The comics are awesome, but the quality of writing is by far what makes Penny Arcade unique in its retro-flections of the Gaming Community and Industry. It's stunningly concise, whilst being gorgeously extravagant. It's like someone took my very opinions from the netherworld inside my head and made them interesting to read. I remain in awe. This weeks subject: Troll's.

I suppose this makes me a hypocrite retroactively, but I'm not saying that people shouldn't troll. That's a natural law, and I recognize its supremacy. What I'm suggesting is that they shouldn't troll in such an idiotic, transparent way.

Gabriel tells me such things are common, and we must endure these creatures until they molt into adulthood, but I wonder if a savage chop to the trachea would not accelerate the process.

The maturity with which the games industry is viewed is hampered by many things

I've blogged before, about the feeling of being treated like an utter moron by developers, but I guess the fault lies with the users. While the target market is being catered to teenage males, developers cannot progress mature designs efficiently. The ball seems to lie with Indie developers to go out on a limb and risk creating something truely groundbreaking and revolutionary. It's just a shame that the majority of people who are going to know about and constructively support it's existance are still waiting for their balls to drop.

The comics are awesome, but the quality of writing is by far what makes Penny Arcade unique in its retro-flections of the Gaming Community and Industry. It's stunningly concise, whilst being gorgeously extravagant. It's like someone took my very opinions from the netherworld inside my head and made them interesting to read. I remain in awe. This weeks subject: Troll's.

I suppose this makes me a hypocrite retroactively, but I'm not saying that people shouldn't troll. That's a natural law, and I recognize its supremacy. What I'm suggesting is that they shouldn't troll in such an idiotic, transparent way.

Gabriel tells me such things are common, and we must endure these creatures until they molt into adulthood, but I wonder if a savage chop to the trachea would not accelerate the process.

The maturity with which the games industry is viewed is hampered by many things

I've blogged before, about the feeling of being treated like an utter moron by developers, but I guess the fault lies with the users. While the target market is being catered to teenage males, developers cannot progress mature designs efficiently. The ball seems to lie with Indie developers to go out on a limb and risk creating something truely groundbreaking and revolutionary. It's just a shame that the majority of people who are going to know about and constructively support it's existance are still waiting for their balls to drop.

If I say something stupid and no one is around to hear it, is it still stupid?

Penny arcade is a great website

I didn't realize CrunchUK was a writer for Penny Arcade.

"I didn't realize CrunchUK was a writer for Penny Arcade."

Basically copy and paste what Sweep said and that's my reaction... although I don't "love" Penny Arcade.  They're alright.

Considering the 360 is supposed to be for "mature" gamers, Braid (rated E10+) is the most mature game on the system.

I 100% agree. I came to Penny-Arcade for Gabe's (FUCKING AMAZING SERIOUSLY I AM SO JEALOUS) art, but I stayed for the biting satire and supreme writing. Incidentally, this is the best dialogue in any Comic Strip EVER:

Picture of Gabe using Portals to slide infinitely
Tycho (Responding): It's a solid plan and I endorse it.
Gabe: Yeah. It's either that or use them tog et into the girl's bathroom. I wanna know what they do in there.
Tycho: They pee.

Where's my games? I'm an adult and a middle-aged one at that. I've said in the past that the Witcher is a mature game, but in reality it's a fantasy world with people doing childish things... have sex get a sex card, elves and dwarfs not able to live in harmony with the bigoted humans, run here kill that, nothing more than a child's game wrapped in the lowest common denominator and given an "M" for my adult enjoyment.

Kids rule the gaming world, having more time to visit and hang out on the forums. I've seen more mature posts on GiantBomb than a lot of other forums, so maybe there's hope. As the video game enthusiast press grow out of their old jobs and venture into a new realm of possibilities, that's where I see a culture change. It will be slow and many young gamers will grow out of their gaming habits and a slew of new kids will rule the block. With hope, these new young gamers will be aclamated to a whole new set of rules.

Or you can just try and find a more mature gaming site...

I always read the news post that goes with the comic, its always a great supplemental read.

Oh, and if you don't already subscribe to their podcast, I suggest you do so.

Its not really a podcast, but the conversation between them when making the comic. It's informative and hilarious in its own right.

Lots of good ideas that are thrown away so its like bonus comics, in audio form.

Sweep, I don't know what to say. Your comments on the "mature" themes in games... you nailed it. Kudos.

I think the comics are amazing, and their insights into the culture are spot-on, but the blogs are some of the most pretentious fucking things I've ever read. I read the blogs every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, so don't get me wrong--I do love the site. But Christ, man. That man relies way too heavily on Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day.