Gaming

  • Links roundup for 16 April 2012

    By Claudia Rebaza on Monday, 16 April 2012 - 4:48pm
    Message type:
    News of Note
    Tags:
    Gaming, Music, Television, Fannish Histories

    Here's a roundup of fannish passion stories that might be of interest to fans:

    • Star Trek fan Terilynn Shull wrote about her introduction to online gaming and attributes her persistence in improving her skills to fellow fans. Though she "rarely feared letting [her] Trek-freak-flag fly," she was surprised by the reaction of non-fans to her desire to play Star Trek Online: "I experienced a bit of shock from the computer salesman, who at first thought I was buying a computer so my son could play the game. I took a bit of pride in knowing the crow he was forced to eat was caused by my clarification that middle-aged women like Star Trek, even women like me who have no children." Her new experiences weren't limited to developing "the manual dexterity to wield a console controller," as she was also encouraged to blog and invited to participate in podcasts. "Sure, I could say that I play STO for the really great Trek writing and the beautiful scenery, ships, and vistas that I've always loved from my favorite television show, but that wouldn't be the entire truth. To me STO just isn't worth playing without the wonderful, loving, and incredibly passionate STO players."
    • In a post simply titled "I <3 Fandom", a blogger for xojane writes about the joy of interacting with other fans. "People in fandom truly connect with each other on a level that constantly amazes me, and it’s a connection rooted in a mutual love for creativity, and pop culture, and things that make us giddy with excitement." In addition, "People have these complex and amazing discussions in fannish spaces, and here is something else about people in my corner of fandom: They are wicked smart. I can turn to them with a question about pretty much anything and not only will someone have an answer, but someone else will have Opinions and there will be a whole complicated discussion on the subject that quickly surpasses my knowledge and leaves me reeling."
    • In an opinion piece for the UK's The Independent, writer John Walsh talks about "the passion of pure fandom", which he found through David Bowie and his alter ego, Ziggy Stardust. "I identified with every note of Mick Ronson's honkingly metallic guitar sound, with every weird cockney-quaver of Bowie's voice. I learned to play 'Five Years' and 'Starman' on guitar. To prepare for a talent night in the college bar, I took a girlfriend to the Oxford shops to find an outfit...I was a man possessed. I looked a fright and didn't care." Although he has since moved on, he remembers the time fondly. "It's like falling in love or living under a dictatorship in which everything the beloved leader does or says seems the actions or speeches of a genius. It makes no sense, but it means everything."
    • The Fandom Post traces the rise and fall of particular fandoms with a focus on the next generation of fans. The writer talks about introducing children to popular media texts, saying "not every kid is going to be open to these things. But they can be exposed to it and it can help them discover which things they will like, as movies, TV, comics and anime all have a lot to offer...And just as I expose them to all kinds of things for entertainment, they bring me into things as well. I had missed Invader Zim the first time around but both kids are huge fans from the reruns and gobble up the merchandise. I never saw the show but it’s one that has won me over since, and it was a shared discovery. And shared discoveries are often long lasting ones."

    If you're a Trek fan, play MMORPGs or if you just love fandom why not contribute to Fanlore? Additions are welcome from all fans.

    We want your suggestions! If you know of an essay, video, article, event, or link you think we should know about, comment on the most recent Links Roundup — on transformativeworks.org, LJ, or DW — or give @OTW_News a shoutout on Twitter. Links are welcome in all languages!

    Submitting a link doesn't guarantee that it will be included in a roundup post, and inclusion of a link doesn't mean that it is endorsed by the OTW.

