Here’s a short documentary made by PBS Off Book on the popularity and rise of competitive gaming (AKA e-sports).
February 4th, 2013 by Adam
The Rise of E-Sports / Competitive Gaming
February 4th, 2013 by Adam
PBS Short on Indie Video Games
The video game industry is now bigger than Hollywood, with hundreds of millions of dollars spent developing these interactive experiences. But there are also small-scale developers working in the indie game realm, creating unique and experimental video games without the budgets of the larger “AAA” games. These indie game developers devote time, money, and take great risks in a quest to realize their creative vision. They deftly balance game mechanics & systems, sound & visuals, and an immersive storytelling experience to push the gaming medium into revolutionary new territory. Much like indie music or indie film, the indie gaming movement provides a creative outlet for game designers who want to work outside of the mainstream.
Via bOing.
October 4th, 2012 by Adam
The Basics of 8-Bit Art
PBS created this good short video on the evolution of 8-bit art for their Off Book series. Worth a watch even if you know about the 8-bit scene.
Beginning with early Atari and Nintendo video games, the 8-bit aesthetic has been a part of our culture for over 30 years. As it moved through the generations, 8-bit earned its independence from its video game roots. The idea of 8-bit now stands for a refreshing level of simplicity and minimalism, is capable of sonic and visual beauty, and points to the layer of technology that suffuses our modern lives. No longer just nostalgia art, contemporary 8-bit artists and chiptunes musicians have elevated the form to new levels of creativity and cultural reflection.
June 19th, 2012 by Adam
