Wednesday, April 30, 2014

“Beware, I Live”: The Voice of Antagonism, The Voice of the Arcade

This article is why I had Sinistar on my mind. I actually have been discussing this issue of co-operation and antagonism between the game and the player in a class recently and introduced this topic through Anna Anthropy's clever little game, Lesbian Spider Queens of Mars, and, of course, Sinistar:

“Beware, I Live”: The Voice of Antagonism, The Voice of the Arcade

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

"Beware, I live."

The voice of antagonism, the voice of the arcade: Sinistar.

Saturday, April 26, 2014

Scoop my eyeballs out

Shirley Manson taught me how to mimic a Scottish brogue. And it was as a result of her use of the phrase, "Scoop your eyeballs out."

The trick (I believe at least) to learning an accent is to focus on and then practice a phrase or several words that contain enough vowels to get the vibe of the sounds of the language (learning an Irish accent is as easy as mastering two words "Jesus," that is "JAY-sus," and "potato," that is "puh-TAY-toe," some sense of the proper inflection also required).

I was watching an episode of Behind the Music years ago about Garbage. I had never been able to pull off a Scottish accent, then Shirley uttered the above phrase, which I was just taken with as some sort of beautifully violent poetic statement (have no idea what the full context was). I began repeating it regularly, and soon enough, I finally could do the accent.

Bend me. Break me.

Friday, April 25, 2014

Useless lovely.

The very definition of my dog, completely useless creature, totally lovely.

All art is useless.

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Snip, snip, snip

The New Puritanism, or, Some Troubling Tendencies in Video Game Criticism

Sarra says this article is meh. Then again, she's heard me complain about this subject any number of times.

However, it's something I have never put into writing. No one will notice, but I grow bored of sensitivity.

I want punk back, and if that means I have to align myself with Oscar Wilde, so be it. Better company than most.

The New Puritanism, or, Some Troubling Tendencies in Video Game Criticism

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Big Brother on a white horse is near

I used to work with Jello Biafra's cousin.

Decent guy.

Always wear the happy face.

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Anger is an energy

I know, Johnny, it has eaten at my guts for years.

The written word is a lie.

Indeed, the truth is in tautology:

I could be wrong.
I could be right.

Forever and ever. Amen.

Sunday, April 13, 2014

I admire this seven-year-old girl in the same way that I admire Tinkerbell

And for the exact same reasons.

Yes, it is an assumption on my part that the song "Seven" is being sung by a seven-year-old, but everything she has to say is too true and too noble that I can't help but think that she is seven.

Tinkerbell is, by the way, the hero of Peter Pan. Peter Pan himself is a putz.

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Playing with the Pieces: Hearthstone and the Physical Pleasures of Play

Not sure why this has been a topic of interest to me of late, the kinds of physical representation that arise in video games, but it is the third article that I've written related to issues like it in the last several months.

Playing with the Pieces: Hearthstone and the Physical Pleasures of Play

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Year Walk: Rituals and Resolutions

Discussed ritual in regards to gaming in my class last week. I was mostly talking about the repetition and cycles present in The Path and what they signify in terms of storytelling and folklore.

All of this led to some similar thoughts and observations on Year Walk, which is a game literally predicated on following a process of ritual. Still not sure if my thoughts are a bit of an overreach, then again, I always find myself more willing to forgive an overreach than an "underreach." Underreaching is dull and unexceptional. Overreaching at least provokes ideas.

Better to be wrong with a little flair.

Year Walk: Rituals and Resolutions