The Sunday Papers

Sundays are for having too much work to do, yet finding yourself compelled to punch horrible looking people in the face, and then perhaps kick them a little. But as a break from that, it's probably a good time to compile an list of interesting reading from across the web on the subject of electronic videogames and try desperately not to include a link to some manner of popular musicality. GO!

• Fanboy rewrites of gaming ending's are dangerous, self-deluding things. There's always more going on, y'know? Exception/Rule: PC Gamer's Tom Francis on how he'd have ended Bioshock, which is just plain lovely. On a similar note, his feature on Bioshock 2 in the current issue of the magazine is the best coverage of the game so far, and well worth reading.
• Lewis Denby writes about the problem of Death in videogames over at Resolution, interviewing Mr The Path, Mr Joystiq. Plus Walker and I, in a particularly prickly demi-aggressive mode. We probably should play less violent videogames, eh? Strong stuff, and well worth reading. That is, generally. Not just Walker and I.
• Not really pure PC, but N'Gai Croal writes about the problem of Beauty in videogames - specifically comparing the devastation of Gears of War to the devastation of Killzone 2, arguing that the former remains beautiful why the latter really just goes for ugly. Now, I know Walker would disagree - he famously described Gears as one of the least beautiful games he's ever played. And I find myself thinking of Alec's comment earlier this week that Fallout was "a game that often coasts on limited artistic imagination". What do we actually mean by all of the above, y'know? Are some visions just doomed to failure? Are gamers somewhat naive in their appreciation of the visual side of games - I find myself thinking about interviewing the Art Director of HAWX, and him ranting effusively about colour theory, technology and a mass of stuff. How many of us would even be aware that HAWX had so much thought in its look? "It's just a military game". I ramble.
• Leigh Alexander: Fuck Citizen Kane She's got a point. Looking at other media can be useful for historical lessons, but it's not a 1:1 correlation. Actually, while we're talking Leigh, here's her take on Heather Chapman's rant at GDC this year about game developers being stunted adolescents.
• Warren Ellis tears himself away from his fine selection of Whiskeys to start writing a column for the recently-released UK edition of Wired. A cheery little picture of the present and future. With zoophilia, as that's what Herr Ellis likes to talk about, natch.
• This is cute. Rob "Consolvenaia" Florence has started a new internet television venture. He's designing his own board-game, and in the process of doing so, breaking down and reviewing other board-games to show what mechanism he's stealing. And making gags. First up is the Fury of Dracula. Ooh, that Drac. He's a furious one. You can follow his twitter for announcements too.
• Joe W points me at Tom Ellard - from post-punk electronic band Severed Heads - writing about the Path. It's smart and acerbic, and a good summing up of the classical position. But as I wrote over in my EG review, I think the game=game thing somewhat over-literal (Though, to be doubly fair, Mr Ellard does admit he'd be fine with it as an artwork - it's the sense of embarrassment of the medium which nags.
• I've been oddly obsessed by Saint Etienne this week, and am annoyed that there's only a half-length live version of Avenue online to link to. Pah! Let's assume some of you have spotify, so can go here and listen to it in its original state. And while we're talking about Spotify, have been oddly captivated by this Lounge cover of Turbonegro's immortal I Got Erection.

Failed.