News & Views

4/30/16-5/6/16

Hello and welcome to another week of News & Views! I know I’m excited to sit down and re-read some of these fantastic pieces I found around the web this week. So whether you’re taking a break from the Overwatch open beta or waiting in the theater to see Captain America: Civil War, take some time to give these great authors a read!

This week I found stories about the history of the fireball spell in games, lamenting the loss of the cheesy yet iconic Street Fighter music, and design lessons learned after working on a massively successful game for over 20 years.

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

20 lessons learned from 20 years of making Magic: The Gathering

Mark Rosewater, Gamasutra

Worth Reading

Their future is Epic: The evolution of a gaming giant

Brian Crecente, Polygon

Hardboiled Wonderland: Videogames and the Case of the Forgotten Genre

Kenneth Lowe, Paste

EVE Online and Gamer Historians

Charles Singletary, Unwinnable

A brief history of the fireball in fantasy games

Jon Peterson, Gamasutra

Memoirs of an Invisible Player

Jon Irwin, Paste

With Comments

A jazz tribute to one of Super Smash Bros.'s greatest performances

Joshua Calixto, Kill Screen

The first in a pair of musical stories I wanted to spotlight this week. Joshua Calixto comments on a video that made its way around the web this week – an impressive improvisational jazz drumming performance set to one of the most infamous Super Smash Bros. Melee competitive matches of all time. The synesthetic experience is not one to be missed. I love the performance and would love to see more like this.

Where did the fun Street Fighter music go?

Ario Barzan, Kill Screen
Onto the second musical story. While I don’t necessarily agree with everything Barzan says, his point is well taken. Old Street Fighter music is corny, terrible, yet totally glorious and memorable. I don’t think that Street Figher V is a quote “aural swamp” (as much as I like the term), but much of the music has been toned down. I, however, do not see how anyone can deny the greatness that is RA-SHI-DOOOOOOOOOO.

YouTube data shows that yes, game betas can also be great marketing tools

Alex Wawro, Gamasutra

In no-one-was-surprised news, it turns out betas work as game ads. It’s something we’ve talked a lot about on the podcast. We are seeing more and more ‘betas’ that aren’t beta builds at all, but rather are snippets of a finished final game. Betas are now game demos. This report hit close to home for me because I am using Overwatch’s current open beta to determine whether or not I want to buy it at release. If that’s not an ad, I don’t know what is.

The Making of Pandemic - the board game hit that went viral

Rick Lane, Eurogamer

Pandemic is the board game that got me into designer board games. Its simple premise and gameplay mask extraordinary complexity and unlimited fun. Author Rick Lane speaks with the game’s designer, Matt Leacock, about the conceptual and physical journey to creating and releasing the now mega-famous board game. Worth reading to be sure.

The Impact Factor Ep. 52: Cowboys, Airships, Tentacles
Podcast
Welcome to the 52nd episode of The Impact Factor! The Impact Factor is what happens when two scientists, and two best friends, get together to talk about video games. Hosts Alex Samocha [biomedical scientist] and Charles Fliss [social scientist] sit down every week to discuss the week in gaming! Listen in for the news, views, and games that made the biggest impact!

Please send your suggestions and feedback to: impactfactorpodcast@gmail.com

In this episode Alex and Fliss talk about Nintendo, the NX, Persona 5, From Software, Amazon Prime, Oxenfree, Call of Duty, Darkest Dungeon, Hearthstone, Dark Souls III and much more!

Subscribe to us on iTunes

YouTube page

For articles and reviews from Alex, check out: www.theimpactfactor.blogspot.com
For a blog about Japan, pop culture & more from Fliss, check out:

www.flissofthenorthstar.blogspot.com

Follow Alex @alexsamocha on Twitter. twitch.tv/megalodonphd
Follow Fliss @thecfliss on Twitter. twitch.tv/flissofthenorthstar

Intro song:

You Kill My Brother by Go! Go! Go! Micro Invasion, East Jakarta Chiptunes Compilations. Freemusic Archive. (Attribution Noncommercial Share-Alike License)
freemusicarchive.org/music/Indonesi…s_Compilation/
Transitions:
News & Views and Perspectives transitions from victorcenusa, Freesound.org (Creative Commons 0 License)
freesound.org/people/victorcenusa/sounds/148785/
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Experimental Methods transition from Sentuniman, Freesound.org (Attribution Noncommercial License)
freesound.org/people/Setuniman/sounds/143994/

News & Views

4/9/16-4/15/16

News & Views collects the week’s best gaming writing. Check out below for stories about the environmental storytelling of corpses, when is the right time to show off your eSport strategy, how Final Fantasy XV has a good message about toxic masculinity, and how Spelunky makes perfect maps. Apologies for not having comments this week- today is a whirlwind!

