Good Games Writing

Our WIP Games Writing/Gaming Community Is Ready...Presenting Tidal

Thu, 16 May 2013 15:35:56 -0700

Our WIP Games Writing/Gaming Community Is Ready...Presenting Tidal:

After a long wait, we’ve finally gotten enough together to present to you Tidal, GGW’s official community.

We intend to make it a resource for aspiring games writers and otherwise just a chillin’ place. Sounds good, right? It’s a forum now, but it will expand and change with your input.

I hope you’ll check it out. We even brought in AWESOMEoutof10’s rad Communications Director Darik Kirschman to help us out. AWESOME.

Here’s the announcement post: http://tidalis.com/index.php?threads/welcome-to-tidal-heres-whats-coming-more.75/#post-346

Brendan Caldwell Goes to EVE Fanfest 2013 In Search of A Legend

Thu, 16 May 2013 14:54:43 -0700

Brendan Caldwell Goes to EVE Fanfest 2013 In Search of A Legend:

This is very good stuff.

I say stuff as it’s not quite anything. It is, effectively, an overly long lead-in for an interview. And yet it’s fascinating, exploring the real world of EVE.

So long as he retains his good name and benevolent reputation, Chribba has discovered a secret currency. One more valuable than ISK, more valuable than Really Big Ships. More valuable, even, than precious Veldspar.

Trust.

Everybody trusts Chribba.

Does Caldwell find Chribba? Yes. How he does that is for you to find out—while hearing about an exotic locale and debates around EVE—with the interview a separate read altogether. Get to it.

Jenn Frank takes Nintendo to task over its stance on Let's Play Videos

Thu, 16 May 2013 14:40:19 -0700

Jenn Frank takes Nintendo to task over its stance on Let's Play Videos:

Today’s hot topic has been Nintendo slapping ads on top of Youtube content featuring Nintendo games. Jenn Frank has the best, most comprehensive take on the situation (including background on fair use), that’s definitely worth reading.

[Let’s Plays] provide commentary and critique and, of course, yelling and cursing and giggling. In no way does the content of a Let’s Play video represent the ideals of, say, Nintendo. Why would Nintendo want to slap their name onto such a video, indeed.

Spot on.

A Eulogy to Sean Smith

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 22:06:17 -0700

A Eulogy to Sean Smith:

Who is Sean Smith?

Stephen Totilo’s thoughtful and thorough eulogy to Sean Smith answers this question, highlighting Smith’s role as a husband and friend first, mostly through showcasing the man’s love of Eve.

It’s a beautifully written piece about life and not death.

Robert Rath Hates Magic

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 21:59:50 -0700

Robert Rath Hates Magic:

“Games use magic less as a cosmological system to be manipulated and more as an excuse for attacks and stat boosts. Modern gaming is full of magic, but the act itself is basically meaningless.”

Such an argument is an interesting one, which Rath asserts through examples of “magic” humans have evoked in the past…and no, humans haven’t been shooting fireballs from their hands, or even trying to.

What do developers do, then, if they want to use magic? For one, they can add in mantras, or other similar gestures or incantations. More importantly, symbolism must be evoked. That’s magic, and Rath gets it right.

The Road to Kentucky Route Zero

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 21:49:00 -0700

The Road to Kentucky Route Zero:

Charlie Hall, writing for Polygon, interviews the guys behind Kentucky Route Zero, telling their story through the mundane and the surreal; it’s magic realism at its finest, a discussion in the article itself.

[T]hey dropped platforming altogether. They didn’t want to force the player through a process of trial and error, to make them backtrack from a locked door when instead they should be mulling over a bit of dialogue, relating to a character or a situation. The story they wanted to tell just flowed, with the player pushing things along as it moved, irrevocably, forward.

This feature further delves into the game’s development, lingering on the relationship between the friends that made the game and their work, but it’s wholly worth reading.

Harmoknight is playing the wrong tune?

