2/9

§GAME SERIES
§SILENT HILL§ That's what has been missing from the series. The manipulation. The off-kilter madness. The worlds within worlds on top of worlds, in Silent Hill itself and between the player and the game, all tied together in an elaborate metatextual knot. The sequels, particularly those developed in the west, saw only the gore and the monsters. They saw Pyramid Head as an iconic slasher movie villain rather than a very specific Jungian symbol. They saw the fog, the meat and the rust, heard the sirens, and slavishly copied them while spectacularly missing the point.

Finally, that may be about to change. Hideo Kojima has long said he'd love to make a Silent Hill game, and since this is the guy who made Psycho Mantis taunt you with the contents of your memory card, I'm confident he sees the potential for more than just a gonzo splatter game.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-08-17-why-silent-hill-2-is-still-the-most-disturbing-game-ever-made

§

§BIOSHOCK§
Bioshock 2 is the best Bioshock. It has the best gameplay and story, yes, but it also is the best at being Bioshock.
/.../
 Bioshock is about extreme philosophy, parenthood, and the subversion of flesh, mind, and environment. Bioshock 2 is the purest instance of this formula.
/.../
The other Bioshock games present philosophies of abuse and ask you to lend them credibility. Bioshock 2 hands you apparently-nurturing altruism and asks you to see the darkness in it. Not only is that more interesting but it’s also more ethical.
http://ludusnovus.net/2014/08/29/the-sublime-bioshock-2/







§COMMUNITY

We, “video games,” do not “take care of our own.”

On the contrary: We expect freelance professionals to function as our avatars, to say and do what we ourselves wish we could say and do. And when the battle becomes too much—when the fight is too great, the baddies too numerous—we absolve ourselves by shutting off the Xbox.
http://infinitelives.net/2014/08/31/you-have-to-protect-yourself/§

Thoughts on Anita Sarkeesian, Zoe Quinn & More | Game/Show | PBS Digital Studios
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iO8Cck3vm_o

§

Women as Background Decoration: Part 2 - Tropes vs Women in Video Games
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5i_RPr9DwMA

§

The News is Ruined
http://www.gametrailers.com/videos/qc6a91/the-final-bosman-the-news-is-ruined

PC vs Console: Why the Hate? | Game/Show | PBS Digital Studios
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XH1UuxxmiQ4

Design Club - The Blue Shell - Why Mario Kart's Most Hated Item Makes It Better
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFfga8-3SZI







§DESIGN
Extra Credits - First Move Advantage - How to Balance Turn-Based Games
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRHdIScOMWQ§

Castlevania & History Special - Did You Know Gaming? Feat. Markiplier
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WY1TUJal0E

§

Games typically want to communicate the importance of the power to choose, while pieces like Benthic Love have you contemplate the function of choosing anything in the first place.
http://www.mattiebrice.com/benthic-love/