|
What's new on buzzut?
This fall I am teaching two courses online through CU Online (www.cuonline.edu). Critical Video Game Theory and Critical Video Game Theory Lab explore the language of describing the experience of playing a video game. This is my second semester teaching the theory course, and the first teaching the lab.
Building these courses, and getting them online, has been a major effort. So, my time for posting to buzzcut has been limited a bit. However, I am planning on pulling out some of the key articles from the course and posting them on the site in the interest of soliciting feedback.
So, things might be a little slow around buzzcut for a few weeks.
New Stories
Isometric Perspective Considered: One topic I cover in my course is how different camera perspective effect the game experience. For example, the isometric perspective is usually associated with a "god view" and, presumably, the subsequent godlike powers that come with the territory. I challenge this notion in an article that argues the isometric perspective is actually a very childlike view of the world. Read More
Car Toys:I teach critical theory rather than game design and development. I draw the line at how games are created and instead concern myself with thinking about what has already been created. One aspect of this orientation is that I try to use my own theory ideas to improve my game reviews. From time to time I get my gumption up and write some game criticism that I hope is moving in the right direction for game reviewing. The most recent entry is a tour through Auto Modellista. Read More
Other Stuff
This has nothing to do with video games, and little to do with buzzcut, but I recently ordered some buzzcut shirts from Cafe Press. In case you are not familiar with Cafe Press, they allow you to print stuff, like shirts, in lots of as few as a single item. The printing is full color and the quality is very good. Just thought I'd give a plug to a very innovative Internet business that's done a good job for me!
Finally, I am working on a longer essay that hope to describe and circumscribe to a degree, what critical video game theory is. There seems to be a lot of interest in the area, and a great deal of uncertainty about what it is. For example, Jesper Juul posted an article today that asks whether or not Ion Storm's developer vocabulary is convertible to be used as a critical vocabulary. I don't think it does. And actually, I thought that people like Matthew Sakey has made the point firmly that a technical vocabulary will not suffice as a critical vocabulary.
Hopefully my perspective will cast a little more light on a subject.
That's it for this newsletter!
-- David
Tell your friends!:If you are not currently subscribed to my mail list, simply click add you address in the EMAIL ALERTS box on the left.
If you received this page as a part of an email, you are subscribed to the buzzcut.com mail list. You got on this list by either requesting the buzzcut.com email newsletter/alerts or by signing up for a buzzcut user account. You have a right to be removed from this list if you are on it. If you would like to be removed from any future buzzcut.com mailings, please send a note to that effect to mailman@buzzcut.com
On the other hand, if you are reading this on the buzzcut site or via a forwarded mail and would like to sign up yourself, add your address to the EMAIL ALERT box on the left.
| 
