Selective Tweets #1

May 26th, 2010

selective-tweets-one

My Twitter feed, you might not know, is intended to support this website with minor updates and short comments. I like the idea of websites which become portals of information through the collective support of a range of publishing mediums, and for me Twitter is one of those mediums. I don’t tweet about my life (unless I’m overseas)—there’s enough of that digital litter on the web already—I tweet about games as an extension to the website. Generally speaking, I put as much effort into those 140 characters as I would any good 140 characters here. I’ve been in the tweeting game for maybe 2 years now, so I figure that compiling a list of my most insightful tweets is probably a good way to fill two articles and come off as a self-promoting prick. No, seriously, there’s some cool stuff here, I’ve added some context to certain tweets too, and some of them are irrelevant to games, but still amusing.

The flat-out stupidity of these gaming publications is really starting to become offensive http://tinyurl.com/6jke83

11:15 AM Aug 9th, 2008 via web

Doubts that any gamers would listen to the Mirror’s Edge theme if it had no affiliation with the game. Any nay-saysers please stand up?

11:50 PM Nov 26th, 2008 via web

You can find a link to the music video here.

Tell me what’s suspicious about this website: http://www.kemsynth.com/default.aspx (clue: read the bottom of the home page)

8:12 PM Feb 11th, 2009 via web

Answer: It’s a front for Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror.

Final Fantasy II on FF Origins, playing on the PS3, has frozen up for the 3rd/4th time. This time in an unskippable cutscene.

9:50 PM Mar 19th, 2009 via web

I haven’t returned to Final Fantasy II yet, my PS2 modchip (imported games only) won’t let me load PSone games and the PS3 freezes at fixed points in the narrative. I have read elsewhere that other people have experience similar issues with PSone compatibility on the PS3, but little has been reported on it.

Zuma is a mean SOB, Bookworm is so much nicer, Lex likes to eat cabbage. ^_^

5:15 PM Mar 20th, 2009 via web

I cave, you win Zuma level 12, I’ve spent days of the past month trying to beat you, and all you do is humiliate me. I want a divorce.

6:54 PM Mar 22nd, 2009 via web

I have never been so addicted to a game before quite like Zuma. Just recently I started playing Diner Dash Lite on my iPod and felt the urge coming back. Someday I will try to write an article exploring the addiction and whether it is ethically positive or not.

Interesting the Asian trademarks: http://www.popcap.com/trademarks.php

12:12 AM Mar 29th, 2009 via web

“Compatible with the (DUAL SHOCK) Controller…the most explosive vibration functions the universe has ever seen!” http://tinyurl.com/dewq3p

5:39 PM Apr 6th, 2009 via web

Hehe, this is pretty amusing marketing for Final Fantasy VIII.

Haven’t tweeted in a few days, finished some essays, owned n00bs at healthy selection of N64 games – the usual DP pwnery.

12:37 AM Apr 12th, 2009 via web

I had a meet up with some old friends in which we competed in a race to 10 wins in Mario Kart 64 (battle, blockfort). I was at 9 wins, 6 up from the other 3 players until gang mentality stepped in and the other 3 had caught up, giving us all a level score. In the decider I stopped letting them win and came out the victor. Truly excellent, I am.  Anyhow, multiplayer Mario Kart 64 with Gamecube pads via the Virtual Console is just awesome, so smooth.

Wow, just realized the Rune Factory series is developed by Neverland, the Lufia folk. Awesome.

1:05 AM Apr 19th, 2009 via web

Oh and that the PAL DS release is 1.5yrs behind the states. Wow, nothing changes in 12 years.

1:10 AM Apr 19th, 2009 via web

Rune Factory 2 hasn’t even been released out here yet!

Wow, never knew the GBA SP was first released in China. Crazy.

3:06 PM Apr 22nd, 2009 via web

Ellie Gibson has such a charming writing style, no wonder she’s recieved such accolades for her work, I like this; http://tinyurl.com/dzet6j

12:56 AM Apr 23rd, 2009 via web

Why can’t you just be a obedient bitch and centre-align pictures when I ask WordPress!

12:26 AM Apr 29th, 2009 via web

Thanks again for ruining my morning WordPress, pleasure’s all mine.

