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Playing at Leadership: Games, Gaming, & Leadership Studies

"Reality, unlike games, is broken." – Jane McGonigal

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    • Publications (Selected)

Category Archives: Game Criticism

TLF All Hail the Metal Bikini

13 Jun

Today’s TLF post touches on the ubiquitous problem of the female videogame character wearing metal bikini armor, talking specifically about the most recent Tropes vs. Women in Video Games episode (2.3), “Lingerie is Not Armor.” I’m usually somewhat disappointed by … Read More »

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Game Criticism, TLF, Videogames Gender

White Rabbit: Catching up on Late Posts

12 Jun

So since my last catching-up post, I’ve not been as prolific as I wish I could be, but se la vie. I haven’t been getting much videogaming in this summer so far, so I’ve only managed to put up part … Read More »

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As-I-Play, Game Criticism, NPCGamer, Tabletop Games, TLF, Videogames Games

Bad Blogger

24 May

I know we academics say this every year, but this spring was worse than most when it came to things like “getting things done” and “time,” which leads me to my mea culpa about not having posted on here for … Read More »

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Game Criticism, NPCGamer, Tabletop Games, TLF, Videogames

Virtual Theft: Final AIP Bastion on TLF & Part II of Thief on NPC

17 Apr

It’s the end of the semester, so I’m going to have to apologize for the dearth of posts here. I don’t have time to think, much less write all that much. That said, this week’s posts on TLF and NPC … Read More »

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As-I-Play, Game Criticism, NPCGamer, TLF, Videogames

TLF/AIP Bastion: End of Days (Part Eight)

11 Apr

Here is the final post in the As-I-Play Bastion series on TLF. This post explains why I went from mostly being annoyed by Bastion to being a pretty serious fan. This is not a fun final post. It’s full of … Read More »

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As-I-Play, Game Criticism, Games as Art, Social Justice, TLF, Videogames

TLF/AIP Scorched Earth: Bastion (Part Seven) and Narratives of Oppression

28 Mar

This week’s TLF post is my second-to-last in the As-I-Play Bastion series, and it marks the point when I began to realize just how political (and serious) a game Bastion actually is. If you follow me on NPC Gamer, you … Read More »

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As-I-Play, Game Criticism, Games as Art, TLF, Videogames Bastion, Stories

Finishing Rise of the Tomb Raider (AIP/TLF)

22 Mar

This week my final post in the Rise of the Tomb Raider As-I-Play series went up on TLF. My AIP posts tend to have a lot of frustrations in them, since those are very often the gut reactions we have … Read More »

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As-I-Play, Game Criticism, TLF, Videogames Rise of the Tomb Raider

TLF/AIP Bastion: Anklegators & Crankydiles (Part Six)

14 Mar

So a new As-I-Play Bastion post went up today on TLF, and I’m actually going to say a little bit about it. I know my Bastion posts over there have mostly been a lot of me whining about how I … Read More »

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As-I-Play, Game Criticism, Games as Art, TLF, Videogames Bastion

If You Don’t Like It: The Two Most Ridiculous Arguments Against Diversity in Games

17 Feb

There are two things I frequently see in arguments against diversity in games (and other media, but especially in games) which are worth noting because of the spectacular way in which they completely miss the ideological boat about which the … Read More »

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Game Criticism, Games as Art, Gaming Community, Social Justice

TLF All About Dat Bass: The Tropes vs. Women in Video Games Episode on Butts

3 Feb

So on Monday my response to the latest Tropes vs. Women in Video Games episode (season 2, episode 1) went up on TLF. The episode–in a new style from the previous season of the series–is all about butts, which struck … Read More »

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Game Criticism, TLF, Videogames Gender, Tropes vs. Women in Video Games

AIP/TLF Set the World on Fire: As-I-Play Rise of the Tomb Raider (Part Six)

25 Jan

A new As-I-Play Rise of the Tomb Raider went up today over on TLF. I have to say, with the game coming out on PC/Steam this week, it is totally worth buying and playing. Game Informer reflected that Crystal Dynamics … Read More »

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As-I-Play, Game Criticism, TLF, Videogames

From the Weeds: A Catching-Up Post

22 Jan

It’s been one heck of a week, despite the fact that we had Monday off and today is an impending snowpocalypse. I could do without more weeks like that one. In gaming related news, Anita Sarkeesian made another episode of … Read More »

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Game Criticism, NPCGamer

Being Human(e): Basic Human Decency & the Gaming Community

14 Jan

This year (2016) has essentially started out like a sucker punch for those of us who are fans of pop culture. This week has seen the deaths of two of the men whose work in pop culture was formative for … Read More »

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Game Criticism, Games as Art, Gaming Community, Videogames That Dragon Cancer

TLF/AIP What Doesn’t Kill You (Rise of the Tomb Raider, Part Five)

11 Jan

In keeping with the insanity that is always a part of the start of a new semester, some insanity in Rise of the Tomb Raider—my fifth As-I-Play post over on TLF. By this point in the game, things are starting … Read More »

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As-I-Play, Game Criticism, TLF, Videogames

TLF/AIP In Mother Russia… Rise of the Tomb Raider Part Four

6 Jan

Although I normally like to intersperse which games I’m playing for my As-I-Play posts, I just didn’t have a chance to get to Bastion over the holidays, so you get another post on Rise of the Tomb Raider instead. Which … Read More »

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As-I-Play, Game Criticism, TLF, Videogames

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