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 Minecraft Generation

Clive Thompson, The New York Times Magazine

Worth Reading

'Final Fantasy XV' Sends an Important Message About Toxic Masculinity

Natalie Rachel, FemHype

Learn how Spelunky creates a 'perfect' map every time you play

Ben Kuchera, Polygon

Final Fantasy VII's Legacy Gets Everything About Final Fantasy VII Wrong

Harry Mackin, Paste

That Time A Publisher Turns A Teenage Fantasy Into Their Entire Marketing Campaign

Patrick Klepek, Kotaku

Attempting to master Hearthstone in 30 days

Richard Procter, Polygon

Should You Save It For Nationals?

David Graham, Redbull

Mike Tyson's Punch Out!! still has secrets to share, 29 years later

Owen S. Good, Polygon

A Garden of Bodies

Bruno Dias, Giantbomb

So you want to write a trans character

Katherine Cross, Gamasutra

A Tragic Story Of Two Best Friends Who Loved Dark Souls

Patrick Klepek, Kotaku

The Impact Factor Ep. 49: The Burning Beard
Podcast
Welcome to the 49th episode of The Impact Factor! The Impact Factor is what happens when two scientists, and two best friends, get together to talk about video games. Hosts Alex Samocha [biomedical scientist] and Charles Fliss [social scientist] sit down every week to discuss the week in gaming! Listen in for the news, views, and games that made the biggest impact!

Please send your suggestions and feedback to: impactfactorpodcast@gmail.com

In this episode Alex and Fliss talk about Kingdom Hearts Unchained, EvE Online, Oculus, Vive, VR, DOOM, eSports, DOTA2, Baldur’s Gate, No Man’s Sky, Miitomo, Zootopia and much more!

“What do you do in No Man’s Sky and Other Questions”

Subscribe to us on iTunes

YouTube page

For articles and reviews from Alex, check out: www.theimpactfactor.blogspot.com
For a blog about Japan, pop culture & more from Fliss, check out:

www.flissofthenorthstar.blogspot.com

Follow Alex @alexsamocha on Twitter. twitch.tv/megalodonphd
Follow Fliss @thecfliss on Twitter. twitch.tv/flissofthenorthstar

Intro song:

You Kill My Brother by Go! Go! Go! Micro Invasion, East Jakarta Chiptunes Compilations. Freemusic Archive. (Attribution Noncommercial Share-Alike License)
freemusicarchive.org/music/Indonesi…s_Compilation/
Transitions:
News & Views and Perspectives transitions from victorcenusa, Freesound.org (Creative Commons 0 License)
freesound.org/people/victorcenusa/sounds/148785/
freesound.org/people/victorcenusa/sounds/148784/
Experimental Methods transition from Sentuniman, Freesound.org (Attribution Noncommercial License)
freesound.org/people/Setuniman/sounds/143994/

The Impact Factor Ep. 48: A Literal Potato
Podcast
Welcome to the 48th episode of The Impact Factor! The Impact Factor is what happens when two scientists, and two best friends, get together to talk about video games. Hosts Alex Samocha [biomedical scientist] and Charles Fliss [social scientist] sit down every week to discuss the week in gaming! Listen in for the news, views, and games that made the biggest impact!

Please send your suggestions and feedback to: impactfactorpodcast@gmail.com

In this episode Alex and Fliss talk about Street Fighter V, Final Fantasy XV, PS4K, Heroes of the Storm, Overwatch, eSports Hall of Fame, CD Projekt Red, Clash Royale, Pony Island, Batman v Superman and much more!

