When you’re a kid, warnings of Mature Content exist to be skirted. Nothing feels cooler to a 12-year-old than chilling with your friends through a contraband R-rated movie. Never mind that the characters’ contorted expressions of agony are forever branded on the back of your eyeballs, or that you really have no idea what just happened between the male and female lead. You’ve initiated your own rite of passage. You are a grown-up. You can handle...
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The creative process is inherently risky. It involves convincing other human beings that the picture, story, or idea your brain barfed up is worth a minute of their precious time. They might slow down to admire what you’ve done, or they might wave you off with a surly mutter. As for which occurrence is more common, consider that most artists don’t achieve any measure of popularity until they’ve become dust. Convincing someone that you’ve...
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There was a time when you really got your money’s worth when you paid for a game (also, men were men, etc.). This was especially true for old PC games like Star Control II, which packed a novel-thick manual with its discs. The manual contained an extensive backstory for the game, as well as alien profiles, which gave you a good idea of why it was a bad idea to ask about the fate of the vanished Androsynth race in the presence of the Orz. Legendary text...
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If someone in a gaming community says, “Hey, let’s have a conversation about the portrayal of women in games,” the response is never, ever apathetic. There is rage. There is eye-rolling. There are myriad “Get over it, ladies” and accusations of misogyny. These varied, often colorful responses indicate that the issue of women in games is as hot as it was back in 1985, when female Nintendo enthusiasts wondered aloud why Mario had to save...
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There is a man, a rotund man, who just turned 25. His name is Mario, and he is gaming’s most recognizable mascot. If you want a spot of fun, put on a shirt that features Mario in some way, then board an elevator or other enclosed space. Kids as young as two will point at you and exclaim, “Ohh!” Their fathers and mothers will declare that you are radical. For that two-minute ride, you will be the coolest person on the planet. Then the doors will...
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I attended a wedding on September 11, which, to the bride and groom’s credit, makes for an unforgettable anniversary date. Vows were exchanged, rings were bonded to fingers. I celebrated by tucking into a couple of pints of Rickard’s Red. A gaunt werewolf of a man joined my husband and I shortly, and started talking about video games without any provocation. Interesting that, seeing as we didn’t wear our matching Zelda shirts for the ceremony. We...
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Scott Steinberg is the CEO of video game consulting firm TechSavvy Global, and founder of GameExec magazine and Game Industry TV. Hailed as a top technology and video game expert by dozens of publications from USA Today to Forbes and NPR, he’s covered the field for 400+ outlets from Playboy to Rolling Stone. A frequent on-air analyst for networks like ABC, CBS, NBC and CNN, he’s also the author of Video Game Marketing and PR.