Video Games

Williams, C. (2020) ‘Programming the paranormal’, Media Magazine, 73, pp.60-63.
With their first-person immersion in the sights and sounds of terror, video games are beating films at their own game to become the future of the horror genre. Callum Williams opens the creaky door of the haunted house to see what terrors await the intrepid gamer.

Wood, J. (2020) ‘A sporting chance’, Media Magazine, 71, pp.20-25.
With their recent surge in popularity, there have been calls to recognise esports as a form of mainstream sport, alongside the likes of football or rugby. But are esports a real sport or just a passing fashion in gaming? Josh Wood asks you to plug in your controllers and select your team as he kicks off the debate.

Russell, L. (2019) ‘The rise of the narrative adventure genre and fall of Telltale Games’, Media Magazine, 68, pp.32-37.
In this case study, Laurence Russell examines the success of Telltale Games, one of the most successful companies in the industry and suggests the reasons behind its downfall.

Williams, C. (2019) ‘Sekiro: difficulty and accessibility in video games’, Media Magazine, 69, pp.60-63.
Are some games simply too difficulty to play, or are some gamers just not up to it? This article looks at issues around difficulty and accessibility in video games and asks if some games creators are putting up barriers to potential gamers and what can be done to redress this.

Williams, C. (2019) ‘Toeing the lines of social commentary: why games need to start living in the real world’, Media Magazine, 67, pp.34-39.
Social commentary and fiction walk hand-in-hand in film and literature so why aren’t games companies brave enough to embrace this approach?

Williams, C. (2018) ‘From code to craft: why video games present an intriguing future for artistic storytelling’, Media Magazine, 66, pp.50-55.
Callum Williams examines the evolution of the video game from mind-numbing distraction to complex and immersive artform.

Meltzer-Harvey, D. (2015) ‘The Last of Us: or the first of a new generation of games?’, Media Magazine, 52, pp.44-47.
A PS4 game has been hailed as ‘the most riveting, emotionally resonant story-driven epic of this generation’ – unusual language for an action-adventure survival horror video game. Darren Meltzer-Harvey suggests that the power of ‘The Last of Us’ lies in its brave and complex approach to gender representation in a genre not known for its sensitivity.