Star Wars: The Force Awakens but I nearly fell asleep.

***Spoilers everywhere***

If I had to describe Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens in two words they would be “cheap” and “lazy.”

It hard to know where to begin talking about this movie. Does one start at with the tired, hollow callbacks to the original trilogy that feel even more forced and awkward than your usual cash-grab nostalgia project? Does one start at underwhelming new generation of characters - devoid of motivation, charisma, character development or, in the case of our new lead Rey, flaws of any kind? Should one talk about how it still manages to repeat some of the most damning failures of the prequels? Well, let’s start at the beginning.

Nintendo's Digital Event was the highlight of this year's E3 conferences

If we're being totally honest: the majority of E3 conferences are a complete shambles. 

Media Blackouts and You: How the Gaming Press failed the public, themselves and Zoe Quinn.

The most talked about story of the past two weeks is the story no one is talking about.

'Parasite' critics and moving on from journalism

Veteran critic Adam Sessler has announced his departure from Rev3 Games to explore other ventures in the gaming industry.

I can’t say I’m a long-time follower of Sessler’s work. The first time he was brought to my attention was after his somewhat controversial comments about God of War: Ascensions trophy titles, and I’ve only occasionally viewed his work since.

I also can’t say I’m totally surprised at his decision, due to a comment his made on his Twitter account earlier this year.

@LogicBreaker it's not my responsibility. They create, I am a parasite who benefits from their creation. It's a simple ecosystem.
— Adam Sessler (@AdamSessler) February 26, 2014

Its a very pessimistic view on the role of journalists and critics. Sessler does not see himself as a creator, nor does he believe in the value of his work. In fact, creators should ignore him and follow their own conscience. 

Can a journalist or critic operate on the belief their work is without value? If they do believe so, is it not their responsibility to find a way to instil value in their work?

Breaking Character

Games are often sold on experiences. How often have you heard a developer say they want the player to feel what its like to be a master assassin or a superhero, to sail the seas or drive a race car. Cutscenes and narrative are what cause the most dissonance between players and characters. They act and react in a way the player might not. But when it comes to games with a strong narrative focus should we be placing so much emphasis on the player? How does it affect a story when the player’s experience is more important than the lead character?

Sex Lives and Video Games

This article was originally written in October 2012 and may no longer reflect the beliefs of the author or subjects quoted.

Violence is an accepted and prevalent part of video games. However when sex, nudity or suggestive situations crop up, many of us react with discomfort. I tend to jam the mute button.

Video games are now capable of delivering emotional stories, complex relationships, cinematic experiences and political commentary just as effectively as other forms of entertainment. However sex is still a sensitive topic in video games, and its presence has been making waves in the gaming community.

Twitch's band-aid solution

It's not unusual to see eager consumers testing out all the features of their latest gadget. 

Many have decided to test out the Playstation 4’s Twitch integration with the family-orientated Playroom; a basic augmented reality game wherein players can interact with onscreen characters via their bodies and the PS4 controller. Basically, its an update on Sony’s Eye Toy games that accompanied the Playstation 2.

Its uncertain how familiar the broadcasters were with Twitch and its policies. 

Twitch might be a popular service in the hardcore game community but it’s largely unknown to non-gamers.

It's likely many were totally unaware, as they were confounded by popular references to the Twitch community and internet culture at large.

Men and women of various ages, groups of friends, kids and families were all seen broadcasting via Sony’s new console. It spawned a couple of impromptu call-in shows, some broadcasters just got drunk and interacted with the chat, one streamed himself sleeping on his couch. 

In the beginning, it was all mostly harmless. Even Sony employees were happy to join in the fun.