Curious about the process of making games? It's a messy process, full of blood and sweat and rivers of tears. Knowing the travails involved grants a new perspective on the industry, so if you want to expand your knowledge, check my latest article o...
Wednesday, 4 November 2015
Tuesday, 3 November 2015
03:30
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Who's up for a new article?
The scoop:
Crowd-funding can be a confusing endeavour. The true budget of a project and the goal posted on Kickstarter are often wildly different, and the fault does not lie with creators alone. There are many factors that contribute to the incongruity between backer perception and reality, and if we don't start addressing them, crowd-funding may be headed for an unfortunate end...
Friday, 21 August 2015
00:30
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When news breaks of abusive work conditions afflicting the creator of something you love, what do you do? Do you continue to grease the wheels of the oppressive machine in order to experience that creator's latest work? Or do you deny yourself the pleasure in order to make a stand?
This is the question fans of the Metal Gear franchise now find themselves faced with. What is the right decision? Read on to find o...
Thursday, 20 August 2015
00:30
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Halo, the seminal sci-fi shooter that heralded the popularity of the FPS genre on consoles and introduced an entire generation to the joys of fragging your friends, is no longer the game it once was. With Halo 5, developer 343 Industries will not be including split-screen multiplayer, stripping out what is one of the core tenets of the franchise. The studio's excuse? A poor blame game. Read on to find out more...
Thursday, 13 August 2015
00:30
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The recent tragic passing of Satoru Iwata raises a troubling question: how do we acknowledge the triumphs of the people who have made the video games industry what it is today? So many of our leaders and revolutionaries are cloaked in shadow, and when we don't even know their names, how are we supposed to honour them?
In my latest article, I examine the issues surrounding the proper preservation of gaming's important lega...
Saturday, 8 August 2015
00:30
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What do you expect from a beta? What connotations does that term carry for you? Should we hold all betas to the same standard of quality?
My latest article for Grab It explores the many different uses of the term, and the implications that the confusion surrounding it has for the video game indust...
Monday, 3 August 2015
05:31
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How much control should we place in the hands of content distributors? I take a look at Apple's recent decision to excise all apps from the App Store with references to the Confederate Flag and discuss its effect on the agency of consumers. You can find my latest article he...
Friday, 31 July 2015
00:30
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The latest Kickstarter from the creator of Mega Man has now gone behind the backs of its supporters to source funding from outside the service. In my latest article, I question what this means for fans, as well as the game itse...
Thursday, 30 July 2015
00:30
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As a follow-up to the article I wrote regarding the Steam paid mods debacle, I have just published a piece that takes a look at a potential alternative to the outright payment scheme for game mods. A service called Sprked aims to encourage fans to support mod creators through a subscription support scheme, much like Patreon, and it certainly seems like an interesting approach to the matter. If you want to read some more of the my thoughts on the topic, the follow-up article can be found he...
Monday, 27 July 2015
05:31
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My latest thought piece for Grab It is live right here! What are your thoughts on the recycling of old ideas, and the preference they seem to get over fresh creativi...
Saturday, 4 July 2015
00:30
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Hi everyone!
My latest article for Grab It has gone live, right here! It takes a look at Augmented Reality technology, namely Microsoft's recent unveiling of its HoloLens device, and postulates on the potential pivotal changes the technology could bring to the video games industry.
I'd love to hear your opinions on the matter, so please feel free to chime ...
Friday, 26 June 2015
02:30
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Hey guys! My latest article for Grab It is live. It looks at the subtle and well-concealed ramifications to cheap games, and how the act of playing is altered by the nature of the purchase. Some of these factors are quite hard to spot, and even awareness of them doesn't entirely eliminate their effects. I suggest you give it a read if you've ever found yourself questioning why you purchased that game that's been sitting unopened on your desk for longer than you can rememb...
Wednesday, 10 June 2015
02:30
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My latest article for Grab It Magazine is now live here!
Exploring the motivations behind why I, personally, play video games, the article dives into a facet of escapism that is not so often touched upon in the discussion of gaming. Games, after all, can be many things to many people. Fun is only one tiny variable in a very big equation.
So, why do you ga...
Tuesday, 2 June 2015
02:30
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Hey everybody!