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  • Links roundup for 2 April 2012

    By Claudia Rebaza on Monday, 2 April 2012 - 4:59pm
    Message type:
    News of Note
    Tags:
    Anime and Manga, Gaming, Television

    Here's a roundup of stories on what fans want that might be of interest to fans:

    • The Anime News Network recently posted a multi-part series looking at the anime economy. "Anime has always appealed to the nerdy, the intellectually curious, and the technically savvy, and from the earliest days of American anime fandom we've used the internet to congregate, to exchange information, and as soon as the technology allowed, trade anime. It's only in the last few years that the industry has caught up, competing with fansubs and largely meeting the fans where they're at, and going to quite some expense to do so." Focusing on the changing delivery and monetization system for anime, the article concludes that "if the internet and the impact of piracy has taught us anything over the last few years, it's that consumers have choices, and don't need DVDs or legal websites to watch the shows they want. Not everyone will want to contribute to the shows they love, but many people have that sense of goodwill. . . The future of the anime market, and the entertainment market in general, is in building a relationship with fans, an emotional connection that they get something out of."
    • While it's common to find fans upset about the ending to storylines in their fandoms, "an unsatisfying ending to Mass Effect 3" has caused a particularly notable reaction, in which ME3 fans are "going a step further, actively demanding that BioWare change the ending as it's currently constructed." The post at Ars Technica cites a campaign for change on Facebook and Twitter and a plan to protest at a upcoming con game panel. "For many, the lack of direct player control over some rather massive story threads seems to be the main sticking point. After investing dozens of hours into a story where every decision seems to matter, Mass Effect 3 players 'reach the ending of ME3 and realize that everything you have done means nothing,' as the Facebook protest group puts it." The poster has some sympathy for the complaint, noting that "it's as if the creators at Bioware have let players build an elaborate, twisting ant colony over a span of years, then came along and blasted that colony away with a leaf blower at the last second just to prove that they could (and to make a point about how the universe works)." The fan reaction prompted Bioware co-founder Ray Muzyka to release a statement on the matter, which said "that the power of our medium flows from our audience, who are deeply involved in how the story unfolds, and who have the uncontested right to provide constructive criticism" and that the team was reviewing feedback from numerous online sites to see how they could address player concerns.
    • The Christian Science Monitor also wonders, "Is TV Paying Too Much Attention to Fans?" but decides that a viewer's role is ultimately limited. As "Chuck" writer/producer Phil Klemmer explains, "'I don't think there's room for fans' voices in a writers' room. There [are] already so many voices trying to reach a consensus, inviting the whole world into a writers' room is more chaos than it can bear.' Klemmer also points out a more pragmatic reason that fans can't influence plot and character to any great extent – the lag between when a show is written and when it airs." However, as the article's author concludes, "In the future, the line between commercial production and fan-created content may blur, especially for a show like 'My Little Pony,' where the production tools, such as Adobe Flash, are readily available. ['My Little Pony' supervising director Jayson] Thiessen says that he has seen fan-created content that approaches the level of quality seen in the show, and is intrigued by the idea of shows crowdsourcing part of their production. 'It's so new that it's kind of unprecedented. So who knows?'"

    If you are a gamer, anime, or TV show fan, why not write about it in Fanlore? Additions are welcome from all fans.

    We want your suggestions! If you know of an essay, video, article, event, or link you think we should know about, comment on the most recent Links Roundup — on transformativeworks.org, LJ, or DW — or give @OTW_News a shoutout on Twitter. Links are welcome in all languages!

    Submitting a link doesn't guarantee that it will be included in a roundup post, and inclusion of a link doesn't mean that it is endorsed by the OTW.

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  • Links roundup for 26 March 2012

    By Claudia Rebaza on Monday, 26 March 2012 - 6:41pm
    Message type:
    News of Note
    Tags:
    Gaming, Music, Fan Conventions

    Here's a roundup of stories on gaming and cons that might be of interest to fans:

