News & Views

10/22/16-10/28/16

Happy (almost) Halloween everyone!

News & Views collects the week’s best writing about video games and puts it all into one convenient place. Check out the links below for stories about how voice actors aren’t told what games they are working on, a ten-year journey to release a pixel art indie game, and elaborate revenge scheme in EVE Online, and a nearly 350 hour long ‘speed run.’

And of course please 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

The Biggest Video Games Don't Tell Voice Actors What Game They're Working On

Emanuel Maiberg, Motherboard

Worth Reading

Thoughts on Fighting Game Difficulty and Casual

Matthew DeLucas, Gamasutra

This Guy Spent 342 Hours Speedrunning a Card-Based JRPG

Patrick Klepek, Waypoint

EVE Online player fakes suicide attempt as part of an elaborate scheme for revenge and money

Steven Messner, PC Gamer

Dungeons of the mind: Tabletop RPGs as social therapy

Chris Berg, Kill Screen

Game Design Deep Dive: Creating an adaptive narrative in Reigns

Francois Alliot, Gamasutra

The Exhausting Ten-Year Journey to Release 'Owlboy'

Patrick Klepek, Waypoint

The Thing's video game sequel got everything right except the Thing

Anthony John Agnello, A.V. Club

News & Views

10/15/16-10/21/16

News & Views collects the week’s best writing about video games and compiles them into one convenient place. Check out the links below for stories about a level that took 300 hours to make, how consoles are compromising their ‘play now’ identity, a core failure of military shooter video games, and why is it is difficult to make a video game.

And of course please 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

Why It's So Hard to Make a Video Game

Tina Amini, Waypoint

Worth Reading

The Legend of Zelda: The Windwaker's dungeon design

Mark Brown, Boss Keys

Why 'Skyrim' Forever Remains in the Shadow of 'Morrowind'

Jim Trinca, Waypoint

Doom 2 modder spends 300 hours making a three-hour level

Jeffrey Matulef, Eurogamer

Why VR Is the Next Step for Walking Simulator Games

Matthew Walden, Rolling Stone

How Consoles Broke The 'Play Now' Promise

Jim Sterling, The Jimquisition

Skyrim modder creates mysterious potion and has no clue what it even does

Steven Messner, PC Gamer

Virtual war zones and the failure of the military shooter

Dan Hill, Kill Screen

The Art of Escape: What do we gain from giving inmates access to video games?

Ryan Bradley, Longreads