Author Archives: Dylan Holmes
The wonderful accessibility of Dear Esther
It’s the final year of college, and I’m writing a book on videogames. It’s one of the loneliest projects of my life. I don’t just mean the regular cycle of locking myself in my room to play a game and
The wonderful accessibility of Dear Esther
It’s the final year of college, and I’m writing a book on videogames. It’s one of the loneliest projects of my life. I don’t just mean the regular cycle of locking myself in my room to play a game and
We ride at dawn: A story of emergent gameplay in Planetside 2
We saw the Prowler before it saw us. Located on a ridge outside the Terran Republic headquarters, we were expecting to see a constant stream of enemy vehicles exit the base. The lone driver of the TR’s trademark tank, however,
We ride at dawn: A story of emergent gameplay in Planetside 2
We saw the Prowler before it saw us. Located on a ridge outside the Terran Republic headquarters, we were expecting to see a constant stream of enemy vehicles exit the base. The lone driver of the TR’s trademark tank, however,
Play is excavation: the search for game poetry
In 2004, a little-known Nevadan writer published the first book of video game poetry. The collection – sporting the lengthy title Blue Wizard is About to Die: Prose, Poems, and Emoto-Versatronic Expressionist Pieces about Video Games (1980-2003) – contained
Play is excavation: the search for game poetry
In 2004, a little-known Nevadan writer published the first book of video game poetry. The collection – sporting the lengthy title Blue Wizard is About to Die: Prose, Poems, and Emoto-Versatronic Expressionist Pieces about Video Games (1980-2003) – contained
Love in the Time of Shooters: A Conversation with Brendon Chung
Brendon Chung is the man behind Blendo Games, which has produced a string of top-notch indie games since the studio’s founding in 2009, most recently Atom Zombie Smasher and Thirty Flights of Loving. Before PAX, I caught up with him to talk about
Love in the Time of Shooters: A Conversation with Brendon Chung
Brendon Chung is the man behind Blendo Games, which has produced a string of top-notch indie games since the studio’s founding in 2009, most recently Atom Zombie Smasher and Thirty Flights of Loving. Before PAX, I caught up with him to talk about
Falling in Love: A Thirty Flights of Loving Review
It was around the six minute mark when I realized my mouth was open. I wasn’t mouthbreathing, or mumbling to myself, or laughing (that came later); I was simply in awe. I cannot conjure up enough superlatives to describe
Falling in Love: A Thirty Flights of Loving Review
It was around the six minute mark when I realized my mouth was open. I wasn’t mouthbreathing, or mumbling to myself, or laughing (that came later); I was simply in awe. I cannot conjure up enough superlatives to describe
A Life of Game Design: An Interview with The Real Texas' Calvin French
With the release of The Real Texas, developer Calvin French—a.k.a. Kitty Lambda Games—has had his first real taste of commercial and critical success. The game garnered positive coverage on Destructoid and our very own site, and while it hasn’t
A Life of Game Design: An Interview with The Real Texas' Calvin French
With the release of The Real Texas, developer Calvin French—a.k.a. Kitty Lambda Games—has had his first real taste of commercial and critical success. The game garnered positive coverage on Destructoid and our very own site, and while it hasn’t
Review: The Real Texas
There’s something to be said for truth in advertising. One of the goals of marketing is to try and sell a product to as many people as possible. This is all well and good when someone is hawking laundry
Review: The Real Texas
There’s something to be said for truth in advertising. One of the goals of marketing is to try and sell a product to as many people as possible. This is all well and good when someone is hawking laundry
Why I ignored E3
“Watching any E3 coverage?” The question was inevitable. In this case, it was an IM from a co-worker, but anyone who knew my interest in video games would have asked the same rhetorical question. Of course I was. What
Why I ignored E3
“Watching any E3 coverage?” The question was inevitable. In this case, it was an IM from a co-worker, but anyone who knew my interest in video games would have asked the same rhetorical question. Of course I was. What
How the greatest shooter in years failed to find an audience
Commercial video games are a hit-driven industry. The big publishers rely on a few games selling at least five million copies in order to offset numerous other games that fail to chart. And this imbalance extends to the media coverage.
How the greatest shooter in years failed to find an audience
Commercial video games are a hit-driven industry. The big publishers rely on a few games selling at least five million copies in order to offset numerous other games that fail to chart. And this imbalance extends to the media coverage.
"Unlocks" and the gamification of gaming
“LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD INSTANTLY!” I blinked. I had just launched Battlefield 3, and for some reason there a pop-up promising me…fairness? “Tired of fighting an uphill battle against Battlefield veterans?” it continued. “The Ultimate Shortcut Bundle unlocks 119
"Unlocks" and the gamification of gaming
“LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD INSTANTLY!” I blinked. I had just launched Battlefield 3, and for some reason there a pop-up promising me…fairness? “Tired of fighting an uphill battle against Battlefield veterans?” it continued. “The Ultimate Shortcut Bundle unlocks 119