Month: March 2013

Eric Swain External Sources

Changing Perspectives: Defining What We See in First Person and Third Person Games

And so comes to an end of a month looking at walking games with jaunt over to the Third-Person Walkers of last year Journey and Bientôt l’été. The whole idea of the first-person walking genre was from Kris Ligman or at least I thought it did until I tried to track down where she said it. It isn’t often that a year provides so many examples of a new genre. Especially one as diverse as this one. | more

Eric Swain External Sources

‘Proteus’ and the Simple Act of Being

I’ve finally finished up my series on the First Person Walkers of 2012. Ending on the last of the three that I played and the one I honestly had the hardest time writing about: Proteus. I don’t know if it’s the fact I don’t play that many open world games and thus don’t have the proper critical vocabulary to discuss them or what. I like Proteus. It’s restful. I end up closing my eyes and just lightly rest in my chair. Not really napping, just resting. I don’t know how the piece came out. | more

Eric Swain External Sources

The Podcast That Burns At 100 Billion Degrees

I appeared on another episode of the Moving Pixels Podcast to discuss the indie game Little Inferno. I don’t know what to really think of the game and spend most of my time trying to parse it out in real time with my fellow podcasters. It’s another game I’m very happy that it exists and I enjoyed my time with it, but I don’t know what to ultimately say about it in any final word sort of way. It feels like a lot of half-finished ideas and sentiments put together centering on the Little Inferno Entertainment Fireplace. | more

Eric Swain External Sources

Cinematic Time and Space in ‘Thirty Flights of Loving’

This is a week late and a good example of why you should have your posts written out ahead of time. I like Thirty Flights of Loving as a mental experiment more than I like it as a game. As a game there just isn’t enough for me to grab on to in the manner, we often attach ourselves to the experience of play. But I find it fascinating to pick apart and autopsy the various elements and what they do in relation to one another. It’s like having a huge story telling game experience distilled to the point where it’s pure. | more

Eric Swain Thoughts

Game Changer of the Next Generation

So, the PS4 announcement was a thing and amid the hype, the backlash to the hype and the reasoned deconstruction of what was revealed I keep seeing the same things focused on. The PS4 is showing more of the same, the PS4 has a share button that could do things, the PS4 has or hasn’t set itself up as a new generation system. I’m not going to argue or dispute any of that. Though I will give a general shame on you to those spreading their bile. | more

Eric Swain Thoughts

GoFundMe for PAX East

PAX East is coming up soon and like last year I have managed to secure a Press Pass for the event. I’ve gone twice in the past three since PAX East started and have always had a good time. I’ve gotten to meet some wonderful people that I’ve only ever talked to on twitter before. This year however, despite having a pass and have arranged a place to stay for the weekend I don’t have the money to actually get up there. | more