Opinion by Matt S. Japan is still the second biggest market for video games in the world. The interests of that market have shifted over time (the Japanese being much more interested in portable gaming are much more invested in mobile and the Switch than home consoles), and…
Read MoreVideo by Matt S. I’ve been playing a lot of retro and retro-styled games recently, and it has reminded me that in a lot of ways pixel art is the perfect aesthetic for video games. The way it inspires the imagination is like a good book, and adds to the…
Read MoreVideo by Matt S. Cyberpunk 2077 is just around the corner now, and it’s a game that people are obviously very excited for. But news emerged this week that was a little concerning, insofar as the game’s narrative and theme are concerned: a developer working on the game has spent…
Read MoreVideo by Matt S. It’s that time of year again. The Game Awards are imminent, and that means we can all sit back and bask in the glow of “the game industry’s Academy Awards”… or can we? The Game Awards is a big issue for the ongoing artistic credibility of…
Read MoreVideo by Matt S. Crunch culture kills creativity in video games. The human cost is the biggest priority – and that cost is discussed at great length and excellent detail by many outlets – but there’s a secondary casualty, and that’s creativity and artistry. In this video, I outline why…
Read MoreVideo by Matt S. Another Tokyo Game Show has come and gone, and with that the inevitable conversations about its relevance. It is true that TGS doesn’t break the big news (other than Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires on the horizon!), but to suggest that this is the same as the…
Read MoreOpinion by Matt S. Video games are very good at drawing inspiration from outside of the industry. Popular authors, from J.R.R Tolkien to Tom Clancy, Andrzej Sapkowski through to Franz Kafka have all been tapped, and frequently, to inspire various video games. Popular film is a happy hunting ground of…
Read MoreOpinion by Matt S. Rumour has it that Final Fantasy XVI will be unveiled this week, at the big Sony stream (and that would be the game to finally get me on board with the next generation). I don’t generally put much stock in rumours, since it’s bad journalism to…
Read MoreVideo by Matt S. With all the excitement that has been circling around the new Xboxes from Microsoft this week, people have also been getting very excited about Game Pass, Microsoft’s “Netflix for games” subscription service that gives you access to over 100 games already… and just this week EA…
Read MoreVideo by Matt S. NISA recently released a console version of Giraffe and Annika – a wholesome little heartfelt game indeed. Unfortunately, it was subject to a lot of criticism around it being “short” and “simple”. It’s odd, because video games are the one art form where “short” is considered…
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