Tag Archives: Anna Anthropy

The Incredible Machine: Auto-Amputation and Incredipede

Posted on November 27, 2012 by Kyle Carpenter

What happens to your body when you play games? Or, more specifically, how do you think of your body when you enter a game space, when you begin to identify with not your own self, your “meat,” but rather with … Continue reading →

Posted in Critical Conversation , Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Hagiography of Phil Fish

Posted on July 16, 2012 by Kyle Carpenter

Indie Game: The Movie has been released to rave reviews across the board, and for good reason – it is a solid piece of human drama, and a fascinating glimpse into the working process of some very interesting people who … Continue reading →

Posted in Critical Conversation , Features | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Phil Fish , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Octopus Sashimi: Examining the Polemics of Tentacle Bento

Posted on June 1, 2012 by Kyle Carpenter

Editor’s note: the following is a discussion of the status of non-consensual sex in culture and fantasy, and necessarily employs some very charged terms. Please be warned before reading. If you don’t feel comfortable continuing, know that you have our sympathies. By Kyle Carpenter Tentacle Bento, the source of another whirlwind argument regarding the fictionalized portrayal of rape and its place in culture, is going to fade into obscurity within the next few months, but is for now the centre of much deserved discussion.  In many ways a microcosm of the furor that arose over the infamous Penny Arcade “Dick Wolves” fiasco, Tentacle Bento refocused the debate because of the way the game implicitly revolves around the goal of rape, as opposed to a throwaway line in a gag strip. The polemics of this argument are becoming well practiced. On one side, there is the suggestion that Tentacle Bento plays into a Continue reading →

Posted in Critical Conversation , Features | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , Penny Arcade , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Memorial: Parting Words for Danielle Bunten Berry

Posted on May 23, 2012 by L. Meagher-Swanson

by L. Meagher-Swanson For better or worse, I can no longer think about social gaming pioneer Danielle Bunten Berry without getting Elton John’s Candle in the Wind stuck in my head. “I would have liked to know you, but I … Continue reading →

Posted in Memorial | Tagged , , , , , , , , , Kotaku , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Decline of the Western Games Industry

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Karl Parakenings

Game designer and blogger Anna Anthropy is thought of by many as inflammatory, provocative, and controversial. Whether the issue at stake is the legitimacy of the Independent Game Festival’s yearly awards, the questionable taste of Kotaku articles and the problems with the editorial response, or even the validity of a father speaking for his game designer daughter, Anthropy thrives on a hard-line, take-no-prisoners approach, and refuses to apologize for it.

She pops up in the gaming press with tidal regularity, here mentioning her game design philosophy, there presenting her unconventional response to a solicitation from Stephen Totilo. Regardless of where you engage with her opinions, she presents and defends her opinions with the heat and passion of one utterly certain of her convictions.

Which is why I snapped up her book “Rise of the Videogame Zinesters” as soon as I was able: for once, she had her own platform and space to present her own case rather than being forced into a reactionary role. What would she say? Continue reading →

Posted in Critical Conversation , Reviews | Tagged , , , , , Kotaku , , , , , , Stephen Totilo , | 1 Comment