Visual novels (VN) are an interactive game genre that originate from Japan where text-based stories are presented in a narrative style of literature and allow for readers to interact as well as decide on the flow of a story. These mixed-media novels have, in recent years, gained more popularity outside of Japan especially through gaming platforms such as Steam. What sets these mixed-media novels apart from other genres such as film, animation, manga, and comics?
Love this! Ultimately it contains a visual narrative that a novel just doesn't have. In addition, I have just been reading The three escapes of Hannah Arendt. I have read her philosophy and theory on tyranny and socialism and as everyone knows philosophy is quite hard going at times. The graphic novel is a great starting point and really gets to grips with both her story and philosophies and breaks it down into amazing visual story telling that transcends any language barrier or prior knowledge to her work. It accessible and at the same time demonstrates emotive power and understanding of her background and the tyranny she and others faced under the oppressive facist regime. https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/37941885-the-three-escapes-of-hannah-arendt – Lousands5 years ago
This would definitely be a good idea! I think especially because gaming media is still under the impression that story-based games aren't selling as much as, for example, battle royales or multiplayer games. I would look at big AAA games, like Final Fantasy VII, as the most recent story-based game release. For an indie title, Undertale was a massive one and Little Misfortune, which is a suspenseful horror game that recently made the rounds. – kerrybaps5 years ago
In the past many video games generally targeted at males, like fighting and racing games feature women characters "scantily clad" clothing. However, when Mortal Kombat 11 released last year, most of the female characters had stronger personalities and covered up a lot more of their skin than they had in previous games.
One example is Kitana the former princess of Outworld. In previous games, she often wore blue string-like clothing with high boots. As the new Empress of Outworld, however, Kitana not only has power, but is covered from collar bone to ankles.
J.D Jankowski-- I apologize for not elaborating, this is my first post. I thought it would be interesting to find some commonalities in how character design and story arcs have progressed over the past thirty or so years in gaming, or possibly other media. Mortal Kombat is a classic example of a game that has been around for a long time. Also, it is a game that has been majorly revamped since it has been taken over by a new company. Munjeera-- By all means, expand on more than just clothing, I just find the new direction in these sorts of games interesting in comparison to how they used to be. Sean Gadus-- Exactly, I was mostly using it as an example but if anyone wanted to take the topic and use another game alongside it as a comparison that would be interesting too. – ruegrey5 years ago
Analyse what makes a silent protagonist work and what doesn't: when does a game benefit from having one? When does it not? What are some instances where a silent protagonist could have been better as a speaking one, or vice versa?
Or maybe, what warrants the use of a silent protagonist, particularly in plot-heavy, character-driven series' like Persona? How are they characterised, if at all, and why?
Could look at Link in The Legend of Zelda as well! – Sean Gadus5 years ago
There's also the case where silent protagonists stop becoming silent in the series, such as Jak in Jak and Daxter. – Emily Deibler5 years ago
One could consider the role of the silent protagonist’s “silence” as it pertains to immersive purposes. Some silent characters are not only mute—they have no explicit Idiosyncrasies or traits to establish themselves as full characters. Others, like Link in “The Wind Waker,” have more a sense of character through facial expressions and other complex reactive behaviors to story and gameplay elements. Exploring this dichotomy can prove useful in answering the question of the benefit of a silent protagonist. – James Polk5 years ago
The idea of introducing educational games in early education exists and has even been implemented, but do more traditional games deserve a place in schools? Topics such as English and Media exist to teach students about famous literary texts and powerful films, deconstructing these pieces to derive meaning and improve understanding of certain ideas and issues. Should time be dedicated to providing worthy games with the same analysis? Why, or why not?
It might also depends on the game relative to the age. – J.D. Jankowski5 years ago
Great topic!
