Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[An elusive PlayStation classic is yours for the grappling]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/02/an-elusive-playstation-classic-is-yours-for-the-grappling/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/02/an-elusive-playstation-classic-is-yours-for-the-grappling/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/02/an-elusive-playstation-classic-is-yours-for-the-grappling/#commentsWelcome to Living in the Past, a weekly column about what's new in old games. Now get off our lawn.
Umihara Kawase
What if, in a parallel universe, Bionic Commando's ideas were expanded not into a behind-the-back 3D action game, but into a quieter, more puzzle-oriented game focused entirely on the mechanics of the grappling hook? And, instead of a nonsensical storyline and big environments, the developer put all of its effort into making the grappling hook more complex?

And then, instead of a resurrected Hitler and his army of pseudo-Nazis, all the enemies were giant fish.

Continue reading An elusive PlayStation classic is yours for the grappling

JoystiqAn elusive PlayStation classic is yours for the grappling originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 02 Oct 2012 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>columnliving-in-the-pastplaystationps3umihara-kawaseTue, 02 Oct 2012 20:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The controversial, unbalanced narrative of Dragon Age 2]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/31/the-controversial-unbalanced-narrative-of-dragon-age-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/31/the-controversial-unbalanced-narrative-of-dragon-age-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/31/the-controversial-unbalanced-narrative-of-dragon-age-2/#commentsThis is a weekly column from freelancer Rowan Kaiser, which focuses on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity.
Dragon Age 2 is one of the most controversial role-playing games of recent years. Highly anticipated after the successes of BioWare's previous two games, Dragon Age: Origins and Mass Effect 2, it was released to strong sales and initially positive reviews. Yet it didn't take long before there was both fan and critical backlash to the game. What seemed like an unambiguously promising release turned into a lightning rod, and Dragon Age 2 went missing from many Game Of The Year lists. On the other hand, I noticed a small but extremely devoted cadre of fans, including some people who loved it so much that they immediately replayed it, four or five times, touching no other games for months.

So it was with both trepidation and excitement that I finally approached Dragon Age 2, as I missed it on initial release and then was warned off of it afterward. Having finally played it, I can see what the fuss was about, both good and bad. Dragon Age 2 almost demanded to be controversial thanks to its structure. In a genre filled with narratively complete, balanced games, DA2 ambitions push it in less balanced and incomplete directions. That's risky.

Gallery: Dragon Age 2 (2/8/2011)

Continue reading The controversial, unbalanced narrative of Dragon Age 2

JoystiqThe controversial, unbalanced narrative of Dragon Age 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biowarecolumnDragon-Age-2microsoftOpinionpcplaystationps3rowan-kaiserrpgwrpgxboxFri, 31 Aug 2012 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Among Japanese developers, Sting quietly thrives]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/23/among-japanese-developers-sting-quietly-thrives/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/23/among-japanese-developers-sting-quietly-thrives/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/23/among-japanese-developers-sting-quietly-thrives/#commentsThis is a column by Kat Bailey dedicated to the analysis of the once beloved Japanese RPG sub-genre. Tune in every Wednesday for thoughts on white-haired villains, giant robots, Infinity+1 swords, and everything else the wonderful world of JRPGs has to offer.
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In late 2008, Sony released the PSP-3000, giving me the perfect excuse to finally pick one up. When I got home later that day, I did what anyone with a new system does - I started downloading demos.

Yggdra Union was among that early handful of downloads. I picked it because I liked the art style, not knowing what I was getting into. I soon discovered Yggdra Union is quite the complicated strategy RPG. There are different character types, and there are cards that dictate movement and status effects, and positioning matters too. And it didn't help that I was trying to play it in its native Japanese (though I eventually relented and found an English copy).

As I later discovered, Yggdra Union is the rule rather than the exception to Sting Entertainment's ... unique design sensibilities. Almost every modern Sting RPG has some sort of interesting twist on the traditional RPG formula. Riviera: The Promised Land is part dating sim and part menu-driven point-and-click adventure, for example. Knights in the Nightmare is a strategy RPG, but it also has sequences in which you must guide a tiny wisp while avoiding a hail of bullets. Rather than simply going with what works, or the cheapest alternative, Sting has traditionally been extremely experimental, and its reward has been a small but fervent fanbase.

Gallery: Gungnir (4/11/12)

Continue reading Among Japanese developers, Sting quietly thrives

JoystiqAmong Japanese developers, Sting quietly thrives originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 23 May 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>columnJRPGStingWed, 23 May 2012 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Why skills are in, attributes are out in modern role-playing games]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/27/why-skills-are-in-attributes-are-out-in-modern-role-playing-gam/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/27/why-skills-are-in-attributes-are-out-in-modern-role-playing-gam/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/27/why-skills-are-in-attributes-are-out-in-modern-role-playing-gam/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

This is a weekly column from freelancer Rowan Kaiser, which focuses on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity.
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It took four or five levels gained for me to realize something was different. I was playing the Diablo 3 open beta last weekend, merrily leveling my monk up, when I noticed that half the time a gained level just happened, without me needing to do anything. Sometimes I could choose new skills, yes, but I wasn't given five points to distribute to my core attributes like Strength, Vitality, etc. There's a little bit of text that notes which attributes have improved, but that's all. Diablo 3 isn't the only major recent role-playing game* to downplay the importance of its characters' core attributes. Mass Effect 3 and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, both released within six months of Diablo 3, avoid core attributes entirely.

Skyrim and Mass Effect 3 don't include attributes at all, in fact, something that would have been unthinkable for a computer role-playing game at the dawn of the genre. But the lessened importance of attributes isn't necessarily a sign of the simplification of the genre (although that's often part of it). Instead, it's part of a trend in which skills, not attributes, serve as the most important statistical measure of an RPG character.

