The Sunday Papers

Sunday cometh. Hence we compile a fine and noble list of all the interesting gaming reading from across the list and strive towards an equally fine and noble day when I don't slip into a link to a piece of pop music that's been working on me over the same period. We really do try.

• We didn't pick up on the Star slagging off social internet game My Queen. Thoughtshake did, and spoke to developers Blouzar about the controversy, and the actual game.
• It's not just Walker who's been obsessing over Thief this week. Jim has some thoughts about Thief and Thief 4 over at OffWorld.
• Gamasutra interview Ex-Blizzard Ex-Flagship Now-Cryptic Billl Roper. The juiciest stuff is on Page 3 where the conversation turns on why they left Blizzard - it seems they were trying to prompt a response from their owners on what was going on with the company, but their bluff was called. Fascinating.
• Phill Cameron does a lengthy, after-launch interview with Alexander Shcherbakov over at Game Set Watch. Lots of stuff about actual intent and developer stereotypes and all that. He gives good interview, does the Stalin-Vs-Martians lead.
• Simon Parkin writes about the lure of Gamer Points and achievements. A little of the psychology of the thing, a little of awesome achievements, a lot of fun.
• Hardcasual relaunches telling us about how 15 seconds of Modern Warfare creates 150 pages of idiots speculating and that playing Minesweeper totally doesn't prepare you for stepping on a real mine.
• Edge Online do an article on the making of X-Com: Enemy Unknown. Which reminds me that it's a tragedy that Julian Gollop isn't in a Sid Meier-esque position.
• TIG starts an amusing fight when they post a parody video about people who whine on forums. But not as funny as this.
• Crispygamer talk to various gaming luminaries about how they started making games. There should be more of this kind of human stuff, I always think.
• Spent a good chunk of the week listening to Jay-Z's The Black Album. It may not surprise people how much I occasionally empathise with Egocentric American Rappers. I too have 99 problems, such as writing a Sims 3 preview, playing some more Darkfall and seeing how much tea I can drink without causing terminal kidney malfunction.

Failed.