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Articles on Video games

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Eyes are the windows to the soul, and perhaps an extra pair of hands too. arosoft/Shutterstock

Eye tracking is the next frontier of human-computer interaction

Eye tracking devices sound a lot more like expensive pieces of scientific research equipment than joysticks – yet if the latest announcements about the latest Assassin’s Creed game are anything to go by…
How do men feel about the way they are depicted on the covers of romance novels? Book Thingo

Gamergate and the bodice-ripper have little in common, with respect

Buttons open to the waist, skin gleaming with sweat, hair tousled, intriguing flashes of curves … men on the covers of classic romance novels, or “bodice rippers”, are objectified in many of the same ways…
Ready to fight to the death? James Cook

Every time a fig is born there is a wasp massacre

“Don’t put all your eggs in one basket” is a common refrain. But usually it is not followed by the words “because your neighbours may kill you”. However, this is precisely the scenario faced by some female…
Go to war - but who’s holding the reins? Activision

What Call of Duty can tell us about US foreign policy

The latest instalment of wildly popular videogame Call of Duty, Advanced Warfare, shows the narratives of today’s games can reveal the motives behind real-world politics. Over the past decade, fictional…
Breakdown was an interactive audiovisual dance performance at Ears Eyes and Feet in May this year, Austin Texas. Rodrigo Carvalho, Yago de Quay, Sunny Shen

Explainer: interactive composition

Computers have shaken up how we create and listen to music, and there is more radical transformation to come. The potential for digital music to be interactive is leading to new ways to experience and…
Kjellberg argues his low-budget method is a ‘winning concept’. YouTube.com

YouTube games star PewDiePie is playing for global dominance

Does the name Felix Kjellberg sound familiar? How about PewDiePie? … Still nothing? Clearly you’re not one of the 31 million subscribers to YouTube’s most successful channel, PewDiePie, starring 24-year-old…
What if a new competitive sport came along where physiological differences were virtually irrelevant to contest outcomes? goInternationalgroup/Flickr

Gender segregation in e-sports is indefensible – and yet …

You likely couldn’t outswim Alicia Coutts or Ian Thorpe, or lift half of what Damon Kelly or Seen Lee can, but I bet you could beat them at a videogame. Welcome to e-sports, the future of competitions…
Cute but formidable. JD Hancock

Why Nintendo is still the games master at 125

In the world of video games few companies have as long or vivid a history as Nintendo, which turns 125 years old this week. Founded in 1889 as a producer of toys and playing-cards, the company is quite…
Sarkeesian has been the focus of much online hatred since she started her website Feminist Frequency in 2009. Anita Sarkeesian

Vitriolic abuse of Anita Sarkeesian: why the games industry needs her

Three weeks ago, well-known feminist gaming critic Anita Sarkeesian was forced to leave her San Francisco home due to an ongoing tirade of abuse and threats. Members of a vocal minority of online trolls…
In the name of science…let’s play. sapromo

Addictive online games make citizen science a hit

A few days ago, I was an astrophysicist and contributed to a research project by organising sunspot images in order of complexity. After I’d had enough of that, I became a biochemist and worked late into…
When the line blurs between ‘online’ and ‘offline’ is it really cause for concern? David Blackwell./Flickr

Gamer disclaimer: virtual worlds can be as fulfilling as real life

Step aside Olympians – the new sporting pursuit of choice may soon be professional gaming. Electronic sports (or esports) are now mainstream, drawing more than a million viewers in large tournaments and…
The hugely popular Minecraft was released early to let the developer finish it, but not all people are supportive of that strategy. Claire Sutton/Flickr

Better in beta? Why early access games are a double-edged sword

Imagine you see a new book by your favourite author. Unlike most books, this one is not finished yet. The author will send you updates when they are available so you can see the story develop as it is…

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