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Carnival of Gamers: Revival!
By Corvus | October 5, 2006
After a brief hiatus, the Carnival of Gamers is back, but… what is this? Gone are the rides, gone are the sideshow freaks, gone are the sounds and scents of wild abandon and in their place, directly in the center of the field, is a large white tent, brightly lit against the encroaching night. As we come closer, we hear the strident voice of a single man, punctuated by bursts of applause and joyous shouts, and bracketed by strains of inspirational music and we realize - this isn’t a carnival, it’s a revival!
Welcome, friends, welcome! Come in to the light and have a seat, we’re just gettin’ started here! Do you game? Are you a gamer? Yes? Good then. Good then. Come on in. You’ll get your chance to testify before we’re done. What’s that young man? You aren’t a gamer? Well then, sir, you just come right on up front, have a seat right there. I am sure by the end of the evening, you’ll be swayed. You’ll be dancin’ in the aisles. You just wait and see. The crowds a little light right now, but it’s early yet. More folks’ll be here soon. But I can’t wait. I can’t sit still. I’m too excited. I just gotta get up and start testifying right now.
Gaming today. Where are we? What state are we in? When faced with these questions, I find it best to turn to the past. To see where we’ve been, in order to better understand where we are. Tales of a Rampant Coyote turns a yellow eye upon this very topic and let’s forth with the Evolution of Computer RPGs. That’s right, I said evolution. Far be it from me to question science, or say it is wrong. I have faith in games, I don’t need to worry about the rest of it.
And speaking of history, Flash of Steel. I say, Flash of Steel also has an eye on the past. Also has an awareness of the path we’re on. Now, he doesn’t go quite as far back as his subject, Civilization or Rome on 640k a Day, might lead you to believe, but he does go back quite a long way and even manages to quote the good book which says, “The role of religion in Sid Meier’s Civilization is basically the cynical role of pacifying the masses rather than serving as an agent for progress.”
Once we know where we’ve been. Once we’ve explored that path, we need to cast an eye on the future. Look ahead. Cast our gaze up the road a piece and see where we think we’re going. Decide where our next steps should take us. Game Producer has some guidance, a few words of advice, if your next step is your First Step Into Game Development.
There are other paths you could walk. The path of games which do not rely on electricity, or controllers other than the five flanged manipulators attached to the ends of your arms. Games which are under siege in a manner much like the games you may hope to play or design. Yehuda knows, and Yehuda offers up a plaintive cry in a Call for Open source Board Gaming. Let his cry in the wilderness be heard, brothers and sisters. He may not be talking about digital gaming, but his message is a good one.
For gentle guidance, for some humble design advice, you can turn to my very own musings as I reflect on how Game Design is Going To the Dogs.
But it’s not enough to look to the past and the future. You have to see where you are. What’s around you. …on pampers, programming & pitching manure has done exactly this, shining his gaze upon the Wii’s Once in a Lifetime Opportunity (and How They Are Blowing It).
Also with a keen eye, Unfettered Blather takes a look at why EA’s development model isn’t going to encourage innovation and King Lud IC examines the flip side of that coin, and expounds upon the Indie Advantage, saying he’s ready to ride the wave.
We must not forget. We must not forget the other people we game with. All those people behind their keyboards all over the world and the massive playgrounds in which we meet them. Kill Ten Rats hasn’t forgotten and ponders why some folks never seem to learn in Nights of the Spawn Table.
AFK Gamer knows them well, these remote friends, and has even identified a type, The Emo Tank.
Stephen W has spent time with these folks as well. Spent a lot of time. But now, sensing a problem, needing some perspective, he’s Quitting World of Warcraft.
And while we’re talking about psychology, Talking in Circles is talking about how Violent Video Games Don’t Cause Aggression.
Where would we be without the dreamers? Those who see the way things are and dream of what could be better? Dream of the possibilities. Cathode Tan would like to see more dreamers, proclaiming that while more polygons are nice, what he yearns for are FPS Revolutions.
Wondrous Inventions is certain that even death need not sting and ponders the treatment of the afterlife in On Crime, Punishment, and Corpse Runs.
Virtual Adept adopts a high view of his Ultimate Urban Sandbox Game, suggesting several small improvements to the GTA model.