    • The gaming site Massively recently posted an opinion piece on the "One True Way crowd". "They're fans who insist that one particular incarnation was the right way to go and everything afterward has been a poor imitation. The camp exists with MMOs, as well, and just as with any other franchise, it's arguably the most harmful portion of the fanbase" because it stifles innovation. The writer suggests that because One True Way fans expect new games to simply be 'better' versions of their old favorites, they are refusing to let the natural evolution of gaming design take its course, and are "asking for a return to a time that never existed, for the genre to essentially feed upon its past and just produce the same thing eternally--to watch talent and creativity slowly wither and die, with fans slowly breaking away as they come to realize that the past doesn't hold all of the answers."
    • Innovation is alive and well in gaming fandom, however. As this Reno News & Review article on video game orchestras notes "the music of video games is often overlooked, especially in a gaming era in where stunning graphics and unique stories take the stage. But a good score can make or break a game." Fannish music takes many forms such as "Nerdcore—originally dubbed Nintendocore—[which] is any style of music in which the scores from games are covered by musicians, or the musicians create original music inspired by aspects of the game. Chiptune and bitpop refer to music actually made with old school gaming consoles. And there’s the off-shoot subgenres, such as wrock (short for wizard rock, based off Harry Potter) or slackercore (which, true to its name, is hard to define, but is seeped in hacker culture)."
    • Indeed, the "Music of Games" is one of several accompanying panels to the Smithsonian's "The Art of Video Games" exhibit which opened this month and will travel to a few U.S. cities in 2012. "The Art of Video Games is one of the first exhibitions to explore the forty-year evolution of video games as an artistic medium. [. . .] It features some of the most influential artists and designers during five eras of game technology, from early pioneers to contemporary designers." The games featured were decided in part by public vote. "The 240 games on the ballot were selected by Chris Melissinos, who worked with the museum and an advisory group consisting of game developers, designers, industry pioneers, and journalists. [. . .] Voting took place between February 14 and April 17, 2011. More than 3.7 million votes were cast by 119,000 people in 175 countries!"
    • The Smithsonian GameFest, which took place on its exhibit's opening weekend, was a not-for-profit venture, but Exhibition News pointed out how very profitable fan conventions can be. "MCM Expo Group (MCM), owner of six of the UK's most successful consumer exhibitions, a portfolio of pop culture shows led by the 27,000sqm London MCM Expo at Excel" is the part of the market that is "one of the few to emerge from the recession relatively unscathed." Like Comic Con, its events evolved. "[W]e started to target video games and manga (Japanese fantasy and sci-fi cartoons and animation). The knock-on effect is that we began seeing a transition of brand away from straightforward comics and movies and our audience became much bigger."

    Regardless of what video game fandom you're in, why not write about it in Fanlore? Additions are welcome from all fans.

    We want your suggestions! If you know of an essay, video, article, event, or link you think we should know about, comment on the most recent Links Roundup — on transformativeworks.org, LJ, or DW — or give @OTW_News a shoutout on Twitter. Links are welcome in all languages!

    Submitting a link doesn't guarantee that it will be included in a roundup post, and inclusion of a link doesn't mean that it is endorsed by the OTW.

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  • Links roundup for 16 March 2012

    By Claudia Rebaza on Friday, 16 March 2012 - 4:53pm
    Message type:
    News of Note
    Tags:
    Comics, Gaming, Movies, Music

    Here's a roundup of stories on fan activities that might be of interest to fans:

    • K-pop fandom made the pages of the Wall Street Journal which wrote about how the "true measure of a fan's devotion is sending lunch to the stars." "The trend, which has spawned a little industry of specialist lunch providers, reflects the desire of many South Korean fans to nourish their idols rather than just shower them with gifts they probably don't want." The trend has profited the providers of the lunches, although the needs are quite specific. "Food should be low-fat because most of the recipients are weight-conscious pop stars, and it should taste good even when served cold. She also varies her charges to reduce the burden on younger fans." There is also a concern for security. "Applicants are usually asked to fill out an online order form, including the proposed menu, delivery date and the name of a catering service, which is sent to the management agency of the artists for review and approval."
    • While K-pop fans treat their idols' tastebuds, one man has found a way to satisfy his own fannish desires. "Popping up in nearly 30 comic books, he has become the industry’s Waldo—a lurking stowaway who has managed to hijack the unlikeliest panels. 'It's the ultimate bragging right to go into a comic store and pick up a book you're in,' says [Jeff] Johnson, a 30-year-old Kmart electronics clerk from Leavenworth, Kansas."
    • Both fans and companies do look beyond themselves, however. As part of a Make-A-Wish effort one company created an oversized R2-D2 for a boy to drive and presented it to him at a school assembly that also featured a lightsaber battle.
    • PC World recently featured a live-action Minecraft fan film and noted "At this point, there must be more live-action fan films for Minecraft--a bit of a blank slate, from a fiction point of view--than there are for franchises with rich settings like Half-Life. It's surprisingly genre-flexible, isn't it? I suppose that's the kind of creative adaptability that comes from material that literally has been designed to be taken apart so you can invent something new."

