CHRISTOPHER A. PAULAssociate Professor, Seattle University The core argument in my book is that video games are an actualized meritocracy, a realm in which the values of hard work and skill have been pushed to their extremes and the result is a toxic community that focuses more on the celebration of individual glory than on … More On gaming, athletes, and individual glory . . . oh, Mercy!
BY ANDRÉ CARRINGTONAssistant professor of English at Drexel University In the 21st century, society has grown to rely on the axiom that “race” is a lie. For some people, out of paranoia or a desire to avoid conflict, touting the knowledge that race is socially constructed is a way of declaring that ignorance about what … More Racial justice, American exceptionalism, and speculative fiction
Image copyright of Sylvie Reuter BY ADRIENNE SHAWAssistant professor of media studies and production at Temple University After years of trying to explain my book, Gaming at the Edge, in a sound byte, I eventually boiled it down to the following: 1) players don’t care that much about representation in games, and 2) that’s a … More #INeedDiverseGames and why representation in games matters
From Wired‘s feature on author Ian Bogost (How to Do Things With Videogames and Alien Phenomenology): You work for the Transportation Security Administration, manning the x-ray machine at a local airport. Your day begins easily enough, quickly scanning passengers’ luggage and bodies and waving them through. But after a few minutes, you get an alert—shirts … More [Wired] The Curse of Cow Clicker: How a Cheeky Satire Became a Videogame Hit
BY JASON WEIDEMANNSenior acquisitions editor at University of Minnesota Press It’s an open secret here at the Press that I’m a pretty big gamer in my off time. A quick romp through a virtual world with an ax in one hand and a fireball spell in the other is the perfect antidote to a long … More Nerds and Nords: Why Styrbiorn the Strong is made for Skyrim fans.
