Blogs - Video Games and Human Values Initiative

Announcing VGHVI guest-hosted multiplayer gaming nights!

One of the most important parts of the mission of VGHVI is to get our members playing video games together, to have something to talk about in our signature interdisciplinary way and, well, just to have a lot of fun. Over the past year or so we've done that on a pretty much weekly basis, and it's been really wonderful. We've played every kind of multiplayer game there is, from Castle Crashers to Carcassonne. Frankly, when I think of these Thursday nights, what comes instantly to mi… Continue

Added by Roger Travis on November 7, 2009 at 4:13pm — No Comments

Context Clues for October 25-31, 2009

This past week was certainly an exciting one. You may be aware that there are folks out there who still dismiss games as being the same mainly lighthearted distractions that once populated the first video arcades. Seems to me that the mere fact that games cause controversy beyond "Pac-Man Fever" is a solid indication that games have moved forward from the days of Centipede and Joust. Growing up isn't just about growing pains, though. At some point, trying to wear the same shoes… Continue

Added by Erik Hanson on November 3, 2009 at 9:00am — No Comments

Evernote Clips Archive, & Google Wave

I've started archiving clips of all the articles I link here via a public Evernote notebook. I've also started trying to collaborate with Ben Abraham (Critical Distance and SLRC) on pulling clips and feeds together. If you'd like to be part of that work (because you like helping, want to see how the sausage is made, of would like to see more clips and links--perhaps for your own link-outs), don't hesitate to let me… Continue

Added by Erik Hanson on October 28, 2009 at 4:30pm — 3 Comments

Context Clues for October 18-24, 2009

Day late and a penny wiser on this one, to perform ungodly genetic experiments with cliches. And the reasons? There are no reasons. Who needs reasons when ... oh right. I have a reason.

Yeah, I was doing work. And yes, I own that shirt. Why don't you? Do you not also requi… Continue

Added by Erik Hanson on October 27, 2009 at 5:00pm — 1 Comment

Context Clues for October 11-17, 2009

Welcome back! Here's what you may have missed, recently, on The Internet: Heads up: I've taken out the "pop" in these links, so they won't automatically open in a new tab or page anymore. If you have a strong opinion on the matter, please let me know. Meanwhile, let's cross our fingers and hope that these 40-something links all work properly.

The Game Of Love

We'd best be careful with all this love talk, lest Hallmark catch wind and stick us with another holiday. G. Christop… Continue

Added by Erik Hanson on October 19, 2009 at 7:50pm — 1 Comment

Context Clues for October 4-10, 2009

I decided to give myself Columbus Day off here at Context Clues, in honor of the Scandinavians who found Canada years beforehand and decided they didn't really want it (though Minnesota later suited them just fine). I hope you don't mind the backwards ethnic pride. Anyway, the idea has always been to have Context Clues posted at the beginning of the work week. This week, it's starting late. Apologies. Also, I was busy spinning my wheels all weekend for silly reasons like "paychecks," but let's… Continue

Added by Erik Hanson on October 13, 2009 at 1:27pm — No Comments

Context Clues for September 27-October 3, 2009

I have a confession. I've been playing Europa Universalis III instead of reading more blogs. I'm not terribly repentant, though, so you'd better get used to this potentially diminished level of awesome (still pretty great, if you ask me) coverage of the ol' middle circle. The thought occurs to me that not everyone knows what "middle circle" refers to. I wanted to link to the relevant post, but it seems that "middle circle" in Google is mostly results in links about middle schools, whil… Continue

Added by Erik Hanson on October 5, 2009 at 12:00pm — 4 Comments

Context Clues for September 20-26, 2009

Front and center for the completely biased, self-serving announcement of the Proceedings of the Video Games and Human Values Initiative. [Insert massive media blitz here.] Justin Keverne leads off the Proceedings of the Video Games And Human Values Initiative with an analysis of freedom and control in Assassin's Creed. Roger Travis explains how he hopes the Proceedings of the VGHVI (the PVGHVI)… Continue

Added by Erik Hanson on September 28, 2009 at 2:48pm — No Comments

Proceedings of the VGHVI 1.1!

VGHVI is pleased to publish its first proceeding, Justin Keverne's "Game within a game: freedom and control in Assassin's Creed." This article, here, is the pilot of what we hope will be a new approach to scholarly publication in the interdisciplinary discourse on video games. Readers are invited and encouraged not only to discuss the article, but also to provide the benefits that traditionally have been in the hand… Continue

Added by Roger Travis on September 22, 2009 at 10:30am — 2 Comments

Context Clues for September 13-19, 2009

Welcome to Context Clues, where no blog post is an island. Seems sort of a thin week. You could blame me for not spending as much time reaching further into the seedy, uncharted depths (beyond this place, there be Dragon Age "romance"), or you could blame yourself for not creating or disseminating more thoughtful writing. Either way, I enjoyed playing Space Hulk without you. Alternate heading schemes for this week included "Successes, Struggles, & Semantics," "Forward, Back… Continue

