heatherchaplin
Latest
Witness 'The Metagame' in action, thanks to MTV
It ran at GDC 2007; we reported on it, but you didn't get to see it. Now, MTV has hosted a special edition of The Metagame game show, as part of their "Gamer's Week" Coverage, and Stephen Totilo has posted the highlights for mass consumption.The Metagame, designed and hosted by Frank Lantz of area/code and Eric Zimmerman of Gamelab, pits two teams against each other in a battle of video game smarts. Each round, teams move pieces on the game board to form comparative statements between two games (such as "Halo would make a better movie than Half-Life," or "Virtua Fighter is sexier than Super Mario 64."), and argue these statements to earn points. Vying for victory this time are MTV's Stephen Totilo and Tim Kash, versus Newsweeks' N'Gai Croal, and fellow journalist Heather Chaplin, author of Smart Bomb.The debate is heated, hilarious, and only the slightest bit pretentious. We'd definitely enjoy watching more designers, developers, and press-members argue the semantics and specifics of the industry's most influential games. Any chance of picking up the show full-time, MTV?Update: Due to silly legal restrictions, the video posted above is not viewable in the UK or Canada. Apologies for any confusion or irritation this might cause.
Joystiq Interview: SMARTBOMB authors Heather Chaplin and Aaron Ruby
Heather Chaplin and Aaron Ruby are the husband and wife coauthors of Smartbomb: The Quest for Art, Entertainment, and Big Bucks in the Videogame Revolution. Following five years of extensive research, they have examined the videogame industry through intimate portraits of the people behind the revolution; making their way from the hackers at MIT in the 1960s to the billions Microsoft gambled to get in the door. We got a chance to talk with them about the cultural acceptance and future of videogames.Check out our review of the book as well.
Joystiq Review: SMARTBOMB: The Quest for Art, Entertainment, and Big Bucks in the Videogame Revolution
SMARTBOMB: The Quest for Art, Entertainment, and Big Bucks in the Videogame Revolution is the product of five years of insider research by Heather Chaplin, a career journalist who has written for publications like the New York Times and Salon, and her husband Aaron Ruby, a gamer who has written about video games extensively, including reviews for Entertainment Weekly. Although some of the stories in the book will be old news for hardcore gamers, by using intimate and individual portraits of many of the biggest names in video games, they've managed to tell a story that not only doesn't feel old, but is genuinely insightful. Check out our interview with Heather and Aaron as well.