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 21:35:29 -0700

Harmoknight is playing the wrong tune?:

Joystiq has one of our favourite Harmoknight reviews because of how simply it explains the premise. It also draws the right comparisons (Runner 2) and treats the release both on its own merits and on the merits of being a GameFreak game.

Plus, it’s Harmoknight, and it’s a game worth discussing, if for no other reason to see an eShop release from Nintendo. That’s refreshing after the recent drought.

Changing the game may mean losing your job

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 19:47:12 -0700

Changing the game may mean losing your job:

Andrew Groen, StarCraft journalist extraordinaire (among other things), writes about the fear and trepidations professional StarCraft II players possess about its expansion, Heart of the Swarm. Groen explains it as such:

For e-sports players, it can be something analogous to what Tiger Woods would have to deal with if the PGA suddenly decided that all the fairways on their golf courses were too long. Golfers who had gained an advantage in the past by having a long drive would lose that edge, and players with great putting and chipping skills would gain the upper hand.

That would likely never happen in golf, but for pro gamers it happens all the time. The courses they play on do change, and they’ll have to learn to use new types of clubs. Not everyone will be able to adapt.

It’s an interesting situation to be in.

Groen, Andrew. “For Pro StarCraft Players, Heart of the Swarm Means Fear of Failure” (Game|Life: March 12, 2013) .

The Mushroom Tyranny

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 19:27:27 -0700

The Mushroom Tyranny:

We’ve seen loads of articles about Mario potentially being a bad guy of his world, but Jason Rice’s humorous take on the matter is that Mario has been had. So who’s the big bad, then?

None other than Princess Peach.

Hmm.

"On my first “run” through Depression Quest, I struggled. I struggled in the way I normally would if..."

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 19:21:17 -0700

“On my first “run” through Depression Quest, I struggled. I struggled in the way I normally would if I had the resources at my disposal necessary to fight it wholeheartedly. However, in the most literal way possible, Depression Quest is Unwinnable. Even on a “perfect” playthrough, your avatar is still depressed and struggling to keep moving forward. That’s because serious depression isn’t easily cured. There are no hard and fast solutions, and slips are common. It’s like living with a disease, because it is a disease. Depression Quest has to be Unwinnable. It’s the only way the game would have ever had an impact, and I’m glad the authors didn’t cave in to classic gaming conventions by offering a rosy ending. For a lot of people, depression never really ends. You just get better at living with it.”

- A poignant passage from Unwinnable’s analysis of Depression Quest by Michael Rousseau. Read: How Michael gets there.

Shameless Self Promotion: Curiousity

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 21:10:51 -0700

Shameless Self Promotion: Curiousity:

Every now and then I actually write about videogames and not just about writing about videogames. Still with me? Good. Because I’m still with Curiosity—What’s Inside the Cube.

This one’s a personal story, and I’m glad my friends at BeefJack spruced it up and helped improve it immeasurably. So, why am I still playing that app?

Routine.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Reader .tea submitted this, calling it “the most relaxing...

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 20:59:00 -0700

Reader .tea submitted this, calling it “the most relaxing and quirky playthrough of Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP you ever did see.” I have to agree.

The Let’s Player’s voice fits this game so well, and her commentary is interesting and unique. Also, kind of humorous. Enjoy this one, folks.

Dear Esther and The Stanley Parable

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 20:52:58 -0700

Dear Esther and The Stanley Parable:

Here’s a compare-and-contrast type thing about Dear Esther and The Stanley Parable that’s so much more and chock full of good interpretations of both games. Do go read it; if you must have a sample, take this:

“Interactivity” is an overloaded term in games writing, but here its use seems to reflect a difference not in what actions you can take but in the feedback you get from those actions. InStanley, the narrator clearly marks and explains the results of each significant movement. Esther never tells you if any of your actions have an effect on the game system. Indeed, they probably don’t.

Hollis, Line. “Esther and Stanley and Fate” (Nightmare Mode: March 2013) <http://nightmaremode.net/2013/03/esther-and-stanley-and-fate-24528/>.