    If you are a Star Wars, Comics, K-pop fan or are a gamer, why not write about it in Fanlore? Additions are welcome from all fans.

    We want your suggestions! If you know of an essay, video, article, event, or link you think we should know about, comment on the most recent Links Roundup — on transformativeworks.org, LJ, or DW — or give @OTW_News a shoutout on Twitter. Links are welcome in all languages!

    Submitting a link doesn't guarantee that it will be included in a roundup post, and inclusion of a link doesn't mean that it is endorsed by the OTW.

    Read more

  • Links roundup for 15 February 2012

    By Claudia Rebaza on Wednesday, 15 February 2012 - 8:00pm
    Message type:
    News of Note
    Tags:
    Gender and Sexuality, Gaming, Books, Television, News Media

    Here's a roundup of perspectives on fans stories that might be of interest to fans:

    • The CW has greenlit the pilot for Cult, a story focusing on fans of a cult show committing murders. The story was based on the writer's experience with Farscape. ""When I first conceived “Cult” it came out of that. I thought, what if the show wasn’t something like “Farscape,” a science fiction show that had a slight amount of edge but was essentially an entertainment? What if it was a show that was darker, had darker elements? What kind of fan base would grow up out of that, especially considering the anonymity of the internet? It would potentially yield a very interesting opportunity for some very strange people to connect with the show. So that’s where it all began.""
    • The newspaper The Guardian recently ran two different negative pieces about genre fiction the first discussing how eReaders both hide and reveal reading tastes and the second bemoaning how mainstreaming sci-fi/fantasy stories has created boring TV and films. Fangirl Unleashed countered the latter and suggested sexism had a hand in these negative views. "In the same way that female-centric films are ghettoised as ‘chick flicks’, ‘syfy’ (as the new label has it) is dismissed as romanticised/infantilised nonsense." In addition "It doesn’t help that some writers refuse to accept the genre label, because their work is ‘serious’, fostering an insidious Catch 22 – serious work isn’t science fiction, so science fiction can’t be serious. Authors like Margaret Atwood and Kazuo Ishiguro write about clones and worlds where women are sold as incubators, but it’s an allegory, not science fiction, so that’s alright, they’re still proper writers."
    • The MarySue recently deconstructed how role-playing games represent women and limit the interactions actual female players can have onscreen. "The Hey Sweetheart Scenario is one that plays out with female protagonists, and it pops up all over the place. It’s usually very subtle, presenting itself as a bit of throw-away dialogue separate from the main plot." After examining how this occurs and who it might be targeted to, the author suggests that the main culprit is lazy writing. "Raise your hand if you’ve ever played a game/seen a movie/read a book wherein the heroine’s desire to fight stems from her anger towards men, particularly where a male abuser is concerned. It’s a trope as old as the hills, and it drips with lazy, one-dimensional storytelling. A real heroine doesn’t need to be goaded into action by ill-mannered men. Just let her save the day. That’s more than enough evidence that she’s a badass."

    If you play RPGs, are a Farscape fan, are a fan of cult TV shows or read science fiction, why not contribute to Fanlore? Additions are welcome from all fans.

    We want your suggestions! If you know of an essay, video, article, event, or link you think we should know about, comment on the most recent Links Roundup — on transformativeworks.org, LJ, or DW — or give @OTW_News a shoutout on Twitter. Links are welcome in all languages!

    Submitting a link doesn't guarantee that it will be included in a roundup post, and inclusion of a link doesn't mean that it is endorsed by the OTW.

