Games

Recreation as a Subject of Production: Video Games & Material Analysis

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I. New Production, New Technique? *** On April 23rd, 1934, Walter Benjamin gave an address to the Institute for the Study of Fascism, Paris, titled "The Author as Producer." In it, Benjamin gives a singular summation of the issue he is most known for addressing, what would later become the foundation of his famous "The … Continue reading Recreation as a Subject of Production: Video Games & Material Analysis

Invisible Sun & The History Of Surrealism Part 2: Breton, Bataille, and Surrealism

~ nothisispat ~ 2 Comments

This is a continuation of the piece I started here. For lack of an introduction, I suggest you read part 1 if you haven't already looked at it. This post will be looking at the Surrealist movement proper through Andre Breton, Salvador Dali, and Georges Bataille. I will also talk about Antonin Artaud and Walter … Continue reading Invisible Sun & The History Of Surrealism Part 2: Breton, Bataille, and Surrealism

The Storyteller: Observations on Walter Benjamin and Roleplaying Games

~ nothisispat ~ 1 Comment

I "The art of storytelling is coming to an end. One meets with fewer and fewer people who know how to tell a tale properly."[i] So starts Walter Benjamin's 1936 essay "The Storyteller: Observations on the Works of Nikolai Leskov." To Benjamin, who lived through the first World War, the art (or "craft" as he … Continue reading The Storyteller: Observations on Walter Benjamin and Roleplaying Games

Invisible Sun & The History of Surrealism Pt. 1: Precursors to the Surrealists

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(The Black Square. K Malevich. Source)   0 - PROLOGUE & DISCLAIMERS _____________________________ To begin, I feel I might as well explain 1) what this series is and 2) what this series is not. Just recently a new tabletop roleplaying game called Invisible Sun was released by Monte Cook Games. Composed of four books, many … Continue reading Invisible Sun & The History of Surrealism Pt. 1: Precursors to the Surrealists

Deconstruction, the Player, and the Played pt. 3: Comparisons

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Having talked about The Beginner's Guide and The Magic Circle individually, I want to talk about them in conjunction. In many ways these games are synchronous, but also quite disparate. I don't really like being so harsh on The Beginner's Guide, partly because it did move me when I played it. I don't want to criticize games … Continue reading Deconstruction, the Player, and the Played pt. 3: Comparisons

Deconstruction, the Player, and the Played Pt. 2: “The Magic Circle”

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[SPOILERS FOR THE MAGIC CIRCLE MAY BE FOUND BELOW!] Last time in this pseudo-series I talked about The Beginner's Guide and how I felt it's personal nature and sincerity worked against it on the whole; it's narration trapping the player into an ambiguity that robs them of a real connection to the game. After playing … Continue reading Deconstruction, the Player, and the Played Pt. 2: “The Magic Circle”

Deconstruction, the Player, and the Played, Part One: “The Beginner’s Guide”

~ nothisispat ~ 1 Comment

[Warning: Spoilers for The Beginner's Guide may be found below] It seems we have entered into a golden age of deconstuctive, postmodern, indie games within the last three or four years. In 2013 we were given The Stanley Parable and the first act of Kentucky Route Zero, each eschewing traditional gameplay for quirky narrative exploration … Continue reading Deconstruction, the Player, and the Played, Part One: “The Beginner’s Guide”