Stefan H. Simond

Scarlet and Violet: The Past and Future of Pokémon

Each year a new, mainline Pokémon game comes and goes. This time, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet promise a continuation of the series’ tradition while also integrating the innovations of recent titles. We discuss what we know so far. Shownotes Our Pokémon Legends: Arceus review Everything we know about Pokémon Scarlet and Violet (Nicole Carpenter) Pokémon…

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Pitfalls of a BA Thesis

Writing a BA thesis can seem daunting. It is, after all, the longest, comprehensive academic work you have had to write up until now. But fret not, for we walk you through some of the most dangerous pitfalls so you can avoid them. Shownotes Studying Pixels Plus 7. What Makes a Good Research Question

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How Video Games Became Fake News

Video games have repeatedly intersected with fake news. Whether it is the absurd claim that Hideo Kojima assassinated the former prime minister Shinzo Abe, the deliberate use footage from Arma 3 by Russian media, or the mishaps of CNN and BBC who included video game footage in news reporting. We discuss these cases and many…

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Game Worlds to Take a Vacation in

Have you ever played a game and just thought to yourself: “wow, I would really love to take a vacation in that world”? – Well, we certainly have! Here are our top picks, ten game worlds that would make for a splendid getaway.

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How Persona works

Over the years, the Persona series has developed from a spin-off to a niche title and with Persona 5 Royal at the latest into one of the most accomplished JRPGs to date. Its roots are somewhat tricky to untangle, which is why we want to do that for you. As well as ponder the thematic…

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The Ethics of Pirating Video Games (with Shlomo Sher and Andy Ashcraft)

Most of us have done it at some point, possibly without any awareness of the harm it might cause. After all, piracy has for a long time been an integral part of video game culture. To discuss whether there is any moral angel from which piracy can be justified, we collaborate with Shlomo Sher, Philosophy…

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Subverting Hypermasculinity

Men must be strong, show little emotion, and speak with violence—that is an exceedingly common trope in video games, referred to as hypermasculinity. We explore the concept of hypermasculinity to then focus on games that subvert or deconstruct it. Shownotes Measuring a macho personality constellation (Donald L. Mosher and Mark Sirkin) Walking, Talking and Playing…

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The Quarry

After it’s surprise hit Until Dawn, Supermassive Games has rather consistently underwhelmed fans of cinematic, decision-based horror games. The Quarry is its attempt to return to form. With a couple of teenagers on the last night at summer camp, does this spiritual sequel stick the landing? Here’s our spoiler-free review!

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Summer Game Fest 2022: Mediocre at best

Since E3 is taking an extended vacation, Geoff Keighley has taken it upon himself to fill the summer lull with a major showcase. But does it live up to expectations? We go over the high- and lowlights of Summer Game Fest 2022. Shownotes Summer Game Fest 2022 Full Presentation (GameSpot) Summer Game Fest Showcase 2022: Everything…

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Reading Schulzke’s Defending the Morality of Violent Video Games

Do we have a moral obligation towards virtual characters? Or do games threaten to corrupt our understanding of virtue? Time to continue our conversation about violence in video games; this time with Markus Schulzke’s Defending the Morality of Violent Video Games. In our side quests, we then talk about France trying to maintain the purity of…

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