Jumping Back Into Canabalt

Last week, work obligations, the dreary weather, and being sick sapped my motivation to wade into a systemically deep game. Times like these call for gaming comfort food: something that doesn't require a huge investment in time or effort, but that still scratches the familiar itch. I'm not sure what it says about my conception of "relaxing," but during times like these, I turn to 2009's intense indie-platformer Canabalt. Despite its minimalist control scheme and streamlined rule set, I've always admired the game as a testament to artistic design and as a symbol of the current trends in the medium

Race in Rapture: Black Characters in BioShock 2 and Minerva's Den

My latest post at PopMatters is up. It’s about the black characters in last year’s excellent contributions to the Rapture saga: BioShock 2 and Minerva’s Den.

The article examines the portrayals of Grace Holloway and Charles Porter and traces their connection to larger historical and cultural themes in U.S. society. It was a pleasure to write, as it required a combination of historical, artistic, and game design analysis. Though it may seem outrageous, many aspects of Rapture’s world are only slight embellishments on our own. Though it is disturbing, I highly recommend reading about Jonestown or listening to the final “audio log” from the doomed utopia.

In my opinion, the piece’s argument is not very controversial: the explicit acknowledgement of Holloway and Porter’s race strengthens the game without turning the two characters into “token blacks.” Holloway and Porter possess distinct stories and personalities, but their experiences are also shaped by their society’s prejudices.

Some of the essay’s underlying assumptions and implications might be more controversial: In a medium whose most celebrated characters are white, games that even have black characters, let alone important ones, are unfortunately rare. Artists should be free to create whatever they want; I do not strive, nor do I wish, to favor certain stories and suppress others. However, I do think it is important to realize that “blank slate” characters are rarely empty vessels. Every choice, whether it be a character’s gender, race, hair color, or stature both provide and eliminate certain creative possibilities. Had Holloway and Porter not been black, or if the game had ignored the concept of race entirely, BioShock 2’s cultural relevance would have suffered. Rapture would be a less nuanced place, and the game would have joined many others in turning a blind eye towards the impact of diversity or by implicitly endorsing a version of “normalcy” biased towards whiteness.

Additionally, concepts such as colonialism, institutional racism, the Uncle Tom archetype, and the image of the noble protector/savage brute remain contentious. Such topics can often be uncomfortable to address, but I use them here not to establish guilt or place blame; they are integral in demonstrating how race and racism manifests itself in cultural artifacts.

In Rapture, as in our society, race matters. BioShock 2 and Minerva’s Den acknowledge this. Because of this, the games must be examined in the context of other historical and artistic works that explore black people’s experiences and their representations in popular culture.

EXP Podcast #116: A Classic Conversation

We have traveled the world far and wide and brought back with us a special guest for this week's show. Joining us on this very special podcast is Professor Roger Travis from the University of Connecticut. In both his educational and literary work, Roger takes a fascinating interdisciplinary approach to games, history, and classics. Who could be more suited, then, to discuss Russian plans to retell national mythologies in videogames? Join us this week while we discuss practomime, games based learning, cold war villains, bardic storytelling, and the Arbiter. As always, we encourage you to leave your thoughts in the comments section below. You can also find the original article and more of Roger's work in the show notes.

Discussion starters:

- Does does historical nostalgia manifest itself in video games?
- Do game makers have an obligation to accurately portray history?
- What are the narrative confines of heroic mythologies in games?
To listen to the podcast:

- Subscribe to the EXP Podcast via iTunes here. Additionally, here is the stand-alone feed.
- Listen to the podcast in your browser by left-clicking the title. Or, right-click and select "save as link" to download the show in MP3 format.
- Subscribe to this podcast and EXP's written content with the RSS link on the right.

Show Notes:

Fast Response Game Design

Did you notice that little thing going on in Egypt over the past few weeks? Apparently, there is some kind of world changing event happening. Hundreds of thousands of protesters have filled the streets of Cairo, with joint protests happening all over the country. Despite crackdowns on domestic and foreign media outlets, the world is attentive to the actions of a broad and largely united swath of Egyptian citizens. Right before our eyes, a thirty year old US backed dictatorship is being dismantled by a startling display of people power. This is fascinating history in the making. I think we should be asking ourselves how games can be involved.

Jumping Disappointment in 'LittleBigPlanet 2'

My latest article on PopMatters is now up: Jumping Disappointment in LittleBigPlanet  2.

Jumping in LittleBigPlanet 2 aside (which I'm actually alright with), the game is pretty amazing. Media Molecule's levels improve on their contributions to the first game. They still feel aesthetically unified and absolutely charming. They also fit into slightly adorable narrative and flow into each other quite well, sometimes literally through the use of level-joining portals, easing the transition between locations.

The real highlights are, of course, the sheer number of game types featured. The versus levels in particular show off what LBP 2 can do with its vast amount of features and contraptions - everything from side-scrolling space shooters to billiards. While I understand the concern that LBP 2 merely repackaged old genres, recreating sub-par versions of better games, I think it is overstated. Yes, there are a lot of crappy renditions of genre staples, which are pleasing for a brief moment before nostalgia and awe at their constructions start to fade. However, I think of these experiences, particular those created by Media Molecule, as proofs of concept. They show off a few neat aspects of the game and may potentially inspire others to create far more stunning LBP works of art.

Unfortunately, accessing the best user created levels takes some patience. Many of the great features in LBP 2, particularly the gravity changing features David Smith mentioned in his interview, have not be explored much at all. I played the first LBP a few months before the sequel launched and there are some fantastic user levels. Just imagine how great LBP 2 user created levels can be in two years time. Like the first, the game just gets better with age.

EXP Podcast #115: Sidekicking It

Batman has Robin, The Green Hornet has Kato, Sherlock Holmes has Dr. Watson: Whenever a hero needs assistance, a loyal sidekick appears to lend a helping hand. This week, we use Brendan Main’s piece about a particularly controversial sidekick to explore how second bananas function in video games. Feel free to type up your thoughts in the comments. Alternatively, you can just tell your sidekick to do it for you.

Some discussion starters:

- On the subject of Navi: Love her or hate her?  Why?

- What are some examples of well-implemented sidekicks? Is their success tied to specific narrative or thematic elements, do they perform a specific function in the game, or is it some combination of both?

- How do multiplayer games encourage or inhibit leader/sidekick relationships? Is there a way to foster this relationship without devaluing the second player?

To listen to the podcast:

- Subscribe to the EXP Podcast via iTunes here. Additionally, here is the stand-alone feed.
- Listen to the podcast in your browser by left-clicking the title. Or, right-click and select "save as link" to download the show in MP3 format.
- Subscribe to this podcast and EXP's written content with the RSS link on the right.

Show Notes:

A Relaxing Ride with Fig. 8

One of my New Year’s resolutions was to play more independent and experimental games. Well, we’re officially one month into 2011 and I’m slowly-but-surely making some headway in terms of expanding my horizons. I have a bad habit of ignoring the critical side of my brain while playing browser-based games. It’s probably due to the amount of hype mainstream titles get and the fallacy that expense always means quality. To fight this inclination, I’ll try to offer some quick critiques of the smaller games I play. This week, I’ll talk about Fig. 8.