Comments on: Well Played 1.0: Video Game, Value and Meaning

By: Adam Ruch

Adam Ruch — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 23:44:36 +0000

I am at the moment working on a series of ‘critiques’ on current-generation games. So far I’ve done Bioshock (big surprise), Assassin’s Creed and Infamous, with games like GTA4, CoD4, Bully and others to come. They are largely going to make up case studies in my thesis, but I am feeling out options to have them published separately as well. My goal is to go in with a ‘general’ attitude to critique the games, rather than as a cultural, media, literary, semiotics, ludological or otherwise framework. Hoping to integrate a lot of those (if not all) to show it -can- be done and that game critiques don’t have to simply mimic the work of those other fields.

They do turn out very long though…

By: Jesper

Jesper — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:50:17 +0000

Souvik, yes, I am also looking forward to more readings like this.

By: Souvik

Souvik — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 05:54:55 +0000

Thanks a lot for this, Jesper. I just dropped by to check if you had any updates on your blog and found this. This sort of thing is really great — I was trying to do some similar sort of thing with my paper on STALKER.

I still wish some other games could have a look in … ones with a strong story element like Max Payne etc. Work for me … i suppose ;)

Nevertheless, Well played!

By: Jesper

Jesper — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 19:31:22 +0000

Glad to be of service, Adam!

By: Adam Ruch

Adam Ruch — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 09:44:13 +0000

Thanks for linking this, what a great source for some actual criticism, as opposed to theory about criticism! I’m working on my PhD in game theory and criticism right now, so I’m both encouraged by the emergence of more work in the field, and frustrated that some people have beaten me to it!

Thanks again.

By: Wikzo

Wikzo — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:55:52 +0000

Jeg er netop blevet færdig med Advance Wars-kapitlet, og jeg er indtil videre rigtig glad for de forskellige artikler. Velskrevet, og meget interessante, især den med Super Mario Bros.