The list of controversies revolving around violence in video games is long. But is there anything morally wrong with explicit violence in games? And moreover, where does our the apprehension towards violence in games come from? Join us for a reading of David I. Waddington’s Locating the Wrongness in Ultra-Violent Video Games. In our side…
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A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, Star Wars games thrived under the LucasArts label. Spanning genre and platform alike, there was no shortage of interesting and compelling video game stories told in the broader Star Wars universe. But what happened after Disney bought out Lucasfilm? This week, we explore two very…
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Every month we produce one episode specifically for our Studying Pixels Plus members. This here is one of them. To access it, please log in with your Patreon account below.To view this content, you must be a member of Studying Pixels Patreon at $5 or more Unlock with PatreonAlready a qualifying Patreon member? Refresh to…
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Six categories, nine vastly different types. This time, we do a bit of introspection, look at what motivates us to play and what we are yearning for by participating in Quantic Foundry’s Gamer Motivation Profile. In our side quests, we then discuss a ten steps guide on how to interpret video games, share our impressions…
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Say you could cobble together any video game franchises and pair any developer studio with any series. What would you desire to play? Maybe a Silent Hill game by Ninja Theory? Or a Kingdom Hearts authored by Yoko Taro? Or should Level-5 Games finally make the Pokémon game we all desire? Come along and let…
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Easter eggs can be so much: from an earthly form of crediting developers to self-reflective humor, up to entire transformations of how a game can be read. We go through some of the most memorable easter eggs in video games. In out side quests we relish in anticipation of Kingdom Hearts 4, discuss Microsoft’s potential push…
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“Players don’t need the designer”, says Miguel Sicart, “they need a game, an excuse and a frame for play.” How much power do rule systems have over the performative process of play? And how is meaning actualized in between the two? We discuss Sicart’s argument Against Procedurality. In our side quests, we then go into the…
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Every month we produce one episode specifically for our Studying Pixels Plus members. This here is one of them. To access it, please log in with your Patreon account below.To view this content, you must be a member of Studying Pixels Patreon at $5 or more Unlock with PatreonAlready a qualifying Patreon member? Refresh to…
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On more than one occasion, J.K. Rowling has proven to be profoundly ignorant to the concerns of trans people. So should we shun Hogwarts Legacy, a promising title with a troubled background? And can we ever hope for the ‘death of the author’ (in the sense of Roland Barthes’ literary theory), if said author is actively…
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Rise, Tarnished! Elden Ring has been getting nothing but perfect reviews, but does it really live up to the hype? The short answer is yes, but you should still listen to why Elden Ring is the most fun open-world game since Breath of the Wild. Beautiful vistas, well-written characters, and satisfying gameplay abound in this discussion of FromSoftware’s latest triumph! In…
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