Continue reading Why skills are in, attributes are out in modern role-playing games

JoystiqWhy skills are in, attributes are out in modern role-playing games originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 27 Apr 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>columnDiablo-3microsoftpcplaystationps3rpgxboxFri, 27 Apr 2012 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[East Is West: How Two Classic RPGs Prove the Stereotypes False]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/16/east-is-west-how-two-classic-rpgs-prove-the-stereotypes-false/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/16/east-is-west-how-two-classic-rpgs-prove-the-stereotypes-false/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/16/east-is-west-how-two-classic-rpgs-prove-the-stereotypes-false/#commentsFiled under: , ,

This is a weekly column focusing on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity.
"Oh, East is East and West is West, and never the twain shall meet," - Rudyard Kipling

Conventional wisdom holds that role-playing games are easily divided into two categories: Japanese and Western, or, before the technical lines got blurred a decade ago, console and computer games. We can name the stereotypes easily. JRPGs are story-based, WRPGs are system-based. JRPGs are action-based, fast, and simple, whereas WRPGs are strategic, slow, and complex. JRPGs have bright, cartoonish graphics and catchy music, WRPGs have realistic graphics and darker music. JRPGs linear, WRPGs open. In JRPGs, your characters are given to you, in WRPGS you create your characters. And so on.

It's not true, though. What's more, it never was.

Continue reading East Is West: How Two Classic RPGs Prove the Stereotypes False

JoystiqEast Is West: How Two Classic RPGs Prove the Stereotypes False originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 16 Feb 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>betrayal-at-krondorcolumnlands-of-lorepcrowan-kaiserrpgThu, 16 Feb 2012 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Do Japanese RPGs need good stories?]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/15/do-japanese-rpgs-need-a-good-story/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/15/do-japanese-rpgs-need-a-good-story/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/15/do-japanese-rpgs-need-a-good-story/#commentsThis is a column by Kat Bailey dedicated to the analysis of the once beloved Japanese RPG sub-genre. Tune in every Wednesday for thoughts on white-haired villains, giant robots, Infinity+1 swords, and everything else the wonderful world of JRPGs have to offer.

I'm going to sum up all of the cliches about Final Fantasy XIII in one sentence: "The battle system is pretty good, but the story is laughable." Gamasutra's Christian Nutt even went so far as to compare the direction of the series to the Star Wars prequels. I wish I could disagree.

For all that though, I'm willing to stick out Final Fantasy XIII-2's jaunt through time and space, banal anime archetypes and all. Whenever one of the cutscenes pop up, I just go and check my email. Either that, or I pick up a book. It's mostly the battles that keep me going. I'm also a big fan of putting hats on monsters, and Final Fantasy XIII-2 has that in spades.

The dirty secret is that I've always been more fascinated by RPG battle systems than the story within the game. In many ways, a character's mechanical growth is a story in and of itself. When the game begins, your character is a scrub with a wooden sword and a few potions. By the end, they can call down comets from the heavens and instigate supernovas. That's what I call a character arc.

Continue reading Do Japanese RPGs need good stories?

JoystiqDo Japanese RPGs need good stories? originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 15 Feb 2012 15:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>columndsfinal-fantasy-xiii-2jrpgmicrosoftnintendooriginalplaystationps3xboxWed, 15 Feb 2012 15:29:00 EST<![CDATA[Dark Side 'Cause It Looks Cool: The Failings of Moral Choice in Games]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/10/dark-side-cause-it-looks-cool-the-failings-of-moral-choice-in/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/10/dark-side-cause-it-looks-cool-the-failings-of-moral-choice-in/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/10/dark-side-cause-it-looks-cool-the-failings-of-moral-choice-in/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

This is a weekly column focusing on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity.
Morality systems have become role-playing. Or at least, a significant amount of people have come to believe this. To take one example, this review of The Old Republic is premised on the concept that BioWare's style of moral choices are effective character-building mechanics. It's a fine review, but it's one that I can't agree with because I find the model of game morality used in The Old Republic and many other role-playing games ineffective at creating a moral system.

In order for a moral choice to have weight, it needs to have two components. First, meaningful choices have to cause the player to lose something in order to gain power. Something has to change, or be expected to change, within the game in order for the decision to matter. In Mass Effect, at one point in the game, you have to choose which of two party members to rescue - the other dies. Or, in Fallout: New Vegas, working with Caesar's Legion turns the New California Republic into an enemy, and vice versa.

Second, a moral choice has to be a difficult choice. The old adage "If doing the right thing were easy, everyone would do it" applies here. This is where games usually fail. They can do it with little choices, like with stealing even when you won't get caught in New Vegas. Take the owned items and you'll lose karma, which might be a small hit compared to the benefits of a new weapon. Alternately, in some games, honorable characters will simply refuse payment for quests, forcing money to be acquired by other means.

Continue reading Dark Side 'Cause It Looks Cool: The Failings of Moral Choice in Games

JoystiqDark Side 'Cause It Looks Cool: The Failings of Moral Choice in Games originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 10 Feb 2012 19:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>columndragon-age-originsfallout-new-vegasmass-effectmicrosoftpcplaystationps3rpgstar-wars-the-old-republicThe-Old-RepublicxboxFri, 10 Feb 2012 19:45:00 EST<![CDATA[What? Game Music is Evolving!]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/31/what-game-music-is-evolving/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/31/what-game-music-is-evolving/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/31/what-game-music-is-evolving/#commentsFiled under:

This is a column by Jesse Gregory all about his primary obsession, video game music. He feels that despite how core to the experience soundtracks often are, they aren't as large a part of gaming discussion as they should be. Let the discussion begin!
While just another game to some, last year's Sonic Generations was a review course of Sonic's varied musical history. With a wealth of classic and modern remixes and an even larger vault of unlockable originals, the game laid out in plain sight just how much the music of a single series can change over the course of two decades.

