Bookwarm Games

Alex Schmid and I revisit the golden age of the JRPG, with a nod to our oft-collaborating younger selves. https://videogameacademia.org/  

Lost audio from the fall. Apologies, all, for the lateness! Video Game Academy is not dead, we've just been on hiatus what with school and everything. https://videogameacademia.org/ 

We kick back with Ebb Creakknees and stack our coppers, saving up for a new tattoo from Fell. You know, the only one of the Lady's servants who when he walks, like Shakespeare's dark lady of Sonnet 130, treads on the ground. https://videogameacademia.org/ Music from the OST. 

We gather down at the Video Game Academy farm for a round-picnic-table discussion of the phenomenal Stardew Valley. For more, see the full almanac over at http://videogameacademia.org/ Music from the OST

We get acquainted with Sigil, meet some friendly denizens and fellow wanderers, and consider some of the factions vying for our services. http://videogameacademia.org/courses/planescape-torment/ Music from the OST

What makes us think this life is real? Well, we spot Bob the skull--I mean Morte--, Willem Dafoe--er, The Nameless One--, and, on the heels of Deionarra the ghost, Corey! And Mike joins us to provide some lore on the background for the OG Planescape: Torment, including World of Darkness and the Outer Planes of D&D. Dusties, zombies, etc. look out! https://videogameacademia.org/courses/planescape-torment/ 

Discussing ch 36-37 of The Amber Spyglass, by Philip Pullman. https://newschoolnotes.blogspot.com/2020/02/gamecool-books-amber-spyglass.html 

Esteemed listeners, big news. Website tidyings-up and new mascots are on the way. Plus, by popular demand, t-shirt giveaways? https://videogameacademia.org/ 

It's the Sunday afternoon of the year, and we're setting up plans for the coming semesters. That means a little Planescape: Torment, a smidgeon of Shadowrun: Dragonfall, and maybe some Undertale and Stardew Valley. Help us with our follow-through? We'd love to hear from you. https://videogameacademia.org/2021/08/15/the-sunday-afternoon-of-the-year/

Discussing ch 34-35 of The Amber Spyglass, by Philip Pullman. Course page https://newschoolnotes.blogspot.com/2020/02/gamecool-books-amber-spyglass.html Music comes from Hilary James and Simon Mayer, "Over the Hills and Far Away"

Discussing ch 32-33 of The Amber Spyglass, by Philip Pullman. https://newschoolnotes.blogspot.com/2020/02/gamecool-books-amber-spyglass.html 

We throw it back to Shakespeare and Chesterton, eschewing the Holy Smokes and helping the Smuggler's friend make it back to the surface. https://videogameacademia.org/courses/deus-ex/ Music from the OST. 

Discussing ch 30-31 of The Amber Spyglass, by Philip Pullman, with a glance towards his novel Galatea. http://newschoolnotes.blogspot.com/2020/02/gamecool-books-amber-spyglass.html 

We wanted orange and it gave us lemon-lime. It's a conspiracy! Discussing the UNATCO HQ and its bizarro alter ego in Battery Park. Videos of Prof Ben's gameplay and more course materials: https://videogameacademia.org/courses/deus-ex/ Music from the OST. 

The dreaded stealth training sequence, famed first mission, and general milieu of Deus Ex: Revision. Midway through Liberty Island, Steve's neighbor must have hacked us (that is, I forgot to refresh the recording tab) so we lost a few minutes there of Prof Ben laying out what's at stake in the interlocking character creation/progression and moral choice systems and the headless Statue of Liberty. Still, not bad for a first foray into the FPS CRPG darkness. More course info and twitch streams coming soon at https://videogameacademia.org/courses/deus-ex/ Music from the OST. 

On ch 28-29 of The Amber Spyglass, by Philip Pullman, with apologies for the delay and recommendations for further listening: 

https://newschoolnotes.blogspot.com/2021/07/signum-academy-discussions-on-pullman.html 

There's short discussions of Pullman's Fairy Tales from The Brothers Grimm, Clockwork, The Scarecrow and his Servant, and The Firework-Maker's Daughter

Welcome back, it's summer again and we have much to discuss. If you'd like to get honest feedback on original work, read books with us, or suggest a future game, visit https://videogameacademia.org/ 

Another look at RPG history from Gamemaker's Toolkit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJiwn8iXqOI  

Time for the final showdown with the evil AI du jour. Three personalities and nanomachines galore MAIK may have, but with feelings and friendship we can prevail--feelings like disappointment, annoyance, regret... but also relief at World's End Club being over. Music from the OST. Visit us at https://videogameacademia.org/ 

We come up to the mid-game twists and turns and stop just shy of the obligatory bad end. Apologies for the delay posting this episode, but camping last week was a lot of fun. Provided the rolling blackouts here in Spokane hold off another day or two, we'll be back on schedule. Visit us at https://videogameacademia.org/ for more. Music from the OST. Edit: The Ezra Klein interview mentioned is with Brian Christian. 

We discuss the long-lost EarthBound script files recovered and analyzed by The Video Game History Foundation: https://gamehistory.org/earthbound-script-files/. Then, as we make our way to Osaka in World's End Club, there's a twist you may or may not have seen coming a mile away. https://videogameacademia.org/ 

We chat summer plans and run through the first hour or so of World's End Club. Music from the OST. For more on visual novels: https://videogameacademia.org/courses/video-game-studies/intro-to-visual-novels/ 

Here we are at the end(s) of NieR: Automata. If it's a bit too abstract to understand at this time, if it feels like carrying the weight of the world, we're here for you. The Video Game Academy: we get that being alive is pretty much a constant stream of embarrassment. Music comes from the OST. https://videogameacademia.org/ 

We discuss the meat box and soul box, sand worms and cannibal machines; or in other words, the mind-body problem, Hegel, Nietzsche, and Pascal. For more un-compressed conversation, see https://videogameacademia.org/ or tune into https://www.twitch.tv/3rdstrongest Music comes from the OST. Thanks for listening.