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Is a part 3 of The Last of Us really necessary?

"The Last of Us" has become an acclaimed game due to its story, memorable characters, and post-apocalyptic world. With the release of two sucessful games, many fans are anticipating a potential third part. However, with this, comes the question: is a part 3 of The Last of Us really necessary?

By exploring the potential direction of the game series, it is important to consider the implications of continuing the story. Has the narrative reached a natural conclusion or is there still more to be told? A part 3 could provide an opportunity to expand upon the world and characters established in the previous games, while also resolving any lingering questions or story arcs.

At the same time, there are valid concerns about the potential risks of a third part. How might a part 3 change the established lore or character dynamics? Could it detract from the impact of the previous games or damage the series forever?

In this article, we could explore the pros and cons of a part 3 of The Last of Us, considering both the potential benefits and drawbacks of continuing the story. Discuss the ways in which a third part could expand the world and characters of the previous games, as well as the potential risks that must be avoided to preserve the integrity of the series.

  • Good concept but execute the question with more clarity. Specify "series forever," "continuing history," "what potential direction," and what expansion would you like the writer to discuss? – Montayj79 11 months ago
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The Art of Subtlety: Unravelling the Enigmatic Lore of the Dark Souls Series

Meticulously crafted by From Software, the Dark Souls games are infamous for their frustrating difficulty. But the real masterpiece of the Dark Souls franchise is its environmental storytelling, which forces the player to explore and deduce the narrative for themselves. Every way they turn, players are faced with bewildering dialogue, obscure item descriptions, and mystifyingly grotesque enemies. Discuss how the sense of mystery and confusion is integral to the Dark Souls series and how its unconventional narrative structure offers a distinct experience and has contributed to its cult status.

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    Name of the Game: Examining Branding in Moblie Games

    Mobile games have a tendency to aim for the flashiest possible branding in a seemingly desperate attempt to attract players in an over-saturated market, to the degree that the gaming sections of app stores tend to be an almost intimidating array of bright colors and rip-off characters, and names that look like they were chosen from a random mix of a few words. Terms like "Space," "Strategy," "Fight," "RPG," "King," and/or their synonyms are interspersed with colons, leading many of these games to be indistinguishable from one another for someone who hasn’t played them.

    What are the branding styles these different developers seem to prefer, and are they effective? More specifically, what are the patterns within mobile game naming conventions, and is originality a worthwhile sacrifice for search engine optimization?

    Though not limited to the discussion of naming conventions, this article would mainly discuss other forms of branding and marketing in relation to naming.

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      Increased Film and Television Adaptations of Popular Video Games

      Through the ever growing search for new source material in television and film, many have turned to mining from the stories lying dormant in video games. With a previously established plot, characters and fanbase, video-games have come to provide a steady map for writers and directors to follow in trying to make a show or film with increased odds of success. In a way, such adaptations are almost adjacent to bringing one’s favorite book series to life on the screen, just from a different angle. In recent years, however, this trend seems to have gained steam. Afterall, it seems as though each day a new streaming service pops up out of nowhere–along with a new and sudden need for stories to fill them. Netflix’s "Arcane: League of Legends" based on League of Legends by Riot Games. Three separate movies (2001, 2003, and 2018) inspired by Core Design’s Tomb Raider. HBO’s acclaimed hit "The Last of Us," sprouted from Sony Interactive Entertainment’s game by the same name. These are just a few examples from the past couple years, and it is unlikely they will be the last.

      As with any adaptation, though, one has to ask whether the original source material is being accurately represented. How true can one stay to the story of a video game when the story is determined with each person playing it? Do video games lend themselves better or movies or tv series? Are certain gaming formats easier to adapt than others? What makes a game especially well suited for translation to the screen? This article could be taken in a number of different directions, such as focussing on the validity of one adaptation, or trends that seem to exist across many. Overall, though, I just felt there have been many comparisons between book and film adaptations, and that video games might be the next contender to enter this ring of debate and analysis.

      • there is an increase in film and television over the years because of what different generations view as important . Nowadays it's about keeping up with the trends and more beliefs in the importance of solidarity and "self-care" – FANLOVE 1 year ago
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      • I think we might have something really special with the The Last of Us show but, in general, the original source is second plan as the goal is to make money with the trends. – allan reis 1 year ago
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      Bloodborne and the grotesque feminine.

      Bloodborne, the 2014 game from FromSoftware is a game ripe for exploration. One element worth delving into is the nature of femininity within the world.

      The ways in which the player is force to confront the cruelty in which women and female coded NPCs are treated with regards to the game’s world. Elements such as the "blessings" of the old ones force the player to view the horror of a world where women are specifically targeted for cruelty.

