Category: Read
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NPCs Massacre Game Shows Steam Still Isn’t Doing Enough
Steam recently did something notable, it actually blocked a horrendous game from appearing on their storefront. It’s notable because their policy up until this point was essentially “Fuck it, do what you want just pay our cut.”. The game is question was pretty awful. It was a rape and murder simulator. Unlike Night Trap, this…
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Troll Games and their Place in Gaming Culture
It is hard to make a good game, it may even be harder to make a game that sells well. Some focus only on the former and some only on the later. When a game developer only wants to make a game that sells well without taking the time to make it actually good, they…
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Anthem Reviews Aren’t Being Censored
Every few years the remnants of GamerGate re-emerges to attempt to construct an outrage over something. Between complaining about any form of diversity or politics they don’t agree with; they like to play the hits from time to time. Broadly speaking, game reviews. More specifically, complex crazy conspiracy theories about game reviews crafted into a…
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Apex Legends Accessibility Options Shows other Battle Royales Up
Apex Legends is the latest game to burst onto the battle royale scene, releasing on February 4th. A character-based version of the popular online multiplayer format, Apex is free to play, like many of its counterparts. Players can unlock characters by leveling up or, of course, by buying in-game currency. Each character has their own skills to…
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Donkey Kong 64: A Marxist Interpretation
Donkey Kong 64 is one of the most seminal games of the 90s. The collectathon platformer re-cast a former villain in a brand new role as a 3D hero. The title has been unfairly maligned in recent years by rightists seeking to downplay the importance of the Kong family’s struggle. By viewing Donkey Kong 64 through a…
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Indie Appreciation on the Switch
This past holiday season was a good one for the Nintendo Switch. Mario Party, Super Smash Bros, and Pokemon Let’s Go were huge successes. Many a person’s January was spent running through these titles. Now though, it’s February. The holiday excitement has worn off, but there are still weekends to be filled. So what is…
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Videl in Dragon Ball FighterZ: Blasting Past the Glass Ceiling to Reach the Arena
Like many things, Dragon Ball and its shonen genre have a history of male-heavy casts with an emphasis on action. The most featured characters are often the fighters, and they’re often men. It’s refreshing whenever that status quo is shaken up by female characters punching through the glass ceiling to join the fray. Out of…
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Streamer Raises Funds with Donkey Kong 64 Charity Stream
On January 18th, Twitch streamer Hbomberguy tweeted “here we go….HERE WE FREAKING GO”. With that simple message, he started a stream that would attract attention from all corners of the world. Out of pure spite for transphobia and compassion for youth in need, a movement began. The Beginning This all began when Hbomberguy decided to…
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Soldier 76, Gay Icon
Blizzard recently brought Soldier: 76 out of the closet. A new short story, Bastet, brings new lore about two fan favorites, Ana and Jack Morrison (or Soldier: 76). This comes a little over two years after Tracer was the first Overwatch character to become canonically LGBT+. In this story, it’s revealed that Jack gave up a life…
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Motion Controls Bring Fitness Home
When Nintendo originally released the Wii in 2006, with it came Wii Fit, Zumba, Just Dance, and a host of other games that were all about getting people up and off the couch. Off the couch and using the fancy new motion controls, that is. Wii Fit Trainer made their mark, still on the Smash roster.…
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Going Out For VR with Alien: Descent
While virtual reality—or VR—seems to be gaining ground, I honestly haven’t seen the appeal of it. I like games, but haven’t felt the desire to have it consume my entire vision, or get that immersed in it while at home. I like console and handheld games, and other forms of entertainment like film, books, etc.…
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Twitch Needs to Actually Enforce its Own Rules
Twitch isn’t exactly known for being a positive platform, with a strong approach to quality control. With any platform, the larger it grows the harder it becomes to stay on top of the content being hosted. Twitch is no exception. However, Twitch has a problem with enforcing its own rules. A streamer called MrDeadMoth has brought…
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The Weirdness of the Ellie Controversy
If you’ve been on the internet in the past week, you may have heard talk about “Ellie.” Ellie started out being the first female player on Second Wind, an Overwatch Contenders team. Contenders is essentially the Minor League of Overwatch esports, and to add a woman to Second Wind was a pretty big deal. The…
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Some Relaxing Lo-Fi Gaming Playlists
Have you ever noticed that long-running YouTube Livestream of an anime girl studying? It claims to be perfect music to study/chill too, and it kind of is. Lo-fi music emerged from Vapourware and has found a nice niche as background music. This music is perfect for playing while you’re studying, reading, or even playing a game with…
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Physical Editions of Fortnite are Predatory
Fortnite has been a runaway success, a lot of this has been driven by the constant free content for the title. It is possible to spend a lot of money in the game, however in it’s purest form Fortnite is entirely free to play and free to win. Free to play and win, cosmetics are often a…
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5 New Year’s Resolutions for the Video Games Industry in 2019
In case you’ve missed the news, 2019 has finally arrived. Since 2018 was a fairly turbulent year for gaming, 2019 provides a fresh start for the industry. Here’s hoping that somebody important takes notice. Bring About the Death of Lootboxes Lootboxes, Microtransactions and assorted shadiness permeated most AAA games in 2018 such as Assassin’s Creed:…