Author Archives: Ethan Gach

How do you Solve a Problem Like Max Payne?

The man is a high-functioning alcoholic. He spends his nights drinking himself into oblivion while the light of day finds him planting heavy metals deep into the flesh of his enemies with the biologically-ingrained certainty of a fifth generation lead

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How do you Solve a Problem Like Max Payne?

The man is a high-functioning alcoholic. He spends his nights drinking himself into oblivion while the light of day finds him planting heavy metals deep into the flesh of his enemies with the biologically-ingrained certainty of a fifth generation lead

/ 3 Comments

Don't Front. We All Love The Violence.

Violence is the name of the game. Well, not literally. And not for all games. There’s Nintendo and the indie scene and whatever new craze is lying in wait on the App Store. But the core of gaming right now remains unmistakably violent. As many people have noted,

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Don't Front. We All Love The Violence.

Violence is the name of the game. Well, not literally. And not for all games. There’s Nintendo and the indie scene and whatever new craze is lying in wait on the App Store. But the core of gaming right now remains unmistakably violent. As many people have noted,

/ One Comment

Feedback Loop: How Videogames Stole my Daydreams

When my brother and I were younger our parents used to force us to spend a certain amount of time outside every day. In the summer especially, when school was out and the days were lazy, we were cast out

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Feedback Loop: How Videogames Stole my Daydreams

When my brother and I were younger our parents used to force us to spend a certain amount of time outside every day. In the summer especially, when school was out and the days were lazy, we were cast out

/ 10 Comments

E3 2012 is Upon us, but What Choices lie Ahead?

The mood is unmistakable. The current generation isn’t quite over, and the next one hasn’t gotten started yet. Unlike recent years, everyone has both eyes looking into the future even as both feet remain firmly planted in the present. It

/ One Comment

E3 2012 is Upon us, but What Choices lie Ahead?

The mood is unmistakable. The current generation isn’t quite over, and the next one hasn’t gotten started yet. Unlike recent years, everyone has both eyes looking into the future even as both feet remain firmly planted in the present. It

/ One Comment

From Rockband to Monsters and Why These Devs are Happier for It

Bryn Bennett and Steven Kimura started working in the videogame industry around 1998 and have a history with notable companies (Irrational, Harmonix) and big games (Bioshock, Rockband). Now, more than 10 years later they’ve struck out on their own as

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From Rockband to Monsters and Why These Devs are Happier for It

Bryn Bennett and Steven Kimura started working in the videogame industry around 1998 and have a history with notable companies (Irrational, Harmonix) and big games (Bioshock, Rockband). Now, more than 10 years later they’ve struck out on their own as

/ 8 Comments

How Many Warlocks Does it Take to Screw up an Empire?

Arcane comes from the Latin word “arcanus” meaning hidden or secret. Paradox Interactive’s new game revels in both of these things, asking players to learn its quirks before unlocking its potential.  Cajoling into place an erratic mixture of city planning,

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How Many Warlocks Does it Take to Screw up an Empire?

Arcane comes from the Latin word “arcanus” meaning hidden or secret. Paradox Interactive’s new game revels in both of these things, asking players to learn its quirks before unlocking its potential.  Cajoling into place an erratic mixture of city planning,

/ Comments Off on How Many Warlocks Does it Take to Screw up an Empire?

Size Does Matter: What "Indie" Really Means in Videogames

In June of 1992 the Journal of Human Evolution published an article by R.I.M Dunbar entitled, “Neocortex size as a constraint on group size in primates.” Jargon-filled but widely cited, the scholarship established what is now known as Dunbar’s Number:

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Size Does Matter: What "Indie" Really Means in Videogames

In June of 1992 the Journal of Human Evolution published an article by R.I.M Dunbar entitled, “Neocortex size as a constraint on group size in primates.” Jargon-filled but widely cited, the scholarship established what is now known as Dunbar’s Number:

/ 2 Comments

Feedback Loop: When Rape is Just a Game

I have always been especially sympathetic to parody, satire, and general irreverence. I’m skeptical of authority and find tradition and convention extremely dubious. And when topics are off-limits or taboo, the benefits to silencing discourse rarely makeup for what’s lost

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Feedback Loop: When Rape is Just a Game

I have always been especially sympathetic to parody, satire, and general irreverence. I’m skeptical of authority and find tradition and convention extremely dubious. And when topics are off-limits or taboo, the benefits to silencing discourse rarely makeup for what’s lost

/ 13 Comments

What Does It Mean For Video Games to be Smart?

In recent weeks the argument was put forth that most games are dumb. Writing for the Atlantic, gamer and author Taylor Clark provided an in-depth profile on indie video game creator Jonathan Blow. In so many words, both Clark and

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What Does It Mean For Video Games to be Smart?

In recent weeks the argument was put forth that most games are dumb. Writing for the Atlantic, gamer and author Taylor Clark provided an in-depth profile on indie video game creator Jonathan Blow. In so many words, both Clark and

/ 5 Comments

Review: Fez is where I want to be

Home is where i want to be Pick me up and turn me round –“This Must Be the Place“ Fez is an anachronism. It shouldn’t exist. At least not here, not now. It belongs to another era, but in a

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Review: Fez is where I want to be

Home is where i want to be Pick me up and turn me round –“This Must Be the Place“ Fez is an anachronism. It shouldn’t exist. At least not here, not now. It belongs to another era, but in a

/ Comments Off on Review: Fez is where I want to be