11:27 AM May 3rd, 2009 via web

These tweets represent my frustration with WordPress (the backend I use for the blog), it never seems to centre align an image without re-aligning the whole article. Images also tend to insert themselves after the last edit on the page and not where I specify. As a result I’m sometimes forced to crawl through the code, it’s also why I try to keep the length of all my images at 560px so that I can avoid aligning.

Jason Hill from The Age’s Screenplay blog took questions today from readers, I got one in too; http://tinyurl.com/c8uq8j

4:50 PM May 1st, 2009 via web

Got time on a Sunday afternoon? Why not make yourself sound more cultured, French phrases used in English; http://tinyurl.com/jzdzg

1:10 PM May 3rd, 2009 via web

Oh, “finished” Halflife as well..had to forfeit game due to glitch, sums up the whole experience really

2:58 PM May 29th, 2009 via web

This is where the bitterness really started.

Still reeling from this morning’s Metroid fangasm.

2:08 PM Jun 3rd, 2009 via web

This tweet is in reference to the initial Metroid: Other M trailer. I get uber emotional round E3 time, it’s infinitely more exciting than Christmas and the Other M trailer completely zapped my fanboy senses.

I like the concept of Milo too, except the kid seems like he just walked out of rehab

2:13 PM Jun 3rd, 2009 via web

I said this because I was surprised that nobody commented on how depressed the poor kid is.

Been reading Kotaku a bit for E3, spelling, grammar and factual errors in one out of every two articles. Pretty atrocious.

2:21 PM Jun 3rd, 2009 via web

I kind of unfairly criticise Kotaku and similar blogs. They’re fantastic at breaking news and not too shabby with investigation too, yet their kitchen sink approach turns me off big time. This comment, however, was true, sure it’s a peak period, but it’s clear that no one had read over the articles more than once.

APB looks rubbish, only way to become famous in a city is to either steal, murder or drive cars really fast. Diverse I know.

5:12 PM Jun 4th, 2009 via web

The future of video games right there. Who the hell is interested in these games?

Turned up the brightness on my TV to play emo-rific PoP:Warrior Within – gonna make me fall in love with Linkin Park music, I swear

1:07 AM Jun 12th, 2009 via web

I really did have to turn up my brightness it was that dark.

Going to play ‘Spot the Gimmicky Game Mechanic’ in Half-life ep1, hope it’s not as dull as Half-life 2

11:16 AM Jun 22nd, 2009 via web

Hehe, it’s so true though. As much as I love going against the grain, my comments on Half-life aren’t attention-seeking. I need to articulate my argument a little better, but the evidence is all in my posts.

Should be noted that Kirby’s Dreamland 3 recieved it’s first PAL release on Virtual Console yesterday.

10:55 AM Jul 25th, 2009 via web

PS3 (Slim) PAL-NTSC price discrepancy is still a massive injustice of $AUD150 – seriously, you announce the drop in Europe, what an insult!

12:29 AM Aug 26th, 2009 via web

The PS3′s success in Europe cannot be overstated, particularly when it’s at such a premium price. I’m always surprised to hear American’s complain over game pricing, they are such cry babbies. Take any NTSC product and add 30% of the price, now THAT is an injustice.

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Thinking Out Aloud: Borderlands, Designing for Addiction and the Onus of Game Quality Pt.2

May 19th, 2010

(This is the second part of my editorial. Please refer to the first for reference.)

Onto the Contrast

The point I’m ultimately trying to get to (alas the argument is mangled at this point) is that many games are trying to shift to onus of quality away from design fundamentals and onto other more peripheral things. Examples are numerous, prime suspects being presentation, narrative, authenticity, freedom of expression and the like. Here are some random examples off the top of my head:

Eternal Darkness


Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune


Guitar Hero/Rock Band/Other


Generic EA Sports game A


My point: core mechanics aren’t always the heart of the experience or, rather, we often place greater value in things which aren’t the core mechanics. From a purist’s point of view that’s rather unfortunate.