The Witcher 3 developer on talking to fans: 'The worst thing is silence' by Matt Leone, Polygon

Subscribe to us on iTunes

YouTube page

For articles and reviews from Alex, check out: www.theimpactfactor.blogspot.com
For a blog about Japan, pop culture & more from Fliss, check out:

www.flissofthenorthstar.blogspot.com

Follow Alex @alexsamocha on Twitter. twitch.tv/megalodonphd
Follow Fliss @thecfliss on Twitter. twitch.tv/flissofthenorthstar

Intro song:

You Kill My Brother by Go! Go! Go! Micro Invasion, East Jakarta Chiptunes Compilations. Freemusic Archive. (Attribution Noncommercial Share-Alike License)
freemusicarchive.org/music/Indonesi…s_Compilation/
Transitions:
News & Views and Perspectives transitions from victorcenusa, Freesound.org (Creative Commons 0 License)
freesound.org/people/victorcenusa/sounds/148785/
freesound.org/people/victorcenusa/sounds/148784/
Experimental Methods transition from Sentuniman, Freesound.org (Attribution Noncommercial License)
freesound.org/people/Setuniman/sounds/143994/

The Impact Factor Ep. 46: Half Bunny, Half Blob
Podcast
Welcome to the 46th episode of The Impact Factor! The Impact Factor is what happens when two scientists, and two best friends, get together to talk about video games. Hosts Alex Samocha [biomedical scientist] and Charles Fliss [social scientist] sit down every week to discuss the week in gaming! Listen in for the news, views, and games that made the biggest impact!

Please send your suggestions and feedback to: impactfactorpodcast@gmail.com

In this episode Alex and Fliss talk about GDC, PlayStation VR, Hearthstone, Xbox cross play, The Division, The Witcher 3, No Man’s Sky, Orbital, Broforce and much more!

Subscribe to us on iTunes

YouTube page

For articles and reviews from Alex, check out: www.theimpactfactor.blogspot.com
For a blog about Japan, pop culture & more from Fliss, check out:

www.flissofthenorthstar.blogspot.com

Follow Alex @alexsamocha on Twitter. twitch.tv/megalodonphd
Follow Fliss @thecfliss on Twitter. twitch.tv/flissofthenorthstar

Intro song:

You Kill My Brother by Go! Go! Go! Micro Invasion, East Jakarta Chiptunes Compilations. Freemusic Archive. (Attribution Noncommercial Share-Alike License)
freemusicarchive.org/music/Indonesi…s_Compilation/
Transitions:
News & Views and Perspectives transitions from victorcenusa, Freesound.org (Creative Commons 0 License)
freesound.org/people/victorcenusa/sounds/148785/
freesound.org/people/victorcenusa/sounds/148784/
Experimental Methods transition from Sentuniman, Freesound.org (Attribution Noncommercial License)
freesound.org/people/Setuniman/sounds/143994/

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

Brain wave: The PhDs changing games

Patrick Stafford, Polygon

Worth Reading

Touching Obama's hair and my hope for the future of games

Jamin Warren, Kill Screen

The Math of Hearthstone

Michael Shalyt, Gamasutra

How Sony Stopped A Vita Port From Being Canned

Patrick Klepek, Kotaku

Californium brings Phillip K. Dick's vision of the world to life

Chris Priestman, Kill Screen

Why I Quit my Dream Job at Ubisoft

Maxime Beaudoin, Gingear Studio

With Comments

In praise of the "bad" design of Tharsis

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.

Roll for your life: Making randomness transparent in Tharsis

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.

Naughty Dog's Neil Druckmann on why Uncharted has to end

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.

Emulators, Speedruns, and That Video Where the Guy Only Presses A 0.5 Times

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.

News & Views

10/17/15-10/23/15

Another Friday closer to Halloween and another heaping helping of great video game writing from around the web! If you haven’t already, please give the second episode of Snuggle & Scream a listen: my fiancée and I talk about The Guest!

In this week’s News & Views I found stories about one player’s quest to achieve the (nearly) impossible, surrealist humor in Undertale, and how a first-person shooter helped someone to discover their sexuality.

