Nobody could have predicted the massive changes that are taking place in the gaming universe thanks to the rise of indie games. Video game designers are taking advantage of this new trend in some interesting and exciting ways.

It used to be that everybody could count on one hand the major gaming consoles that were available on the market, and the companies that controlled these consoles were on top of the gaming universe. But now games are available through a variety of outlets, from smartphones and tablets to the traditional consoles and handheld devices, to right on your computer. With a wider variety of formats available, indie game designers are now able to compete where it used to be that only the big guns ruled.

As more and more money gets poured into AAA game titles, there are a few missing elements that indie games can bring back to gaming.

The problem with any medium of entertainment that breaks into mainstream popularity is that over time, quality becomes compromised to offer a more widely accessible product. The stage, for instance, which was once a place for the output of poetic brilliance by anyone from Shakespeare to David Mamet, is now largely capitalized by musical renditions of Legally Blonde and Spiderman. The same is true of games - as corporations attempt to hit the biggest demographic with every entry, a lot of core artistic aspects are being lost.

Game development has its root in the basic elements and principles of design – here are a few core concepts that are important to anyone looking to develop games.

When it comes to game development, there are many things you can’t learn from simply playing games, but instead need to study in courses and schools to become truly proficient. Not just things like programming languages either - game design online, on PC and console all require a basic understanding of both the elements and principles of design. The building blocks of any education on game making, things like color theory and unity come long before picking out each character’s special attack.

What do video games actually need? Take a look at some games with almost nothing in the way of plot, and how you can learn from these bare-essential approaches to game design.

As much as I love a game with a good story, some of my favorite gaming moments have come with little or no pretext. With the impending release of Child of Eden for PS3, there’s been more talk about what a game actually ‘needs’. Video game design online continues to expand in new and more experimental ways, while schools and game design courses teach a myriad of new techniques a year.

Writing for video games is a balance between the movie-style pacing we're used to, and an interactive standard that's still being developed.

When I first started playing video games in arcades in the early 90s, it didn’t take much to attract me to a particular cabinet - bright lights, characters I recognized, those cool machine gun controllers. Most games started with a single screen of text explaining who you were rescuing, from whom, with what weapon. It was an era in which plumbers crushed turtles beneath their feet without any sort of grounded reasoning - a time when the spectacle of gaming required no back-story or plot to be interesting.

Mobile gaming is breathing new life thanks to iOS and Android - here’s some predictions on mobile gaming in the coming years, and what effects it will have on you as a game designer.

This week, id Software's John Carmack said that he believes that in two years, mobile devices may be more powerful than consoles. Whether or not you think this in our future, there’s no denying that games for mobile platforms have steadily increased in market share in the last few years – even video game design online has improved with the advent of JS-happy browsers like Chrome.

As gaming devices become more powerful, it's time to start thinking about what ten years ago was only a dream - the uncanny valley.

It’s a beautiful and confusing time for people with gaming degrees - on one hand, we have some of the most innovative, beautiful games in existence, a booming indie market, and a bevvy of devices to develop for; on the other hand, we have the uncanny valley.

Learn more about the three different parties that game developers typically fall into and where you might ultimately fit in the best.

Once you’ve learned how to make great games, it’s time to start thinking about how and where you’d like to begin the careers you’ve studied for. Game design online is a very open platform, but has caps on production value. Most people in game development schools harbor the dream of working on AAA console or PC titles, but even that work comes in a variety of flavors. Depending on how your studio operates, your day to day development can vary greatly.

ComicCon2011 is underway in San Diego this week, and the streets are bustling with comic and game fans alike. Consider these trends in this year's convention, and how they impact game design.

If you want to see a rabid fanbase for any medium, look no further than comics and games. For years, people have gathered to buy rare releases, knock-off toys, and even dress up as their favorite characters. So what are they doing that keep fans so locked in? Here’s a glimpse at a few takeaways from this year’s conference, and how they can impact your next game design online project.

1. Characters

Make sure your projects don’t get trapped by these common game features that aren’t necessary anymore.

As games advance ever-onward into technology, we’ve put a lot of effort into updating things like physics, textures, and animation. However, with our eyes set on the most obvious updates, we tend to overlook a lot of things we've accepted as unquestionable in their relevance and need in a game. Here are a few things that still appear in games, but are long past their expiration date:

1. Save Points