While hardware limitations can breed highly focused creativity, the lack thereof allows for unrestrained experimentation. From the Genesis to the Dreamcast, we witnessed Masato Nakamura's unforgettable themes replaced by a wide variety of tracks featuring live performances in a vast array of genres.

It sounds pretty good on paper. Sure, we got some enjoyable instrumental rock and jazz, but songs that sing about following rainbows and rap about chaos emeralds can make these games embarrassing to revisit. Still, I have to admire the many directions Sega was willing to explore with the series' music. Sonic Rush in particular really shook things up thanks to Hideki Naganuma. His unique brand of sample slicing threw many disparate genres into a blender to make something really special.

Continue reading What? Game Music is Evolving!

JoystiqWhat? Game Music is Evolving! originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dscolumngame musicjesse-gregorymicrosoftmusicnintendopcplaystationps3wiixboxTue, 31 Jan 2012 17:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Remembering the best JRPG ever]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/27/remembering-the-best-jrpg-ever/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/27/remembering-the-best-jrpg-ever/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/27/remembering-the-best-jrpg-ever/#commentsThis is a column by Jason Schreier dedicated to the analysis (and occasional mocking) of his favorite genre, the Japanese role-playing game. Whether it's because they're too antiquated or just too niche, he believes JRPGs don't get enough attention in the gaming industry today. It's time to change that.
Good news and bad news.

The bad news is that today's column will be my last. I've accepted a full-time job elsewhere and I won't be able to write for Joystiq anymore. It's been a blast talking about JRPGs with you all, and I hope you enjoyed reading my articles almost as much as I enjoyed writing them.

The good news is that I'm taking this opportunity to write about one of the best JRPGs of all time, a game I always fervidly rank at the top of every "Best Games Ever!!!" list. Few games know how to tell a story this poignant, this engaging, this memorable. Few games blend narrative and mechanics together this smoothly. Few games are so powerful that they convince you to ignore some significant flaws, like bizarre bugs and a terrible translation effort. But this one is.

It's called Suikoden II.

Continue reading Remembering the best JRPG ever

JoystiqRemembering the best JRPG ever originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>columnjrpgkonamiplaystationsuikoden-2suikoden-iiFri, 27 Jan 2012 18:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Game Music: Enhancement Through Limitation]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/25/game-music-enhancement-through-limitation/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/25/game-music-enhancement-through-limitation/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/25/game-music-enhancement-through-limitation/#commentsFiled under:

This is a column by Jesse Gregory all about his primary obsession, video game music. He feels that despite how core to the experience soundtracks often are, they aren't as large a part of gaming discussion as they should be. Let the discussion begin!

Game music has changed.

It's no longer about bleeps and bloops, absurdly catchy hooks, or finding ways to cheat hardware restrictions. It's an endless series of film scores masquerading as game music performed by live orchestras. Nanomachines inside their bodies enhance - oh, wait. Now I'm just stealing from Metal Gear.

The game music of the past has been etched into our culture. If you visit sites like OverClocked ReMix, you'll quickly realize how much more love and attention the soundtracks of older games get than those of modern day. Whether it's the ringtones you hear at a gaming convention, the music behind goofy YouTube videos or the soundtrack arrangement scene, classic game music dominates.

Is this merely a product of the fondness we associate with these tunes from our childhood memories? Is it all nostalgia? That's certainly a legitimate factor. But there's far more to it than that.

Continue reading Game Music: Enhancement Through Limitation

JoystiqGame Music: Enhancement Through Limitation originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>columngame-musicmusicWed, 25 Jan 2012 11:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Why silly JRPG dialogue may not be a problem]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/20/why-silly-jrpg-dialogue-may-not-be-a-problem/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/20/why-silly-jrpg-dialogue-may-not-be-a-problem/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/20/why-silly-jrpg-dialogue-may-not-be-a-problem/#commentsThis is a column by Jason Schreier dedicated to the analysis (and occasional mocking) of his favorite genre, the Japanese role-playing game. Whether it's because they're too antiquated or just too niche, he believes JRPGs don't get enough attention in the gaming industry today. It's time to change that.
I've been playing a lot of Final Fantasy XIII-2 lately. I can't post my full thoughts until the embargo's up (January 30), but there's one question I've been pondering ever since I popped in the disc: What's up with this dialogue?

Thanks to a lot of silly jargon and awkward phrasing, a large chunk of Final Fantasy XIII-2's conversations elevate it into the "wouldn't want anyone to watch me playing this" category, alongside titles like Star Ocean: The Last Hope and any Tales game.

"Become an arrow through time and speed your way to Serah," one of the game's characters says in the game's intro sequence. Other bits of dialogue are similarly awkward, mixing metaphors, dropping strange proper nouns and completely confusing whoever's playing (read: me).

(Another choice line: "If the paradox is eliminated, spacetime will return to normal.")

Of course, it'd be unfair to only pick on the latest Final Fantasy for this issue. Japanese role playing games -- even moreso than other game genres -- are not known for their fluid, witty dialogue. JRPG scripts are more infamous for mistranslations ("This guy are sick.") than smart or clever bits of writing.

But does it matter? Can a JRPG still be awesome even if its dialogue sucks?

Continue reading Why silly JRPG dialogue may not be a problem

JoystiqWhy silly JRPG dialogue may not be a problem originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 20 Jan 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>columnfinal-fantasy-xiii-2jrpgmicrosoftnintendoplaystationps3wiixboxFri, 20 Jan 2012 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[State of the Western RPG]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/13/state-of-the-western-rpg/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/13/state-of-the-western-rpg/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/13/state-of-the-western-rpg/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Greetings, readers, and welcome to Joystiq's new weekly column on western role-playing games! RPGs are usually my favorite games, and they have been for years. Beyond that, they're among the most popular and interesting games of any era. It's true for every generation of gaming, from Wizardry through Dungeon Master, Ultima, Fallout, Morrowind, and Dragon Age. No other genre has been so consistently important through every era of home video gaming.

