The credits are rolling on a really fun first-person puzzle game with a science fiction motif in which advanced AI-turned-fully-sentient machines have caused problems and humans have to use their uniquely capable human brains to save themselves, ultimately encouraging the player to ask “what’s really the difference between people and robots?” Though the game traffics in themes, genres, and styles that plenty of other games have trafficked in before (Portal, Portal 2, Q.U.B.E, Q.U.B.E 2, The Talos Principle), I happily jumped into The Turing Test with the same amount of vigor and excitement I will continue to do so for every one of the inevitable forthcoming games that do this exact same thing. I like narrative games. Story in games is often the glue that holds the pieces together and keeps the single-player gamer invested. I like puzzle games. They are slow-paced and they make me feel really smart. But…
Posts By Caleb J. Ross
Caleb began writing his sophomore year of undergrad study when, tired of the formal art education then being taught, he abandoned the pursuit in the middle of a compositional drawing class. Major-less and fearful of losing his financial aid, he signed up to seek a degree in English Literature for no other reason than his lengthy history with the language. Coincidentally, this decision not only introduced him to writing but to reading as well. Prior this transition he had read three books. One of which he understood.
I recently upgraded my internet connection in my game room, so I decided to put the streaming capabilities of Playstation Now against Google Stadia. How did the two streaming platforms perform against each other? Is Playstation Now better than Stadia? Or is Google Stadia better than Playstation Now? Mentioned Google Stadia video: "I finished a FULL game on Google Stadia. Am I a believer now?"
I just finished playing through a full 15 hour game on Google Stadia. Did the experience turn me into a Stadia believer? This is the longest single-game commitment I’ve made to Stadia. I learned a few things along the way about whether or not Stadia works and if it’s a good option for anyone. In this video I give my thoughts on the controller, the impact of a strong internet connection, the Stadia UI (user interface), and more.
Video games are unique. We’re connected to a video game by an input device, one that maps our thoughts to the actions we see. As we press buttons the feedback changes our approach, our input changes, and the loop continues until we arrive at a win state. No other entertainment medium offers this level of malleability. No other medium wants us to stretch and shape the product to an end while the product stretches and shapes us to that same end. This reciprocal molding is what makes video games uniquely immersive. And this contract between game and player relies heavily on a firm understanding of the ruleset. Most games literally tutorialize to the player. Books don’t tell you how to read. Movies don’t tell you how to watch. Video games tell you how to play. And this simple fact, I think, is why video games have trouble being humorous in their own right.
In episode 1 of the Tales of the Lesser Medium video game podcast, where we discuss Resident Evil 1 and with it, Barry’s unintentionally funny “Jill Sandwich” quip. Travis suggested that a Jill Sandwich is nothing more an inch thick layer of horseradish between two stale cookies from Subway. So Caleb decides to try one. The first season of Tales of the Lesser Medium explores the Resident Evil series, games, 1, 2, 3, and 0. Subscribe via your favorite podcast-ery Apple Podcasts Spotify Google Podcasts Stitcher Or use the good ol’ fashioned direct RSS feed Follow @TalesLesser on Twitter if subscribing to the podcast is too much of a commitment for you.
Eating food while playing video games is a problem that’s existed since the very dawn of video games. Way back in the 1900s, a man named William Higginbotham built the first video game machine called Tennis for Two and it required more than one hand to operate. That creation of tennis for two's two handed control pad seeded an industry trend that continues it's destructive path still today. But not all is lost. Here I present to you a few ways you can play video games while eating.
The New Tales of the Lesser Medium Podcast Launches May 26th, 2020! Set a calendar reminder now! We (you and me) love video games. But we (you and me and your mom) know they aren’t always concerned with conveying a serious story. Wouldn’t it be fun to poke holes in these stories? That’s where Tales of the Lesser Medium Podcast comes in. Each season, Travis (from Polykill, NES Friend, and DrinkFriend) along with Caleb (from his Youtube video game channel, books, and this website you are currently reading) deliver laughs alongside the narratives that hold together (barely) your favorite video game franchises. Season one features Resident Evil 1, Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 3, and Resident Evil 0. Each of the 4 episodes of season one walk the narrative path laid in each game with plenty of semi-improve pee breaks along the way. Subscribe via your favorite podcast-ery Apple Podcasts…