Shadows on the Screen: Play First, or What We Should Mean By “Auteur” In Games Critique
Theory says that directorial auteurs own the films they make. Each frame is the synthesis of visual, aural, and narrative ideas. If there are game auteurs, what is it that they own? Read more
Shadows On the Screen: The Man Who Told Everything
On a site like ours, where news coverage is the (high-quality) buffer between the feature articles that are our heart and soul, how do we manage the issue of the “I” creeping into our journalism? Read more
Matrix Resolutions: A Recount Of The Matrix Online
Years ago I picked up a copy of my monthly video game magazine and was leafing through the local previews section. There was this new MMORPG in production called The Matrix: Online and I idly wondered how something like this could go wrong. Read more
Shadows on the Screen: Why Write High Critique
Last week friend of OLC and SpawnKill.com co-founder and Editor-in-Chief Stephanie Palermo told me that she didn’t understand the appeal in “Games as Art” topics. I simultaneously felt defensive, and well, guilty.
Shadows on the Screen: What does it take to be culturally relevant?
I write about all sorts of Ivory Tower topics. Games as art, protected expression, or taboo breakers. It is particularly interesting (and debilitating) to me when one of these issues holds practical value. So, let’s ask: are all games culturally relevant?
Real Money Trading and You
This week the Chinese government announced that they are banning the sell and trade of virtual goods for actual money. Read more
Shadows on the Screen: What Game Demos Could Learn From Mixtapes
Maybe if Grin had spent a few hours listening to The Mixtape About Nothing or A Rhyming Ape the Bionic Commando demo wouldn’t have been so damned awful. What is Austin even talking about at all? Read on to find out. Read more
Shadows On The Screen: The Safety of Maintaining Taboo and the Importance of Social Deviance
Konami dropped Six Days in Fallujah was because of a vocal minority. Bully’s name was changed overseas despite being the gaming equivalent of a teen summer comedy. Why do even courageous creators back away from taboo? Read more
Shadows on the Screen: A Gaming Canon. Do We Need to Play Zelda to be Gamers?
If we should stop fretting about what game will be the Citizen Kane of game design, can we still worry about which games hold a similar must-play status? Read more
Shadows on the Screen: Why Can’t I Buy Short Form Anthologies?
Could constraining a game to short, feature film lengths allow for more refined storytelling without compromising quality and quantity of gameplay? Read more