But unlike adventure games or flight simulators, which have been driven into tiny niches, RPGs are still prominent. Skyrim, World Of Warcraft, and Mass Effect are among the most important games of this generation, which is not to mention cult hits like The Witcher or Torchlight.

Continue reading State of the Western RPG

JoystiqState of the Western RPG originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>columnmicrosoftmobilepcplaystationps3rowan-kaiserrpgxboxFri, 13 Jan 2012 14:20:00 EST<![CDATA[In defense of Xenogears]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/06/in-defense-of-xenogears/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/06/in-defense-of-xenogears/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/06/in-defense-of-xenogears/#commentsThis is a column by Jason Schreier dedicated to the analysis (and occasional mocking) of his favorite genre, the Japanese role-playing game. Whether it's because they're too antiquated or just too niche, he believes JRPGs don't get enough attention in the gaming industry today. It's time to change that.

When it comes to grandiose adventures, there are few games like Xenogears. Few games' stories are as stirring, as twisty, as poignant. Few games' characters are as bizarre and entrancing.

But fans have skewered the sci-fi masterpiece for its second disc, a potpourri of cutscenes and monologues that may have been the consequence of rushed development. While the game's first 50 hours gave you access to a world map filled with towns, dungeons, and secrets, Xenogears' final act was more book than game, unfolding like a visual novel with very little player interaction outside of the final dungeon and a few boss fights.

Gamers took umbrage at this sudden shift in pace. As one GameFAQs reader points out, "Xenogears would have been great... if it had been finished."

Which is too bad, because I loved every minute of it.

Continue reading In defense of Xenogears

JoystiqIn defense of Xenogears originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 06 Jan 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>columnjrpgplaystationps3pspsonysquaresoftxenogearsFri, 06 Jan 2012 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The beginner's guide to JRPGs]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/23/the-beginners-guide-to-jrpgs/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/23/the-beginners-guide-to-jrpgs/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/23/the-beginners-guide-to-jrpgs/#commentsThis is a column by Jason Schreier dedicated to the analysis (and occasional mocking) of his favorite genre, the Japanese role-playing game. Whether it's because they're too antiquated or just too niche, he believes JRPGs don't get enough attention in the gaming industry today. It's time to change that.

The JRPG is an intimidating genre. For gamers accustomed to short sessions of turtle-hopping or soldier-blasting, it can be tough to commit to a sprawling, complex role-playing game.

It's also a gigantic genre. There are hundreds of games out there with bizarre titles like Suikoden and Ar tonelico that are as hard to tell apart as they are to pronounce.

So if you want to get into JRPGs but you've never so much as touched a Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest before, how do you know where to start? How do you know where to spend your time? How can you differentiate between silly tedium and fantastic adventures?

A few weeks ago on Twitter, user @gurpreet_kambo suggested that I write a guide for inexperienced role-players, helping you all sort through the dreck and ease into the genre one over-sized sword at a time. So I've put together a list of charming, accessible adventures that all make perfect entry points for JRPG newbies. They also make great holiday gifts (and excuses to get away from your family).

Continue reading The beginner's guide to JRPGs

JoystiqThe beginner's guide to JRPGs originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Dec 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>columndsjrpgnintendoplaystationps3pspsonywiiFri, 23 Dec 2011 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The best JRPG you haven't played yet]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/28/the-best-jrpg-you-havent-played-yet/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/28/the-best-jrpg-you-havent-played-yet/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/28/the-best-jrpg-you-havent-played-yet/#commentsThis is a column by Jason Schreier dedicated to the analysis (and occasional mocking) of his favorite genre, the Japanese role-playing game. Whether it's because they're too antiquated or just too niche, he believes JRPGs don't get enough attention in the gaming industry today. It's time to change that.
Every good game has moments of euphoria, those revelatory points in an interactive adventure when we realize just how much fun we're having. They're different for everyone - some of us might be enamored by a combat system or nutty plot twist while others might find themselves romantically attracted to a main character's hair spikes - but everybody feels them.

These moments are usually short and ephemeral, showing up every once in a while just to remind us that we're enjoying ourselves. As a general rule, the more time we spend thinking "Wow, this is great," the better the game. When something really blows us away, we're aware of it the whole time.

Few JRPGs blow me away nowadays. For a while, I figured this was because I am cranky and cynical. Maybe this genre just isn't for me anymore, I thought to myself. Maybe I'll never enjoy Japanese role-playing games as much as I did when I was growing up. Maybe I'll never reignite that bliss I felt when I first delved into games like Suikoden and Xenogears. Maybe I'm too old.

Then I played The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky.

Gallery: The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky (PSP)

Continue reading The best JRPG you haven't played yet

JoystiqThe best JRPG you haven't played yet originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 28 Oct 2011 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>columnjrpgnihon-falcomplaystationpspsonythe-legend-of-heroes-trails-in-the-skyxseedFri, 28 Oct 2011 16:55:00 EST<![CDATA[How nostalgic JRPGs trick us into loving them]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/21/how-nostalgic-jrpgs-trick-us-into-loving-them/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/21/how-nostalgic-jrpgs-trick-us-into-loving-them/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/21/how-nostalgic-jrpgs-trick-us-into-loving-them/#commentsThis week, we debut a new column by Jason Schreier dedicated to the analysis (and occasional mocking) of his favorite genre, the Japanese role-playing game. Whether it's because they're too antiquated or just too niche, he believes JRPGs don't get enough attention in the gaming industry today. It's time to change that.

It's hard to find an RPG fan who doesn't have fond memories of the "16-Bit Golden Age," that revered era when developers seemed to release nothing but instant classics. Twenty- and thirty-somethings all over the world love to wax poetic about the early 90s, a time when videogame production was driven more by creativity than graphical power, more by innovation than formula, more by TLC than DLC.

