Theoretical War
Gamasutra has an interview with Craig Allen, CEO of Spark Unlimited, about the company’s new release. The game is called Turning Point, and it takes a “what-if” scenario. As it asks what might have happened had the Nazis invaded the U.S. in WWII, the game seems to ponder on the nature of war.
Corporate Sponsored Values in SimCity: Societies
The SimCity series has always given players a wide array of choices for powering their city, but Societies is notable for being the first game that specifically brands the eco-friendly power solutions with BP logos and likenesses. In an apparent effort to explore the currently pressing issues of pollution and global warming, publisher Electronic Arts […]
Video games you really feel for.
I found this on Kotaku, and the concept seemed very interesting to me. Basically, it’s a vest and helmet that allow video game players to feel all the shocks and bumps within the game. Are game players really in the mood for a little more action in their first-person shooters?
Retirement Home Wii
The Nintendo Wii has been out for some months now, so you may have heard about the phenomenon of the Wii and the elderly. Yes, the elderly and the Wii. If you need a refresher, take a look at this article.
Portal as a Feminist Statement
Generally, first-person shooter games are considered “masculine.” The weapon of choice is an obvious stand-in for the phallus, and the game usually puts the hero in a “search, kill, conquer” situation. But the game Portal, which was released on PlayStation 3 this past week, seems to be made of something different.
ValuesAtPlay.org Heralds New Era in Game Design Research!
The Values at Play research project launched version 1.0 of its website, https://www.valuesatplay.org, which offers a wealth of game design ideas and scholarship about games and human values.
Mergers and Acquisitions
Today’s New York Times features an article about the merger of Activision and Vivendi games that was announced Sunday. But the article really seems to be more about the company’s CEO, Robert A. Kotick.
Technological Revolutions
I am a nube. In Second Life, I spend a good deal of time standing in one place awkwardly moving my mouse and clicking, desperately spinning my scroll wheel trying to get my view back centered on myself. Somehow, I’m looking down from the clouds, and then in the next instant I’m zoomed in to […]
Halo 3 and the Logic of Suicide Bombers
Even non-serious games can teach serious lessons. Clive Thompson has a nice little article about what Halo 3 has taught him about geopolitics and the logic of sucide bombing in asymmetrical warfare. Read it here
Torture Porn: The Game (Yawn)
I don’t mean to sound bleak here folks, but the world is full of poison and propaganda. Both are often cloaked in noble rhetoric or obscured by innocuous intentions. Manhunt 2 was released last week, and while I don’t think it’s the new face of evil, I do think it’s the digital equivalent of candy […]
