I have realized a disturbing trend in the games I’ve played recently. Games that are so mechanically adept only manage to tell banal stories. While I enjoy the games, the weakness of their narratives left something to be desired. Yes, games such as Bioshock and Fallout have tried to be on the cutting edge of narrative technique, but they too come up short. In particular, the mechanics behind their moral choices have been disappointing me. I found myself running into the same problem while playing Infamous recently…

Street Fighter 4 has a plot!? I know it sounds crazy but its true. Smart people gathered together and discussed what our motivation would be for hurling fireballs at each other.

SXSW’s Screenburn Interactive offers tons of gaming but this year I also got a chance to check out some amazing concept art. Into the Pixel is a traveling exhibition of art from video games begun in 2004. The following pieces are the 2008 entries and if you visit the Pixel website, I’m sure you’ll agree that the work has improved year by year.

Robert Ashley is at it again with the third installment of his podcast series, A Life Well Wasted. This episode asks the simple question, “Why game?” In finding that answer, the show ends up discussing the very nature of video games as art. In this discussion Ashley talks to Jason Rohrer, the genius behind Passage, and we find ourselves learning about his environmentally-sustainable lifestyle. A must listen.

Download the MP3

I don’t own a 360. So, when Braid released on the XBLA last August, I was jealous. Like the poor kid watching his neighbors play with their shiny new Christmas toys. I heard podcast after podcast of critics musing on about how great this game was. With their praise came the inevitable spoilers. To keep the experience untainted, I left many sections of podcasts unheard that month. Even then a few details about the ending found their way to my ears. Has the hype and spoilers ruined this game for me?