ChristelleMarie Chua

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, a book and now a film parodying Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, playfully recycles Elizabeth Bennet's story into a quirky — perhaps campy — tale that is more digestible for wide audiences. The parody references famous lines and scenes from the original, humoring those who have read and adored the book. Additionally, it opens up the less accessible media of 'classic novel' to a 21st century audience, hopefully piquing their interest in something they would never have considered before. Books like "Texts from Jane Eyre" and others rehash the favorite characters of English majors, but perhaps also open up older literature to young people only attracted to the young adult fiction section.

Are these tactics effective to opening up classics to a new generation? What is the effect of adding zombies to a story such as Pride and Prejudice? How do well-read critics of classics take to these parodies?

Hatoful Boyfriend is a visual novel with a twist — you are the last human on earth, and you attend a school for gifted birds. The goal in the game: get a bird lover. Hatoful Boyfriend seems, at first, gimmicky. It subverts the typical storyline of dating sims by adding talking birds. However, the game can quickly become emotional, mysterious, and even heart wrenching. Hatoful Boyfriend, with its amusing surface, can introduce the genre of visual novel to those previously unfamiliar with it. It has also set a precedent in the visual novel genre to create stories that expand on and add oddity to the typical high school setting.

There's a lot of controversy among fans of many media as to whether the buying and selling of fanwork, art, fiction, and other marketables using the intellectual property of the main author, is legal and/or moral. Is selling character redrawings, spinoff doujinshi, etc. for profit considered stealing? If it is illegal, how can the original artist protect their work? Can art and media based off a preexisting character or universe be considered high art? Consider the relationship most Renaissance paintings have with the Bible. Can that be considered 'fan art?'

Nintendo, the trailblazer for video games, has reported to be falling short in comparison to Sony and Microsoft. Most of Nintendo's successes are derived from old franchises: Fire Emblem, Legend of Zelda, and Mario. Thus, their success is fueled by the nostalgia of older gamers. Notably, they've fallen short in the expansion of certain franchises, such as Metroid. However, Nintendo's latest success, Splatoon, shows the company's potential versatility. How can Nintendo generate interest in new crowds? How will the company's transfer to mobile gaming and the new console, the NX, affect them? What steps should Nintendo take to expand their fanbase?

Skylanders, Disney Infinity, Lego Dimensions, and Amiibos — all are variations of the new phenomenon in gaming, interactive game figures. Skylanders and Disney Infinity have been around for years, creating new starter packs and new figures to expand their 50 collection of figures. Lego Dimensions creates a new spin on the IGF concept, creating a base game that will last for the next 5 years and additional packs to assemble to add more content onto the game. Amiibos, Nintendo's rendition, are treated more like collectibles, but also add additional bonuses on games across Nintendo franchises.

How does the proliferation of these figures into the industry affect the economy and reputation of the industry? Is it simply an add on to the discourse of microtransactions? Which company implements their IGFs most effectively?