August 2012

August was such a hectic month; because of Gamescom I covered a bit more than my usual load for MWEB GameZone, I finally got around to cover eSports for Bravado Gaming and then we hosted the next 16Bit Team Fortress 2 competition. I totally got this journo thing down after Aug ;)

Herewith my article highlights for August

Review: A lesson in empathy from The Walking Dead

The game explores the most fundamental and simplest of human needs; the need to survive. Every confrontation, every decision and every interaction seeks to strip the player of the layers of morality that coats the mind with decency.  It hits you right in the gut with, “How far are you willing to go to live?" The Walking Dead takes the question of survival and escalates it to the point of complete insanity. Now, here is the catch. The game also succeeds in justifying the most outrageous and despicable of deeds in the name of living. It does this by eliciting empathy for the various characters you meet throughout the game. Read the rest of the article here.

An invitation to explore with thechineseroom

I invite you to take a journey with me through the creations of thechineseroom, an Indie studio whose games are changing the electronic playground. They looked into the hearts of gamers and correctly saw an ache for games that are able to tell deeply immersive stories. Dear Esther will leave you with an impression of profound beauty and wonder. Amnesia seems to be a celebration of terror and madness and with Everybody's Gone to the Rapture gamers can expect a game environment that is beautifully drawn, music that cloaks the player in the atmosphere of the game, and a journey that tears at the heart. Read the full article here.

Review: Get feared for free with Slender

Terrifying, nauseatingly fearful, diabolical, erratic, shat in my pants.This free-to-play Indie horror game from Parsec Productions had me in a grip of icy terror. The thickness of the fog, the dreadful noise and the ever present suggestion of his presence all becomes too much. It’s such a sudden bombardment of horror on your visual and hearing senses that you totally overload on fear. It felt like I was physically being cloaked with evil, and I screamed like a little girl. Read the full tale of my night of dread in the foggy woods of Slender Man’s virtual nightmare here. 

My Indie pick for the month: A horror filled space exploration with Rescue

I found this promising new game from Indie studio, Lunar Software. Routine is a first-person horror exploration game set in space, and it has me in a vice grip of fearful anticipation. Where AAA titles have ceased to impress me, Indie games seem to continue to blow my mind away with its ability to tell compelling stories, create immersive atmospheres and to well, just, be a breath of fresh air in the over saturated, stale playground of video gaming. The glimpse we see of the dreadful world of Routine hints at a game that will be on par with mainstream games on graphics and with a soundtrack that cloaks the player in absolute terror. Read full article here.

Understanding the deeply layered world of Beyond Two Souls

I am fascinated by Cage. What he aims to achieve through the medium of video games are both exceptional and immensely intriguing. To therefor understand Beyond, I propose we take a look at it through the eyes of its Maker. Beyond focuses on two themes; accepting who you are, and the question of what happens after death. The emotional quandary of finding meaning in death and the struggle of self-acceptance are two issues that we all face at some point in our lives. For a game to be able to reflect the inner conflict those two questions can cause, are absolutely fascinating. Cage understands the fundamental ability video games have to engage its users in a way unlike watching a movie or listening to a story is able to do. Read full article here.

The truth about the 3rd degree Mind Sports South Africa received

I've waited years to write this article. The way Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA) and its president, Mr Colin Webster, have been treated by the majority of the South African (SA) gaming community, is something that has marred our image as a mature and respected sub culture within society. I took the most serious allegations from the do Gaming comments (Dec 2008-current) and posed them as statements for SA leaders that has actually walked the line with MSSA. Read the full article here.

Noteworthy news articles & interviews

Check out Living the game, Cape Town gears up for its own gaming festival, A look at the authentic war universe of Medal of Honor, Achieve moral excellence with Ultima Forever, Reinventing death with Dishonored, Capcom introduces memory bending with new game: Remember Me, le Broken Sword reappers, The argument for eSports.

Many thanks to all the readers for your input and support. I'm excited to discover what September has in store for us.

June 2012

I took a break in June in order to focus on my studies, which is going exceptionally well atm. Much to my surprise and delight, MWEB GameZone approached me to start writing for them. MWEB is an exciting company to work for and the gMz team are a fantastic bunch of guys. I will also still be working for Bravado Gaming.

I only published two articles in June, both were extremely unique and significant in its own way ;)

About Gamers, Sex and Questing ;)

 I decided to take a break from doing interviews and rather do an opinion piece. I was wrecking my brain to get something original to write about. When I finally hit a good topic, filled with excitement, I headed over to my boss. He gave my idea barely a second thought, and instead blurted this out, and I’m giving you the exact quote…

“[04:35:37 PM] Andreas Hadjipaschali: is sex better when u both complete a quest, cos ur both happy?” 

