Worth Reading: 11/17/2014

I achieved a certain feeling of zen last night. While I was technically playing Assassin's Creed Unity, it's unclear if I was actually conscious for the experience. Hours were spent progressing through the story, but I can't really tell you what happened.

For the record, the reason I'm continuing to play Unity is two-fold. One, as part of my job, it's important to keep up with the biggest releases, even if you'd rather spend time elsewhere. Knowing where the conversation is going lets me ask the right questions in the future. Two, understanding why games are bad is just as critical as understanding why games are good.

If you're enjoying Unity, good on ya. I'm struggling to the finish line, but it's in sight. Plus, finishing Unity the night before Dragon Age: Inquisition launches feels like homework, and vacation is almost here.

You Should Read These

• "A Beginner's Guide to All Things Dragon Age" by Kirk Hamilton

I don't know a thing about BioWare's Dragon Age universe. There are...elves? Dragons. I mean, it's called Dragon Age, so one assumes there are dragons running amok. There have been a few in the trailers, too. Being the third game in a lore-heavy series, Dragon Age: Inquisition is intimidating for all sorts of reasons. This time, the gameplay looks to have changed (evolved seems like the wrong word, as hardcore Origins fans might not like the new action-y gameplay) in a direction that's newb-friendly. In any case, Kotaku's Kirk Hamilton has an excellent guide for learning the ropes, providing an onramp to the game's nuanced world for people like me.

"Some of those sound weird. Let's start with elves. I like elves!

Cool. In Thedas, elves look more or less like the elves you've become familiar with in other fantasy stories. They're small, thin, have big eyes and pointy ears. They can use magic, and are often good with bows and arrows.

So, they're like Legolas?

Not really. I mean, a little. No. They're not really like Legolas.

I like Legolas.

Yeah, I mean. I like Legolas too.

That part where he shield-surfs down the stairs, you know?

It was pretty cool.

Okay, so what makes Dragon Age elves different?

Mostly, it's the way they're treated by the rest of the world. Elves have been grossly oppressed over the centuries, subjugated by just about every ruling human power. In cities, elves live in ghettos called alienages where they're denied access to the rest of the city and frequently live in filth and disease. They're not kept as slaves anymore outside of Tevinter, but they're often mistreated or fall into indentured servitude."

• "Games reviews are changing from product assessments to tourist guides" by Keith Stuart

While Ubisoft's embargo for Assassin's Creed Unity was a bit shady, the nature of game reviews is definitely shifting. The Guardian's Keith Stuart points out how we're moving from a world in which games can be accurately judged on day one. Not every game is Destiny, but more and more games are interconnected in ways that make declarative statements a bit questionable. Stuart's most important line is about how critics are becoming tourist guides, a way to give players a sense of where a game stands at a fixed point in time. There's every reason to expect a game might be completely different in the months ahead. How do you score that?

"The industry is always telling us that games aren’t products anymore, they are services. You get the initial release, but after that, you get updates, downloadable content, new modes, missions and experiences … So what are you reviewing when a game comes out? Its potential? Its raw functionality? You are not reviewing the complete experience anymore.

Perhaps games reviewers should think of themselves more like TV critics from now on. When a game is released, it’s like the first episode in a new series: you review elements of that--the set-up, the acting, the direction--but you also assess the possibilities in a frank and open way. Games evolve now; they are shaped as much by player activity as by design ambitions. This is why YouTubers have become so popular and valuable--they are part of games and convey the ever-changing experience--they report from the frontline of engagement."

If You Click It, It Will Play

These Crowdfunding Projects Look Pretty Cool

• That Dragon, Cancer wants to tell the moving story about a family who lost their son.

Tweets That Make You Go "Hmmmmmm"

Oh, And This Other Stuff

• Jonathan Clauson explores how Sunset Overdrive's content filters do (and don't) change the game.
• Ben Kuchera explains how he's changing his Twitter notifications to maintain his sanity.
• Durante, lord of the PC port, weighs in on Valkyria Chronicles. He is pleased.
• Patricia Hernandez profiles the Super Mario 64 player continually doing the impossible.
• Wil Wheaton proposes how we can begin to combat online harassment.
• Raph Koster sympathizes with Wheaton's ideas, but has serious issues with his logic.
• Brendan Sinclair reports on how Double Fine has largely begun ignoring Metacritic.
• Jason Concepcion uses Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare to talk about the problem with shooters.
• Steve Heisler has deeply valued his time with strangers in the DLC for Dark Souls II.
• Anthony John Agnello shows how the grind of Freedom Wars is baked into the game's story.
• Robert Rath draws comparisons between Shadow of Mordor and America's war on terror.

That DA article from Kotaku is quite a great read. Thanks for the good links, Scoops! Now all I want is that Valkyria Chronicles QL:Solo =)

EDIT:

MY WISH IS GRANTED! THANK YOU BASED SCOOPS!