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

The Messy True Story Behind The Making Of Destiny

Jason Schreier, Kotaku

Worth Reading

Borderlands & Asexual Representation: How I Discovered My Sexuality While Playing a First-Person Shooter

Nico W., The Mary Sue

Meet the secret new horror mistress of video games

Leigh Alexander, Offworld

How One Player Unlocked One of the PS4's Hardest Trophies

Patrick Klepek, Kotaku

Behind the humor of Toby Fox's Undertale

David Bennett, Kill Screen

With Comments

Balancing Act: Fixing Hearthstone's Patron Warrior Problem

Eric Van Allen, Paste

For Hearthstone addicts like myself, this week was pretty huge. One of the most dominant cards in one of the most dominant decks was made substantially less powerful. It’s a change I understand, but done in a way that still upsets me. Blizzard has a strange way of weakening cards, one that almost always makes them so bad they come unplayable. Still, the Warsong Commander change will be ultimately good for the future design space of the game. A new meta awaits.

The mobile games market is an absolute mess, thanks to you

Askel Junkilla, Polygon

This piece is worth reading if only for the stir it caused online following its publication. While Junkilla raises some fair points about the state of mobile development and the mobile games market, his bitterness (and ignorance) takes center stage. Many of his complaints seem to boil down to blaming consumers for his misreading of the market. I feel for the struggling developer, I really do, but his mindset isn’t a great one to have moving forward.

Skullgirls dev explains why Indivisible costs $3.5m to make

Jeffrey Matulef, Eurogamer

I included this article as well because of controversy. Skullgirls developer Lab Zero is trying to crowdfund their new RPG, Indivisible. There was some anger online about how much money the developers asked for ($1.5mil). The anger is demonstrative of ‘gamer’ ignorance about what it costs to develop games, though. I’m sick a tired of seeing Kickstarter games asking for a meager sum and pretending that it will be enough to make the next Skyrim. It’s BS. Mike Z in his interview with Eurogamer breaks down the ‘big ask’ and attempts to demystify game budgets. I’ve always respected Mike Z and the team at Lab Zero games, but it’s always great to have my trust re-confirmed. Tell the folks like it is, Mike. 

News & Views

10/10/15-10/16/15

News & Views is your source for the week’s best video game writing! I found a lot of great articles for you all to enjoy. Check out below for links to writing about the neuroscience of survival horror, colonialism in Metal Gear Solid V, and gaming’s reinforcement of the ‘American dream’.

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

Fight or Flight: The Neuroscience of Survival Horror

Maral Tajerian, Gamasutra

Worth Reading

It's still a man's, man's, man's world; Or, who is Nathan Drake?

Reid McCarter, Kill Screen

Placebo effect present in video games, say UK researchers

Chris Kerr, Gamasutra

The Colonialist Undertones of Metal Gear Solid V

Omar Elaasar, Paste

Gaming's Never-Ending Adolescence

Jeremy Parish, US Gamer

How a front page Reddit post affected the sales on an indie game

Askel Junkkila, Gamasutra

With Comments

How Videogames Are Saving the Symphony Orchestra

Sarah E. Needleman, Wall Street Journal

The Legend of Zelda symphonic performance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert inspired me to include this article. Orchestrated video game music can be amazing. I’m so happy to hear that these kinds of performances are drawing huge audiences back to the concert hall. While I understand criticism from long-time orchestra fans, I find most of their complaints unfounded. Perhaps video game music will get a new crowd to attend Tchaikovsky?

Pain is temporary; quitting last forever

Riley Macleod, Kill Screen

Macleod gives a fascinating take on how video games have consistently reinforced for the idea of the ‘American dream.’ A dream that’s often an illusion, writes Macleod. His argument centers around how success is almost always represented as a feature of a person’s character, citing that in reality, you can do everything right and still fail. It’s a great perspective and well worth reading.

The Horror of Being Human

Kaitlin Tremblay, Unwinnable

Tremblay’s short piece about horror is a good one. Horror so often plays upon what it means to be humans, and the fear surrounding the human condition. Tremblay uses two of the most iconic video game horror franchises of all time, Resident Evil and Silent Hill to comment on this. To put it briefly, Resident Evil displays the fear of losing your physical self, and Silent Hill is all about the fear of losing your mental self.