It’s also problematic too, I’d wager. It’s problematic because the gatekeepers of game specific information (ie. reviewers) rarely identify this difference in their reviews. With the same curiosity I had for Borderlands, I read reviews on Dragon Age: Origins, hoping the writers would distinguish what makes this story-driven title a fun game and not so much a fun choose-your-own fantasy novel. So far I still know very little about what actually happens in Dragon Age besides the fact that it’s based off the rules of Dungeons and Dragons and Baldur’s Gate, both of which I know nothing about—oh and you can engage in virtual sex too; this point was unnecessarily and frequently flaunted. With reviewers failing to elaborate on the strength of the primary game design, how is it possible for readers to easily distinguish between a game which is naturally, by way of good game design, a great game to a game whose assets lie elsewhere?

It’s this element of game discussion which has largely gone out of flavour. Ask any game reviewer/blogger to properly explain why New Super Mario Bros. is enjoyable for both core and casual players alike and besides positively noting good game and level design (which is surely an obvious fact considering?), I doubt most would come up with a reasonable explanation. It’s too difficult to talk design and mechanics because that requires too much brainwork and analysis: things that these folks don’t have the time for. It’s much easier to separate things that usually aren’t game-related (non-interactive narrative, graphical fidelity, track list, realism, raw PR stats) and talk about those instead, or even speak entirely on a surface level with unfounded generalisations (yah, the Mario games have great level design, it’s just Miyamoto and Nintendo and all that; it’s what they do…). Because we can’t explain it, the audience cannot quite appreciate it and we neglect it. This, I would continue to argue, is part of the reason behind the lack of good discussion and fair representation of games like Super Mario Galaxy and New Super Mario Bros as opposed to Mass Effect or Uncharted. People just don’t know how to talk about well designed games with any insight, whereas replicating renaissance Italy is easy to discuss because it has little to do with the medium itself.

For this reason, well designed games are losing ground to games that excel in other areas less related to the medium itself. I don’t make this assertion because renaissance Italy, Eternal Darkness‘ atmosphere or the fact that my favourite song of all time is only on Band Hero are detriments—because they’re not—they’re fantastic qualities, but shouldn’t our eyes first be judging the game followed by the window dressing, not the other way around?

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Good Video Games and Good Learning Overview

March 2nd, 2010

diddie-dixie-gameboy

After reading a Theory of Fun, many of the principles in James Paul Gee’s Good Video Games and Good Learning are likely already apparent: video games are inherently teachers of their rules and mechanics. In which case, Gee’s book, which further analyses how video games are a powerful education tool, is a fantastic continuing point if you’re a newbie to academic games studies (like me!). Gee explores how video games—or rather the situated learning in which video games offer—can be adapted to a classroom environment and provides thorough analysis of all facets of implementation. If you’re remotely interested in education alongside games then I can’t recommend this book enough.

good-video-games-good-learn

It’s actually been maybe 6 months since I first read Good Video Games and Good Learning, so some of the core ideas have have meshed in with the words of other authors, but in any case, here are the more interesting ideas covered with my own ideas leveled in for good measure.

Games are Inherently All About Learning

Gee argues that games are deeply rooted in education. After all, games are simply a system of rules (like the laws of the universe) that create a simulation (reality) in which mastery (education) is the intention. Without learning the basic rules, continual practice and eventual mastery one cannot complete a game, unless that game is too easy and therefore unengaging. Therefore, at the heart of every game is education.

Situated Texts

Games are texts (think textbook) in which the player (student) is situated within and the rules (formula) are externalised. In science, sociology, maths and other subjects you learn about the invisible rules which govern your world, in video games, these rules are no longer invisible, but made explicit (think of how rules are embedded into the design of the game world visually, aurally and through agency).

Schools are Giving Kids a Manual and Asking them to Learn

For this point, Gee often discusses his experiences with the first-person RPG Deus Ex, in which he initially read the game’s manual and thought it was too hard. It was dense with information, just like a text book. A glossary of specific terms which are interlinked, a complicated keyboard layout, multifaceted functions which changed depending on certain situations, variables obeying a set criterion. Gee says that he did what any kid would have done and just started playing. Hours later Gee returned to the manual and understood most of its content because he’d learnt by experience. In which case he only needed to use it for reference; the same way a text book ought to be used.

Schools, Gee argues, are giving kids the manuals (text book) and asking them to learn for themselves, in an environment that doesn’t effectively cater to their personal needs and issues (see next heading) where the rules are unclear. In video game, the rules are easy to learn because they’re a part of your experience and if the rules aren’t taught properly, the game isn’t very successful.

