Lately I’ve been playing Okami on my Playstation 2 based on a recommendation from a friend. What I’ve really liked about it so far is that it’s a game with virtually no violence. There’s combat, but it’s such a small part of the game (so far) that it could be taken out entirely and most … Continue reading Video Games, Violence and Satire
[Originally posted on PopMatters] Theoretically, there’s nothing holding back games from being an excellent vehicle for satire. Because they require the player to simulate a behavior—rather than just view that behaviour performed by someone else—games should be in a great position to illustrate how ridiculous or destructive certain behaviours are. I say in theory because there … Continue reading The Inelegance of the Videogame Satire
[Originally posted on PopMatters] More than most game genres, the RTS has developed its own lexicon over the years. To “one-A” in an RTS is to clump all the player’s units into a single control group, to press the “A” key and click on the map roughly at the enemy base location. This tells all the … Continue reading The Value of a Soldier in Tryst
[Originally posted on PopMatters] Recently, the University of Queensland conducted a study on the dehumanizing effects of violent video games.1 The study (accepted for publication but not yet edited or published) has already made its way into the news, and the predictable outcries of “I knew it along” or “this study is garbage” have already begun … Continue reading Violence Without Meaning in Games
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