Geek-partying with Tim Evans of GeekParty
http://geekparty.com/how-papers-please-and-gone-home-are-like-lego-bricks-and-ikea-furniture-a-conversation-with-christopher-yap/http://geekparty.com/how-papers-please-and-gone-home-are-like-lego-bricks-and-ikea-furniture-a-conversation-with-christopher-yap/ Hyper-megazord-sized thanks to Tim Evans and the good people at GeekParty.com for taking the time out to help me spread the word about Narrative Game Studies in this well-written article, which is the first time I've talk
Trinity of Required Reading
These are the three seminal texts for Game Studies: 1) Cybertext: Perspectives on Ergodic Literature by Espen Aarseth 2) Half-Real: Video Games between Real Rules and Fictional Worlds by Jesper Juul 3) Hamlet on the Holodeck: The Future of Narrative in Cyberspace by Janet Murray I hope that one day I can write a book that can count among these. #narratology #aarseth #janetmurray #juul #requiredreading #book #criticalquestions #gamestudiescurrently #gradschoollife #ludology #m
Can Academics use Cheat Codes to facilitate their Research?
Professor Aarseth on the use of cheating in games (for the purposes of conducting research): "It is with great and increasing regret that one reads papers on game analysis where the author unashamedly admits that yes, I used a cheat code, or yes, I consulted a walk-through. In other fields this behavior seems impossible, at least to admit openly. Imagine a professor of renaissance studies admitting to have used a Cliff or York Notes guide? While it is understandable that acad
The Illusion of Choice in Games
Espen Aarseth on Quest Games: "Successful productions of this type, whether we call them stories, games, or story-game hybrids, must find a balance between the landscape and the path forward. The landscape must disguise its unicursal nature, and the true path must appear as though it was one choice among many." It's the freaking Matrix! #aarseth #criticalquestions #gamedesign #ludology #masters #musings #quote
I believe I am an astute reader, but...
Alright, I'm not yet finished reading the entirety of the article entitled "A Narrative Theory of Games" by Games Studies fixture Espen Aarseth, but here's a fun tidbit (that I wholly admit may be out of context when just thrown on facebook for fun like this): "'I wish to challenge the recurrent practice of applying the theories of literary criticism to a new empirical field, seemingly without any critical reassessment of the terms and concepts involved. (Aarseth 1997)'/// Th
