playing video games

Game Drain: What Subscription Services Spell for the Industry

Garrett Hartman

Microsoft’s major marketing push in gaming has been Xbox Game Pass: a subscription service that gives users access to a rotating library of hundreds of games. For simplicity’s sake, think Netflix for gaming. One of the biggest appeals of Game Pass is a monthly price lower than the cost of buying a single one of the games on offer.

Tune In: The Art of the Videogame Soundtrack

Garrett Hartman

“Devil Trigger” is the battle theme for one of the game’s three protagonists Nero. “Devil Trigger” stands in stark contrast to the series norm with a sound that can almost be described as EDM. The song has an explosive, energetic attitude to it that matches the chaotic action associated with Nero’s fighting style. The female vocalist gives the piece an overall pop feel; however, under the surface, a solid hard rock base accompanied with hard rock backup vocals is reminiscent of songs from earlier games in the franchise. 

Dungeons & Dragons and Us: The Rise of Geek Culture

Adam Gravano

This process isn't just confined to movies, though. Interestingly, it has extended to that apex of nerdy pastimes, the tabletop roleplaying game, Dungeons & Dragons. Many are familiar with the game, either from garish mischaracterizations in the press or from the pulpit or from their own personal practice. Lately, though, the game isn't being characterized as a means of communing with demons or the driving factor of suicides; it's getting top billing as a pastime of characters in Stranger Things and The Big Bang Theory.

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