The Sunday Papers

Sundays are for doing a lot of work, avoiding that lot of work with games of Champions and compiling a list of the fascinating (primarily) games related reading from across the week while resisting linking to a genuinely stunning performance.

• Games Workshop are doing a new edition of the lovely PC-game inspiring boardgame Space Hulk. Over at Downtowntime, Rab writes about Space Hulk. It's heart-on-sleeve gaming romanticism and my favourite piece of games writing of the week.
• In the week of its console release, The Reticule interviews famous writer Paul Dini about the aims behind the writing of Arkham Asylum. What I find most interesting about it is that Dini - the veteran of animation - clearly both loves and is highly aware of what they're doing with the tone: "It threw a lot of the restrictions out of the window... The level of intensity was a little more extreme so we were able to include everything that we wanted to whilst keeping the fantasy element intact. I’d like to think there is something in the game for angry teenager in all of us."
• Tom Jubert is a splendid freelancer writer who you'll probably best know for his work no Penumbra. He republishes what was an internal document - a postmortem of the development of a character.
• Adorable RPS Work Experience Lackey Phill Cameron interviews Double Bear about the forthcoming ZRPG over at Game Set Watch.
• This is a little old now - I didn't include it last week - but the uproar over Shadow Complex and the ethics of a boycott or not is interesting to think about, if only theoretically. Christian Nutt starts the ball rolling with an overview of the situation at Gamasutra, but it only really kicks off properly in the comments thread.
• Old housemate Dan Griddleoctopus does what every PC games journalist must do. That is, write a retrospective on Planescape Torment. Also, amusingly admits he still has Alec's copy of Planescape stolen off him, the cad. Also, it made me go back and read EG's original Planescape Review, which is a fascinating example of a basically correct review appearing ludicrous with the benefit of of hindsight.
• It does seem like Adventure Game Studios are coming of age right now. As well as Time Gentlemen, Please, there's been a lot of hype around Horror Adventure Downfall. Its creators are interviewed over at Hardy Developer Journal.
• An Old Indie Game Advert. Ah-ha-ha.
• GamerPaper starts it comedy games thing. Here's its new design for a mouse. I'd buy one.
• Insult Swordfighting picks apart Game Informer seemingly to say that everyone should give reviews better scores. To be honest, what they pick up on was just a shit closing paragraph which the writer didn't really think through, but the wider interest intrigues.
• People who multitask are bad at at it. This got me thinking about a lot of stuff. At once.
• Henry Jenkins starts republishing an eight part white paper he worked on, on the subject of Memes and Viral Marketing. I haven't read it fully yet, so this note is as much for me and you. It strikes me as good stuff.
• Garth Ennis recalls the joys of 2000AD. Mr Gurr drags out some of the panels.
• Simon Parkin introduced me to the wonder of three frames. Join me.
• Nextwave was a splendid Marvel Comic by Warren Ellis and Stuart Immonen. It was very silly. It ran for twelve issues. In the eleventh, they started taking the piss in a virtuoso fashion, by spending half the issue as six double page spreads of glorious ludicrousness. Comics Should Be Good publishes them all. They are your new desk tops, and Nextwave is available to buy in two fine trade paperbacks. You're welcome.
• All of RPS are what we call Freelancers. Perhaps you are too. I suspect you too will recognise yourself in my old comrade's Miss AMP's old list of Tips For A Successful Freelancer Lifestyle. It's been one of those weeks, y'know?
• Tom Ewing writes about the history of Pop music in the 00s. As in, proper pop music. I suspect this is the sort of thing which a lot of you haven't paid attention to, so well worth reading.
• Everett True brought this to my attention. Ukraine Got's Talent's Sand Animator winner. Brought the RPS chat-room into agreement in a way which we haven't been since World of Goo. Startling

Failed.