Take a moment to flip through the App Store or Xbox Indie Marketplace and you'll find striking evidence of this obsession with the old-school; today's indie RPGs are packed to the brim with sprites and textures that wouldn't be out of place on a Super Nintendo or Sega Genesis. The obvious explanation might be money - powerful graphics are expensive, and indie developers not named Notch are always broke. But is that the only reason iPhone RPGs like Guardian Saga and Ash aim to emulate that 16-bit style? Or is there something inherently appealing about classic turn-based gameplay?

And then there's that million-dollar question: Were all those old-school RPGs really all that great, or is our perception just tainted by nostalgia?

Psychologist Jamie Madigan, writing on his blog "The Psychology of Video Games," argues the latter, saying that we tend to have selective memory when it comes to our favorite old games. We only remember the good parts.

Continue reading How nostalgic JRPGs trick us into loving them

JoystiqHow nostalgic JRPGs trick us into loving them originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 21 Oct 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>columndragon-fantasyiosiphonejrpgmobilenostalgiaFri, 21 Oct 2011 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Stephen King speaks out against violent video game bill]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/06/stephen-king-speaks-out-against-violent-video-game-bill/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/06/stephen-king-speaks-out-against-violent-video-game-bill/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/06/stephen-king-speaks-out-against-violent-video-game-bill/#commentsFiled under:


The oft-proclaimed "Master of Horror" never was much of a gamer -- he'll be the first to admit that. That's probably for the best; it would be hard to consistently produce the pants-soiling stories he's known for if he spent his days wasting away in front of his computer, looking for a PUG for the Hellfire Citadel. However, that doesn't mean he'll sit idly by as the gaming industry gets remorselessly hassled by The Man.

In a recent column for Entertainment Weekly, Stephen King decried HB 1423, a pending bill in the Massachusetts state legislature, which would outright ban the sale of "violent video games" to minors -- effectively circumventing the ESRB ratings system altogether. King, who knows a thing or two about violence, dissects the bill as eloquently as you'd expect, saying that politicians use pop culture as a "whipping boy," to illicit a passionate response from fans of the beleaguered medium, and to ignore "the elephants in the living room." Wait, you mean the popularity of violent video games isn't the biggest crisis facing the country? Get out of town!

JoystiqStephen King speaks out against violent video game bill originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 06 Apr 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>columnentertainment-weeklyentertainmentweeklyesrbHB1423massachusettsstephen-kingstephenkingthe-mistthemistviolenceSun, 06 Apr 2008 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Political Game: Industry should distance itself from Columbine game]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/02/the-political-game-industry-should-distance-itself-from-columbi/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/02/the-political-game-industry-should-distance-itself-from-columbi/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/02/the-political-game-industry-should-distance-itself-from-columbi/#commentsFiled under: ,

Each week Dennis McCauley contributes The Political Game, a column on the collision of politics and video games:

Super Columbine Massacre creeps me out.

Maybe that's what designer Danny Ledonne had in mind. If so, mission accomplished. Ledonne clearly wanted to use the game medium to explore the motivations of killers Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. Whether you like his methodology or not, there's a famous piece of yellowed paper resting under glass in the National Archives that says he's free to express himself however he pleases. But whatever Ledonne's purpose in creating SCMRPG, the negative mainstream publicity surrounding the controversial game is not good for the video game industry. Game publishers ought to be proactively making it clear that Super Columbine Massacre isn't a product of their tribe.

Why?

Because the idea that a game company might be so craven as to profit from the Columbine massacre is hurting the industry. Because non-gaming types simply don't understand the difference between LeDonne's self-made art project and a multimillion dollar commercial game product like, say, Rockstar's Bully.

That was never more clear than during last week's hearing of the Public Utilities and Technology Committee of the Utah House of Representatives. There, confusion reigned as one legislator asked what Bully, "the Columbine game," was rated. A second legislator, the sponsor of a video game bill before the committee responded, "The Columbine game's rated Teen."

Scary, huh?

Continue reading The Political Game: Industry should distance itself from Columbine game

JoystiqThe Political Game: Industry should distance itself from Columbine game originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 02 Feb 2007 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>columbineColumnthepoliticalgameFri, 02 Feb 2007 14:58:00 EST<![CDATA[Off the Grid: Scrabble and the elusive letter "Q"]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/18/off-the-grid-scrabble-and-the-elusive-letter-q/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/18/off-the-grid-scrabble-and-the-elusive-letter-q/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/18/off-the-grid-scrabble-and-the-elusive-letter-q/#commentsFiled under:

This week, Bonnie Ruberg contributes to Off the Grid, Scott Jon Siegel's column on gaming away from the television screen or monitor.

Scrabble is not a sexy game. When you think of Scrabble, what do you see? Family gatherings at your Aunt Mae's spent quibbling over proper nouns? Conventions of blue-haired grandmothers and smarty-pants girls in braces, all clutching their Scrabble dictionaries? Maybe Scrabble deserves its homely image, after all -- as board games go -- it's pretty dull-looking. No bright colors, no "some assembly required" three-dimensional terrain, not even the satisfaction of a tiny, silver boot for a game piece. Just words. Words, words, and more words.

Scrabble may look, sound, heck, possibly even smell dorky, but when have gamers ever been afraid of a little dork-dom? I say, embrace your inner word dork. Okay, maybe I'm just a word dork. But if Scott had asked me, instead of all those games-industry leaders, what my favorite analog game was a few weeks back, it definitely would have been Scrabble.