As someone that has played neither Dragon Age game, but plans on playing the new one, thanks for linking that article, Patrick.

@patrickklepek Just a quick fix, the links for Steve Heisler's and Jason Concepcion's articles are swapped. Just an FYI.

Thanks for your hard work as always, more great content from you for us to read :D Keep up the awesome!

In terms of reviews as a tourist industry, I guess the only feasible way to review an ever shifting product is the way Polygon does it. They change the review as time goes on if there's a big change. Of course, sites like Metacritic only ever use the first score a game got, so if a bad games gets good or a good game gets bad, people who use Metacritic will probably never know about it.

I enjoy that Joystiq also has a similar "State of Play" widget on the side of their front page that basically reports on whether or not big online games are broken or if they are working properly.

Also, his name is Anthony John Agnello. Not Angello.

@mooseymcman: As someone that has played all of them, I'm still going to read through it as a refresher. There is A LOT of content in those games and I cant remember everything that happened.

Man, I like Wil Wheaton and all but he is completely clueless in this question.

@obikwiet: It's not like I'm going in knowing nothing. I have absorbed a little over the years, and I do have a friend who is serving as my Dragon Age Sensei with any questions I have.

I don't even know why that article in particular was "worth reading." When I saw it I figured it would be a long list of suggestions talking about online interactions, but it ends up just Wil Wheaton complaining about harassment and saying we should get rid of anonymity with an article of text about as long as a fifth graders book report. I don't even know why this is such a revelation worth reading except for the fact that a semi-famous person wrote it. Even setting aside the flawed conclusion of it all, it's one of the most common things people say.

@mooseymcman: Did you play mass effect ( get context of bioware games ) ? Bioware writes the best characters, I am sure you will love Zevran from the first time you see him.

@patrickklepek Thanks for your work but just a heads up, the CoD: AW and DS 2 links are reversed.

@s80007: Yes, the Mass Effect games are some of my favorites.

Idea for a new name for "New Retro Arcade":
Virtual Reality Copyright Violation Simulator 2015; or I don't know, I guess ViRCoViS 2K15 for short.

@mooseymcman: After you finish DAI, you should give dragon age origins a shot.. I can say that you will fall in love with the world and the lore.

Thanks for the heads up on issues with the post, folks. Fixed!

@patrickklepek:

I take a bit of an issue with you defining the newest Dragon Age game (Inquisition) as a more action oriented game. It certainly is a more action oriented Dragon Age game but it wasnt the first in the series.

In fact Dragon Age 2 was the first game in the series where the gameplay became more action oriented. Also Dragon Age 2 had a very short development cycle which lead to multiple quests happening around the same dungeons ( in some cases the map of the dungeon was just flipped the other way..so instead of entering from the left side of the map the party entered from the right side of the map).

I think the repetition of environments was the biggest issue why a lot of people didnt like the game. Although the lack of good tactical ui was a major issue for many (including myself).

Good job on giving Kirk's Kotaku Dragon Age article top billing. I gave it a read to confirm accuracy of lore and ease of understanding for people new to Dragon Age and it really is top notch.

Loved the Stacking related tweet!

One, as part of my job, it's important to keep up with the biggest releases, even if you'd rather spend time elsewhere. Knowing where the conversation is going lets me ask the right questions in the future. Two, understanding why games are bad is just as critical as understanding why games are good.

I dunno man, do you really need to play through the whole main quest to do either one?

You guys often talk about playing games the way most people play them---but most people don't actually finish games like AC:Unity. What if you're getting a skewed perspective because you give inordinate attention to that one aspect of an otherwise huge game? (Not that I'm saying the rest of AC:U is any better; I haven't actually played it and probably won't after the poor reviews.)

I wonder if Nina Leven has ever seen male characters in video games. Almost everyone gets the ideal character; from the look to the personality. What guy doesn't want to be Nathan Drake? It's called escapism. we (men and women) don't want real life; we want the ideal.

Ben Kuchera only talks to people he agrees with; this is called Groupthink. It's generally considered to be bad. But they the thought of Ben running around - like a four-year-old - with this fingers in his ears yelling, "I can't hear you," makes me smile.

There is a difference between harassment and having your followers rebute your statements. Of course, harassment is an ambiguous term, which is why it's thrown around all the time. He's harassing me and he disagrees with me are one in the same now. So it's damn hard to tell when someone really is being harassed.

Not that anyone cares what I think.

@l4wd0g: Did you click on the linked picture? She isn't talking about what you think she is...

I don't even know what to say about that fear-mongering Will Wheaton article other than it is pandering insanity. What is he saying? That the gaming community explicitly should forfeit their anonymity and keep it for other groups of people? How on earth do you go about segregating us like that or determining who needs anonymity and who doesn't? How do you confirm that someone is who they say they are? Currently you need to give your name, birthdate, email, etc when you make an account on gaming sites. How do you go further? Fingerprints? A copy of our drivers license? Birth Certificates? DNA samples? I'm just trying to figure out how this translates to real life.