      The nature of the blood within the universe is also worth exploring with regards to origins of the blood and the people born of it.

      • I love Bloodborne and would love to claim this article to write, but I haven't played it in a while and the only three female characters I remember are Iosefka, Eileen, and Lady Maria and I wouldn't know where to start in terms of talking about their "grotesqueness." However, the obvious connection with women and blood (you know what I mean) could be an interesting avenue to take for the prospective author. – LeoPanasyuk 1 year ago
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      • Bloodborne is my favourite game and I think this topic is really worth exploring. One key character who would be great to write about is Arianna and how she *spoiler* literally gives birth to an old one if you follow up her quest line — players are then faced with the choice of whether to kill her. Lady Maria would be an excellent choice for discussion, as well as Vicar Amelia. – Patrick 12 months ago
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      • LOVE this topic!! I am so keen to read this article when it has been done. It would be really cool as well to consider ideas of feminine suffering and pain and the fetishisation of this in media. – Zoe Odessa 12 months ago
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      The effect of streaming and let's plays on the video game industry

      The gaming community, from twitch streamers to youtube let’s players, is synonymous with video games at large.
      This has had a number of effects, both on the way that games are made (with features like ‘streamer mode’ which substitute copyrighted songs so that streamers don’t get copyright strikes) and the way games are marketed (with big streamers becoming just as important to get good reviews from as critics).
      This article would discuss these effects, and more, that streaming has had on the video game industry. Both in terms of the positive and negative sides – and perhaps what this may mean for the future of video games.

      • I think an interesting point to discuss in the article is the accessibility that streaming provides. For example, someone who may not have the ability to afford the latest console, game, DLC, etc. can watch someone play it for free (more or less) and still enjoy it, even if they're not the one playing it. – LeoPanasyuk 1 year ago
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      • You may want to mention how this contributes to a game's popularity. Millions of people have watched Let's Plays of, say, Undertale or Detroit: Become Human, but how many have actually bought and played those games? Likewise, a Let's Play can also damage a game's reputation or lock players into the idea that they can or should only play it a particular way, all of which might be worth exploring. – Petar 1 year ago
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      Dungeons and Dragons OGL Upset

      The RPG controversy of the year was Wizards of the Coast, a Hasbro subsidiary, draft Open Game License changes sent fans and game developers into an uproar. The OGL was a default license established in 2000 that allowed fans to use portions of the Dungeons and Dragons property in their own work. This was framed in similar ways to open software licensing in that it could be used as a foundation to create independent works as long as it was using the specific System Reference Document in doing so. This allowed gamers to develop their own works and even to sell them. The most commercialised version of this was the work of Kobold Press and Green Ronin that developed independent games using the SRD as a base. This has always been a successful space for creative engagement with a beloved property.

      On January 4th 2023 a new OGL 1.1 was to be released but an early leak of this content exploded into the zeitgeist with very concerning changes including WOTC ability to claim royalties from sold works and complete control over the content produced. The backlash was huge and fans and content creators both began to rally online and establish a response to the changes. This response included unsubscribing from WOTC’s digital toolset and protesting in social media. Further, the largest third party users (whose income was most threatened by the change) announced plans to step away and redevelop their own games.

      WOTC has retracted its plans but the damage is done. But a number of key questions have begun to be raised: Was this a failure to listen to its fandom? Was this merely a cash grab? Has this action doomed WOTC and its aligned products into the future? Has this been the initiative needed to get more producers developing independent game engines? What does fully open sourced mean financially for game developers? How will this shape the next twenty years of gaming? And, significantly, does this mean D&D is dead?

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        Bertold Brecht's distancing in Video Game experiences

        Brecht has implemented in his theatre the "Verfremdungseffekt", which can be translated to the "alienation effect" or "distancing effect." Essentially, by creating interruptions or fissures within the illusion on stage, the audience can achieve a certain distance to the characters and events, allowing for evaluation and critique. During his performances, the audience is presented to some cues that indicates that what they are seeing is an ilusion, that what they are seing is actually an actor playing a scene. This cues can be strange objects, non-connected actions or actors speaking directly to the audience for example. Different of the Theatre of Pleasure, when the audience is emotionally connected to the play, Brecht seeks to create a critical discussion about what is being showed. He redefine it as Epic Theatre.

        Is it possible to have the same effect in Video Games where you, as a player, is somehow intensively connected to the gameplay and the character?

        • A minimum of one or two video game examples must be provided by the author, together with a discussion of how each one employs the technique in question, the player's experience with it, and the degree to which the implementation achieves the objectives that were set out when it was created. Some examples are: The Stanley Parable; Her Story; This War of Mine; Papers, Please; etc. – Samer Darwich 1 year ago
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