    Read more

  • Links roundup for 1 February 2012

    By Claudia Rebaza on Wednesday, 1 February 2012 - 9:37pm
    Message type:
    News of Note
    Tags:
    Commercialization of Fans, Gaming, Television, Fannish Practices, Fanfiction , Fannish Histories, Twitter

    Here's a roundup of stories on evolving fandom that might be of interest to fans:

    • Lately it appears that every participant in a collective interest is termed a fanboy, whether they enjoy beer or they follow certain religious figures. GamingUpdate attempted to explain the origins of fans citing a radiology study. "Brain areas responsible for emotion, touch, satisfaction, and memory are involved in our reactions for sex and brand loyalty as well as religion." The author concludes that while sex may be the draw, marketers are to blame for the creation of fandoms. "If your encounters with fanboys (and increasingly fangirls as girl gamers grow more confident in their place in the gaming culture and increasingly reveal their true gender to their guildmates and playmates online) often leaves you angry or frustrated with them, at least you now know who to blame: the advertising executives and the people who create the ad campaigns that give birth to those fanboys."
    • A recent series of essays suggests that the English Romantic Movement created fandom. "Much as the "market revolution" in the United States during the 1830s and 1840s changed the very nature of cultural consumption and participation, Eisner writes that, in England, the Romantic period of the late 18th century...saw the popularization of recognizable "fan practices," spurred by the growth of consumer culture and the development of a mass audience for culture generally.""
    • Perhaps because the series Mad Men deals with the advertising world, its RPG players seem particularly interested in seeing their activities as a professional form of work. Twitter's Betty Draper "Helen Klein Ross established herself as a writer and creative director at top ad agencies like FCB and Ogilvy, but in the last five years she’s reinvented herself as a social media renegade." Ross certainly seems to be keen to stay away from fandom in general, as she claimed that her term "brand fiction" originated at a SWSX presentation given by Mad Men RPG players on Twitter. When an audience member claimed they were performing fan fiction, Ross insisted that it was actually "marketing -- extending the Mad Men story out of the television box and into multiplatforms really markets Mad Men." However, she confessed herself disappointed that AMC chose not to legitmize the Twitter players by utilizing their work in canon.

    If you take part in RPGs, or are part of Mad Men or any other fandom, why not contribute to Fanlore? Additions are welcome from all fans.

    We want your suggestions! If you know of an essay, video, article, event, or link you think we should know about, comment on the most recent Links Roundup — on transformativeworks.org, LJ, or DW — or give @OTW_News a shoutout on Twitter. Links are welcome in all languages!

    Submitting a link doesn't guarantee that it will be included in a roundup post, and inclusion of a link doesn't mean that it is endorsed by the OTW.

    Read more

  • Links roundup for 30 January 2012

    By Claudia Rebaza on Monday, 30 January 2012 - 5:48pm
    Message type:
    News of Note
    Tags:
    Gender and Sexuality, Intellectual Property, Comics, Gaming, Television, Activism, Fanfiction , Fanfilms

    Here's a roundup of stories on collaborative fan activity that might be of interest to fans:

    • Comic Book Movie announced that ""The Batman" will be a FANMADE series released on the internet" and asked for suggestions from fans as to the animated movie's content.
    • Soaps.com asks for contributions for fan fiction citing the many stalled storylines of cancelled soap series. "We’ve lost so many of our soap operas in the past few years. Fans are missing the soap characters they’ve grown accustomed to seeing each day over the years. With that in mind, Soaps.com decided to bring your beloved characters, and not so beloved characters back to life via Fan Fiction."
    • Unleash the Fanboy announced that a new Star Wars fan film was "groundbreaking" because "a group of Spanish-speaking fanboys made a Star Wars themed flick about two lovers…who happen to be stormtroopers."
    • The MarySue posted about how a fan film had topped the annual recommendations made by those in the entertainment industry. "Much like The Black List, the Viewfinder List recognizes short form video content and the up and coming helmers responsible for it.”" The live-action short film, Portal: No Escape, got the most recommendations. "Even if you don’t play the video game it’s based on, it’s a really spectacular thing to watch."
    • Lastly, Think Progress took note of collaborative fan action on a different front, that of speaking out against SOPA. "I suspect that as fandom becomes an increasingly important basis for identity or community, we’ll see more work and organizations along these lines where the values that motivate service are drawn less explicitly from political parties or religious faith and more from powerful fictional texts."

