Year: 2016

Eric Swain External Sources

The Moving Pixels Podcast Plumbs The Depths of the ‘Darkest Dungeon’

On this episode we delve into the Darkest Dungeon, the horror RPG that hates you. I find whenever we do one of these roguelike games that’s light on authored content, you have to hope the description of how it plays leads to some sort of metaphor. Thankfully, Darkest Dungeon is one of those that does. The game hammers hard on the “grind up those cogs in the corporate machine” message. But beyond that base message and a few shades of specifics in the behavior that is rewarded by the system, there doesn’t seem much. | more

Eric Swain External Sources

Mind of the Machine: AlphaGo and Artificial Intelligence

I finally wrote a new column for PopMatters. I stayed up all night several days in a row to watch the AlphaGo vs. Lee Sedol match play out. It was being held during the day in Korea so that meant it started around midnight here on the East Coast. I feel it was worth it. I really like the game of Go and try to talk about it when I can, but unless you are ingrained in the game, a lot of the specifics are utterly meaningless. I suppose that’s a lesson that could be applied to most games. | more

Eric Swain External Sources

Hinduism and Buddhism Meet Science Fiction in ‘Cradle’

This week’s episode of the Moving Pixels Podcast is on the indie game Cradle. I was on this podcast, but it was quickly apparent to me that I had nothing to say on this game. I was near catatonic I was so bored with this game. So, I’m introduced, make some comments at the beginning and then am pretty much silent for the rest of the running time. Which is a pity given all the fascinating things Chris and Nick were able to get out of this game. | more

Eric Swain External Sources

Critical Distance Confab – Minisode 10 – Abstract Aesthetics

I’ve heard from former Critical Distance editor-in-chief, Kris Ligman, that people like these minisodes as a shorter format discussion. Well, sorry for this month. Sometimes there’s such a good rapport with a guest that controlling the time gets away from me. Heather Alexandra and I had such a rapport. Of course, what do I know. I’m just throwing stuff into the void. Wish I could figure out the download figures for each episode. Find out if anyone is listening. | more

Eric Swain External Sources

Learning about Love from ‘Cibele’

Just in time to miss Valentine’s Day we look at the confessional, autobiographical love story by Nina Freeman, Cibele. Cibele is an important game in the video game landscape right now. You wont find too many games as personal and as open as it. It’s short, yet dense in its drive to reach for that singular emotion of that event. I am positive towards it on the podcast, but that was recorded weeks ago after playing it. Now, I’m having trouble remembering that emotional resonance. | more

Eric Swain External Sources

Critical Distance Confab – Game OverThinker

I will admit, I continue to be a little surprised by who I am able to get for Critical Distance podcast interviews by simply asking. This month I had on Bob Chipman, aka moviebob, to talk about his Game OverThinker YouTube show. Ok, neither he nor James Portnow are exactly huge, but compared to me, wow. I was told to focus on the historical side of things as what Mr. Chipman does isn’t really criticism, per se. But he is undeniably a big early voice in the now exploding YouTube scene. | more

Eric Swain Game Essays

‘Tales from the Borderlands’ episode 5 review

It’s good. If you’ve waited this long to find out whether or not you should get Tales from the Borderlands, I really don’t know what to say to you. If you haven’t finished it or even played it yet, then you should really go remedy that before continuing to read what I have to say here. There is a concept of the innovator and master in art. The idea that some artwork innovated on a concept and later some other artwork showed mastery of that innovated technique or style. | more

Eric Swain Game Essays

‘Tales from the Borderlands’ episode 4 review

What I’m loving about Tales from the Borderlands is that it allows itself to go wherever the story needs it to. Case in point, after three episodes of being a treasure hunt, the game just up and says, “let’s change genres. We’re now a heist film.” Ok, a treasure hunt and a heist aren’t too far off from one another in the narrative output department, but it is still a big shift in focus. Now that our plucky cadre of miscreants are under the thumb of Pandora crime boss Vallory, they have to satisfy her desire to complete the vault key rather than their own. | more

Eric Swain Game Essays

‘Tales from the Borderlands’ episode 3 review

I don’t remember where I heard, saw or read this, but I remember an interview with John Cleese, the estimable comedian behind Monty Python, Fawlty Towers and A Fish Called Wanda, that he had to learn how to do comedy differently for each of those works. When he moved on to doing a full half-hour show in Fawlty Towers, he realized there was a difference to how he was doing the few minute shorts of Monty Python. | more

Eric Swain External Sources

The Moving Pixels Podcast Gets Under the Hood of ‘Undertale’

This episode we talk about last year’s indie darling Undertale. Don’t know what I can say here that I didn’t managed to say on the podcast itself. I went in expecting Undertale to disappoint me due to overhype and it did not. I also didn’t “finish” the game as there is so much more to it once you “beat” it on the first go around. You can find it on PopMatters, SoundCloud and the RSS feed for use in the podcatcher of your choice. | more