Comments on: The Sunday Papers

By: Tom Camfield

Tom Camfield — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 02:19:21 +0000

@ Jim

Do it! Please. Some people decided to get a philosophy degree after reading Rorty on your blog. You never know who you’re reaching.

By: terry

terry — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 16:36:06 +0000

I thought that I read that Peter Molyneux loves everyone who plays his games, if they’re good. Now I’m not sure what to think.

By: Edgar the Peaceful

Edgar the Peaceful — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 23:02:06 +0000

Hey KG. Since you (and Quinns, and Alec?) are not-so-closet board game geeks, please can we have an RPS boardgame special? Or even section?

By: Jim Rossignol

Jim Rossignol — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 18:03:20 +0000

I should totally start updating the website again.

By: Tom Camfield

Tom Camfield — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 17:59:47 +0000

Basically, the Eno piece screamed RPS. Three reasons.

The first was that striking quote which seemed to summarize the whole NGJ thing: I think at the time a lot of people needed a name, not just to say “we should be doing this” but also so other people could go “no, no, no”. You give something a name and you can debate its merits, even by just highlighting that there was a thing called games journalism and it could be done differently, something had changed. And now we have things like the Solium Infernum diaries, which is pretty much exactly what Kieron was asking people to dig and has now come fully to life. And once I start writing about NGJ I find it hard to stop, but…

Second, I knew Rossignol was a fan of Eno, and it reminded me of something Rossignol would have posted up, back when he updated his website and we all got to read about Ballard (RIP), Dick (RIP) and Rorty (RIP). Tragically, Jim’s heroes do seem to have a habit of dying. Double tragedy because they seem to be mine too. That at least one is still kicking around is clearly A Good Thing.

Third, was the lovely quotes about Abba and irony, which I think helps gives another aspect to last weeks Lady Gaga fest (ironic appreciation), and his words about gospel, which gives yet another aspect; pop being one church of shared experience.

This is the kind of thing that fuels brains.

By: Tom Camfield

Tom Camfield — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 17:28:44 +0000

@ Serenegoose

That’s not exactly how Christianity works, it’s the redemption part that matters; that for all the evil you do, there’s someone willing to forgive.

It’s a far more tempting pot of gold than just bowing for nothing. See also, a source of strength, a set of values for your life etc. It’s really quite extraordinary the need there is for this kind of thing.

By: Tom Camfield

Tom Camfield — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 17:11:12 +0000

@ Muzman

Being able to save and reload, being able to play games more than once, they all undermine the need for faith (in redemption from sin); you don’t need God to forgive your sins when the game will happily forgive and forget at a touch of a button.

(But I don’t know if I’m repeating things that have already been said.)

By: HermitUK

HermitUK — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 14:21:55 +0000

Admittedly this is true, certainly the beta version didn’t include sudden death among its features.

Sadly it also lacked the option to kick a narcoleptic egg into the sea for your own perverse amusement. It was still decent, mind :p

There was also a third Wibble World Giddy game on the PC some time ago, though the first on the Amiga was the best of the bunch, still, they’re over here: http://www.retroleum.co.uk/giddy3/home.html Atari! Atari! Rave! Gibber!

By: l1ddl3monkey

l1ddl3monkey — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 12:51:38 +0000

Game based comics: I can’t believe no one’s done the “Andy Roid and his brother Hemi” joke yet. There, that sorted that out.

By: Turin Turambar

Turin Turambar — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 11:39:12 +0000

You have to think about the medium that is the videogames. They are a very very heterogeneous medium, more than film or tv or books. If you think it carefully, some videogames are like a sports games, others more like chess, others more like a board game, others are like a movie or a novel, others like a choose-your-adventure-teen-novel, others like a tabletop RPG, or even a live RPG.

Yeah, a lots of games can’t explore deep issues as their genre is about other things, but there are some videogames where it’s possible, the potential is up there.

By: Bhazor

Bhazor — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 11:38:33 +0000

Shazam!
By magic it has changed!

By: Richeh

Richeh — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 10:56:32 +0000

That can’t be Dizzy, Hermit. I see no awkward jumps where you lose all your lives rolling off the precipous platform once you’ve finally made the jump onto it from seventeen clouds that you sink through. Without infuriating, uncontrollable leaping, it can’t be heir to the series that cost me two joysticks.