Archive for the ‘Winter 2009’ Category
Sunday, January 11th, 2009
Features
Richard shows you how to turn classic game sprites into fridge magnets.
Interviews
Articles
Author: Robyn Fleming
Robyn reports on Tucson’s first ever gaming convention, RinCon ’08.
Author: Casey Fiesler
Casey reports on the ways in which virtual sexual assault can impact on gamers.
Author: Amy M Hopper
Amy investigates Sony Entertainment Online’s new “G.I.R.L.” scholarship program.
Author: Oliver Saenz
Oliver examines the ways in which games apply different moral and ethical philosophies.
Author: Kialio
Kialio discusses why the behavior of self-identified “gamers” had made her reluctant to embrace the label.
Gamer Stories
Author: Andrea Rubenstein
Reviews
Author: Richard Pilbeam
Author: Robyn Fleming
Odds ‘n Ends
Posted in Table of Contents, Winter 2009 | Comments Off
Sunday, January 11th, 2009
By Richard Pilbeam
The Desolate Room, Windows, Scottgames, 2008
You know those bits in martial arts movies where the impulsive young hero keeps insisting he’s ready to master the ultimate power, but his all-knowing mentor claims he lacks training and discipline? That’s how I feel during the first ten hours of almost every computer RPG ever made. My Baldur’s Gate wizard started with one spell and a piece of wood. My World of Warcraft rogue had to fed-ex parcels before she stood a chance against the local wildlife. Final Fantasy X made me wait until the second last town before I could customize my equipment, made worse by the fact one of my party members apparently knew how to do it all along and had only just twigged that it might be useful. Look, game, I’ve been playing RPGs for over fifteen years now. I, and others like me, am responsible enough to handle more than one new menu option every five hours. The elemental forces of the universe will not be unbalanced by my reckless misuse of the Bard class. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Reviews, Winter 2009 | Comments Off
Sunday, January 11th, 2009
Welcome to the Back Page! This is where we publish the odds and ends that our readers send in, from artwork and writing, to shout outs, thoughts on gaming, and whatever fun and silly things we can come up with. If you have something you want to show off to the rest of our readers, head over to our submissions page and fire off an e-mail to us! Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in The Back Page, Winter 2009 | Comments Off
Sunday, January 11th, 2009
By Robyn Fleming
Cornerstone, Good Company Games, 2008
My friend Brandy and I sat down at the Good Company Games booth at RinCon (see my con report in this issue), attracted by the brightly-colored pieces of their debut product, Cornerstone, and expecting to spend a few minutes playing a simple-looking game. We got up an hour or so later, and a few minutes after that I was purchasing my own copy.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Reviews, Winter 2009 | Comments Off
Sunday, January 11th, 2009
By Andrea Rubenstein
The gaming industry is growing up and we — gamers and professionals alike — need to grow up with it. Beyond just asking games to be looked on as artistic expressions, we need to educate ourselves on the issues surrounding games and encourage discourse on those matters. It is not enough for us to be merely gamers, we must strive to be socially conscious gamers and to encourage others to be the same. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Gamer Stories, Winter 2009 | Comments Off
Sunday, January 11th, 2009
By Kialio
But I don’t want to be a gamer anymore. I’m looking for another term, even a separate but equal term for a person who likes to play all sorts of games. Why? Gamers as a community police each other only when they wish to. They may be rabid about the best this or the worst that, but as a whole they manage to flow together. Say just three words, three simple words and gamers will rise in solidarity. Be he ne’er so vile this phrase shall gentle his condition: video game violence. The bile and froth rise even now to defend, declaim, and defuse this mode of operation of the game industry. Never has so great a battle charge been made as those who ride across the plain to defend the fair Princess Video Game’s honor. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Articles, Winter 2009 | Comments Off
Sunday, January 11th, 2009
By Casey Fiesler
In 1993, Julian Dibbell wrote about a rape in cyberspace. At that time, the idea was completely foreign to most of the readers of The Village Voice where the article was published, and this was still basically true five years later when it became the first chapter of his book My Tiny Life. Today, the idea of virtual rape hits a bit closer to home, especially for gamers. In fact, just last year, Belgian law enforcement officials investigated a claim of virtual rape in the online game Second Life. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Articles, Winter 2009 | Comments Off
Sunday, January 11th, 2009
By Thomas Cross
I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Karen Clark, a Project Manager at BioWare, where she is presently working on Dragon Age: Origins. Not only did she humor me by talking about how cool Dragon Age is, she discussed her views on a number of interesting topics, giving answers I think everyone should take a look at. When not working for BioWare, she blogs (at Finding something is losing something else), works with Women in Games International, and gives great interviews. Enjoy. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: video games, women in the industry
Posted in Interviews, Winter 2009 | Comments Off
Sunday, January 11th, 2009
By Richard Pilbeam
During your internet wanderings, you may have come across “bead sprites”; recreations of classic 8-bit video game sprites made using plastic beads which fuse together when heated. This month, I’ll run through both how to make your own bead sprites and how to turn the finished result into fridge magnets.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: gaming goods
Posted in Craft Check, Winter 2009 | Comments Off
Sunday, January 11th, 2009
After a prolonged break over the holiday season, Cerise is back in 2009 with “The Socially Conscious Gamer.” Addressing the issue of where social issues and gaming intersect, Casey Fiesler discusses the politics of online sexual assault, Amy M Hopper investigates Sony Online Entertainment’s “G.I.R.L.” scholarship program, Oliver Saenz analyzes how different video games represent different philosophies, while Kialo and Andrea Rubenstein take a broader view and discuss the topic as a whole.
We also have interviews with gaming industry professionals, reviews, a report on the RinCon convention and a step-by-step guide to turning your favorite 8-bit sprites into fridge magnets.
Posted in From the Editors, Winter 2009 | Comments Off
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