Games Provide a Variety of Information in Different Forms Right When the Player Needs it

Gee makes many claims about video games being effective educators and fortunately he provides a wonderful evaluation of the RTS game Rise of Nations to evidence his argument (as a player though, you’ll likely start think of examples yourself as you read). In Rise of Nations, like any well designed game, information is delivered to the player in different forms. Information is delivered visually, aurally and/or through on-screen text cues as the player approaches the exercise. Information is also given based on agency, if the game notices the player is playing incorrectly, they will advise the player on how to play correctly. Furthermore, the player can also consult the physical manual, look online for a guide or engage with external fan sites. This is all unlike a classroom where help is limited and teacher support enqueued up with other students. Video games provide the player with information right when they need it. Instant feedback results in faster, more effective education.

Games are clearly doing something right

Contrast for a moment your experience of learning in school and your experiences of learning within a video game. Games are fun and engaging for players, school is often disliked and unengaging for students. Education is central to both. With this notion in mind, Gee argues that video games are clearly doing something right in which most schools are not, therefore it’s worthwhile to investigate how video games are successful educators.

Passion Communities are superseding traditional education

You’d think that what Gee is advocating is to replace the pen with a controller and the textbook with a video game, however this isn’t it. Video games create an environment which works well for education, Gee is interested in recreating this environment within the classroom. As also explored by Henry Jenkins of MIT, popular culture and the internet actually provide an already existing framework for this new form of education, it’s call passion communities and its education is already exceeding the institutions.

Passion communities are groups of people who have a shared interest and together participate in activities which nurture their interest. Think of any fan site community which produce fan-related material such as graphics, music, translations, writing, podcasts and you get the idea. Many of these communities reside on the internet and maintain very high standards of production (see Convergence Culture for many examples). This blog is part of a passion community, and unlike in school:

About adopting a role, learning a doctrine

The question of what we learn in a video game is crucially important and Gee answers this surprisingly well. I mean, how can the rules of God of War stack up to the thoughts of Plato? Gee believes that because we co-author video games, that is, we inherit the avatar while maintaining our own identity, we therefore inherit the respective doctrine that comes from the avatar’s occupation/role.

If I remember correctly, Gee references Supreme Commander, where he discusses the way the game’s mechanics force the player to adopt the principles of a soldier by working as a team and obeying a strict set of playing requisites. This doctrine, Gee says, pertains to all parts of the game, from the way your instruction are given and objectives presented, the realistic graphics and even in the wording of the instruction manual. You are constantly forced to act with the responsibilities of a respectful soldier.

Other titles also teach the doctrine of their avatars. By playing Splinter Cell; you see the world in a series of darkness and light, Resident Evil; in conserving ammo and avoiding danger, Guitar Hero; playing a song accurately and titling the guitar head to be a rock star, Tetris; spatial awareness.

Pleasantly Frustrating

I quickly discussed this concept in DP’s Games Crunch 2009 Part #2. Although, if you’ve played games for any amount of time, you’re probably already familiar with the idea: games that are frustrating because they engage our interest and test our abilities in ways just outside of our reach.

The Education Crisis – India and China

This is quite interesting. As China and India out rote-learn western kids in our current industrial revolution-based education system, we’re presented with a crisis. Innovation in education is the antidote which can keep western countries competitive and this is why a new education system is so important and why video games are worth a look.

Parents and Critical Thinking, the teacher takes role as a mentor

With the internet and all this new software which can provide accurate, precise information instantly, the conventional role of teachers as the possessor of all knowledge just doesn’t work. Teachers can’t beat Wikipedia or Google, education wants to become communal but the system doesn’t allow it. In which case, teachers (and parents too) should act as mentors, facilitating the means for kids to critically engage in their learning.

Conclusion

I think that’s most of it covered, albeit pretty quickly. All the points I’ve made here are explored in great depth and with solid justification in Jim Gee’s book, so I strongly urge you to hunt down a copy of Good Video Games and Good Learning and read it yourself. I have quite strong feelings towards education and this book really hits on some important topics which are worth considering.

Additional Readings

Gee whiz – Brainy Gamer

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