Writing in my own voice: July 2012

I went from 2 articles in June to 33 in July. My first month with MWEB GameZone was a thrill. A heartfelt thanks to the team, you guys are awesome. Every day brings with it the challenge of writing in your own voice and delivering articles that are worth reading in an industry flooded with better journalists than yourself. Challenge was accepted ;)

For this blog post I will focus mainly on my opinion pieces.

"All the world's a digital stage"

This article explores ubiquitous computing in depth. 

The Web is essentially a digital mirror of individuals, created by the interactions of each person on it. A sensor based digital world has replaced a senses dependent world. Just how much information related to you is available on the Web?  We interact on a real time, highly information based world with software that interprets all the data we feed it almost on a daily basis. You might think, but how accurate can these interpretations be? Let’s take a look at just how deep this rabbit-hole goes.

The language of music in games

I attempt to articulate the beauty that music adds to the gaming experience.

There are few things in life that can compare to the passion we feel towards music. It is the chameleon of the soul; because as a chameleon reflects the colour it touches, so music reflects the ever changing landscape of our emotions. Music conveys a clearer message than words, because it surpasses the barriers of prejudice and reason. It elicits deep response because it knows the path to our hearts. Its melody can serve as a teacher by clearing our minds and directing our thoughts along the message of its lyrics. It is the higher language because it surpasses race, intellect and outward beauty. It makes us all equals on the planes of feeling. 

About the male gaze and other holy cows

I take a look at the controversial subjects of the male gaze, and the inclusion of religious and sexual content in video games.

We are just scratching the surface of what games as a medium are capable to deliver to an over saturated, preached up, fed up, over educated and intellectualized humanity. I don’t know where we should draw the lines, we are discovering that together. What I do know is that I am listening, and what I hear, is that games have become a catalyst for mass critical thinking. What are you hearing?

Indie Games – A digital self portrait

I take a look at how the medium of video games didn’t grow with its audience, and Indie games as the new genre of inspiration.

AAA titles are audience driven, whereas Indie titles are essentially a digital self portrait of the developer, or at least a window into the mind and soul of the developer. In Indie Game: The Movie, Jonathan Blow says this about creating the Indie hit Braid, one of the highest-rated games of all time. “Making it was about me taking my deepest flaws and vulnerabilities and putting that into a game.” Just think about that a minute. How would playing a game that is at its core a deeply personal and intimate story of another individual, impact the player?

News, interviews and reviews
I did a fascinating series on role-playing games: An entirely personal matter, role-playing games and escapism, explore the magic that is role-playing games, and role-playing games, where to from here? I also did an interview with "The legend that is Ashkan Namousi."

Noteworthy news included: Apps that eavesdrop, Digital is changing the landscape, and Living the game.

Many thanks to everyone that played a part in making July a spectacular month of video games journalism for me.

April 2012

The highlight of April was that I started writing for Bravado Gaming, covering the e-Sports section. I have only been part of the very secluded Team Fortress competitive community, but as always, I cannot resist a challenge. Working with Bravado also meant that for the first time since I've started writing I had to meet deadlines and produce a certain amount of articles per month. This excited and frightened me at the same time. I also covered my beloved TF2 a bit and wrote an opinion piece. Let's have a closer look.

A birds eye view on e-Sports SA: Multi Gaming Organisations

Being involved in the management side of competitive gaming requires a different kind of animal, one that can handle the horde from hell called ‘Pro-Gamers’. A unique skill set is a must; the skin of a rhino, the roar of a lion and the shrewdness of a snake. In this first part of a series on e-Sports in SA ,I covered the MGO. These are the organisations that take care of us, the players. Here the nappies get changed, tantrums get thrown and players get the occasional pat on the back. It’s also where players share in common goals, get rewarded for their skills and belong to a brotherhood of gamers. People with balls of steel run these organisations. I asked them to share with us what they stand for and what it takes to run a MGO in SA. Read the rest of this article here.

 

Meet the WarMaster: Tim 'wm' Bagheri

This man’s gaming resume is as impressive as his willingness to throw open his resources to aid those who comes knocking on his e-door for assistance.  That having been said, any person can brag and throw around an impressive nickname. The true judge of a man’s character should be the impressions he has left on those who has been caught in the wake of his passing through their lives. Throughout this interview, you will find some of those impressions. Join me as I discover Tim ‘WarMaster’ Bagheri. Read the rest of this inspiring interview here.

 

5 Reasons to play Team Fortress 2

An assortment of classes that defy logic, gameplay that inspires creative thinking, clothing accessories that would make the macho’s of men giddy and of course weapons. Lots of weapons – you can fly, charge, bomb, burn, stab, scare and even mock your enemies to death.Let’s take a look at 5 reasons why you should be playing Team Fortress 2 (TF2). Read here why you don't have an excuse to not play TF2 ;)

The internet is a good mirror

The tragedy of the Breivik massacre and his many references to gaming did lead me to ask myself this question. “Are there any real dangers in playing video games and being involved in social media?" Are we as gamers so baised about gaming that we are making the same mistake that the people who blame gaming as a catalyst for violence do? The pitfall of confirmation bias (automatically searching for evidence to support whatever you believe, reasoning not designed to pursue the truth, but to help win arguments), forces me to rethink my position on these matters with every new outcry from society blaming violent or unacceptable behavior on gaming. In this opinion piece I take a hard look at possible pitfalls in gaming and social media. I cover esacapism, online behavior and internet persona's. The internet provides us with basically a regulation free world, how do we behave within that seemingly borderless environment? Read the rest of this article here.

 

A birds eye view on e-Sports SA: Organisations

In part two I looked at the organisations that give us leagues and competitions. The people who manage these events for us is the driving force behind e-Sports South Africa. Their dedication to gaming gives players across all gaming platforms, MGO’s and clans the opportunities to compete at the highest level of gaming in South Africa and even abroad. They have to not only ‘tank’ the endless complaints from gamers, but also the pressure from sponsors and higher ups. Join me for a peek into their hearts as I set out to discover why they endure so much for so little and what drives them to continue to give into e-Sports in South Africa (SA). Read the rest of this entry here.

"Suddenly a wild MGO appears on the TF2 scene"

The Multi Gaming Organisation (MGO), Xperts@Total.Chaos took the brave, unconventional step to add a Team Fortress 2 (TF2) division to their current teams. In my opinion this unexpected yet very welcomed joining happened because the manager of xTc, David ‘Machaven’ Olivier, a regular TF2 pubber, lost his heart to; unconventional clothing accessories, strange guns, gravity defying jumps and the most cheerful gaming community in SA. I caught up with the CEO of xTc, Kenneth ‘Slade’ Willmore and one of the infamous Severe players,  Tye ‘Tyelander’ Walker to investigate this joining of hearts. Read the rest of this interview here.

That brings me to the end of an eventful April.