For me, it's not so much about "worthy games" as it is about "worthy topics." If there's a particular set of topics worth exploring in a particular classroom, I'd say, we should explore those topics using whatever texts we believe are useful and engaging for that exploration. Most of my own work on video games has been for conference presentations and journals, but I've also presented in university classrooms on the representations of gender in specific video games. – JamesBKelley5 years ago
I also think it's necessary to define a "game" here. Do you mean strictly in the sense of what is traditionally considered a video game, or do you also include more analog "games" like board games, word games, even computer software that can be "played" with? If the latter, then really all teaching at all levels relies on games, in the sense that there are rules that we follow and students who "win" by getting the correct answers. It really depends on how we define "play" and how we differentiate it from work. – Eden5 years ago
FWIW-- I'm a teacher who teaches video games as texts, just like books and films. If someone picks up this piece, I'm happy to serve as a source. There's tons of scholarship on this topic. I recommend James Paul Gee's What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy. It's not only smart, but it is also a fun read. – ProfRichards3 years ago
Discuss why some people consider some games more "serious" than others. For example, games such as Animal Crossing and The Sims are often considered lower tier entertainment than more "difficult" games like, say, Call of Duty. Why do you think that is? How do sports games fit into the mix? Is it a problem of quality or is it subjective?
Might be an interesting topic, but it needs a bit more fleshing out. Start with writing a title which will point towards a specific angle from which the argument will develop. – Kaya5 years ago
The "seriousness" of the content in question is something that applies not only to video games, but just about every artistic creation. There are "serious" works of literature versus pulp fiction or "beach reads." With movies, there are gripping "Oscar-worthy" performances in comparison to light blockbuster fare. By sticking to the topic of video games, it would be good to narrow your topic's focus a bit more. In what ways do video games really illustrate people's perception of "serious" works versus those taken less seriously? – aprosaicpintofpisces5 years ago
This has the potential to generate a really interesting piece. I would recommend looking at how gaming has been portrayed in past decades, how it's portrayed now and how access to games has changed over the years. Were boys really the only players when video games first gained popularity? – Ryan5 years ago
This is a very interesting topic that will generate very good conversation, however it needs a bit more direction by which the writer can go towards.. what also needs to be considered is the link between the types of games played and those who play them. – abbeyferrer5 years ago
This topic is based on a tumblr post (or tweet I can’t remember) that I saw saying “actual play D&D podcasts have done more for POC and the LGBTQ community over the course of a few years than the film industry has done in its entire existence.”
I think it would be interesting to examine what’s so appealing about actual play shows (The Adventure Zone, Critical Role, The Broadswords, Dimension 20,etc) that draws in underrepresented groups.
This article would delve into the notion of exploitative game design. For example, game devs will make virtual products that can be bought with real world money (such as gems, crates, keys, etc.), yet these products have no actual value. Basically, the prices of these products are arbitrary, being made up based on the developers' whims.
App games are notorious for such practices, trying to incentivize the player with the need to buy these products to get further in the game in terms of buying more time or status/rank. I mean, who wouldn't want another chance to beat that insanely hard Candy Crush level or get that one super OP weapon/character in an RPG?
Do you think this is okay ethically? Does there need to be legal action? How can people be made aware, or do they know and just don't care if they're being exploited?
I think it's worth examining the power dynamics in fantasy games and what makes each particular game feel satisfying. Games like "Monster Hunter" and "Skyrim" both offer the player a degree of power over the world, but the difference lies in degree. "Monster Hunter" empowers the player as an exceptional hunter, but only allows them to practice that power in particular ways. "Skyrim" allows players to kill people with only their words. Yet both these games prove to be immensely satisfying. My question is what common factors lie between them? How do each of these games (and others) feel satisfying despite the difference in how they allow their players to act in their worlds?
This is an interesting topic definitely, though a bit too broadly conceived right now -- the games are quite opposite genres, for example. A tighter article could, for example, compare the thematic import of player agency in an open-world game where players have lots of freedom (Skyrim) and players have comparatively little freedom (Monster World, as I understand it). In other words, but fixing the genre (open world) and fictional context (fantasy), a comparison can be made more clearly. Lovely idea. – Derek5 years ago
Aren't the Dragon Shouts in Skyrim just another way to package new abilities and weaponry for the playable character in the game? For me, they're much like having a new sword or new gear. As Derek suggests, the big difference among games may be based less on packaging and more on the degrees of openness (or: open worldness?) and player agency. In some games you can only follow specific storylines, only kill specific people and monsters, etc. In other games, such as Skyrim, you can approach most any destination from most any direction and can kill most anyone or anything (with or without using a Dragon Shout), with the exception of a few key figures that are essential to the main storyline. – JamesBKelley4 years ago
