlc and I hate online multiplayer. I'm no longer buying games new if I think there will be complete edition released at a later date. I would like to give RE6 a try but knowing Capcom I'm going to wait a year or so to pick it up.

I play games because I like to see the creativity in them. I find Japanese games more creative. I grew up in the 80's playing the NES. I can't stand todays games like Borderlands and Darksiders. To me they seem like games with mature content focused for little kids. I think games like Mario are more mature in a way.

I haven't bought a new game since Dark Souls last year. New games have turning into a scam by Developers. I've seen drug dealers with better ethics.

jdc6305

The only reason I could possibly consider the Internet the worst thing to have happened to gaming, is because the information overload on everything has sapped all the excitement of experiencing and making up your own mind about a title. Now people find venues to vent and opinions spread like wildfire. People feel the need to ardently defend their opinion against critics and opinion pieces, while at the same time devoiding themselves of the experience. People cannot detach themselves from the dilulge of information and their own personal experience.

Further to this I would have said I have never not been as excited to be part of gaming and continue gaming. I know some experiences are gone, but new ones are just around the corner. Part of being in this hobby is the thrill of discovering a personal experience in gaming and I think people lose that.

Games like Catherine, Red Dead Redemption, Infamous 2, Metal Gear Solid 4, Guild Wars 2, Limbo, Braid, Journey, etc have all blown me away. These are all fantastic games across a wide plethora of genres and if you find that you can no longer get excited for the amazing games that already out and the ones on the Horizon (Ni No Kuni, Dishonored, The Last of Us, Bioshock Infinite, GTAV, et al), you should take a hard look at what it is you want from gaming and why you are not getting it.

I'd say the industry is always in flux, some genres and great sagas fade away (look at Final Fantasy), but that doesn't mean there is nothing to replace it. Just because there is a glutt of one type of game doesn't mean there is nothing else out there. You really just have to look.

The Activision representative was terrible to watch, he was just trying way too hard. Also in general I found the whole thing really boring. Nothing was shown that made me want to get the console now, or within the next few months after launch.

Nintendo TVii means nothing outside of the US, because there are a ton of places where HuluPLUS, TiVo and Netflix aren't even an option. So dull and lifeless. That coference failed to excite.

They are really milking this BLOPS II demo, this is a tremedously dull conference. Also the Activision Rep is trying so hard, it hurts to watch.

Well if you have no interest beyond the immediacy of your surroundings then why be interested in anything? Why watch the news, read books, learn new things, if ultimately like you say, you cannot change anything. Just be ignorant of everything.

I'm invested in the things that happen beyond just what I play because it impacts me. If a company is doing well or not so well, I might decide to do my part to support it by buying its products new, or not support them if I don't like their business practice. I can then witness if my decisions mean anything and if not at least I have the self satisfaction of contributing. Look at Ubisoft recently dropping its DRM. Enough people said no and something changed.

Games mean a little more to me than just throwaway entertainment so I am invested in the people, business and industry as a whole behind the games I play.