Finally, to bring our gathering to a close, Sodaware and Prosody have teamed up to bring us a look at the game Beyond Good & Evil, taking two sides, one suggesting a few game design lessons and the other providing a player pov.
So there we have it, friends. I give my thanks to everyone who contributed to the Revival of Gamers today. I pray that your eyes are opened. That your gamer soul has found peace. That you are filled with the spirit of the game and that you will go forth and testify. Spread the word and remember to join us once again next month where we’ll be gathering in the fields of Old Man Unfettered Blather’s place. You’ll notice, on your way out, that we have no collection plates. If you want to contribute, please be sure to visit our headquarters and consider giving a healthy portion of your words to next month’s carnival.
Thank you all for stopping by today. Have a wondrous weekend and I’ll see you all again on Monday!
Tagged:Carnival. |
October 5th, 2006 at 8:44 am
[...] Man Bytes Blog has just posted their big collection of blog entries about games. See also Buttonmashing.com - The Carnival of Gamers Headquarters. » previous and next posts « Previous post: How to Deal With Angry People » related posts » Blogs Roundup #2» Gamer Market Survey 2006» Leisure Gamers» Google Checkout Announced - the Next Indie Game eCommerce Partner?» Use Images in Your Blog» Introduction» Use Dynamic Signatures» GameProducer.net Wants Your Feedback» Blog marketing» Sometimes Programming Is Like Playing an Adventure Game » add your comment [...]
October 5th, 2006 at 9:39 am
I love the revival theme =p
So when is the October Round Table going up?
October 5th, 2006 at 9:45 am
[...] Lots of good stuff this month, all hosted by Corvus Elrod at Man Bytes Blog. [...]
October 5th, 2006 at 9:59 am
[...] … is now on display at Man Bytes Blog, presented by Corvus. In grand fashion, I might add. [...]
October 5th, 2006 at 11:34 am
[...] Carnival of Gamers: Revival! [near end of post] [...]
October 5th, 2006 at 11:35 am
Loved it, great theme!
October 5th, 2006 at 11:37 am
[...] October 2006’s edition of the Carnival of Gamers is available at Man Bytes Blog and has been converted into a revival of sorts with 17 featured destinations. That’s 17 chances to be saved. Some of you may need more than 17 chances, you sick freaks. [...]
October 5th, 2006 at 12:57 pm
Can I get an AMEN, my brethren?!
October 5th, 2006 at 3:28 pm
[...] They’ve pitched another tent, and everyone’s invited for a good old-fashioned revival. This month Man Bytes Blog is hosting the Carnival of Gamers, and there is lots of great stuff to check out. After a brief hiatus, the Carnival of Gamers is back, but… what is this? Gone are the rides, gone are the sideshow freaks, gone are the sounds and scents of wild abandon and in their place, directly in the center of the field, is a large white tent, brightly lit against the encroaching night. As we come closer, we hear the strident voice of a single man, punctuated by bursts of applause and joyous shouts, and bracketed by strains of inspirational music and we realize - this isn’t a carnival, it’s a revival! [...]
October 5th, 2006 at 9:02 pm
[...] Man Bytes Blog hosted the Carnival of Gamers this month. I have signed up and been accepted to host a Carnival sometime next year, but Wondrous Inventions has yet to appear on the waiting list. Hmmm. [...]
October 6th, 2006 at 8:50 am
Gaming Revival…
Yes, I did actually end up seeing South Park’s Warcraft episode. I’m not sure why some folks are calling it “an advertisement” for Warcraft, given its hilarious depiction of die-hard players as pock-marked tubs of lard with no lives; anyway, I thou…
October 6th, 2006 at 1:33 pm
[...] The latest Carnival of Gamers is up on Man Bytes Blog, so when you have an hour or so to kill, go check it out. This is the first time I’ve submitted a post to the carnival, so I hope you enjoy my article about Ultimate Urban Sandbox Adventure. There are some really good reads in this month’s carnival. Here were a few of my favorites: [...]
June 28th, 2007 at 6:16 am
[...] Carnival of Gamers: Revival! is a great set of fascinating gaming links, done up in a dead-on revival style that has to be read to be believed. Link found via AFK Gamer–still one of my daily reads. [...]