- JSTOR Daily, a scholastic news site that utilizes academic journals, has an article titled 'Why Are Video Games So Great?' I warned you all this was not going to be a good Round Up. Alex Golub is an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, discusses the impact of World of Warcraft on gamers and guilds. Not from the game's supposed "realism," but what the player can extract from the game to apply to their own lives. The article is pretty lame, but the paper is worth a read if you sign up with JSTOR for free.
- The BAFTA winners have been announced, with Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice taking home 5 awards, and What Remains of Edith Finch winning the game of the year, beating out Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. I think we're all equally surprised by that.
- I don't know how real this article is, but I can't find any sources to disprove it. According to the AFP News Agency, there is possibly a growing backlash against South Korean female developers who are pushing for changes in the industry. While women are 42% of the gaming force in the country, they make up less than 25% of the development community. #MeToo has spread across the globe and South Korea is experiencing their own movement with it. Starting with politics, it's spreading to other industries. It should be no surprise that gaming is one of them, and that those in power are pushing back against changes for equality. Women are afraid to speak up for fear of repercussions. Some are being investigated for simply following feminist-like Twitter accounts. We'll keep this story updated as it unfolds.
- The FTC has recently sent letters to several companies, including gaming hardware makers, about the language with their warranties. Specifically, that a warranty should not be voided if the end users has to open the product to fix it - unless the company provides free parts and services. The companies involved have been asked to resolve their policies within 30 days before legal action is taken. We don't know which companies were called out, since letters were sent to cell phone and car makers. But if it's one of the big console makers like Sony or Nintendo, this could have long-term ramifications that will be a win for consumers!
- Modding is not new to the gaming scene. Modding of GameBoy's is the newest trend, and there are some hella-cool systems out there. I still have a number of these, and while I'm not likely to mod mine, I can see the appeal. Better graphics, different skins and buttons, brighter interfaces. Check out the Kotaku article for the inside look of GameBoy Modding.
- Finally, an article from the Wall Street Journal on why parents are on board with Fortnite. I don't know what makes this game so much more special than Minecraft or any MMO, but there you go.
- The FTC has recently sent letters to several companies, including gaming hardware makers, about the language with their warranties. Specifically, that a warranty should not be voided if the end users has to open the product to fix it - unless the company provides free parts and services. The companies involved have been asked to resolve their policies within 30 days before legal action is taken. We don't know which companies were called out, since letters were sent to cell phone and car makers. But if it's one of the big console makers like Sony or Nintendo, this could have long-term ramifications that will be a win for consumers!
- Modding is not new to the gaming scene. Modding of GameBoy's is the newest trend, and there are some hella-cool systems out there. I still have a number of these, and while I'm not likely to mod mine, I can see the appeal. Better graphics, different skins and buttons, brighter interfaces. Check out the Kotaku article for the inside look of GameBoy Modding.
- Finally, an article from the Wall Street Journal on why parents are on board with Fortnite. I don't know what makes this game so much more special than Minecraft or any MMO, but there you go.
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