Continue reading Off the Grid: Scrabble and the elusive letter "Q"

JoystiqOff the Grid: Scrabble and the elusive letter "Q" originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 18 Jan 2007 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>columnOffTheGridThu, 18 Jan 2007 11:58:00 EST<![CDATA[The Political Game: Pax Jack? Don't count on it]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/15/the-political-game-pax-jack-don-t-count-on-it/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/15/the-political-game-pax-jack-don-t-count-on-it/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/15/the-political-game-pax-jack-don-t-count-on-it/#commentsFiled under: ,

Each week Dennis McCauley contributes The Political Game, a column on the collision of politics and video games:

Can Jack Thompson lead the video game industry out of society's doghouse and into a peaceful co-existence with its critics?

Sure, when pigs fly.

Earlier this week, everyone's favorite game-bashing attorney grabbed a few headlines by extending what some news outlets interpreted as an olive branch to video game publishers. In an e-mail to departing ESA boss Doug Lowenstein and ESRB president Patricia Vance, Thompson suggested that the game publishers warn the game retailers not to sell M-rated titles to those under 17. According to Thompson's plan, if retailers failed to comply, the publishers would simply stop shipping games to the offending stores. And then all of this nasty video game legislation would go away.

Brilliant! ... except for those oh-so-annoying realities.

Continue reading The Political Game: Pax Jack? Don't count on it

JoystiqThe Political Game: Pax Jack? Don't count on it originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 15 Jan 2007 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>columnpoliticsThePoliticalGameMon, 15 Jan 2007 12:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Off the Grid: ... and on again]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/28/off-the-grid-and-on-again/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/28/off-the-grid-and-on-again/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/28/off-the-grid-and-on-again/#commentsFiled under:

Every other week Scott Jon Siegel contributes Off the Grid, a column on gaming away from the television screen or monitor.

I adore analog games. I respect them for their design; I envy them for their relative simplicity; I've even enjoyed playing them, on the several occasions when I've convinced my peers to forego Counterstrike for Carcassonne, Legend of Zelda for LCR.

But try as I might, I can't seem to stay off the grid.

With regards to Joystiq, I feel as though I've made a poor role model. Here I am, writing biweekly columns in advocacy of a non-digital lifestyle and I so often, in my own personal gaming, turn to the Wii or DS instead of a collective game of Fluxx or Kill Doctor Lucky. I'm effectively evangelizing for a religion that I myself do not practice.

So what's the problem here? Is there even a problem? Should I consider rehabilitation, or is there something video games offer me that analog games simply can't?

Continue reading Off the Grid: ... and on again

JoystiqOff the Grid: ... and on again originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 28 Dec 2006 14:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ColumnOffTheGridThu, 28 Dec 2006 14:56:00 EST<![CDATA[Playing Dirty: Dracula wears eyeliner, part II]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/21/playing-dirty-dracula-wears-eyeliner-part-ii/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/21/playing-dirty-dracula-wears-eyeliner-part-ii/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/21/playing-dirty-dracula-wears-eyeliner-part-ii/#commentsFiled under: ,

Every other week, Bonnie Ruberg contributes Playing Dirty, a column on sex and gender in video games:

Last week we looked at the changing art style -- and heros -- of the Castlevania series. From manly to effeminate, they've run the range. But there's more to consider here than a pretty face.

First off, let's take a look at their weapon choice -- or at least their weapons as they're depicted in the official game art. Old-fashioned Castlevania heros, the ones with rippling muscle and leather attire, are almost always depicted with a whip in hand. Later heros, the ones with lacy frills and high cheek bones, seem to prefer other weapons, like swords.

Now, sometimes a weapon is just a weapon, but when it comes to the peculiar case of these super-masculine, super-feminine protagonists, the issue bears a little reading into. The obvious cry would be "Phallic symbol!" But really, what weapon isn't? Instead, the interesting question here is what are these phalluses are up to?

Continue reading Playing Dirty: Dracula wears eyeliner, part II

JoystiqPlaying Dirty: Dracula wears eyeliner, part II originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 21 Dec 2006 18:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>castlevaniacolumnplaying dirtyPlayingDirtyThu, 21 Dec 2006 18:25:00 EST<![CDATA[The Political Game: Censorship in Beantown]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/15/the-political-game-censorship-in-beantown/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/15/the-political-game-censorship-in-beantown/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/15/the-political-game-censorship-in-beantown/#commentsFiled under: ,

Each week Dennis McCauley contributes The Political Game, a column on the collision of politics and video games:

I don't much care for Grand Theft Auto.

Aside from occasional review duties, I don't play Saints Row, either, or Reservoir Dogs or Scarface. Crime games are just not my thing; however, I don't dispute your right to enjoy those titles.

In Boston, though, political pressure has forced the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) to agree that it will no longer carry ads for GTA or any other M-rated game. This came about after an organization known as the Campaign for a Commercial-free Childhood objected to subway ads for GTA Vice City Stories on the MBTA's Green Line.

Faced with a politically tenuous situation, the transit authority folded, deciding that it could ban M-rated game ads under the same rationale by which it refuses ads for X-rated movies. This is the games-as-porn approach that failed so miserably in Louisiana recently.

Continue reading The Political Game: Censorship in Beantown

JoystiqThe Political Game: Censorship in Beantown originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 15 Dec 2006 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>columnGTAMBTAThePoliticalGameVice City StoriesViceCityStoriesFri, 15 Dec 2006 10:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Playing Dirty: Dracula wears eyeliner]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/14/playing-dirty-dracula-wears-eyeliner/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/14/playing-dirty-dracula-wears-eyeliner/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/14/playing-dirty-dracula-wears-eyeliner/#commentsFiled under: ,

Every other week, Bonnie Ruberg contributes Playing Dirty, a column on sex and gender in video games:

For Castlevania fans, it's hardly news that the series has undergone some serious shifts in art direction over the years. But with the recent release of the Castlevania retrospective art book -- a Portrait of Ruin pre-order bonus -- it's gotten easier to track just how much things have changed. From romance novel-esque to stunningly stylized to "Didn't I see this anime on Fox Kids?," Castlevania's art aesthetic, if not its gameplay, has covered a vast range. But it's not just the approach that's different, it's the characters themselves.

