Critically Speaking

Maturity and violence have long gone hand in hand in the gaming industry. But do they have to? If the only axis on which we judge our games' maturity is how violent they are, it is unlikely that we will see other modes of play moving into dominant positions. Perhaps other concepts, such as delight, might be better vectors for enjoyable gaming experiences.Fragments: Alora's Tear, Volume I (Barham Ink)Warlords of DraenorCan joy be more 'adult' than violence?Rebecca Black? Friday! Friday!

Controversy. How does an industry with games that feature so many guns and so many deaths not have controversy? According to this week's feature article, there are no controversial games. Nate and Scott try their best to understand and shed some light on the issues facing gaming and its audience.NotesThe Glorious Master Race!Yahtzee Croshaw, Zero PunctuationNew study suggests violent video games improve moral behaviorE-sports tournament now open to all genders after internet outrageThere are No Controversial Videogames

Theme is more than a simple bullet point to be added amongst the various graphical effects, multiplayer modes, and stat systems. When big name titles aim for thematic resonance, is there ever a possibility in which they can be successful in the way that writing and filmmaking can be? If not, the possibility exists that AAA games are just not the place for thematic subtlety.NotesBig games are often light on themesDestiny on PC is a heavy point of discussion at ActivisionYoshida: PS4 games are being delayed because of the console’s power and potential

When does marketing become sheer deception? It's one thing to manipulate the audience in benign ways, getting them excited for a product that the creators are equally or more so excited about. It's entirely something else when he marketing dictates what will be included in a game or when a game must be shown in order to generate revenue.Notes:Open-world ZeldaUbisoft Is Excluding Women From The New “Assassin’s Creed” And People Are FuriousDan Golding — Notes on Ubisoft’s Charlotte CordayIs 'we don't have the resources' an OK excuse for keeping female heroes out of games?Animating women should take 'days,' says Assassin's Creed 3 animation directorAre E3 Demos Intentionally Deceptive?Monument Valley iOSRepublique 

What qualifies someone who is passionate about a topic? Be it art, film, or gaming, there is a tendency to designate between those who feel strongly about a medium—and demonstrate those feelings by spending vast amounts of time on it—and those who simply care enough to spend what little time they have being involved. With games, this designation usually produces negativity. Is there a way to be both passionate and spend less time than others or even your past self?Show Notes:Guilt, Conflict, and Loathing on being a "Passionate Gamer"Watch Dogs Promotion Triggers Bomb Squad Response to Major PublicationHow to Pronounce UbisoftDo You Have a Mountain Bike?

If purchasing decisions tie less and less to the opinion of a published review, what place do reviews have in the gaming industry? This week Scott and Nate discuss the neccesity of gaming reviews and their power over sales.

Every genre has a defining title that sets the stage for a new, more polished generation. But at some point, the product reaches a quality that requires more effort to improve than the return benefit. While no game or series is perfect, sometimes the right response is to strike out into new territory in search of the next diamond in the rough.

Games have always striven toward the goal of creating believable virtual worlds, but with the recent advancements from Oculus and Sony's Project Morpheus, VR is closer to becoming a reality than ever before. What happens when the world you choose to escape to is populated by your Facebook friends list?

Sometimes the best topics come straight from the news. This week's episode does just that. CryEngine on SteamOS, a crisis for the console market, and a handful of PC and iOS games fill out the discussion.

Time will outlast us all, if it even exists, but in gaming, time is often a tool or a feature or altogether absent. What happens if games focus on time in a different way? In life, we grow, we live, we build families and communities, and then we die. The story doesn't end there. Future generations carry on the legacy. Could the same be made true for our in-game selves?

In life everyone has their pet peeves, and the same is true with videogames. Whether it's piles of junk everywhere or slow travel from place to place or stilted dialogue, game designers should keep an eye out for the things that bring their audiences to nails-on-the-chalkboard levels of irritation.

Sometimes our characters talk, and other times we make them talk. What happens when our choices mean as little in the first case as they do in the second? Can a game take away player agency and still be better for it? For character dialogue, that just might be true.

Nothing is a pure original, but if that is true, then what does it mean when videogame protagonists are so homogenized that they can be boiled down to a series of journal entries of no more than a paragraph?

Without action there can be no stealth. Or is it, without stealth there can be no action? Either way, sneaking, hiding, and gathering information in order to get the upper hand on NPCs or other players is a fascinating and thrilling experience when done right.

Restrictions may breed creativity, but what happens when the restrictions become the starting point? Game genres help marketers, publishers, and press decide how to discuss a given title, and help gamers make purchasing decisions. However, many of those definitions were created and maintained by very different creators than those working today.

Special guest Ryan Payton of Camouflaj joins Nate and Scott to discuss his studio's new game, Republique Episode 1: Exordium and the Kickstarter process that led to the game's publication.

Does gameplay, real gameplay, emerge? Or, does a designer have the final decision? Whether a guiding hand or a free-for-all, the discussion around the best way to design games continues toward better products for all. Nate and Scott weigh in on this as well as gaming related news from CES.

When all the gaming outlets are discussing Game of the Year, does it make more sense to consider Game Played this Year? Scott and Nate take a look back at not only the year in games, but the year in games that they played and enjoyed.

Avatars represent more than just our preferences in character design. Statistically, players choose characters that resemble themselves, and often characters that represent idealized versions of themselves. What goes into the avatar selection process? Nate and Scott discuss and vaguely disagree.

No matter the topic, occupation, or activity, rarely do people want to feel like outsiders. With the games industry expanding in content and subject matter, the old identifiers (namely "gamer") no longer seems accurate in great many cases. And yet, how can we create meaningful identities for ourselves without some kind of identifier?