Letters to the Editor

Geek Culture

Innacuracies and misrepresentation are easy to spot when the news is talking about a subject that you know a lot about, however what about something you don't know much about? A situation in a foreign country perhaps? When the news affects so many people, and makes such an impact and can make people think video games are bad as a social norm, it does make you wonder what sort of spin they are putting on other stories. Though it does make sense, that they are victimizing video games for fear of losing viewers to a different medium that is growing in popularity.

- Skrapt

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In response to "Walk, Don't Run" from The Escapist Forum:

Grim Fandango is the closest thing to Literature that has ever been produced in the videogame medium (Note: I have not yet played Bioshock, which by all accounts may also be in the same neighborhood).

For example, note that in the opening cinematic, Manny lays out the travel options to his prospective client: A sports car, a yacht, and the Number Nine express train, but the client ends up with just a walking stick. Note that by the end of the game, Manny himself will have walked, ridden in a sports car, a yacht, and finally the Number Nine. Note that Manny sells travel packages for the four-year "journey of the soul", and that the game itself takes place over four years. The entire game is Manny's own four-year journey of the soul, yet it never makes the mistake of coming out and saying so - you have to figure that out for yourself.

Plus, that final "One Year Later" transition is the most emotionally moving scene I've ever encountered in a game.

- Salvius

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In response to "Cyberpunked: the Fall of Black9" from The Escapist Forum:

A few years ago, I somehow remembered about the previews I saw for this game and wondered what exactly had happened to it. After looking for a while on the internet all I found out was that it had been cancelled. Now I know... I didn't realise that kind of thing happened in the games industry, although that was probably naive of me. It's sad we'll never get to play it because of those underhand methods. Complete respect to Taldren's founders for preventing Majesco stealing the game from them; a very brave decision.

- Red Shadow