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Studying Pixels

Arts & Culture Podcasts

Studying Pixels combines game studies and a joyful engagement with video game culture. Every Sunday, game studies scholar Stefan Heinrich Simond and Japanese scholar Dan Hughes cover anything from reviews of contemporary games to news stories and from academic deep-dives to controversial discussions—all wrapped up in a sincere appreciation of everything geeky. Get Studying Pixels Plus See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Studying Pixels combines game studies and a joyful engagement with video game culture. Every Sunday, game studies scholar Stefan Heinrich Simond and Japanese scholar Dan Hughes cover anything from reviews of contemporary games to news stories and from academic deep-dives to controversial discussions—all wrapped up in a sincere appreciation of everything geeky. Get Studying Pixels Plus See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Location:

Germany

Description:

Studying Pixels combines game studies and a joyful engagement with video game culture. Every Sunday, game studies scholar Stefan Heinrich Simond and Japanese scholar Dan Hughes cover anything from reviews of contemporary games to news stories and from academic deep-dives to controversial discussions—all wrapped up in a sincere appreciation of everything geeky. Get Studying Pixels Plus See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Language:

English

Contact:

+491731779638

Episodes

Reading Waddington’s Locating the Wrongness in Ultra-Violent Video Games

5/15/2022
The list of controversies revolving around violence in video games is long. But is there anything morally wrong with explicit violence in games? And moreover, where does our the apprehension towards violence in games come from? Join us for a reading of David I. Waddington’s Locating the Wrongness in Ultra-Violent Video Games. In our side quests, we discuss Microsoft’s DRM policy, the rumours circulating around a new Silent Hill game, and the indirect return of Fortnite to the App...

Duration:01:28:59

Star Wars Video Games: A Fraught History

5/8/2022
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, Star Wars games thrived under the LucasArts label. Spanning genre and platform alike, there was no shortage of interesting and compelling video game stories told in the broader Star Wars universe. But what happened after Disney bought out Lucasfilm? This week, we explore two very different eras of Star Wars games and look ahead to what’s in store for their future! In our side quests, we discuss Square Enix selling IPs like Tomb Raider and Deus Ex...

Duration:01:09:07

Which Gamer Type Are You?

5/1/2022
Six categories, nine vastly different types. This time, we do a bit of introspection, look at what motivates us to play and what we are yearning for by participating in Quantic Foundry’s Gamer Motivation Profile. In our side quests, we then discuss a ten steps guide on how to interpret video games, share our impressions of Kirby and the Forgotten Land as well as the recent PAX East. Shownotes 00:02:28 Which Gamer Type Are You? 00:59:55 How to Interpret Digital Games? A Hermeneutic Guide...

Duration:01:35:23

The Best Mashups That Don’t Exist

4/24/2022
Say you could cobble together any video game franchises and pair any developer studio with any series. What would you desire to play? Maybe a Silent Hill game by Ninja Theory? Or a Kingdom Hearts authored by Yoko Taro? Or should Level-5 Games finally make the Pokémon game we all desire? Come along and let your imagination run wild for a moment. Twitter | Reddit | Instagram Get Studying Pixels Plus See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Duration:00:58:47

10 Awesome Easter Eggs

4/17/2022
Easter eggs can be so much: from an earthly form of crediting developers to self-reflective humor, up to entire transformations of how a game can be read. We go through some of the most memorable easter eggs in video games. In out side quests we relish in anticipation of Kingdom Hearts 4, discuss Microsoft’s potential push of advertisements in console games, and complain about the PS5’s lackluster Bluetooth capabilities. Shownotes 00:03:26 10 Awesome Easter Eggs 00:46:14 Kingdom Hearts...

Duration:01:10:59

Reading Miguel Sicart’s Against Procedurality

4/10/2022
“Players don’t need the designer”, says Miguel Sicart, “they need a game, an excuse and a frame for play.” How much power do rule systems have over the performative process of play? And how is meaning actualized in between the two? We discuss Sicart’s argument Against Procedurality. In our side quests, we then go into the issue of anti-semitism in Hogwarts Legacy, share our review on KungFu Kickball, and ponder the trembling online infrastructure of the Dark Souls...

Duration:01:21:31

Should We Shun Hogwarts Legacy?

4/3/2022
On more than one occasion, J.K. Rowling has proven to be profoundly ignorant to the concerns of trans people. So should we shun Hogwarts Legacy, a promising title with a troubled background? And can we ever hope for the ‘death of the author’ (in the sense of Roland Barthes’ literary theory), if said author is actively fearmongering on Twitter? These and more questions we discuss to explore whether we should shun Hogwarts Legacy. In our side quests, we then talk about the cancellation of E3,...

Duration:01:27:19

Elden Ring

3/27/2022
Rise, Tarnished! Elden Ring has been getting nothing but perfect reviews, but does it really live up to the hype? The short answer is yes, but you should still listen to why Elden Ring is the most fun open-world game since Breath of the Wild. Beautiful vistas, well-written characters, and satisfying gameplay abound in this discussion of FromSoftware’s latest triumph! In our side quests, we then debate Rockstar Games’ announcement of GTA+ and give our final review of Stranger of Paradise:...