Added by Erik Hanson on September 21, 2009 at 12:00pm — No Comments

Context Clues for September 6-12, 2009

Criticism & Culture

Nick Lalone (Before Game Design) compares the cultures surrounding games now to the culture of the first video games. Scott Juster (Experience Points) responds to a PAX panel's attempt to map a way forward for games treating serious issues. Scott makes a clear argument that… Continue

Added by Erik Hanson on September 14, 2009 at 12:00pm — 3 Comments

Context Clues for August 30-September 5

It was a busy week, hopefully capped, for many of us, by a relaxing and long weekend. Now, let's get down to mechanics, dynamics and both games and events involving adults wearing costumes. Gamasutra features a post by Expert Blogger David Rosen in which David creates topographical maps of potential solutions to game problems. The post shows how games can respond to inco… Continue

Added by Erik Hanson on September 8, 2009 at 8:00am — 1 Comment

Context Clues for August 23-29, 2009

Times are changing here on the floor at GenreCon 2009. I'm seeing predictions of sea change and relishing in the irony of still-diverging definitions of "ontology." I apologize, however, that I did not manage to bring a camera for cosplay pics. Nor have I assembled a "Top 10 Ubiquities of GenreCon" list.

Following Comics--No, I mean that in a good way.

James Portnow (Gamasutra Features) sees the current overabundance of talent in the games industry as a portent of a massive… Continue

Added by Erik Hanson on August 31, 2009 at 3:00pm — No Comments

Context Clues for August 15-22, 2009

L.B. Jeffries says, "Video game criticism is tricky because everyone is talking about the same things but they are either using concepts that have become ubiquitous like the magic circle or attempting to reinvent the wheel." That's the same central problem that we're trying to ameliorate here on Context Clues, and that… Continue

Added by Erik Hanson on August 24, 2009 at 2:00pm — No Comments

Context Clues: August 9-15, 2009

I decided on a new, spiffy title! Hang on to your style guides, because this blog just got an exciting new jolt of identity! I've also switched my RSS subscription from Kotaku to Kotaku AU (which sometimes has extra, tasty bits of thought)--so my apologies if you're linked to an upside-down version of an article or two. The URLs from each site don't translate easily. In other news, I spent one day at GenCon and bought the entire place. I have a weakness for neat game mechanics and pretty boards… Continue

Added by Erik Hanson on August 17, 2009 at 2:00pm — 2 Comments

Week In Review: August 2-8, 2009

Did that mid-summer lull I was promised finally hit, or have I just been skimming more than usual? Pardon the dust this week as I both attempt to remember how the internet works and try to find a way to streamline the production process. I'm considering hiring an intern. I pay mostly in hostile judgments and derogatory remarks. Frank Forrestall (Gamasutra Blogs) looks over the past decade of games and sees flickers of spirituality that he associates with more mature art forms.… Continue

Added by Erik Hanson on August 10, 2009 at 4:34pm — 2 Comments

Week In Review: July 19-24, 2009

Running a bit short. Feel free to mark this incomplete.

Pacing: The Thick & Chunky One

Daniel "StolenName" Purvis (Graffiti Gamer) notes one similarity between literature and games: The audience has ultimate control of the work's pace. What's the difference between Source mods Age Of Chivalry and Pirates, Vikings, Knights II? According to Fraser McMillan (Resolution),… Continue

Added by Erik Hanson on July 27, 2009 at 11:30am — No Comments

Extension Request

I'm getting married in two days, and for the next week will be significantly less online than is my custom. With this in mind, I'll try and post an abbreviated version of this week's notes, but won't be back in swing until August 10. While I'm gone, feel free to post links to good writing that you notice, or to your own work that you'd like to share. In the meantime, there are some similar (though less comprehensive and more broadly focused) weekly reviews and link-aggregating sites out there… Continue

Added by Erik Hanson on July 23, 2009 at 2:37pm — 1 Comment

July 12-18, 2009 Week In Review

This week features topics that have been discussed before, but with new angles, passions and nuances.

Develop '09:

Simon Carless (GameSetWatch) and Brian Ashcraft (Kotaku) report that Dave Thomson of Denki spoke at the Develop Conference, calling for the end of "casual" as a g… Continue

Added by Erik Hanson on July 20, 2009 at 12:00pm — No Comments

July 5-11, 2009: Week In Review

I'm really impressed by how cohesive the conversations are starting to become out there on the internet. It makes my heart warm to know that we're moving from shouting at the darkness to shouting at each other.

Death And Resonance

Tom Cross (Gamasutra News) thinks that emergent narrative isn't ready to truly replace more traditional narrative plot. Michael Clarkson (Discount Thoughts) may disagree, as… Continue

Added by Erik Hanson on July 13, 2009 at 2:00pm — 5 Comments

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