Games

Discuss examples in videogames when interactivity matters. Do Cut Scenes or sequences with Quick Time Events have a completely different meaning when they become interactive? Some examples are the final bosses in God of War 3 and Metal Gear Solid 3. How does timed decisions in cut scenes create tension and meaning? Some examples include Mass Effect and Telltale games. Does introducing interactivity in these games make them more immersive?

Monster Prom (2018) is the latest in a line of explicitly queer indie dating sims since the popularity of The Game Grumps' Dream Daddy (2017). It's tone is light, comedic, and playful, owing it's mash-up of horror and sitcom tropes to predecessors like The Addams Family (1964), The Munsters (1964), Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), a slew of campy monster beach party movies (e.g.: 1964's The Horror of Party Beach), and even the recent popularity of the Monster High (2010) toy line and webseries. Monster Prom owes a lot to the "all-ghoul school trope," but it is also unapologetically queer; the game's Kickstarter page includes a blurb on the subject: "Don't worry if you want to romance a certain love interest as a certain character! In Monster Prom characters don't like boys or girls… they like people." This is a kind counterpart to the long tradition of queer-coded monsters and villains in horror cinema, a topic extensively covered in Harry Benshoff in his book Monsters in The Closet: Homosexuality and The Horror Film (1997). Monstrous and villainous queer subtext can be observed famously in classic monster movies like Frankenstein (1931)– which prominently features two men privately collaborating to create new life (and was, directed by a gay man, James Whale)– Dracula's Daughter (1936)– which features a butch female vampire and her effeminate male manservant– and later films like Nightmare on Elm Street II: Freddy's Revenge (1985) and Reanimator (1985). The purpose of this article is to trace the trickle: how did our media shift from implicitly queer monsters as villains to explicitly queer monsters as love interests? Also consider the quasi-ironic queer nerd slogan: "The Babadook is a gay icon" and even the non-normative love story that takes place in The Shape of Water (2017).

What are its limitations? What will its advancement mean for other gaming devices?

With Fortnite and Players Unknown Battlegrounds recently making their way to mobile devices how far can mobile gaming go? Will it be limited mainly by the lack of screen real-estate and controls or will technology find a way to create an experience on a mobile phone much like you get on a Nintendo Switch?

I have been following the seemingly trouble wrought story of the game Destiny 2 with interest. Many have stopped playing, listing lack of in-game incentive as a primary cause for their leaving. Some fans have even reverted to playing Destiny 1, claiming the game is superior to the sequel. Bungie recently held a ‘community summit’ in an attempt to address player discontent, and continually update what they call a ‘roadmap’ to increase perceived development transparency. Bungie is not the only developer who has met trouble in trying to appease angry players who have their own ideas about the direction a game should take. My question is this: how transparent should game developers be when it comes to the creative process of game design? To what extent does community feedback and discussion help or hinder the eventual product?

This is something that's been a discussion point with some peers recently, and I was wondering if someone else had some extended thoughts regarding it.

What do we want out of the next Metroid Prime title?

I mean we can safely assume that it will be a first-person shooter with puzzle-solving elements like past Metroid prime titles… but could we also expect an overhaul at all? And to what extent? Will they throw everything out the window and make it a bejeweled-based action horror game? Or will they just abandon some Metroid traditions and maybe put in more of Prime 3's ambitious but flawed cinematic cut-scenes? It's hard to tell. Mostly cause I don't know what I want either.

Breath of the Wild wowed me with it's perfect blend of embracing old Zelda traditions, while experimenting with some wild (no pun intended) ideas. Can we expect the same of Metroid? Or will it perhaps just be a return to form with some typical but fun Metroid gameplay?

God of War has been a smash hit since its release April 20th. With a strong sales launch and massive critical praise, the game is primed to be a benchmark in AAA gaming. By setting the game in the Norse world, God of War borrows the mythology of the Norse cultural groups. In doing this, The game sets expectations for what enemies you will see, what locations you will go to, and what events will occur. However, the game plays with the conventions and established canon of Norse Mythology in surprising ways. This article would analyze how Norse mythology is applied to the God of War universe and how the game subverts our expectation of traditional Norse myths and characters.

Bioshock and objectivism. Braid and determinism. Senua's sacrifice and free will. Videogames frequently borrow concepts and tropes and sometimes are based entirely around philosophies. In what is eventually a limited medium – as one has to 'win' the game – is this a misguided attempt to elevate an ultimately flawed art form? Or can videogames be an entry point towards encouraging philosophical thought in others?

Acheivements have been available for quite some time in the form of PC gaming on Steam. However, with the addition of these starting the XBox 360/PS3 era, I think there has been a shift in how many people perceive playing games. For myself, I research video game literary studies, so I have seen my own perceptions in playing games. When I was younger, I played simply to enjoy a game, play a story, do a little grinding, but when it moved to this acheivement system, I found myself playing game differently. No matter what, the trophies are in the back of my mind. I am constantly thinking about what I need to get the Platinum. Also, when I play as a researcher, I am looking for more story moments, so games that are combat heavy (BioShock Infinite) that have a great story tend to feel like a slog. How can we, as gamers and researchers, keep these different gaming "personalities" in check so that gaming doesn't feel like a job or chore, and what does it mean for gaming in the future? Looking at somthing like a David Cage game (I'm looking at you, Detroit: Become Human) is obviously great for the research, but playing to get the Platinum is an entirely new beast altogether, and they tend to meld when playing.

To boil it down, how has the advent of achievements/trophies changed the way gamers look at, and subsequently, enjoy video games? Do the trophies make them more fun or more of a chore after so long?