    If you write fan fiction are part of Batman, gaming, or soap opera fandom, or have taken a stand against SOPA, why not contribute your fandom experience to Fanlore? Additions are welcome from all fans.

    We want your suggestions! If you know of an essay, video, article, event, or link you think we should know about, comment on the most recent Links Roundup — on transformativeworks.org, LJ, or DW — or give @OTW_News a shoutout on Twitter. Links are welcome in all languages!

    Submitting a link doesn't guarantee that it will be included in a roundup post, and inclusion of a link doesn't mean that it is endorsed by the OTW.

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  • Links roundup for 16 January 2012

    By Claudia Rebaza on Monday, 16 January 2012 - 7:48pm
    Message type:
    News of Note
    Tags:
    Anime and Manga, Gaming, Books, Fanfiction

    Here's a roundup of stories on fannish modification of canon that might be of interest to fans:

    • Electricpig posted about the best gaming hacks created by fans, comparing them to "fan-fiction: painstakingly crafted alternate stories, features and transformations born out of sheer love for the source material. In some cases they breed entirely new games in themselves."
    • While the gaming hacks are presented as something that create more fan interest in the original content, one journalist wonders if fansubs really do create a larger market for anime. "[M]any are arguing that it’s fans like me that are killing the industry. Just the fact that we watch— and therefore support— fansubs is enough." She then questions how both the entertainment industries and the journalism industry she is a part of are actually resisting marketplace demand rather than finding a way to satisfy it. "Things aren’t perfect in journalism. It’s significantly less profitable than it used to be, and it’s a lot harder to get work as a reporter...Maybe this means I should be more sympathetic to the anime industry. But from my standpoint, I don’t see a dying industry; I see a changing one."
    • In the case of E.L. James' new novel it is fans who are questioning fan actions. "[A] number of readers commented that the series, Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James, began as Twilight fan fiction. Some of the commenters went so far as to say there could be copyright infringement issues, because of the connection." James' publisher denied both claims of infringement and any real similarity to Twilight. "Twilight and Fifty Shades Trilogy are worlds apart, new readers are totally surprised it was ever a Twilight fan fiction story."

    If you write or read fan fiction whether about Twilight, games, or anime, why not contribute your fandom experience to Fanlore? Additions are welcome from all fans.

    We want your suggestions! If you know of an essay, video, article, event, or link you think we should know about, comment on the most recent Links Roundup — on transformativeworks.org, LJ, or DW — or give @OTW_News a shoutout on Twitter. Links are welcome in all languages!

    Submitting a link doesn't guarantee that it will be included in a roundup post, and inclusion of a link doesn't mean that it is endorsed by the OTW.

    Read more

  • Links roundup for 2 January 2012

    By Claudia Rebaza on Monday, 2 January 2012 - 8:12pm
    Message type:
    News of Note
    Tags:
    Race, Ethnicity, and Nationality, Entertainment Industries, Business Models, Gaming, Movies, Television

    The Futures of Entertainment conference was held at MIT over November 11-13 and several panels dealt with fan topics. Videos of conference panels are now available. One was of "Collaboration? Emerging Models for Audiences to Participate in Entertainment Decision-Making". The panelists were Jamin Warren, whose interest is in video games, Seung Bak whose business streams international films, and C. Lee Harrington, a sociologist who has studied soap opera fans and is focusing on aging audiences.

