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Feedback Loop: Games Aren't Fun

Step back. Preachers wail in the wind and call us to arms; accept the failures of men, but learn from them. Jesus, on the mount, rewards those not so invested in competition, but in resolution and timidity. Perhaps those of

/ One Comment

Feedback Loop: Games Aren't Fun

Step back. Preachers wail in the wind and call us to arms; accept the failures of men, but learn from them. Jesus, on the mount, rewards those not so invested in competition, but in resolution and timidity. Perhaps those of

/ One Comment

Waiting to Respawn: How Draw Something Fixed Co-op

Everybody thinks their friends are awesome. Having a goal, punching it in the throat, and getting shit done is awesome, too. And clearly, based on the fact that you’re reading this on a website dedicated to video games, they’re pretty

/ 2 Comments

Waiting to Respawn: How Draw Something Fixed Co-op

Everybody thinks their friends are awesome. Having a goal, punching it in the throat, and getting shit done is awesome, too. And clearly, based on the fact that you’re reading this on a website dedicated to video games, they’re pretty

/ 2 Comments

Soundscapes – The brilliant dystopia of Metro 2033

Building a believable world is something most games fail at. The few that succeed stand out clearly against all others, and the one that stands out the most is Metro 2033. At first glance it’s a first person shooter like

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Soundscapes – The brilliant dystopia of Metro 2033

Building a believable world is something most games fail at. The few that succeed stand out clearly against all others, and the one that stands out the most is Metro 2033. At first glance it’s a first person shooter like

/ Comments Off on Soundscapes – The brilliant dystopia of Metro 2033

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

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

/ 13 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

/ 13 Comments

Waiting to Respawn: Know Your Diablo

(Waiting to Respawn is Nightmare Mode’s weekly column in which we crawl out from our secluded fortresses to discuss multiplayer and the social aspects of gaming.) At 12:01 a.m. this morning, Blizzard tightened their grip over our virtual lives (for

/ Comments Off on Waiting to Respawn: Know Your Diablo

Waiting to Respawn: Know Your Diablo

(Waiting to Respawn is Nightmare Mode’s weekly column in which we crawl out from our secluded fortresses to discuss multiplayer and the social aspects of gaming.) At 12:01 a.m. this morning, Blizzard tightened their grip over our virtual lives (for

/ Comments Off on Waiting to Respawn: Know Your Diablo

Art Game Thunderdome: The Great Gatsby

It was a cool name with no meaning: Art Game Thunderdome. I had thought the fact that my short-lived video series dealt with hypothetical art games in a rough and tumble manner might justify the title…but ultimately the name was

/ 7 Comments

Art Game Thunderdome: The Great Gatsby

It was a cool name with no meaning: Art Game Thunderdome. I had thought the fact that my short-lived video series dealt with hypothetical art games in a rough and tumble manner might justify the title…but ultimately the name was

/ 7 Comments

After Pressing Start: Silent Hill

I’ve always been fascinated with horror games, but haven’t played many real ones. I haven’t because they don’t exist. At the least, they no longer exist in the mainstream spotlight as they once did. The tense atmosphere of the Dead

/ One Comment

After Pressing Start: Silent Hill

I’ve always been fascinated with horror games, but haven’t played many real ones. I haven’t because they don’t exist. At the least, they no longer exist in the mainstream spotlight as they once did. The tense atmosphere of the Dead

/ One Comment

Ed Del Castillo and The Next Evolution in Fight Games

Edward Del Castillo likes to play things close to the chest. When his PR rep read my query about implementing reactive audio in fighting games Castillo’s first thought was “did this guy get a leak?” Without revealing the title, the man behind the Command

/ Comments Off on Ed Del Castillo and The Next Evolution in Fight Games

Ed Del Castillo and The Next Evolution in Fight Games

Edward Del Castillo likes to play things close to the chest. When his PR rep read my query about implementing reactive audio in fighting games Castillo’s first thought was “did this guy get a leak?” Without revealing the title, the man behind the Command

/ Comments Off on Ed Del Castillo and The Next Evolution in Fight Games

Pongs: Video Game Criticism as Game

Genres are frequently marketing tools that help buyers know what kind of game to expect. Genres help form player expectations. Much like a pop song repeats its chorus at some point, puzzle-platformers always have players jumping around. A haiku has

/ One Comment

Pongs: Video Game Criticism as Game

Genres are frequently marketing tools that help buyers know what kind of game to expect. Genres help form player expectations. Much like a pop song repeats its chorus at some point, puzzle-platformers always have players jumping around. A haiku has

/ One Comment