Dan Golding is running late. It’s 1947 and he’s supposed to be on the other side of downtown Los Angeles. This is L.A. Noire, the blockbuster thinking man’s video game: slow and unusually contemplative.
Video games
Video games explosion as duty calls gamers
The more than $1 billion a year video games industry in Australia is experiencing fierce growth amidst a period of economic downturn and while other industries are hurting, writes Crikey intern Alexander Cornwell.
Brooker: the real problem with video games is not the violence, it’s the characters
Sampling the blockbuster new video game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Charlie Brooker was struck by the following conclusion: that all the characters are loaded with “dick-swinging machismo.”
My Cup Of Tea: No playing around, video games are an art form
The Freeplay independent games festival is on right now in Melbourne. Ben Eltham talks to festival director Paul Callaghan about the festival’s program and some of the trends affecting the sector.
The problem(s) with movies based on video games
Video game to movie adaptations inevitably suck. This is largely due to poor characterisations in games and reliance on cut scenes to propel narratives. However, responsibility ultimately lies with the filmmakers and a new benchmark needs to be set, writes TPWS.
How video games can be good for you (and society)
For those working in healthcare, video games present exciting possibilities to get messages across to targeted audiences in engaging and interactive ways, writes Mae Hurley.
It’s no game Day, it’s the way of the future
One of the things that seems to hold journalists back from innovating is the pressing need of them to feel they are taken seriously. Margaret Simons rebuts a Mark Day column that says her ideas are kooky.
Innovation in journalism: let the games begin
This is the second episode in a series of articles I am writing on innovation in journalism. The episodes will run each Monday in Crikey until I run out of ideas.
A game for political wonks
Ever wanted to redraw political boundaries in your own name? An online game allows you to do it, and teaches how gerrymandering can have such a poisonous effect on democracy, says Ben Raue.
Daily Proposition: Watch the battle of Kong
Seth Gordon’s 2007 debut documentary The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters? follows Steve Wiebe’s struggle to be recognised as the world Donkey Kong highest score holder. It’s a fascinating insight to men’s self-perception and self-worth, says Laura Griffin.
Daily Proposition: Daily Proposition: go to war, in 3D
Every day somewhere in the world millions of people, many older than 35, log into World of Warcraft and lose themselves for hours, writes Crikey reader Dave Sag.
Why video games are good for mankind
It’s about time we say “game over” to the tired argument that video games are nothing more than a youth-consuming waste of time. They make people feel productive, empowered and reinforce important life lessons, says Jane McGonigal.
Sport, video games and the rights to use
When should a person’s right to control his image trump the free-speech rights of others to use it?
Game on: the politics of Presidents in video games
Representations of Barack Obama are strewn throughout popular culture, from coin banks to condom packaging. The President is set to make his second video game appearance in as many months, prompting a range of questions involving litigation, bias and celebrity, writes Owen Good.
Best booze buddies from fighting games
Ever wondered which characters from fighting games like Street Fighter and Tekken would make the best drinking pals? No, neither have we, but these are the kinds of questions that run through the minds of video game nerds.
30 years of Pac-Man
Classic video game Pac-Man is celebrating 30 years of being chased by ghosts, eating dots and finding Ms Pac-Man inappropriately hot. Wired has a great interview with its creator Toru Iwatani about how the game came to life.
Eat it, Pac-Man’s the most influential video game ever
On the weekend, classic video game Pac-Man celebrated its 30th birthday, with even the Google logo joining in the festivities. The little gobbling blob was the first video game to ever win mainstream popularity.
Chicks with joysticks: the truth about female gamers
A year-long, in-depth study into female video gamers has revealed some pretty fascinating facts. Business Insider goes inside the mind of the girl gamer.
How the government’s video game ban backfired
The Australian Government’s ban on R-rated video games forces publishers to slap together mildly toned-down (but still very explicit) versions of violent and sexual games to squash them into the MA15+ category — ironically, increasing their accesibility to kids.
Toy story: the rise and fall and rise of Lego
From 1998 to 2004, the previously booming Lego empire fell to pieces. But instead of losing its little yellow head, the company turned it all around by thinking outside of the box and embracing the toy world’s new kid on the block: video games.
Why we need an R18+ classification for video games
Australia remains one of the few first world countries to lack an 18+ classification for video games. By restricting a large portion of the gaming market, we become victims of media censorship, says Joel Vaughan.
Why I kept playing: confessions of a video game addict
Sure, it’s funny to laugh at the geeky online gamers spending hours (or days) glued to their screens, but for some, it’s a serious addiction with serious consequences. One such gamer has written an excellent piece detailing the destructive toll his addiction to EverQuest took on his life.
Lifting the game in video-game journalism
Video game journalism is crying out for help, says Patrick Brosnan. The average gamer is now 33 years old, but the journos are still writing for attention-deficient 13-year-olds. It’s time the industry grew up.
