By Harold Goldberg Part of our New York Videogame Critics Circle Level Up Now scholarship program includes poetry written by high school students who have the world’s biggest entertainment medium in mind – along with salient social justice issues. (We will post the winners of the scholarship contest next week.) People of color haven’t had…
By Harold Goldberg It was some time in the making. But yesterday, the New York Videogame Critics Circle took about 15 of the students we mentor at the Bronx’s DreamYard Preparatory School to the treasure that is Manhattan’s Museum of Modern Art for an exclusive talk with their curators about the museum’s videogame collection. MOMA’s curators…
As he finds himself ensconced in a brand, new world, Founding Circle Critic Andrew Yoon writes insightfully about his past in game journalism and his future in game development. by Andrew Yoon I remember as a little kid, I used to say: “when I grow up, I’m going to be a Yoshi.” Eventually, it dawned…
By comparing the culture within western and eastern RPGS, the author argues that plot in role playing games hinges not on one protagonist, but upon a motley crew of characters. by Robert Gordon In the world of role playing games, it’s the ensemble that’s key to plot formation. Though video game characters can be motivated…
By Sarah Awad After news about the third installment of the Final Fantasy XIII saga, the author traveled back to a time when we were first introduced to Lightning Farron. When the first Final Fantasy XIII trailer was released during E3 2006, it was love at first sight as Square Enix introduced to me what…
It’s Saturday morning. Outside, the sun over the river is like Kanye’s finest gold. But I’m distracted, looking forward to Tuesday night. I’m looking forward to Tuesday night because we all get together, a community of proud nerds because honorary member Daniel Radosh of the Daily Show is intelligent and funny and droll because former Rockstar…
When I learned of Steve Morgenstern’s passing early today, it was a shock. Steve Morgenstern had been a fixture, until recently, of the tech and gaming scene in New York City. But I also considered him to be a friend. Although he wasn’t a Circle member and lived out on Long Island, I often invited…
The agony of defeat inspires victory, and, perhaps, lasting friendships. by JORGE JIMENEZ Injustice Gods Among Us is the game I always wanted. It’s a superhero fighting game that deals with a parallel universe with bad versions of Flash, Green Lantern and Superman. After proving to myself that I could save the world from an evil…
by Jill Scharr We’re big fans of Penny Arcade’s PAX conventions–they’re known for being friendly, open and inclusive, with panels on diverse topics, everything from sexuality to tabletop games to games journalism. This year, the games journalism panels themselves covered a range of topics, from freelancing to breaking into IGN. Here’s a rundown of the…
By Harold Goldberg Paris, France: Cold. Rainy. Windy. And utterly beautiful. Far away from the Eieffel Tower at the Quantic Dream studios, a group of journalists is watching a 45-minute demo of live gaming from Beyond: Two Souls. The homeless Jodie Holmes, played by Ellen Page, wanders snowy streets in a blizzard – until she…