    • The panel began by discussing how fans are influencing corporate decision makers, starting with the case of the Hoover corporation to partner with soap fans to protest the cancellation of All My Children. They also touched on fan subbing communities, and how foreign content such as Korean dramas or telenovelas from Latin America have language barriers to their distribution. Bak said that 80% of his site's content is subtitled through crowd sourcing. This led into a discussion of content creation tools being given to video game communities.
    • There is more of a focus on international audiences for products that are flops in their home countries since they may become popular in other locations and to other audiences. Bak said that although 80% of his site's content was Korean in origin, his audience of users is only around 30% Asian, with 15% being Hispanic, 15% African American and 30% Caucasian. Harrington mentioned that age may be a factor in content reception since older audiences do not generally see participation as part of their role as media consumers. Warren agreed, noting that games need to be marketed based on what people like to do with the games, rather than their demographics.
    • Another topic broached was how credit is given to participants outside the business model. Warren cited Defense of the Ancients and the complications for games in how the copyright law applies to them, as well as their team-based authorship. There was then a discussion about fan-curation experts, and different paths for fans to follow, whether to professional work or simple play. Warren mentioned that professionals also need to be able to balance their creative work and their need to work for clients. The panel concluded by circling the issue of how valuable audience contributions can be solicited and rewarded.
    • An example of solicitation and rewards to an audience can be seen in the Worldbuilder experiment announced by Angry Robot. "In January, when we publish...Empire State, we’ll be inviting fan creators everywhere to visit...and create their own works of art based in the Empire State universe. These creations can then be uploaded to a dedicated website, and distributed under a Creative Commons license. The best of these will be featured in a number of “Best of” anthologies (with most of the proceeds going to the creators)."

    If you are part of a gaming or a fansub community, or in a soap opera fandom, why not contribute to Fanlore? Additions are welcome from all fans.

    We want your suggestions! If you know of an essay, video, article, event, or link you think we should know about, comment on the most recent Links Roundup — on transformativeworks.org, LJ, or DW — or give @OTW_News a shoutout on Twitter. Links are welcome in all languages!

    Submitting a link doesn't guarantee that it will be included in a roundup post, and inclusion of a link doesn't mean that it is endorsed by the OTW.

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  • Links Roundup for 30 November 2011

    By Claudia Rebaza on Wednesday, 30 November 2011 - 4:25pm
    Message type:
    News of Note
    Tags:
    Gender and Sexuality, Intellectual Property, Gaming, Takedowns, YouTube, Remix

    Here's a roundup of stories on corporate decision making affecting gamers that might be of interest to fans:

    • Scottish journalist Rachael Carmen Simpson reported on a video game freebie for the game Assassin’s Creed that was offered only to those using a male avatar. "Essentially this is the online equivalent of [her sister] Eleanor visiting a real life game shop offering free cloaks with a purchase and being told she can’t have one as she is the wrong gender."
    • Microsoft has made changes to its X-Box consoles that prevents people from playing pirated games. Microsoft "made the silent update without user consent and without many being aware that it actually took place at all" and there are concerns that Microsoft will follow this with mass bans. "The last time Microsoft had carried out mass ban [sic] was in 2009, when the company had banned Xbox Live accounts playing pirated versions of Halo Reach. The company also does not approve of consoles that have been modded by users."
    • A non-profit organization ""dedicated to the appreciation and promotion of video game music as an art form,"" had its YouTube account suspended. While asking their users to protest the decision, the community's manager stated "We're all volunteers, and all of the work we've done since 1999 on OverClocked ReMix is to help promote the art of video game music, as well as the great musicians who create the OC ReMixes, which have always been distributed for free and with the artists' permission.""

    If you are part of a gaming fandom or have experienced a YouTube takedown of your fannish work, why not share your experiences on Fanlore? Additions are welcome from all fans.

    We want your suggestions! If you know of an essay, video, article, event, or link you think we should know about, comment on the most recent Links Roundup — on transformativeworks.org, LJ, or DW — or give @OTW_News a shoutout on Twitter. Links are welcome in all languages!

    Submitting a link doesn't guarantee that it will be included in a roundup post, and inclusion of a link doesn't mean that it is endorsed by the OTW.

    Read more

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