Archive: november 2, 2008
Silence is Gordon [Half-life]
![Silence is Gordon [Half-life]](/images/news/39578.jpg)
No one is suggesting a future iteration of Half-Life's protagonist will suddenly start talking, like Chief Bromden savoring Juicy Fruit, but Matt Smith, writing at Thunderbolt Games, has an eloquent defense of Gordon Freeman's muteness, why it works so well in this series, and why Freeman is such a beloved character despite saying nary a word.
[B]y keeping Freeman quiet, Valve also creates one of the most personal first-person games in existence. Rarely does the player ever find their control lost, and when they do, it is because Freeman also is physically restrained. As a result, the player become...
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Aug 2 Half-Life: The Crossword
Mar 27 Morgan Freeman In Half-Life
!['Working for the Man': Models of Play [Game Design]](/images/news/39627.jpg)
And you thought you played games to have fun — Steven Poole has a lengthy essay trying to prove you wrong. We're working — working for the (video game) man, man. I must confess that even if...
![Peter Molyneux on Fable II [Fable]](/images/news/39616.jpg)
Gamasutra has a nice interview up with Peter Molyneux on the topic of Fable II and the process of putting a game together; there's also plenty of discussion on lessons learned from Fable I and the uproar...
![Winners in Indie Dev Contest, with Video [Xbox Community Games]](/images/news/39617.jpg)
Last week Microsoft announced the winners of its 2008 Dream-Build-Play game development contest. The indie devs took home more than $70,000 in cash and prizes, and "will have the opportunity to receive...
![Prototyping Challenge: Fishing Girl [Game Design]](/images/news/39604.jpg)
Danc of Lost Garden is back with another prototyping challenge; game designer I am not, but I love these things — especially seeing what people come up with. On the plate this cycle? A fishing game...
![Pretty Boys: The Male Dandy in Games [Gender]](/images/news/39606.jpg)
There's an interesting essay over at the Vorpal Bunny Ranch (a blog worth visiting for the name alone) on the issue of the dandy in video games, a character known for a few different things: 'his impeccable...
![The Ballad of "Robert Jones": Arcade Tickets Were His Currency [Arcades]](/images/news/39607.jpg)
I started thinking about this story, which is four years old and never told, because later today I’m going to a party at the Dave & Buster’s in Milpitas. I’ve never been there before, but I think...
The Need for Speed Undercover is scheduled to be released on November 18th, 2008. The game will be the first racing game to include the Nissan 370Z. EA has just released a new HD trailer. Watch the video...
![Naruto: The Broken Bond Demo is Up on XBLA [Naruto]](/images/news/39584.jpg)
Not rock-the-foundations-of-gaming stuff, but Naruto fans might be interested to know that the demo of Naruto: The Broken Bond, is up on Xbox Live. I think Major Nelson forgot to mention this. Anyway,...
Innoquous is a short 2D platformer which incorporates a gravity switching gimmick to disorient players and hinder them from reaching the exit in each level with ease. Use the arrow keys to move or jump...