In the beginning, titles like Castlevania II featured heroes with rippling muscles, loincloths, and virile locks of coarse blond hair. In contrast to these manly men, protagonists from later games, like Symphony of the Night, became thin bishounen, elegantly dressed, with delicate and undeniably feminine features. Most recently though, Castlevania heroes have reclaimed some of their traditional manhood. The protagonist of Portrait of Ruin may have fancier duds than the he-men of earlier titles, but he's grown back his six pack, his unromanticized features, and his save-the-day blond bangs.

Continue reading Playing Dirty: Dracula wears eyeliner

JoystiqPlaying Dirty: Dracula wears eyeliner originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 14 Dec 2006 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Castlevaniacolumnplaying dirtyPlayingDirtyThu, 14 Dec 2006 16:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Playing Dirty: Pretty Pretty Princess]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/30/playing-dirty-pretty-pretty-princess/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/30/playing-dirty-pretty-pretty-princess/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/30/playing-dirty-pretty-pretty-princess/#commentsFiled under: ,

Every other week, Bonnie Ruberg contributes Playing Dirty, a column on sex and gender in video games:

I have made a grave mistake.

Starting up a new game of Twilight Princess last week, I must have suffered a momentary lapse of sanity. I actually thought it would be a good idea -- just this once -- to change Link's name to my own. I'm the player, aren't I? Why shouldn't dialog text be addressed to me? I deserve some attention, too.

Stupid, stupid, stupid. Now every time someone speaks to young, heroic Link, they keep calling him "Bonnie." So far, he hasn't really seemed to notice, but it sure makes me feel funny. Girls sweetly bat their eyelashes and say my name. Men entrust me with complicated tasks without questioning whether I can complete them. It's just plain old weird.

Link runs, he jumps, he slashes things: everything he's always done. Except now he does it with a girl's name. In thirty seconds of poor judgment, I've made Link a name cross-dresser.

Continue reading Playing Dirty: Pretty Pretty Princess

JoystiqPlaying Dirty: Pretty Pretty Princess originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 30 Nov 2006 11:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ColumnColumnsPlaying DirtyPlayingDirtyThu, 30 Nov 2006 11:55:00 EST<![CDATA[Off the Grid: Thanksgiving edition (or industry favorites)]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/23/off-the-grid-thanksgiving-edition-or-industry-favorites/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/23/off-the-grid-thanksgiving-edition-or-industry-favorites/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/23/off-the-grid-thanksgiving-edition-or-industry-favorites/#commentsFiled under: ,

Every other week Scott Jon Siegel contributes Off the Grid, a column on gaming away from the television screen or monitor.

Between the launches of the PS3 and the Nintendo Wii, we're just about up to our ears in digital game coverage. So I've taken it upon myself to balance things out a bit with some analog lovin'. Fail to secure the hottest consoles on their launch dates? Looking for something a little less expensive to get you through the week? Or are you just jonesing for something other than Zelda? No need to worry; Off the Grid's got you covered.

This week, in honor of Thanksgiving in the States (ok, not really), I've asked a few developers and industry personalities what their favorite non-digital games are. Like a great big turkey dinner with your relatives, let's dispense with the formalities and just dive right in.


At present, it's probably Alan Moon's TICKET TO RIDE, a railroad game. Multiplayer, simple rules set but with surprising strategic complexity, playable in less than an hour, and sufficient randomness that games are not monotonously similar, but not so much that luck overwhelms the better players. I first played it in a wood-stove-heated country house in the depths of a Finnish winter night, but these days play it more often with my kids.
-- Greg Costikyan, Manifesto Games


My GO anecdote is actually stolen from Mahk LeBlanc, ex-Looking Glass guy. Mahk said that when the aliens finally land, and we learn to communicate with them, and then we describe Go, they'll reply, "oh yeah, we have that game". It's the uber game. Most complexity and subtlety and beauty from fewest rules. It will never be bested.

After that, it's a long way down, but maybe Sid Sackson's DOMINATION?
-- Chris Hecker, EA/Maxis

Continue reading Off the Grid: Thanksgiving edition (or industry favorites)

JoystiqOff the Grid: Thanksgiving edition (or industry favorites) originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 23 Nov 2006 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Analog gamesAnalogGamesColumnColumnsOff the GridoffthegridThu, 23 Nov 2006 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Political Game: It's the Economy, Stupid]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/17/the-political-game-its-the-economy-stupid/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/17/the-political-game-its-the-economy-stupid/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/17/the-political-game-its-the-economy-stupid/#commentsFiled under: ,

Each week Dennis McCauley contributes The Political Game, a column on the collision of politics and video games:

Canada gets it.

The Canadian government is offering grants and a contest to support emerging game developers. The program is called the Great Canadian Video Game Competition, and ten small firms will receive funding. The best of their game projects will be recognized at next year's GDC. The overall winner will receive a half-million dollar award.

Okay, that's Canadian dollars, but still. Why is Canada doing this? To help create Canadian IP and Canadian jobs.

So why do American politicos expend so much time and energy on futile video game content laws instead of helping grow the industry and work to keep the jobs it creates from going to New Delhi or Saigon or even Montreal?

It's baffling. Like moths to a flame, U.S. elected officials waste incredible amounts of time and energy each year on video game laws that aren't worth the paper they are printed on. In Utah this week, the legislature decided to once again consider a "games-as-porn" bill in the upcoming session, against the advice of the state's Attorney General. The Utah pols also chose to ignore the fact that a very similar bill has been blocked by a federal judge from taking effect in Louisiana.

