Kuuso on 13/6/2011 at 19:36
You are so unbelievably wrong in stating that philosophers don't know logic.
Aerothorn on 13/6/2011 at 19:56
henke: While I can't comment on the LA Noire review (haven't played the game) I can tell you that they use a bell-curve scale, unlike the rest of the industry: so a 5 is actually decent/average, rather than awful.
Koki's argument is related to the narratology/ludology debate, and I think Henry Jenkins gave a very good, nuanced response to the whole debate (
http://www.electronicbookreview.com/thread/firstperson/lazzi-fair) here. In short: I agree with Koki that there needs to be more mechanistic examination of video games. Yet I simultaneously support the existence of stuff like Kill Screen. There is not "one right way" to look at video games, and restricting examination to narrow range would create substantial blind spots.
It's also worth noting that Kill Screen isn't simply about evaluating video games: the website arm has reviews and stuff, but the magazine proper is simply articles, many of which are about the experience of gaming, cultural elements, etc. If that stuff bores you, cool; but the idea that somehow we should pretend that video games are not personal and have no societal influence just because they have technical elements strikes me as ridiculous.
As far as their success: I don't know their numbers, but so far they seem to be doing pretty well: selling out of issues, increasing print runs, etc.
ZymeAddict on 13/6/2011 at 20:31
Quote Posted by Koki
Humanists don't fucking understand videogames and they never will, because games are logical systems and humanists don't understand logic.
Otherwise they wouldn't be fucking humanists.
Um, I don't think "Humanist" means what you think it means...
Quote Posted by Koki
Here: scholars working in the humanities - ancient and modern languages, literature, law, history, philosophy, religion, and visual and performing arts such as music and theatre. Also humanities-inclined people I guess
So you're saying people working in those areas are automatically not logical? That's about the stupidest thing I've heard in a really long time.
SubJeff on 14/6/2011 at 22:10
Dude, look who posted it.
However...
I've not read any of this magazine, though it interests me in the same way that RPS does - it might offer a refreshing view. But too often this type of endeavour ends up being overly artsy and then it's just fagged up blogging with pretensions of grandeur.
Aerothorn on 14/6/2011 at 23:11
It definitely walks a line, and there's been a few pieces in the magazine that have crossed it - but most of it is (for lack of a better word) relevant, and there are some things that are outright brilliant. My personal favorite so far (from issue #1) is a multi-layered parody of the most famous level of Modern Warfare 2 called "Some Russian." I'd post it here if it was available online, but sadly you have to buy the issue...and it's sold out. I'll check with the author to see if it will be available to a wider audience anytime soon.
On the plus side, they seem to have removed the "limited to 2000 copies," restraint, presumably because they were successful enough to sell more.
Koki on 15/6/2011 at 05:34
Quote Posted by Subjective Effect
I've not read any of this magazine, though it interests me in the same way that RPS does - it might offer a refreshing view.
RPS doesn't offer a refreshing view. All they do is regurgitate news - and badly - and occassionally write out-of-the-ass article about how I liked this game because I liked it hurrrr.
Renzatic on 15/6/2011 at 08:16
Hey. Koki...
Pemptus on 15/6/2011 at 08:38
Quote Posted by Koki
RPS doesn't offer a refreshing view. All they do is regurgitate news - and badly - and occassionally write out-of-the-ass article about how I liked this game because I liked it hurrrr.
You're right. All game articles need to be about the technical side of things. Their mechanics are all that matters. Games are just an arrangement of ones and zeroes, after all, just like everything else. Feelings? What is this-logical ERRor-error-does-not-compute POWERing doooown...
june gloom on 15/6/2011 at 09:32
Hahaha. I like it, Pemptus.
Koki on 15/6/2011 at 09:40
Oh shut up. Saying you like x without stating why you like it is worthless, and it's double worthless in something that's supposed to be a review.
And you're certainly not helping by obfuscating the point you're trying to make under layers of literary bullshit non-speak.
It means well. You can’t fault it that. Sure, Duke Nukem Forever reeks of an arrogance and self-obsession that it resolutely fails to earn, but at the same time it’s forever searching for new ways to divert its player: there’s a clear sense that it wants to be bigger, bolder, wilder, stupider than any game before or since, to become an impossible accomplishment of pomposity and spectacle. The tale of its making, if it’s ever released, will be a fascinating one, but the game itself is a telling document of those 12 years of development.
This isn't high school. You don't score extra points for length.