Nothing is static

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 20:45:31 -0700

Nothing is static:

So, how about that SimCity review fiasco, eh?

Alex Navarro has one of the best reads on that nightmare:

At a point, it feels like we’re coddling these products. I am constantly appreciative of that fluid nature of games, the one that lets improvements and changes find their way into the products long after release, but I’m also of the belief that a game’s launch should be indicative of a developer’s best effort. When you first put a game on store shelves, you should be putting your absolute best foot forward. That game should be as close to the vision you have for a functioning, entertaining product as you can possibly get, because otherwise, why are you charging people for it?

Navarro, Alex. “The Guns of Navarro: Nothing is Static” (Giant Bomb: March 10, 2013) <http://www.giantbomb.com/articles/the-guns-of-navarro-nothing-is-static/1100-4599/>.

On Dark Souls' Tutorial

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 20:34:59 -0700

On Dark Souls' Tutorial:

Much has been said about Dark Souls, but I enjoyed this read on its opening stage. At times I’d argue the limitations of the game—the challenges faced—come from it not being inherently modern (probably a good thing).

Tutorials today are hand-holdy affairs of mind-numbing scale like no other. Dark Souls’ eschews this:

If you’re of the ilk that prefers a large spotlight be thrown on controls and mechanics then you’ll find the Asylum lacking. Rather it adopts a more subtle approach; it exhibits the minimum of text information and allows you to hone your skills organically. Then, once you’ve proven yourself, the real Dark Souls can begin in earnest.

Waldron, Chris. “How Dark Souls’ Tutorial Communicates More Than Just Controls” (Pixels or Death: March 14, 2013) <http://pixelsordeath.com/features/how-dark-souls-tutorial-communicates-more-than-just-controls>.

Depression Quest and Steam Greenlight

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 20:10:52 -0700

Depression Quest and Steam Greenlight:

Depression Quest is a game about Depression. Tyler Humphrey has collated some of the, erm, interesting responses to the game on Greenlight in this post, challenging some, but highlighting once again just what the perception of mental illness is (as well as gamer entitlement in defining what games are).

That’s a bit frightening, really. I’m not one to share negativity, so I share this in hopes that you’ll read about Depression Quest and maybe consider playing yourself.

EA's John Riccitiello Leaves

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 20:05:35 -0700

EA's John Riccitiello Leaves:

By far our favourite take on the not-necessarily loved man comes from GamaSutra’s Kris Graft. He takes a fair approach in dealing with Riccitielo’s time at EA:

We’ve seen what has happened to Star Wars: The Old Republic. By the time it released in 2011, the industry had changed so drastically that what seemed like a sure-fire win in the mid-2000s turned out to be the biggest game industry risk to date. The game was a day late and a dollar short, and as subscriptions dwindled, layoffs ensued, and the game went free-to-play.

Again, Riccitiello typically seemed to have the foresight to know where the game industry was heading, but the actual execution seemed to fall short or come just a little bit late.

Fair enough.

The Goodies Part 3: Good Games Writing's Best of 2012

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 13:34:00 -0800

Welcome to our special awards highlighting the best of games and games writing from the last year. This is the third installment. Let’s get right to it.

When we made categories to describe the best writing in the biz, we wanted to feature, as you’ve seen already, a variety of content. News is under appreciated, though, as it’s the basic content many publications rely on. With this in mind, we accept that some of that is re-purposed press speak, rumours, and sourcing other publications. Cool. This award, though, is for the writer that breaks stories and does so well. The award is for the individual, but revolves around a specific article, too…weird. That’s why we’re giving it out three times. Here’s the first winner.

Winner: Andrew Groen, “Game over—how sanctions and violence doomed Syria’s gaming industry”.

