With a studio reputation that has been moulded by taking on existing licenses, games™ speaks to Feargus Urquhart, head of Obsidian Entertainment, about taking the lead on Dungeon Siege, the lessons learnt from Fallout: New Vegas’s reception and whether we can expect another original IP anytime soon.

If there’s a language that videogames understand, it’s violence. It is where the medium excels, where it comes into its own. A game without death and destruction is as rare as a tabloid scare story with proper fact-checking, but what are the alternatives to violence, and are developers really doing all they can to exploit them?

After a long career encompassing some of the greatest role-playing games of all time, Obsidian Entertainment’s Chris Avellone recently released his first original IP: Alpha Protocol, and is busy working on Fallout: New Vegas, the sequel to one of the best games of the decade. We called up the Black Isle veteran to discuss his humble beginnings, bright future, and every stop in between

Another look at the stories, thoughts and entertainment from around the internet over the past week.

As the dust settles on another vintage year for gaming, we cast our eyes forward, forever engaged in the hunt for the Next Big Thing. How will you spend your time in over the coming months? games™ selects the best and most significant releases in 2010, and explains why life just wouldn’t be the same without them.