Category Archives: Erik Bigras

A Simulated Retrospective, Part 4: Space

Posted on November 29, 2013 by Erik Bigras

Welcome to the fourth and final part of this Higher Level Gamer Critical Retrospective! For these Retrospectives, I’ll take a broad approach to examine some of the tropes of particular game genres, their historical contexts, provide some examples, as well … Continue reading →

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A Simulated Retrospective, Part 3: Submarines

Posted on November 20, 2013 by Erik Bigras

Welcome to Part 3 of this Higher Level Gamer Critical Retrospective! For these Retrospectives, I’ll take a broad approach to examine some of the tropes of particular game genres, their historical contexts, provide some examples, as well as explore why … Continue reading →

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A JRPG I Can Get Behind!

Posted on November 13, 2013 by Erik Bigras

So a few weeks ago, I wrote about how I first grew up, then fell out of love, with JRPGs. However, I just found out about Turn Based Battle over at Armor Games. It’s a fun little parody that, I … Continue reading →

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A Simulated Retrospective, Part 2: The Old West

Posted on November 12, 2013 by Erik Bigras

Welcome to Part 2 of this Higher Level Gamer Critical Retrospective! For these Retrospectives, I’ll take a broad approach to examine some of the tropes of particular game genres, their historical contexts, provide some examples, as well as explore why … Continue reading →

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A Simulated Retrospective, Part 1: Pirates

Posted on October 31, 2013 by Erik Bigras

Welcome to a Higher Level Gamer Critical Retrospective! Retrospectives can take many forms: some focus on a single franchise while others take a more expansive approach. For these retrospectives, I’ll be taking the latter approach. These retrospectives aren’t meant to … Continue reading →

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BoRT: Why Starflight Changed the Way I Game

Posted on October 29, 2013 by Erik Bigras

One of the things that I was alluding to last week was that I “grew up” playing role-playing games (RPGs). I was still a young kid in the 1980s, so I missed out on the Ultima and Wizardry franchises. Back … Continue reading →

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The Knowable and Unknowable Futures of Open World and Sandbox Games

Posted on October 25, 2013 by Erik Bigras

Nowadays, an open world is almost a must, or what Michel Callon (1986) has called an obligatory point of passage, when it comes to designing an RPG. For example, Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Assassin’s Creed, and Fallout all possess a … Continue reading →

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Kickstarting your Dissertation?

Posted on October 24, 2013 by Erik Bigras

Those of us who are in academia are aware of the diminishing funding opportunities offered. This is especially true if you’re studying a topic that is on the fringe of what is considered “popular” research. I know I’ve been having … Continue reading →

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From the Pilot’s to the Captain’s Chair

Posted on October 16, 2013 by Erik Bigras

“It’s like Dwarf Fortress, but in space!” was my first thought when Gaines explained the game to me. It turns out that I was mostly wrong. As of yet, Kerbal Space Program (KSP) doesn’t possess the same depth of complexity … Continue reading →

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Nuances of Satire: Falling into GTA V’s Biopolitical Trap

Posted on October 8, 2013 by Gaines Hubbell

By Erik and Gaines Ever since Grand Theft Auto V’s (GTA 5) release, there have been a series of blog posts concerning the deviant and aberrant behavior one can engage in within the game. Topics of discussion have ranged from … Continue reading →

Posted in Criticism, Erik Bigras, Gaines Hubbell | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 35 Comments