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Joystiq Presents: Team spirit
In this episode, Mike Suszek (@mikesuszek) chats with News Content Director Alexander Sliwinski (@Sliwinski) about Team JOY and Team Joystiq. He also discusses the "Internet dating" side of working in the industry. Listen to the MP3 Listen to other Joystiq Presents episodes.
Our own Alexander Sliwinski talks 38 Studios with Fox 25 News
Here at Joystiq, we spend most of our time hunched over laptops pumping out a steady stream of news for you to consume. But every now and again, one of us is ripped out from behind the comfort of our mobile workplace to talk gaming news with a mainstream outlet – today is such a day.Following the unfortunate events at 38 Studios and Big Huge Games, News Editor Alexander Sliwinski took to Boston-area affiliate Fox 25 News to talk all things 38 and Rhode Island. We're hoping that his dashing suit and suave demeanor will help to convince you that our whole staff is made up of debonair jetsetters, even if we know in our hearts that's a stone-cold lie.
Best of the Rest: Alexander's Picks of 2009
Valkyria Chronicles "BUT THAT GAME WAS 2008!!11one!1!" Well, yes, in the strictest sense. Sega's strategy role-playing game, an epic tale chronicling the hardships and victories of Gallian militia Squad 7, was sent out to die by the publisher when it released in November 2008. However, word-of-mouth, critical praise and some discounted pricing helped the saga find a place in many people's lives (and hearts) by mid-2009. One of the most endearing mechanics implemented in the game was giving all the playable members of Squad 7 bonuses (or flaws) based on their neuroses, relationships and desires. Also, every character had a different personality that shined during their turn through little quips and order recognition comments. It gave the entire cast more depth of character, even as the player only saw a handful of the troops during cutscenes. Despite the requisite Japanese RPG flair and melodrama, there was a simple beauty and charm in the storytelling, while the gameplay introduced a great basis for iteration. Valkyria Chronicles is a series that, with love and attention, could become so much more. I look forward to returning to Gallia and hope future installments recognize that the delightful characters are as important to the series as the strategic gameplay.
Meet the Team: Alexander Sliwinski
In the world of professional game blogging, the people are represented by two separate, yet equally important groups: the bloggers who investigate the stories and readers who make silly comments. These are the first group's stories. Name: Alexander Sliwinski. Job Position: Peon (zug-zug), but my official Joystiq business card says "Contributing Editor." Past Experience/Education: Started a newspaper way back when I was at Brookline High School and have been doing the journalism thing ever since. Yes, I'm well aware of the Jonathan Coulton song about Brookline (and yes, it's true). I got my Broadcast Journalism degree from Hofstra University in New York and then somehow ended up in print/online. Every so often I dream of messing around with B-roll, voice-overs and sound bites again. Life outside of the 'Stiq: I watch lots of movies, television and am generally a pop culture sponge. No, seriously, I watch a lot of movies and television. Why I'm blogging: Holding down another job is hard when you've got a blunt honesty compulsion. See! I was supposed to lie and say something endearing there, possibly even heart-warming. First game experience: Hunt the Wumpus, along with other TI-99 games like, The Chisholm Trail, Parsec, Congo Bongo and pretty much the rest of that console's library. Favorite Games: Alpha Centauri, Max Payne, StarCraft, Grand Theft Auto, God of War, Civilization, Smash Bros., Sins of a Solar Empire and many more. The Dog: His name is Parker and he's a 16-year-old dachshund. He's not even mine, but he makes an adorable distraction in the photo. There's more to come every Tuesday and Thursday.