When my initial shock subsided I replied

[04:37:27 PM] Han Cilliers: ok so the impact of gaming on relationships?

Much to my relief, he quickly replied that yes, he would like an article about the impact of gaming on relationships. So, let’s jump right into the hearts, minds and beds of gamers and their loved ones   Read the rest of this article here.

A time of reflection on e-Sports South Africa

Since I’ve started writing for Bravado Gaming, I have tried to understand the journey our small, competitive community has embarked upon.  With my “Bird’s eye view on e-Sports SA” I’ve covered the accumulated results of countless people’s efforts by showing our readers where e-Sports in SA currently stands and what we have on offer for our competitive community.

That series showcases what we have built so far; it is the ‘house’ so to speak. But what of the foundation, who were the individuals that pioneered and paved the way for competitive gaming in SA? My interview with Lauren das Neves covered one such individual. This article introduces you to two more people who have played a significant role in shaping competitive gaming in SA. Meet Johann von Backstrõm from Telkom do Gaming and Colin Webster from MSSA. Read the rest of this article here.

That concludes a very chilled June.  From 01 July I will kick it off with gMz.

February 2012

The month of February can best be described by my closing thoughts on my interview with Agro, "I feel like an adventurer that discovered a hidden treasure." Not only did we launch the 16Bit TF site, I had the honor of interviewing a few extraordinary people. Discover them with me.

'Someting big this way comes.' Meet John 'Agro' Irwin

“Agro – Not just a name; a state of mind.” – John ‘Agro’ Irwin

Grab the water buckets, sound the fire alarms, you’re about to meet John ‘Agro’ Irwin the Pyro. He will set your world on fire. Join me Lola, as I jump boots and all into the mind of this well known Arsonist from Team Fortress. Read the full interview here.

A new 3some is formed.

An interview with Matt 'fluke' Merks from PolarfluKe, Colin Webster from Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA) and Lauren das Neves from New Age Gaming (NAG). These 3 organisations each took that which is their greatest strength and added it to the other's, forming a partnership that provides a professional gaming experience to its participants. They are taking competitive gaming in South Africa to greater heights, and I am excited about what the future holds for us. 

Come on baby light my fire!

 Pyro makes me fly. John Agro Irwin

16Bit TF and KritzKast threw African Fortress a TF2 party by hosting an Off-class competition (KLOC). So, in anticipation for this I’ve decided to take a closer look at some of the unsung heroes of TF2, namely the Pyro, the Engineer and the Heavy. In this article I covered the Pyro, a class known for its sexy asbestos-lined suit, its speech impediment and rockstar arsenal. 

This brings me to the end of February 2012.  Thanks to everyone who took time of their busy schedules to chat with me.

2012 articles

So let's finish catching up. The first few months of 2012 have been challenging, exciting and full of surprises. I've met some extraordinary people and played the most exquisite games.

January 2012

When gaming partnerships work

In SA gaming partnerships are a rare occurrence. The story of Robert 'PandaTank' Botha, Colin Webster (president of MSSA) and Matt 'fluke' Merks (MD of PolarfluKe) shows us that if we put aside our prejudices it is possible to achieve what every competitive player wants – opportunities to compete at the highest level and recognition for achievements earned. Parts of this article featured in the International eSports Federation (IeSF) newsletter.

A Sith Marauder & A Trooper Commando

Star Wars the Old Republic (TOR), topped round the 1 million player milestone just three days after its launch, making it the fastest growing MMORPG. With this article I interviewed 2 Guild Masters, the trooper, Theunis 'Lillian Snowfall' Steyn and the Sith Lord, Alastair 'Tsaebgal' Bowman.

Bromance in the Theatre of Doom

I didn't know it at the time, but this would be my last article for TF2CSA as I moved over to 16Bit TF in Feb. I've had a very fulfilling and exciting time at TF2CSA, much gratitude to Razerfox and LikaLota. This article covered the finals of the very first Ultiduo for African Fortress.

Immersion in Games 

An opinion piece I did on 10 aspects of immersion in games. This piece explains why atm gaming is the fastest growing industry in the world. I did a massive amount of research on this subject, drawing from the collective knowledge of various experts in the field of gaming.

This concludes January 2012. Many thanks to Yolanda 'Lolita' Green from 'Altogether' for her editing and Chris 'Turkish' Smithard for being the most frustrating and challenging soundboard I've ever had ;)