Feature

How You Got Videogames Wrong: It's All Consequential

    I have a friend who failed Journey. …Improbable, right? Thatgamecompany’s 2012 critical darling may be known for a lot of things, but failability ain’t one of ’em. Yet still this friend-o’mine–let’s call him Kevin, cuz that’s his name–did

/ 7 Comments

How You Got Videogames Wrong: It's All Consequential

    I have a friend who failed Journey. …Improbable, right? Thatgamecompany’s 2012 critical darling may be known for a lot of things, but failability ain’t one of ’em. Yet still this friend-o’mine–let’s call him Kevin, cuz that’s his name–did

/ 7 Comments

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

/ 5 Comments

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

/ 5 Comments

A Strange Tale in the Cracked-dirt Desert, Part II

This is part two of an ongoing look at A Tale in the Desert and its community. Part one can be found here. In the heyday of savannah life, a few good people – actually good, caring and empathic –

/ Comments Off on A Strange Tale in the Cracked-dirt Desert, Part II

A Strange Tale in the Cracked-dirt Desert, Part II

This is part two of an ongoing look at A Tale in the Desert and its community. Part one can be found here. In the heyday of savannah life, a few good people – actually good, caring and empathic –

/ Comments Off on A Strange Tale in the Cracked-dirt Desert, Part II

Waiting to Respawn: How My Princess Peach Taught Me About Myself

Despite what online forums and competitive gaming may tell you, there is no “right way” to play a game. Some styles might be easier than others, or faster for a certain goal, or explore particular gameplay aspects more fully, or

/ 3 Comments

Waiting to Respawn: How My Princess Peach Taught Me About Myself

Despite what online forums and competitive gaming may tell you, there is no “right way” to play a game. Some styles might be easier than others, or faster for a certain goal, or explore particular gameplay aspects more fully, or

/ 3 Comments

Why Blizzard's surrogate ruins Diablo 3

Video games, at heart, are about us. We may be someone else, but we’ll always be ourselves, too. Whether that someone is Gordon Freeman, physicist and monster-killer, or Kratos, menacing god of punching dudes with chains, or Lara Croft, we’re

/ 12 Comments

Why Blizzard's surrogate ruins Diablo 3

Video games, at heart, are about us. We may be someone else, but we’ll always be ourselves, too. Whether that someone is Gordon Freeman, physicist and monster-killer, or Kratos, menacing god of punching dudes with chains, or Lara Croft, we’re

/ 12 Comments

Mega Man: An Outlaw in an Asimovian World

A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First

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Mega Man: An Outlaw in an Asimovian World

A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First

/ 10 Comments

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.

/ 17 Comments

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.

/ 17 Comments

After Pressing Start: Animal Crossing

Who needs someone telling you what to do all the time? You can do what you want, when you want, where you want. Yeah, living on your own, being free. It feels great. You can’t help but giggle at first.

/ 6 Comments

After Pressing Start: Animal Crossing

Who needs someone telling you what to do all the time? You can do what you want, when you want, where you want. Yeah, living on your own, being free. It feels great. You can’t help but giggle at first.

/ 6 Comments

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

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

A Strange Tale in the Cracked-dirt Desert, Part I

A Tale in the Desert crossed the nine-year mark and there was no celebration. Rather, its inhabitants seemed unhappy and flustered in a time that should have reminded them of Tale’s solidarity in the MMOG genre. It’s a strange game,

/ 2 Comments

A Strange Tale in the Cracked-dirt Desert, Part I

A Tale in the Desert crossed the nine-year mark and there was no celebration. Rather, its inhabitants seemed unhappy and flustered in a time that should have reminded them of Tale’s solidarity in the MMOG genre. It’s a strange game,

/ 2 Comments