Andrew made his mark in 2012 writing for publications like Wired’s Game|Life and Ars Technica with high quality content that definitely falls under the category of original reporting. Sure, he’s done the full range of content that’s not news—”Dawn of the Dad” being one of our favourites, but it was his article on the state of the games industry in Syria that most endeared us to him.

It didn’t necessarily have to be this way. The saddest part about the story of Syrian game development is that there was potential for the country to have a second chance.

Characters can be the most beloved aspect of games, and one that draws the ire of fans: Just look at Samus Aran’s treatment (and backlash) in Metroid Other M. New characters get it a bit easier, and this year saw fantastic characters from games like Thomas Was Alone and The Walking Dead.

Winner: Haytham Kenway, Assassin’s Creed III. We loved Haytham, far more than we did his progeny we spend most of the game with, because he is a dynamic character whose motivations are far more interesting than most we’ve seen this year or in others (and yes, we played the aforementioned TWD). He’s the Darth Vader of videogames. And his performance, capturing the voice and motions of Adrian Hough, is superb. Adrian captured the essence of Haytham. They were meant for each other.

Our rising stars—five of them all told—represent a variety of publications, big and small, and we think the mark they’ll leave on 2013 is going to be big. Here’s our second Rising Star.

Winner: Jamie Donnelly. BeefJack’s Features Editor, Jamie oversaw the production of some great content on the site, while also bolstering the news and reviews sections. We highlighted Jamie more than any other individual on BeefJack, save his boss, so we were delighted to find out that, just after selecting him as Rising Star, he was made Editor-in-Chief. Our hope is that he’ll continue to write awesome stuff, and not just edit, so we get more content like this and this.

Storytelling in games isn’t essential—Tetris isn’t a love story, or any kind of story, really—but when it’s done right, it enhances and unifies the mechanics, creating something special. This year saw some great storytelling come in very different packages: Little Inferno and The Walking Dead were very different, and very interesting, beasts.

Winner: XCOM. There’s not much in the way of actual storytelling in XCOM, but it accomplishes creating a setup in which players get to tell their own stories. Choosing which countries to save or let fall has implications, yes, but the player will feel far more attached to characters named after friends, coworkers, and family. Are you responsible for your nephew’s death? Could you have changed things? The gameplay elements—the fog of war, the sound of enemy movement, and the gross rebirth of fallen comrades—these are all impactful. Storytelling through gameplay and imagination.

So concludes our third round of awards. Tomorrow, we reveal another rising star, another piece of games reporting, a gamedev article, and our favourite indie publication. Sunday, we blow it all up, revealing our two top award winners, our last two rising stars, the final reporting award, and some special awards. Stay tuned.

WiiWare's Last Hurrah: Retro City Rampage now available on Wii

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 17:06:41 -0800

WiiWare's Last Hurrah: Retro City Rampage now available on Wii:

I’m throwing this out there as someone that enjoyed Retro City Rampage and realizes there is basically no benefit to it releasing on WiiWare at this point. That store has long since been forgotten, so it’s basically a developer making good on promises. Much respect.

Retro City Rampage is on sale for 1000 Wii Points now.

Far Cry 3's Citra Is Straight From the Freakshow

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 17:01:26 -0800

Far Cry 3's Citra Is Straight From the Freakshow:

Here’s a spoiler filled post on Far Cry 3, and boy is it good. I’ll let this paragraph speak for the piece:

This ending, theoretically, vindicated the extravagances of the rest of the game - reversing the power dynamic and proving that Citra and the Rakyat are in reality powerful and capable, rather than the noble savages Jason perceived. Except it doesn’t do that. In fact, it reinforces old, hurtful, and repulsive narratives about Pacific Islanders that have no place in modern media. To understand why, we need to go to an unexpected place - the smoky tents and clapboard frontages of the 19th century freakshow.

Rath, Robert. “Far Cry 3’s Citra Is Straight From the Freakshow” (The Escapist: February 28, 2013) <http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/columns/criticalintel/10211-Far-Cry-3s-Citra-Is-Straight-From-the-Freakshow>.