If any abstract concept should be held to blame for online harassment it is fame. And even that is only a tiny sliver of what could possibly be fueling this complex issue.

Perhaps Wil grew up in some utopia, because there have always been jerks when playing games face-to-face in arcades. The problem with removing anonymity from online experiences like he suggests is that it would be for everyone, not just the trolls. The people who don't reveal their gender or ethnicity are then exposed with an easier way to doxx them.

@l4wd0g: Yeah, it's super that you have that line about Nathan Drake ready to go, but you should probably click the link first?

@spraynardtatum: Yes, and the best way to curb harassment and stalking is to force people to use their real identities in-game and online

No it isn't. And how do you "force" people to use their real identities? What is that process like?

This is a great writeup! I don't remember the last time I read almost every article linked in a Worth Reading, but I did this week.

As someone who's user name is my actual name, for real, I just wanted to add... that Wil Wheaton piece is utterly pointless and it's only "worth reading" at all because he's a celebrity.

(okay, cheap shot. but really, that essay reads like any number of vague rambling posts I've read on GB for years)

As it's been said above, there's no conclusive proof that harassment significantly declines in online interactions where people are forced to use their real personal information. And even if every games site, facebook, and twitter mandated that every account had your real name on it, the jerks would just get more creative, and probably relish in the challenge. It's not hard to find someone's personal email address, and it takes 10 seconds to make a fake gmail account to send them nasty things with.

And as @sergio illuminated, anonymity actually serves people beneficially in many ways, beyond those "whistleblowers" Wheaton mentions. Exposing people who wish to remain private for reasonable personal reasons because others are mean ends up just harming more innocents.

I do, however, really appreciate Patrick including the article that expands on Wheaton's points. It should go without saying, but people don't harass because they're anonymous. If you remove that, it doesn't mean that person still doesn't harbor those hateful feelings.

We need to stop bringing up the same flaccid arguments about the "how", and actually dig into the "why".

@patrickklepek: The Freedom Wars article link is unfortunately not working.

Good job with the rest of Worth Reading! Enjoyed it this week.

@marokai:I'm pretty sure that Wil Wheaton article was linked so the article right under it had context....

Exactly. The people who benefit most from anonymity is arguably those who would suffer abuse otherwise. I mean, just look at facebook. Clearly people are very capable of being assholes regardless of anonymity.

Maybe people would care if you had actually looked at the screenshot in that tweet ... just saying.

@devoureroftime: Looks like that Anthony John Agnello article link is fixed, but the Steve Heisler link is still wrong.

@l4wd0g One time a group of my friends attacked me for posting a link on Orson Scott Card 'speaking out about Homosexuality,' saying 'well maybe he believes in gay rights, ever think about THAT? God, Crembaw, get with the times.'

The article was about how Scott Card believes all homosexuals should go to jail for their hideous sinful crimes.

My point is maybe you should have looked at Nina Leven's picture.

Hahaha oh my god. That's some Poe's Law shit--I want to believe he's joking, but I also know that some people are legitimately stupid enough to fall into that unintentional trap.

Thanks again for this roundup Scoops, I missed a lot of these stories last week.

Is the writer of Borderlands 2 still out there taking potshots at other games' scripts on Twitter?

Sigh, where's Ryan when you need him?

That Dragon Age primer will probably come in handy if I work up the courage to go down the Inquisition rabbit hole.

That SM64 article was cool. Subbed to Buchanan's channel.

You know, I think we should get rid of online anonymity. I think people should stand behind what they say.

RE: how to do real identities online. Companies are working on it. I used to work for one.

RE: some will suffer from not being anonymous. That is a different problem to solve after.

RE: metacritic. It only affects me if a game gets below 60 score. I now rely mostly on Steam reviews.

That Concepcion article was freaking awful

"Are you gonna watch me die on camera?" Haha, Ashly Burch is great.

Hey @patrickklepek, how long until you do a hot pepper game review?

Always super cool to see a netw3rk (Jason Concepcion) article on Worth Reading. One of very favorite writers (he primarily writes about basketball, not video games) and my absolute favorite person to follow on Twitter.

One of the problems I had with that Mordor article is the writers assumption that to be a protagonist must be "Lawful Good" to be a protagonist.

No doubt Christopher Tolkien is flipping out at the thought of the game, but I'm pretty sure there is room for stories focusing on characters who become twisted through misplaced ideas of heroism. There's plenty of them in the fiction already, so why not have a story from one of their perspectives?

As for the War on Terror stuff? I'll leave it up to the literary scholars to decide if it "fits" the world or not just because Tolkien didn't like to use explicit allegory.

@beyond_recall:

Anthony Burch and Jaden Smith are kind of the same in the tweeting world.