Tag Archives: Ludology

Minecraft: Development, Discovery, and The Final Frontier

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Kyle Carpenter

Minecraft is a stunning precedent for independent game developers. It’s a game that made Notch, its sole developer, a multi-millionaire before anyone really knew what was happening or what to do about it. There have been a number of copycats in Minecraft’s wake, simulating its blocky aesthetic, its open-ended approach to “world-building,” crafting, and interaction. However, what these copycats can’t duplicate is the most unprecedented part of Minecraft’s success: that it sold millions of copies as an alpha build, an unfinished game. Continue reading →

Posted in Criticism | Tagged and The Final Frontier , , Arma II: Combined Operations , Counterstrike , , Discovery , Gameplay , Joystiq , , , , Minecraft XBLA , Minecraft.exe , Minecraft: Development , Narrative , Notch , Sandbox Games , | 2 Comments

Simple Machines: Legend of Grimrock and the Joys of Coherent Design

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Joseph Hilgard

By Joseph Hilgard “Video games are one of the few remaining artforms where there is an empirical positive correlation between budget and quality.” – The single dumbest thing anybody said to me about video games, ever. Legend of Grimrock is … Continue reading →

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