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Video Game talk on StarTalk
I just listened to this great talk on StarTalk about video games. It’s a little older, but still really relevant and touched upon many of the things we discuss in class: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNTH2JqrdfA
Week 10 – 11/13/13: “Mass Effect-s” & Dr. Kimberly Voll
Fascinating, provocative and challenging class covering violence and sexism in games, as well as sexism in the games industry. jon
Week 11 Guest Speaker – Sheridan Scott
Joining us this week will be Sheridan Scott who I have had the privilege of knowing from more years then either of us care to reflect on, dating back to appearing before Sheridan when she was CRTC counsel. Sheridan grew up in Vancouver moving to Toronto when she was in High School, then on to […]
Increasing Inclusivity in the Video Game Community 8bits at a Time
With the discussion last week turning to the controversy surrounding misogynistic, and at times also homophobic, transphobic, and racist, elements in the video game community, I became curious as to alternative user-oriented game conventions designed to address such issues. GaymerX, previously GaymerCon, was a convention organized with the idea of creating a safe space for […]
The Easy Difficulty Setting
In class today, on the topic of sexism in videogames, Jon closed with an anecdote about navigating his way out a building with heavy, cumbersome boxes. The unforeseen obstructions that littered his path made what should have been an easy trip into a complicated affair; one that needed to be travelled carefully and with planning. […]
News of the Week; November 13, 2013
1. Huge Xbox losses hidden by patent royalties, says analyst 2. PSN: We Reserve the Right to Monitor and Record Your PSN Activity 3. 9 Ways Video Games Can Actually Be Good For You 4. Witness Blames Malicious Act on Oakland Public Bus on Video Games 5. XBox, Watch TV: Inside Microsoft’s Audacious Plan to Take Over the Living Room 6. The […]
Week 9 – 11/6/13: “Controlling Originality” & Andy Moore
It’s all here. Sorry for system mandated video cut off at the end. And for the fact that the way we connected Andy’s slides into the system through a secondary didn’t allow the video system to pick them up so you will have to download them and advance manually. jon
Games, Violence, and Your Brain
The ongoing battle over the psychological effects of violent games continues in a recent study published in the most recent edition of Cyberpsychology, behavior and social networking. From the abstract: Christian Happ and his colleagues recruited 60 students (20 men) with varied video gaming experience and had them spend 15 minutes playing the violent and bloody beat-em-up game Mortal […]
Week 10 Guest Commentator – Dr. Kimberly Voll
Dr. Kimberly Voll joins us next week as we explore social issues, including violence and sexism in games. Kim holds a PhD in computer science, and an honours degree in cognitive science. She spent six years as faculty at the University of British Columbia, and has taught everything from software engineering to video-game development to […]
News of the Week; November 6, 2013
1. Zynga Wins ‘Scramble With Friends’ UK Lawsuit, But Must Alter Game’s Logo 2. Video game controller manufacturer Scuf Gaming files patent infringement claim against French competitor BURN controllers 3. Lewis v. Activision Blizzard 4. German Court Says MMOG Publisher Can Set Game Rules, Regardless of Consumer Rights Legislation 5. Nintendo says this amazing Super Mario site is illegal. Here’s […]