Continue reading The Political Game: It's the Economy, Stupid

JoystiqThe Political Game: It's the Economy, Stupid originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 17 Nov 2006 14:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>columncolumnspoliticsThe Political GameThePoliticalGameFri, 17 Nov 2006 14:25:00 EST<![CDATA[Playing Dirty: Women on the Wii]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/16/playing-dirty-women-on-the-wii/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/16/playing-dirty-women-on-the-wii/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/16/playing-dirty-women-on-the-wii/#commentsFiled under: ,

Every other week, Bonnie Ruberg contributes Playing Dirty, a column on sex and gender in video games:

It's so easy, your girlfriend would play. Or your mother. Or your grandmother.

Last week at the 2006 Montreal International Games Summit, Reggie Fils-Aimé, president of Nintendo America -- super tall guy, and fun-with-Photoshop favorite -- gave a keynote on marketing the Wii. Besides being a general pep rally for the new console -- Nintendo beats Sony, rah rah rah! -- Reggie's talk stressed the Wii's ability to attract new gamers; specifically, Reggie mentioned older gamers, children, and women.

It's no shock that much fewer women play video games than men. So from a business standpoint, it makes sense that Nintendo would want to expand their sales into that new market. But whether the Wii and its PR are doing something "good" for the state of gaming equality, that's a whole other story.

Continue reading Playing Dirty: Women on the Wii

JoystiqPlaying Dirty: Women on the Wii originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 16 Nov 2006 16:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ColumnColumnsPlaying DirtyPlayingDirtyWiiThu, 16 Nov 2006 16:10:00 EST<![CDATA[The Political Game: Going negative]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/10/the-political-game-going-negative/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/10/the-political-game-going-negative/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/10/the-political-game-going-negative/#commentsFiled under: ,

Each week Dennis McCauley contributes The Political Game, a column on the collision of politics and video games:

It's obvious to anyone who watches T.V., listens to the radio or gives a second glance to their junk mail: political campaign ads these days are almost exclusively of the negative variety.

The just-completed 2006 mid-term elections saw video game issues raised more than ever before. In the run-up to Tuesday's Democratic sweep, a number of campaign commercials either touted their candidates' positions on regulating video game content or attacked opponents for failing to do so.

U.S. Senators Hillary Clinton and Rick Santorum both had commercials that mentioned video game content issues. She won, he lost.

In Indiana, incumbent Republican Congressman Mike Sodrel's campaign ran a nasty attack ad bashing his opponent, Democrat Baron Hill, for voting against a 1999 amendment to a juvenile crime bill that would have placed restrictions on video game sales.

The dramatic ad featured a black screen with audio of young boys, apparently playing GTA, and saying things like:

"Hit the hooker with the tire iron!" "Steal the old lady's car." "Shoot her first!"

Continue reading The Political Game: Going negative

JoystiqThe Political Game: Going negative originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 10 Nov 2006 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ColumnColumnspoliticsThe Political GameThePoliticalGameFri, 10 Nov 2006 11:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Playing Dirty: That's so gay]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/02/playing-dirty-thats-so-gay/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/02/playing-dirty-thats-so-gay/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/02/playing-dirty-thats-so-gay/#commentsFiled under: ,

Every other week, Bonnie Ruberg contributes Playing Dirty, a column on sex and gender in video games:

Puppies are gay. Dancing is for homos. Even Link is a little queer.

"Gay" has become a strange, strange word. From happy to homosexual to stupid, it can mean many different things. But there's no ambiguity in an insult like "That's so gay" - the favorite homophobic tag line of defenders of the heterosexual norm. It's like a built-in security system: whatever doesn't fit in gets "outed."

Of course, there's no group that fits the heterosexual norm - young, male, straight - better than gamers. At least, that's how we're perceived, and often how we act: as a boys' club. We like big guns, fast cars, hot women. Maybe that's why we're so quick to attack games that lack traditional testosterone. Between forums, blogs, and general grumblings, gamers have declared everything from Nintendogs to Dance Dance Revolution to The Wind Waker (Bright colors? Queer!) "gay."

Rockstar's Bully, however, doesn't fit that list. It's not pretty, or cute. If you don't watch out, it might even beat you up for your lunch money. Like the Grand Theft Auto series before it -- and especially the oh-so-controversial, hidden hetero action in San Andreas -- it's a man's game. Which, perhaps, is why we're so surprised to learn that Bully, too, is "gay."

Continue reading Playing Dirty: That's so gay

JoystiqPlaying Dirty: That's so gay originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 Nov 2006 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BullyColumnGayGLBTPlaying DirtyPlayingDirtyRockstarThu, 02 Nov 2006 11:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Playing Dirty: Playing with ourselves]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/19/playing-dirty-playing-with-ourselves/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/19/playing-dirty-playing-with-ourselves/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/19/playing-dirty-playing-with-ourselves/#commentsFiled under: ,

Every other week, Bonnie Ruberg contributes Playing Dirty, a column on sex and gender in video games:

"God knows what he does with himself, all alone. He's weird. I mean, he won't hang out with other kids. Probably plays video games."

Trapped in a barber's seat with my hair half cut, I'm listening to a forty-something hair stylist describe her new stepson. Maybe he sounds familiar: nice but shy, a little overweight, smart, into fantasy ("that dragon stuff"). Her son rides dirt bikes and has tons of friends. What the heck's wrong with this kid?

Note how the speculation about video games gets spat out with extra scorn. The most antisocial behavior this woman can think up for a twelve-year-old boy? The thing he does by himself, in his room, when nobody's around? Games. After all, it's his aptitude for flying solo that really bugs her. He's content to be by himself. Apparently there's something about that that's unnatural, even dirty.

Continue reading Playing Dirty: Playing with ourselves

JoystiqPlaying Dirty: Playing with ourselves originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 19 Oct 2006 13:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ColumnColumnsMasturbationonanismPlaying DirtyPlayingDirtyThu, 19 Oct 2006 13:50:00 EST