Everyone Believes in a ‘God’
Ontotheology & the Drama of Being
Gaming Under
the Influence
[Podcast]E.89
Tencent Under Fire, Over-Gameyness in Zelda & Grime
Listener discretion is advised; contains profanity, references to drugs & alcohol.
Mike & Alex discuss the vast discrepancy between Western journalistic reactions to recent scandals at Activision and the Chinese government’s reported disdain for the predatory style of games peddled by Tencent. While the West demands superficial “change” that would leave brutal fundamental structures in tact, the CPC appears to target the very economic bases of exploitative game design.
Alex also explains the over-gameyness of Skyward Sword: how the insertion of burdensome, arbitrary mechanics impedes player attunement with the concept of the game.
Lastly a few words on Grime, a fantastic and beautiful new Soulslike.
We use Neo-Thomistic philosophy to analyze video games as fine art. Against corporate & political interests, we argue they (should) exist solely to be beautiful: self-contained, self-justifying acts of worldbuilding. Subscribe for a nominal monthly fee to support our project. No gimmicks, tricks or bonuses: if you believe in what we do, we are happy for your help.