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This documentary about Hideo Kojimaās unique and artful approach to creating video games is a breath of fresh air in a world where so few modern arts embrace originality and experimentation over a proven profit formula. Iām not a huge gamer myself, and have fallen into the trap of only playing remakes of the same big name video games ā rather than exploring the unknown, embracing creativity, and seeking to learn in my leisure time. This documentary, focusing around Hideoās creation of the game Death Stranding, challenges these habits of mine and many others. Why should I mindlessly play first person shooter games centered around nuclear warfare and raw violence when I could instead foster new perspectives through thought-provoking experiences? The content we consume in our personal time, including gaming, has as much of an impact on ourselves as what we consume in our work lives and with family and friends. Why not choose to use my gaming time to learn more about shared humanity, about myself ā to be creative, to explore, and be open to new experiences. As Guillermo del Toro puts it at the end of this documentary, itās rare when you finish a video game and feel better about yourself afterwards. But it is possible, if you play games with meaning, produced by the rare creator such as Hideo.
Jan 16, 2025
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ive never been much of a gamer, but I recently tried playing thatās not my neighbor and it was actually really fun (perhaps because of its rather simple game setup) so Iām kind of invested into playing more but primarily ones with more serious storylines
this vid here caught my eye today (highly recommend, very well organized and made me think a lot about my own experiences!!)
i first encountered silent hill 2 when I was 12 and I didnāt really process the story or its themes in that first gameplay but revisiting the game as an adult has kind of blown my mind a bit by just how heavy the emotional weight of the game is (and how I had no business playing it at the age of 12ā¦)
I havenāt played mouthwashing but I am really interested in playing it after watching this video
interested in other recommendations as well!
Mar 6, 2025
From a āhobbyistā perspective, the natural conclusion of OSSC upscaling fetishism and a PS2 with a hard drive is getting to play this gorgeously freaky little game on original hardware without buying a price gouged Ā£200+ disc copy.
From a personal perspective, I think Iāve tripped and stumbled into prototyping a video game? Music isnāt speaking to me the way that it used to and I guess Iām looking for a more gag driven way to get my point across. Survival horror is such malleable language. So Iām deluding myself into considering this research. Playing it in tandem with Silent Hill 4 to get a nice spread of dream-logic nightmare realms that clash with domestic horror. I do so wish P.T. was still accessible. If anybody has any other suggestions or favourites in this category Iād love to hear them!
Deliciously creepy stuff.
Jan 26, 2025
I have been on a kick of falling asleep to old video game playthroughs (Silent Hill, GTA, etc) and stumbled across myhouse.wad. I have never played Doom, much less a Doom mod, but somehow was drawn in enough to watch this entire hour long play through.
Iām currently reading House of Leaves and was blown away by the parallels (turns out it was heavily inspired by HoL) and the ability of the video game format to make that horror of shifting space into such a palpable reality.
There is a ton of supplementary written material to this that isnāt spoiled by this particular play through and I have yet to experience. This particular video is fun because itās someone who knows the Doom franchise so intimately they recognize when anything is slightly off: snares added to the Doom II intro song, reflections appearing, a corner of the carpet being lifted up, the appearance of the most difficult enemy in the entire franchise, etc.
If you like: House of Leaves, the backrooms, liminal horror (done well, not just āoh big weird space=spookyā), subversive horror, Doom, 90s video game aesthetics, non-euclidean geometry, subversive horror, or the video of Connor OāMalley with a gun on a lawnmower screaming āI have the power of God!ā, I absolutely encourage you to play or watch someone else play this mod.
Genuinely one of the most refreshing and exciting player-created video game experiences Iāve ever witnessed and I do consider this a piece of new media digital art worth experiencing.
Feb 27, 2025
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About a year ago, I started my first (public sector) union job after years of non-union work for different companies in the private sector. The difference in collective bargaining (0-100), benefits, job security, and mental/physical well being has been nothing short of amazing.
If you are currently strung out, feeling hopeless about your career in a private sector/non-union position or field, and are wondering if thereās something better for you - there is. I took a massive pay cut from private-public for the many benefits of a union job, and it was 100% worth it. Roughly 35% of public sector jobs are union-represented, and that percentage is higher in blue, worker-friendly states. Start applying to open positions that may interest you on your local/state governmentās job board, use any connection you may have (I didnāt have one and still found something) - there is a better career for you out there :)
Oct 21, 2024
Mar 5, 2024