[Originally posted on PopMatters] It’s strange what can become normal when disbelief is suspended. So much of what is culturally understood about guns, government, science, other people, and so on is informed by the liberties taken by popular fiction. Fiction reflects reality. People can tell fiction from reality, but each still informs the other. Video … Continue reading Fighting Games and the Power of Motion
[Originally posted on PopMatters] Aeon Command really shouldn’t work because there’s very little to it. But if there’s a lesson in Aeon Command’s design, it’s that it’s better to do one thing really well than many things just adequately. On the game’s official website, the developers boast that they wanted “to make a casual strategy game … Continue reading Review: Aeon Command
[Originally posted on PopMatters] I respect subtle design. In general, videogames are not subtle in storytelling—which often enough works for them—but I appreciate the visual and sound work that goes into communicating a game’s systems and themes. For instance, if you were to look at the character design of a mage and a tank, it’s easy … Continue reading Dressing Classy in League of Legends
I’ve been in Toronto for the last week visiting some old friends. Most of these friends happen to be current or former humanities scholars so it was a rare time that I could talk about pop media without taking an hour to justify why it matters. So when we found the bottom of the third pitcher and the X-Men/Captain … Continue reading Criticism and the Individual
When I was 12 my family drove south through Atlanta, Georgia. We never stopped, we just drove right through to see some family friends in Orlando. But of that week vacation what I remember most vividly is passing through Atlanta and looking up from the freeway at the myriad of lit up skyscrapers and just … Continue reading On Cities
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