By now I think we have all read or heard about Roger Ebert's weird claim that video games cannot be art. His argument seems based in equal parts on a dull- and ill-advised TED talk about games as art, and on his own claims that a game cannot be art because a) it is participatory and b) you can win or lose. So just because lots of other people have ( Read more... )

The transit strike is ending. I suppose that's a good thing. Yesterday night, I walked from 61st Street to 14th Street to get to Capoeira class, then back home to 49th and 1st across the river after practice was over. The cold didn't bother me, and it was a good opportunity to see Manhattan. Seeing all the people (and all the screaming traffic) on ( Read more... )

is Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney for the Nintendo DS. It is a courtroom drama game. You collect evidence, cross-examine witnesses, point out contradictions in testimony, and generally kick ass Law & Order style. It gives me deep and pervasive joy every time I shout "Objection!" into my Nintendo to stop the proceedings of the trial. Also when I ( Read more... )

I won my first Super Smash Bros Melee tournament yesterday afternoon in the Willets (some dorm at my school) lounge, fielding Peach the whole time. It was fun, especially considering my previous tournament experience. After ignominious elimination from the free-for-all bracket, I joined the 2v2 tournament with my friend Ben from down the hall, who ( Read more... )

"Dude ... what are you on?" "I'm on suicidal starships, man. I'm so high it's like I'm flying through spa--" *thump ( Read more... )