PAX Panel Report: Game Journalism

The soundtrack from Amelie was wafting through the Seattle Convention Center’s Raven Theater when I was funneled into my seat to see the “Game Criticism and Old Game Journalism” panel. The Enforcer implored us to leave no seats vacant. Ultimately the room was filled. This was the blurb in the PAX08 guidebook that had drawn me in:

Being a “game reviewer” is impossible, so why bother? No approach to game criticism can please everyone, but a panel of experts will discuss ways to avoid losing your mind when you’re writing and critiquing games.

Anathem Review Up

Thanks to Brianeisley, I was able to read Neal Stephenson’s Anathem well before it hit shelves. (That was a perverse pleasure for a bibliophile like me, I can tell you that much.) I offered to review it for the Martlet, and after much agonizing and nail-biting I got it in under deadline. It’s finally made its print and electronic appearance, and you can read it here.

The ending of the book is quite a different kettle of fish than the beginning, and I found it difficult to overview this shift without giving too much away – so I only alluded to it. I find my own review ultimately unsatisfactory because I had to omit so much and couldn’t go in-depth with commentary without spoiling huge portions of it for possible readers. I feel like I barely scratched the surface, and perchance did not do Mr. Stephenson justice – even though I call him a polymath.

As a more personal note, I really quite like the politics of the Geometers, and the whole premise of their journey. Jules Verne D. is growing on me quite a bit…I’ve still got a small mouthful of pages to digest until I’m 100% done. I’m not sure how I feel about Ala, or her involvement with Raz. The “romantic” subplot feels kind of unconvincing to me. For sheer emotional enjoyment, Quicksilver is still my #1 Stephenson pick. Despite that, on the whole the book has been an enjoyable, thought-provoking read overall.

PAX Panel Report: Writing For Games

I had the opportunity to slip into the Writing for Games panel being held at this year’s Penny Arcade Expo. On the panel were Will McDermott (Wizards of the Coast editor, fantasy novelist, AreaNet writer), Maria O’Brien (Harmonix, Medal of Honor writer, standard-keeper and planner), Chuck Jordan (Telltale Games writer and designer), and Ron Gilbert (Hothead Games writer), all moderated by Penny Arcade’s Jeff Kalles