Video games: news, theory & analysis.
Video games: news, theory & analysis.
I'm perched in front of gate 75, enjoying an Internet connection for the first time not in one, but two ways. The first is through my trusty iPhone buddy. The second is through Continental's President's Club. Whatever that is. Anyway, I'm not at the airport because I enjoy crowds and cavity searches, but because I'm headed Amsterdam and Hamburg. — read on
NEW YORK -- Today, in a colorful exposé of the human faculties, a local graduate student successfully passed both his green card interview and blue belt exam. After convincing an immigration officer of their undivided love for each other, as well as credible financial ties, the happy couple celebrated with capucino's and shrimp salad. With his paperwork now neatly underway, and having reached an unprecedented degree of administrative organization, the blushing husband set out to his weekly ninja class only hours later. Says the recently minted citizen-elect, "I had no idea my exam would be on the same day. But I did it and passed!" On his way home to his beautiful bride, the increasingly deadly young man picked up some Indian food and two dozen orange roses. Allegations that he was overheard saying to himself, "Man, I can't wait to get that first welfare check," are yet to be confirmed. — read on
As Im speeding towards Horsham, PA, to celebrate Obama's inauguration, I testing out two things. — read on
I was very excited to open that slick little box on Christmas morning. Call me a Mac fanboy. Go ahead, I'll wait. Love the features. Better than BlackBerry. All that. But whatever goes for 'games' on the iPhone is a disaster. — read on
After iTunes killed Tower Records, I'm wondering what the effect of digital distribution for games will be on brick & mortar game retailers. In particular, I'm curious to see whether GameStop will end up with a fat lip, because I'm skeptical as to what extent the games industry is impervious to the current economic downturn.
A few weeks ago a few telecom giants worried that given these circumstances, people are likely to cancel their landlines, for example. In other words, people will be looking to get rid off those expenses that are, well, unnecessary. And so in deciding between a landline and cell phone, the latter likely wins. Similarly, I expect people to stop buying those $50 games.
This does not mean, of course, that people will stop playing games. That's nonsense. What I think it means is that people will first and foremost look for ways to spend less on video games. And I see two ways to do this.
— read on
A central idea in my dissertation is the notion that games relate to reality. Chess is a modeled version of two fighting armies, and Call of Duty is a first-hand experience of being a solider. The bits and pieces that make up a game are not accidental, but a game draws on real-life for both inspiration and example. But sometimes there's a clear absence of a boundary, as in the following example. — read on
A few months ago, the Center for an Urban Future published a report on the challenges and opportunities of the NYC game industry. As the first of its kind, it takes a long hard look at NYC game scene. According to them, there are fifty-five companies in total, employing approximately 1,200 people. (To compare, Boston houses 75 and Maryland 60.)
Anyway, as my graduation nears, I'm reviewing employment options. One of which is a job in the game industry. After the jump, there'll be a happy list of ninety-three game and game-related (i.e. music) companies in NY. For your convenience.
— read on
It is an obvious proposition: women like casual games, and advertisers like women. Therefore, advertisers like casual games. And so, unsurprisingly, a host of female-targeting games are sprouting all over the Interwebs.
Thanks to the technical convenience of flash-based games, every site, blog and forum now features some idiotic clickable nonsense. But, unlike some of the people who are investing money in this, I'm skeptical that some of these new 'portals' will successfully persuade any women.
Example. — read on
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You are looking at my attempt to create a degree of coherence in the bitstorm that finds its way onto my screen every day.