"Where is all the good writing about games?"
…characters–and players.
“Games have been constructed — actively, by industrial and political economic forces — as a refuge from “the real world,” a place of rest, relaxation, and identity re-enforcement for straight white men, a space in which the feminized labor of social reproduction is performed for them by a machine rather than a woman.” Hitters spike twice.
Just for Fun
…to forecast where unsustainable labour practices will inevitably take the industry–and what will emerge in the aftermath.
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…a bot. It does an incredible job, to the point where I can’t even tell if its bugs — of which there are a few — are intentional or not.”
This week we’ve got three excellent interior examinations broaching how games–and game cultures–inform and respond to our imagined selves.
…conservative. | The Outline Josh Tucker peels back and unpacks the lie that keeps the neoliberal triple-A game industry turning.
…shared through let’s plays.
“The beauty of so many games released around that time was the couch co-op. Baldur’s Gate was the sort of multiplayer where both…
…towards form that emphasize materiality and intimacy.”
There’s been a bump in discussions of labour in games over the last few weeks for. . . a few reasons. Here’s a pair of quality pieces, alternately examining labour-as-mechanic and the ongoing out-of-game labour of media preservation.
…haven’t already done so, be sure to check out both Kris’ excellent year-end roundup and Connor’s latest monthly roundup on games vlogging.
Speaking of roundups, there’s lots of lists out there right now, particularly on the subject of games of the year or decade. Most of them don’t quite fit our usual fare for inclusion here, but there’s some pretty great insights and meditations to be had regardless. Here are a few of my picks, in no particular order:
–Dia Lacina –Austin Walker –Mx. Medea –Sidequest –Natalie Watson –Emily Rose –Dante Douglas –Not Your Mama’s Gamer (Podcast) –Cameron…
…Vicky Osterweil articulates how gaming communities have become the home base of fascist organization under capitalism.
…often more of the latter.”
There’s quite a bit of spread in this section, but generally the pieces gathered here delve into some kind of historical analysis, either looking at where trends in games got their start, the underlying origins or structures of popular narratives in the industry, or even reflecting on how “history” in games is constructed and framed.
…with the steady-paced, real-time Animal Crossing.
“Stories are malleable and shift based on who is telling them, but to turn them into objects and to shift storytelling into something transactional felt contradictory.” …