^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v
buzzcut.com -- Video Game Theory and Criticism
^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v

Sent to you by: David Thomas, david@buzzcut.com

*************
WHAT'S NEW
*************

Update
----------------
New content on the site has been a little slow in coming lately. I’ve been busy with teaching my courses, traveling to client locations to make a living and getting ready for Level Up!


Level Up!
-----------------
In three days I will be heading to Utrecht, The Netherlands to attend the first international digital game research conference. I am quite excited to get to see some of the folks I met earlier this year at the Game Developers Conference, as well as finally meeting face-to-face with many of the people I have corresponded with online. Also, I will be presenting a poster on a critical game vocabulary that I have been working on (and teaching courses on) for the past year. If you are going to be at Level Up!, be sure to let me know. Also, I will post about the conference during the week and after on buzzcut as well as on my new blog.


The New Blog
--------------------------------------------------------
I have written for the Denver Post for close to 10 years. For most of that time, I have written a weekly column, Long ago it was about bands, Then, it was about alternative culture, whatever that might be. In the past 4 years or so, it has covered video games. Recently, I had the opportunity to start writing online for the paper. Bloghouse is an effort to bring some more frequent, more personal and less structured coverage to the paper via the Web. My new column is titled GAME ON. And although it will feature plenty of game reviews, it is also a platform for talking about the games business in general.

I still plan to use buzzcut as my homebase, and to provide (and solicait) smart content for the site. GAME ON will give me a place to talk to a more mainstream reader, to shoot a little more from the hip and to find a home for the many game reviews I want to write!

Check out the initial efforts at:

http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36%257E29077%257E,00.html

La Migra/Crosser
-----------------------------------------------------------
Speaking of the Denver Post, as a follow-up to the games “La Migra” and “Crosser” I wrote about on buzzcut, I also put together piece for the Post.

The article features some of the background behind the games. At some point, I am looking forward to running the entire interview I did with Rafael. Interesting guy!

Original buzzcut piece: http://www.buzzcut.com/article.php?story=20030918152841486

Article on Denver Post site: http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36%257E24769%257E1716120,00.html?search=filter

***************
NEW ON BUZZCUT
***************

The Future is Now
-----------------------------------------------------------
I posted up a funny quote from the head of Sony America.

http://www.buzzcut.com/article.php?story=20030929163202137

Basically, he was lamenting the business problem that the industry has created for itself—namely planned obsolescence. During the later years of a consoles’ life, they loose steam and stop earning money even thought they still deliver the gaming goods. Kind of reminds me of the scene in “Blade Runner” where Roy Batty complains about the same issue. Of course, Roy was talking about himself. Kaz is just talking about the PS2.


The Emotion Engine?
-----------------------------------------------------------
A few weeks ago, I asked a simple question: Suppose video games were just no good as a medium at carrying emotion.

The conversation on this point was impressive. So much so, that I followed up with a second post. I’d summarize here, but the commentary was precise. Better you just read what folks had to say. The result? Well, to my mind the jury is still out.

First Post: http://www.buzzcut.com/article.php?story=20031010040723368

Follow-up: http://www.buzzcut.com/article.php?story=2003102320475762


*************
OTHER THINGS
*************

Ye Olde Guilde of Video Game Critics
----------------------------
As a journalist and academic, I find that I’m always trying to make courses more appealing to the masses and to make my newspaper writing smarter. This thought process has led me to the point where I am about to launch am International Society of Game Journalists. It’s not a catchy name, but I think the time has come to create a virtual press club for those that write about the game industry. I’m looking to coalesce a community of other journalists who want to mature what we do.

I’ve bounced the idea off a number of people. And they have all had at least the courtesy to no tell me to my face that this is crazy. So, after Level Up!, I’ll be setting up the site and trying to reach a critical mass of game journalists. If you cover games and have crossed my path at some point in the past, beware! I’ll be bugging you to participate. Don’t worry, at this point there are no dues!

IGDA @ GDC
------------------------
In related news, I will be hosting a group gathering of journalists at the game Developers Conference nest year on behalf of the International Game Developers Association. I fully plan on using the game journalists group (whatever it eventually gets called) to help promote the GDC event!



Comments, Questions and Feedback
----------------------------------------
As always, I'm interested in what you think. Want to post an original article to buzzcut.? Great! Just feel like chiming in on the discussions. Bring it on! Rather send me an anonymous note in email. Excellent! Just want to get off this mail list. Just follow the directions below.

Thanks!

David