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NPR takes on This Spartan Life
It seems like every other day there is a news story about how those newfangled games are becoming, like, culture or something. Elitists that we are, we stare at the screen and snicker as Al Roker waves his arms around, trying to understand the madness before him. We laugh heartily as an unknowing reporter asks the lone girl why she is waiting in line for the latest "game" (AKA the PS3) with all those boys. Sure, it's funny, but we have to give credit where credit is due. NPR has been fairly consistent in its coverage of videogames as an actual (God forbid) cultural medium. NPR has explored e-commerce in MMORPGs, reviewed Katamari Damacy, and even started a gaming podcast, Press Start. Luckily, someone at NPR seems to like all the videogame coverage, as more stories keep popping up.On the latest episode of Studio 360, host Kurt Anderson interviews Damian Lacedaemian (Chris Burke) of This Spartan Life. For those unfamiliar with This Spartan Life, it's a talk show filmed exclusively inside Halo 2. The host invites guests to chat inside the game. The show, despite its frag-friendly locale, is actually quite serious. Some readers may remember This Spartan Life's video about net neutrality for example. In the latest Studio 360, Damian and Kurt discuss Halo's gaming space as well as the community that games (and Live) have created. Of course, there are still a few things that will make the average gamer snicker. Kurt's "newb" status is definitely apparent as he struggles to come to grips with the game and its mechanics. Still, the fact that he cares to even try speaks volumes. Frankly, we wish more people from the older generation would take the time to understand and appreciate games and the culture surrounding them. You can watch Kurt's interview session with Damian after the break.
NPR visits This Spartan Life
I've you've never seen This Spartan Life before, it's a machinima talk show that takes place entirely in Halo 2. The show's host, Damian Lacedaemion (producer, writer and director Chris Burke), is a Spartan soldier who interviews guests and covers topics from politics to publishing and filmmaking all while inside the game, and usually on the Headlong map, their standing "set."On this weekend's episode of Studio 360, host Kurt Andersen suited up and interviewed Damian in the game for National Public Radio, and This Spartan Life has in turn published video of the segment on their site. What's pretty impressive to learn is that all of the hours of Halo 2 played online cumulatively add up to more then 10,000 years worth of Spartan living, all without any apparent evolution. We can only imagine the smell in Master Chief's armor by now.Listen to Studio 360's show here, and check out the video after the jump. If only the regular news was covered like this, more people might tune in.
