Vintage pong
Games have changed from being an outside phenomenon to being core to legitimate culture. The Toyota Prius interface is a video game, and Blackley sees it as a cultural victory. Games have become something you can find in everyday life, not something on the fringe.
“These principles of game design and interaction have become important in places we weren’t expecting… like marketing,” Blackley noted. “Consumers expect to be part of the game. They don’t want to be communicated to, they want to be communicated with.” As an example, he said that Minecraft is a tool that enables the audience to have a dialog with the creator, and that’s important to its success. “People don’t want to be told what’s cool; they can figure that out for themselves,” said Blackley.
How to Support Video Game Charities Year Round | Game Industry News, Interviews and Videos | Game Theory
Granted, the Child’s Play charity, run by Penny Arcade’s Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins, takes donations all year long, but self-sacrificing gamers tend to wait until the holidays before they turn the key on the Desert Bus. That’s fine; human beings generally tend to be more sensitive towards charitable causes come Hanukkah or Christmas (it’s arguably a fair trade-off for the commercialism that typically drives the season). But what’s even more awesome is when that generosity continues to flow through the spring, summer, and fall.
I admit I didn’t think about donating to charity before the beginning of the advent season either - but hey, why not give it a try in the other seasons as well.
![‘But That Was [Yesterday]’ Is a Sentimental Journey Told Through Gaming
What makes a game a game? Must it follow the goal-oriented tropes of interactive entertainment? What if there were no goals? How far can we stretch the limits of what a game is before it simply becomes an aesthetic experience? This week, we take a look at some games that — by lacking key “game” elements like winning, killing or completing — question not only how we play, but also what we derive from doing so. So, play on, but don’t forget why you started in the first place… Michael Molinari’s ‘But That Was [Yesterday]’ explores themes of memory and loss, while both subverting and embracing the traditional gaming structure. The game places you in control of a solemn individual walking along a two-dimensional landscape, urged forward by a bubbling mass of darkness. Walking into the mass results in a painful flash of memories that will knock you off your feet; your first challenge is learning how to combat the past by turning your back to it. The game follows a series of limited side-scrolling levels, interspersed with scenes from the protagonist’s memory, involving lost friends and loves. Each scene will teach you how to overcome the challenges placed throughout the game, while emphasizing Molinari’s themes of acceptance. Learning from your losses gives you techniques, like running or swinging, that are required to move forward. Some may find the approach maudlin (although we liked the pleasant guitar and gentle atmospheric music), but it’s a strong attempt to marry sentimentality with gaming. We look forward to Molinari’s future releases.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lcsu3mLZeg1qz5tqao1_500.jpg)
‘But That Was [Yesterday]’ Is a Sentimental Journey Told Through Gaming
What makes a game a game? Must it follow the goal-oriented tropes of interactive entertainment? What if there were no goals? How far can we stretch the limits of what a game is before it simply becomes an aesthetic experience? This week, we take a look at some games that — by lacking key “game” elements like winning, killing or completing — question not only how we play, but also what we derive from doing so. So, play on, but don’t forget why you started in the first place…
Michael Molinari’s ‘But That Was [Yesterday]’ explores themes of memory and loss, while both subverting and embracing the traditional gaming structure. The game places you in control of a solemn individual walking along a two-dimensional landscape, urged forward by a bubbling mass of darkness. Walking into the mass results in a painful flash of memories that will knock you off your feet; your first challenge is learning how to combat the past by turning your back to it. The game follows a series of limited side-scrolling levels, interspersed with scenes from the protagonist’s memory, involving lost friends and loves. Each scene will teach you how to overcome the challenges placed throughout the game, while emphasizing Molinari’s themes of acceptance. Learning from your losses gives you techniques, like running or swinging, that are required to move forward. Some may find the approach maudlin (although we liked the pleasant guitar and gentle atmospheric music), but it’s a strong attempt to marry sentimentality with gaming. We look forward to Molinari’s future releases.
Watch Chris Taylor’s Kings and Castles video blog episodes on YouTube if you’re ready for an unusual look into game design. Powered by GPG. It’s my lunch!
The List - Bill's Five Favorite MMO Classes - MMORPG.com
My favorites are Guild War’s Necromancer / Dervish / Assassin, WoW’s Rogue, Ragnarok Online’s Assassin Cross.
GosuGamers StarCraft | Feature: BlizzCon 2009 Blog
I hate to be all yellow press here, but Grubby just proposed to his Cassandra right after the prize ceremony. It was really touching, and I’m happy for those two.
Awwwh! Besides, the whole blog is awesome. BlizzCon ftw.
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm - Media
This is… wow, just plainly “wow”, I don’t know what else to say. I’m deeply impressed by Blizzard’s neverending creativity and effort.
