News & Views
1/16/16-1/22/16
Let The
Impact Factor keep you cozy on this cold, dark and rainy (at least in the Bay
Area) Friday. This week was a pretty good one, though I’m more than ready for
the weekend. So many great games to play!
News &
Views compiles the best and most interesting gaming stories from around the web
each week. Check out the links below for cool writing about the PhD’s who are
changing games, the math of Hearthstone,
making roguelike randomness visible in Tharsis,
and how emulation is good for more than just archival.
And of
course you can check out the brand new episode of The Impact Factor podcast
that was posted today! You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, or if you prefer other methods,
check out our SoundCloud. We’re on YouTube too!
Spotlight
Patrick Stafford,
Polygon
Worth Reading
Jamin
Warren, Kill Screen
Michael
Shalyt, Gamasutra
Patrick
Klepek, Kotaku
Chris
Priestman, Kill Screen
Maxime
Beaudoin, Gingear Studio
With Comments
Will
Partin, Kill Screen
Tharsis is a game I’ve been having a good time with
this past week or so. Now that I’ve put it down (likely for good), I was
curious what others were saying. Much to my surprise, so many people loathe the
game. Huh. While reading through all the negativity I found this, a piece by
Will Partin praising the ‘bad’ game design of Tharsis. His take is an interesting one. His thesis essentially boils down to
how the punishing and random nature of Tharsis is emblematic of the unseen forces of the universe, and how reality is
impartial towards human life. The inevitability of death is a constant. I liked
what Partin had to say.
Roy Graham,
Gamasutra
More Tharsis talk. Sorry, this game (& even more so the discussion around it)
has really sucked me in. Roy Graham writes about the randomness of Tharsis and how, at times, progression is more
about gambling than it is about strategy. I agree. I wish the article had
talked about the dichotomy between randomness and strategy, which is the issue
at the heart of the game’s detractors. A good read regardless.
Dan Silver,
Eurogamer
Dan Silver has a great interview
with Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckmann about the end of Uncharted, one of last generation’s best IPs. I’ll be sad to see it go, but
Druckmann has me convinced it’s the right move. Really excited for what they
have coming next.
Jeff
Gerstmann, Giantbomb
Gertsmann writes a great little
piece about how emulating old games can go far, far beyond archival. One of
most salient points is about how contemporary emulation allows old games to be
dissected, and inspected, in ways that were never possible before. Looking at,
and playing with, the code of old titles gives insight into game design (the
hows & whys of its existence), and discovering the many secrets hidden
below the player interface. We live in an exciting time.
That polygon article looks interesting, but too long. Like Alex, I also don't like reading
ReplyDeleteA truer statement was never said. It's worth a read if you ever muster the energy!
Delete