January 26, 2009
Three Lists of Game Stuff
Namely, a list of just-published Game Studies articles, of free 3D game download links, and of IF that has been reviewed and is available for play on the Web.
Game Studies 8:2 has been published, with articles on audio, torture, and game mechanics and ones that look at games from pedagogical and McLuhanesque perspectives.
- Audio and Gameplay: An Analysis of PvP Battlegrounds in World of Warcraft by Kristine Jørgensen
- A Procrustean Probe by Tom Tyler
- Virtual Torture: Videogames and the War on Terror by Mark L. Sample
- Defining Game Mechanics by Miguel Sicart
- Novices, Gamers, and Scholars: Exploring the Challenges of Teaching About Games by José P. Zagal & Amy Bruckman
Two intriguing free 3D games are Gravity Bone (currently the top item on that page) and Reflect. They are both for Windows only, and they illustrate the right and wrong way to document to the user that they only run on that operating system.
- Reflect (correct): “Reflect is now available for download! Sadly, it is PC only for now…”
- Gravity Bone (incorrect): GET GRAVITY BONE NOW! FREE DOWNLOAD [No mention of what OS this download is for; no suggestion, even, that there might be more than one operating system in the world.]
Jay is Games has been pimping interactive fiction now and then. For those who fear downloading interpreters, the site has been making games available for play on the Web. So, if you’re looking for places where people can get hooked on the crack of interactive fiction, this is another one. I’ll just link to their list of IF.