Posts Tagged 'Skyrim'

Characters that Count

  Note: This article contains story spoilers for Shadow of the Colossus. There are many memorable characters in games, but what makes a truly great character, and how are they a more integral part of storytelling than a simple avatar?

/ 11 Comments

Characters that Count

  Note: This article contains story spoilers for Shadow of the Colossus. There are many memorable characters in games, but what makes a truly great character, and how are they a more integral part of storytelling than a simple avatar?

/ 11 Comments

Downtime is disappearing in modern games. Is that really a good thing?

TLDR version: Games are very direct now. They have to be. You demand it. This might be a problem.

/ 15 Comments

Downtime is disappearing in modern games. Is that really a good thing?

TLDR version: Games are very direct now. They have to be. You demand it. This might be a problem.

/ 15 Comments

How our perception of space in games changes depending on our maps

The first thing I loved about games was exploration. I remember the layout of The Legend of Zelda’s Hyrule better than that of my elementary school. I spent considerable time trying to reconcile it with the map of Zelda 2

/ 8 Comments

How our perception of space in games changes depending on our maps

The first thing I loved about games was exploration. I remember the layout of The Legend of Zelda’s Hyrule better than that of my elementary school. I spent considerable time trying to reconcile it with the map of Zelda 2

/ 8 Comments

Someone to watch over me: social spectatorship in games

New parents spend a lot of their free time exhausted, wondering if they will ever sleep again. Following my daughter’s birth, I started playing Oblivion. I began the game by myself, but my wife Anna eventually came to watch me

/ 3 Comments

Someone to watch over me: social spectatorship in games

New parents spend a lot of their free time exhausted, wondering if they will ever sleep again. Following my daughter’s birth, I started playing Oblivion. I began the game by myself, but my wife Anna eventually came to watch me

/ 3 Comments

Heroes without a Cause: The Allure of Avernum

Today I saw that Avernum: Escape from the Pit was on sale on Steam for under $4. This is a steal for one of the landmark pre-millennial indie role-playing games. (Avernum is a re-remake of Exile: Escape from the Pit,

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Heroes without a Cause: The Allure of Avernum

Today I saw that Avernum: Escape from the Pit was on sale on Steam for under $4. This is a steal for one of the landmark pre-millennial indie role-playing games. (Avernum is a re-remake of Exile: Escape from the Pit,

/ Comments Off on Heroes without a Cause: The Allure of Avernum

The Road Fast Travelled: How Fast Travel Can Affect an Open-World

‘Somewhere ages and ages hence  Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less travelled by And that has made all the difference.’ Robert Frost – The Road Less Travelled Since the dawn of enlightened

/ One Comment

The Road Fast Travelled: How Fast Travel Can Affect an Open-World

‘Somewhere ages and ages hence  Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less travelled by And that has made all the difference.’ Robert Frost – The Road Less Travelled Since the dawn of enlightened

/ One Comment

Caring for Polygons: NPC Bonding and Attachment

The post-apocalyptic Wasteland is a uncaring place. After leaving Vault 101, the Lone Wanderer is just that: alone in an unfamiliar and hostile environment. There is little friendship or love, especially that elusive, unconditional variety. In these desolate wastes, dogs

/ 8 Comments

Caring for Polygons: NPC Bonding and Attachment

The post-apocalyptic Wasteland is a uncaring place. After leaving Vault 101, the Lone Wanderer is just that: alone in an unfamiliar and hostile environment. There is little friendship or love, especially that elusive, unconditional variety. In these desolate wastes, dogs

/ 8 Comments

Waiting to Respawn: Don't Take The Story Out of Multiplayer

Last week, Bitmob staff writer Rus McLaughlin pondered the usefulness of narrative elements in multiplayer modes in his piece “Multiplayer Doesn’t Need A Narrative.” You can probably guess his stance from the title. McLaughlin admits that certain games have incorporated

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Waiting to Respawn: Don't Take The Story Out of Multiplayer

Last week, Bitmob staff writer Rus McLaughlin pondered the usefulness of narrative elements in multiplayer modes in his piece “Multiplayer Doesn’t Need A Narrative.” You can probably guess his stance from the title. McLaughlin admits that certain games have incorporated

/ Comments Off on Waiting to Respawn: Don't Take The Story Out of Multiplayer

That joke isn't funny anymore

Video games aren’t good at making you laugh. They aren’t because, in a video game, you’re supposed to make yourself laugh. Sure, they can have lines that make you chuckle. They can employ absurd sight gags. But the games that

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That joke isn't funny anymore

Video games aren’t good at making you laugh. They aren’t because, in a video game, you’re supposed to make yourself laugh. Sure, they can have lines that make you chuckle. They can employ absurd sight gags. But the games that

/ Comments Off on That joke isn't funny anymore

Failure – I Choose You!: The Rise of Self-Enforced Hardcore Modes

 Very rarely does one consider the power of failure.  Yet, our shared desire to avoid failure is often integral in the direction we take our lives. It greases the wheels of our existence, keeps us drudging through the monotony of work,

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Failure – I Choose You!: The Rise of Self-Enforced Hardcore Modes

 Very rarely does one consider the power of failure.  Yet, our shared desire to avoid failure is often integral in the direction we take our lives. It greases the wheels of our existence, keeps us drudging through the monotony of work,

/ Comments Off on Failure – I Choose You!: The Rise of Self-Enforced Hardcore Modes