Duration:01:15:36

The Origins of Final Fantasy

3/20/2022
Every long-running franchise has an origin story, and Final Fantasy is no exception. This week, we discuss the creative endeavors of Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi and his team, and how the massively influential JRPG got its start. It’s a romantic tale of dreams, fate, and a last ditch effort of a near-bankrupt company and the game that changed it all. In our side quests, we befittingly share our first impressions of Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin and relish in the...

Duration:01:03:39

Horizon II: Forbidden West

3/13/2022
There was a very brief buzz around the release of Horizon II: Forbidden West, just before Elden Ring drowned out the entire discourse. We want to give Horizon its well deserved time in the spotlight, as we discuss its qualities and, most importantly, its commentary on climate change, and insights on what it means to be an outsider. In our side quests, we discuss the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine to the video game industry, review the Uncharted movie, and collaboratively complain...

Duration:01:20:59

Spiritual Experiences (with Dr. Felix Schniz)

3/6/2022
Have you ever made a spiritual experience when playing a video game? Some downright lend themselves to it, such as Everybody’s Gone To The Rapture or Journey. But how would you know whether any experience is spiritual and aren’t video games with their technological foundation pretty much the opposite of transcendental? We discuss exactly such questions with Dr. Felix Schniz, Director and Co-Founder of the Game Studies and Engineering Programme at Klagenfurt University. In our side quests we...

Duration:01:12:39

Reading Ian Bogost: The Rhetoric of Video Games

2/27/2022
Video games do not just tell stories and show us more or less pretty pictures. By means of their procedural rhetoric, they “make claims about the world, which players can understand, evaluate, and deliberate”, says Ian Bogost in his influential article The Rhetoric of Video Games (2008). Join us as we unpack the concept of procedural rhetoric and test its applicability to contemporary video games. In our side quests, we share our initial impressions of Elden Ring, talk about the conflation...

Duration:01:21:56

Pokémon Legends: Arceus

2/20/2022
With its departure from the established formular and the introduction of a range of new mechanics, Pokémon Legends: Arceus has us excited and disappointed at the same time. In our review we go over everything that Arceus excels at and all the ways in which it falters. In our side quests, we share our initial impressions of Horizon II: Forbidden West and Sifu, before we discuss the blossoming of Cyberpunk 2077 and the curious find of hundreds of rare sealed video game...

Duration:01:11:45

Computer Education (with Linda Liukas)

2/13/2022
Understanding the workings of computers, coding, and technological infrastructure is one of the most imperative skills of the 21st century. Even more important then is to introduce children to such concepts. But how? – With the award winning children’s book series Hello Ruby, our guest Linda Liukas rethinks how to convey computer education in an approachable yet equally compelling manner. In our side quests, we talk about the demise and potential future of Google Stadia, the prison sentence...

Duration:00:58:12

Kamon: The Origin of the Triforce

2/6/2022
The Triforce is one of the most recognizable symbols in gaming, but did you know that it finds its origins in Japanese history? Often these symbols that pop up in video games have deep roots in history, culture, and even religion, and the Triforce is no different. Join us as we discuss the cultural history of this legendary Zelda symbol, including its mythopoeic origins, and its ties to a historical Japanese family! In our side quests, we then discuss Sony’s acquisition of Bungie as well...

Duration:00:57:08

Guess the Game in 20 Questions

1/30/2022
Time for another one of our special episodes, a brief break from the regular business, and instead a tense guessing game. Listen to us struggle as we try to find whatever game we might be thinking of in 20 questions. Did you get any of them right before we did? Reddit | Twitter | Instagram Get Studying Pixels Plus See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Duration:01:04:26

What does Microsoft purchasing Activision Blizzard mean for video game culture?

1/23/2022
It is the biggest acquisition in video games so far and we are…surprised to say the least. But what does Microsoft’s planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard actually mean for video game culture, for the way we play, and for the market of the future? Come along as we discuss limitations and possibilities. In our side quests, we then dive into some NFT chatter as we cover the GDC’s annual State of the Game Industry report as well as several cases of copyright...

Duration:01:24:02

Learning Japanese with Video Games (with Matt/Game Gengo)

1/16/2022
Learning any language is a lengthy and, at times, tedious endeavour. So why not make the process as fun as possible? – On his YouTube channel Game Gengo (ゲーム言語) our guest, Matt, does exactly that. Because how could learning Japanese be more fun than learning with video games? In our side quests we then review the language learning game Influent, discuss the announcement of PS VR2, and Dan’s affection for Deltarune. Shownotes InfluentPlayStation VR2 and PlayStation VR2 Sense controller:...

Duration:01:13:03

Childhood Gaming Memories

1/9/2022
It is time to reminisce! This week we are taking a brief breather to think back to our childhood. Join in as we get swept away by heartwarming and bittersweet tales of the past. Studying Pixels Plus Reddit | Twitter | Instagram Get Studying Pixels Plus See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Duration:00:47:17

Christmas Special: Ten Predictions for 2022

12/24/2021
It is the most wonderful time of the year, that is: time for our little Christmas special. So we look into our glass bowl with glee to tell you about how Bobby Kotick resigns from ActivisionBlizzard, all the details of Sony's next PlayStation VR headset, and which game will win Game of the Year 2022. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year everybody! Studying Pixels Plus Reddit | Twitter | Instagram Get Studying Pixels Plus See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Duration:00:50:09

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