My second piece for Grab It Magazine is now up for reading here, Concerning the concept of paid-for mods, it discusses a number of the potentially not-so-obvious consequences to introducing an economy to a community accustomed to a free distribution model. Give it a read, and let me know what you think on the topi...
Sunday, 24 May 2015
00:30
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Striding forth through meadows kissed,
With morning sun wot rise betwixt,
The waving oaks, their branches bowed,
With birds of black, an omen sowed.
Upon his back, two blades hang sheathed,
Their points exposed so blood may breathe.
One steel, it sings the fate of man,
One silver, forged to purge the land,
Of monsters, demons, ghouls, and wraiths,
The nightmares wot turn men to faith.
This hero--No, let's folly not.
'Tis gold that stirs him from his cot.
This man--And even that's a lie,
For there lurk hellfire in his eyes.
There be but one name...
Thursday, 21 May 2015
13:28
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For those of you interested in the point-and-click adventure games of yore, I wrote a post-mortem on Double Fine's recent release, Broken Age.
Check it out here!
And be sure to comment with your opinion, if you've had a chance to play ...
Friday, 24 April 2015
00:30
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Money is a means to an end; its only worth amounts to the intent of its deliveran...
Tuesday, 21 April 2015
00:30
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For anyone who's interested, here's an extract from an in-progress anthology of mine, revolving around the consequences of the proliferation of a head-mounted camera-computer combo, and the impact it has on society as seen through the varying perspectives of a number of ordinary people.
I hope you enjoy it!
***
13 Bradley Drive, Sylvia Heights.
“There’s the bastard.” Nate
gestured to the lurid orange Lancer across the street, chewing up a
flowerbed of former tulips with its back tyres. Muddy dirt splattered
across the bay window of...
Tuesday, 14 April 2015
00:30
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Cover me with hands of hail,
Envelop me with storms,
Embrace me with arms sheathed in ice,
Winter be my fo...
Friday, 3 April 2015
00:30
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Hi everyone!
My short story, Memory Leak, makes an appearance in the April edition of Beyond Science Fiction magazine, along with a wonderful selection of tales from other great authors. The blurb for Memory Leak follows:
Can
you remember the last movie you watched?
Nieko
can't. Not just the name; she has no recollection of the scenes, the
actors, not even the basic plot. This isn't an anomaly either; she
can't seem to retain the memory of any movie, TV show, or other
digital media she watches. The doctors are clueless, and her
classmates...
Saturday, 28 March 2015
01:30
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Important PSA: 2008 was 7 years ago. Kids born then who are now attending school do not know a world without iPhones, a world containing CDs and CRTs and internet incapable of streaming video. The concept of dial-up and floppy disks are alien to them. Facebook has always been an ever-present part of their lives, dictating their social status and interaction. Phone calls are an ancient art to them, employed only when Skype, Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, and SMS prove insufficient. Waiting more than five minutes for a response is excruciating, obeying...
Tuesday, 10 March 2015
01:24
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Ideas are like sand: Abundant, yet insubstantial. Apply sufficient
concentrated heat, and you can forge glass: Brittle, but beautiful. Reinforce
with a steel frame and layers of laminate, and you have yourself a window to
another worl...
Monday, 9 March 2015
01:57
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When you live every day trying not to forget
Every second that's slipped by, life is naught but regr...
Friday, 6 March 2015
Saturday, 24 January 2015
00:30
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They say:
Don't be a pessimist,
But the
whole damn world's a rotten mess.
And I
find no comfort in a lie,
When it
changes not the end: We die.
They sell
opinion with fact facades,
Like
Prada bags and Magic cards.
The 'real
deal' they proclaim with smiles,
While
fangs betray their cunning wiles.
"You're
different: you're wrong, you illiterate pig!
"Can't
you see I'm right? Just check out my sig!
"I've
been here years; I'm a veteran, son.
"So
listen to me: this argument's won."
Survival
does not equal smarts,
True
wisdom is a...
Saturday, 10 January 2015
15:06
No comments
The Indie Books division of The Australia Times have included a fantastic review of Guerrilla Internet in their latest issue. Along with the astute assessment from Tracie Pascoe, there is a Q & A with me regarding my pursuit of writing and the lessons I have learned thus far. It is well worth a read, so jump through to page 22 here to do so!
Thanks to everyone out there bestowing me with their precious time. You are all wonderf...
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