Culture

Culture / Industry — 2 Comments
15
Jun 10

An ornithologist’s guide to E3 2010

As we write, millions of ornithologists around the world prepare to observe the culmination of the world’s largest seasonal migration of birds at the Los Angeles Convention Centre. The event has become a cultural touch-stone for bird-fanciers everywhere, and its importance in the ornithological calendar cannot be understated. The sheer variety of our winged friends on display can be overwhelming to even the most seasoned avian ecologist, let alone the enthusiastic amateur. So, this year, we’ve put together a brief guide to some of our more exciting plumed playmates that you’ll be likely to encounter at E3 2010. Continue reading →

Culture / Industry — 12 Comments
1
Jun 10

The Best Videogame Podcasts: a Primer

We at RedKingsDream are cursed with double lives. If there were twice as many hours in a day, we might devote half of them to playing and talking about games. But other duties call; with the demands of jobs, education and family, it can sometimes be hard to make time for games.

Lately my days have been divided unevenly between sleep, study, two jobs, meals and occasionally cleaning the house; the spaces between these are spent in monotonous and repetitive train journeys. It leaves little time for games, but I have one way to stay in touch with the culture: podcasts. Continue reading →

Culture / Experience — 9 Comments
4
May 10

Hell is other players

Part of the reason games make such an interesting topic is because they are so multi-faceted. You can talk about a game as an abstract design, as an individual experience, as a part of a broader culture, as an economic product, as a technical showpiece and many other things besides.

Sometimes it’s not about a game at all; it’s about the people. Continue reading →

Culture — 7 Comments
18
Apr 10

Thank you, Roger Ebert

I’d like to thank Roger Ebert.

The world’s most famous film critic, and noted long-time opponent of the idea that games can be art, has written another article explaining why games are not art, cannot be art and never will be art, at least within the lifetime of anybody alive today. He bases this argument on two assertions: that art requires complete authorial control:

I believe art is created by an artist. If you change it, you become the artist. (…) Art seeks to lead you to an inevitable conclusion, not a smorgasbord of choices.

And that games are crap:

[V]ideo games represent a loss of those precious hours we have available to make ourselves more cultured, civilized and empathetic. Continue reading →

Culture / Experience / Game Design — 1 Comment
17
Apr 10

The game they let you play in heaven and make you play in hell

God damn it.

It’s 2am. I’m tired. My back hurts. My eyes hurt. I can’t think clearly. I want to go to bed. I can’t stop playing Fire Emblem, because it’s so much god damn fun I want to stab myself with a pencil.

Playing Fire Emblem is like being in an abusive relationship. It’s a frightening, nerve-sharpening, anxiety-inducing experience. The game makes you hate it for its cruelty, and love it for its rare, begrudging approval, and hate yourself for not being good enough for it. Continue reading →

Culture / Industry — 6 Comments
13
Apr 10

When the trailer is better than the game

I’ve already consumed the best that Gears of War 3 has to offer. And I did it for free.

It’s nothing to do with the game, which I have no burning desire to play. It’s the trailer. Continue reading →

Culture / Industry — 4 Comments
6
Apr 10

On inclusivity

Of the many embarrassing elements of videogames, surely none are more obvious than a more-than-occasional lack of inclusivity. From homophobes on Xbox Live to breast physics, it’s something that comes up too often for me to feel like the medium has really matured. Two tidbits over the last few days have really caught my attention on this issue. Continue reading →

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