Weekly Link Round Up

We're throwing it down early this week. Man...it's been a long one, hasn't it? Not Monday though. That flew by fast. But the past 2 days have dragged on. Let's lighten up the place with a round up: a collection of the best, worst, and silliest video game articles on the internet.

- The Guardian has created a list of the 27 Funniest Video Games of All Time. Unfortunately most of the games on this list were made in the last 10 years. There are a few exceptions such as Worms, but even Grand Theft Auto makes an appearance for reasons I can't comprehend. What about Curse of Monkey Island? That's a great game and it's funny! Some of the games listed are fine, but the writer needs to play more pre-1996 content.

- Jason Schreier of Kotaku notoriety has a new book out: 'Blood, Sweat, and Pixels.' A collection of stories on how some of today's biggest named games were released to the public - and how some E3 darlings faded into oblivion. I'm waiting on the publisher to send me a copy, but you can get a quick glimpse through this interview with GQ Magazine. In it, Schreier talks not only about his book but the issue of "crunch time."

- Jordan Vogt-Roberts, the director for the 'Metal Gear Solid' movie that may get off the ground (eventually), chatted with GameSpot on what Hollywood is overlooking with video games. Some of it, he sights, is the lack of investment in the product. He uses superhero movies as an example. There was a big gap of time after the original 'Superman' movies where heroes in capes and tights did not grace the screen. Comic book fans turned directors/producers helped create the current wave. Video games need that same level of dedication before we hit on a movie that people love. See 'Ace Attorney' as an example.

- GamerPros thinks that mainstream games are too easy. Um...have you changed the difficulty setting to Hard or Insanity? Give that a shot and you'll change your mind. Next article!

- WhatCulture! Good to have you back! The site that ranks EVERYTHING has a list the 9 Best Nintendo Spin-offs. Unfortunately Dr. Mario is only at number 8. There are also a lot of Pokémon games mentioned. Nothing wrong with the franchise, but I think it's not giving Mario enough credit. Super Mario RPG could be classified as one, Paper Mario and Mario Tennis have been widely received by fans and newcomers. So this list has to be rigged. We need to see the ballot box on this one.

- Finally, apparently there's talks of an 'Animal Farm' video game, with approval from the writer, George Orwell, estate. It's bad enough that there's a 'Lord of the Flies' remake potentially being floated around. But an 'Animal Farm' game? Do we really need this? Or maybe we do given today's volatile social and political climate. I don't know. I'll stick with 'Babe' for my fill on talking animals.

School-Based Games Do Exist - That's Not The Issue

The Guardian decided to tackle a very important question, that no one has asked: why don't more video games take place in a school setting?

As far as Triple A titles and big-time developers, the only one that comes to mind immediately is Bully from Rockstar. That doesn't mean other games ignore schooling entirely. Persona 5, White Day: A Labyrinth Named School, even Star Trek: Starfleet Academy could be designated as a school simulator of sorts. And let's not forget the myriad of dating simulators that frequent the digital campuses of high schools and colleges.

So what's with this weird question that The Guardian asked that no one really has asked before? According to the writer, Keith Stuart, "[c]hildren have a need to place their lives in context, and to experience and experiment with the boundaries put in front of them[.]" And that's very true. Part of developing as a functioning adult is to understand and explore the world around us. Video games give us the opportunity to do this with fictional landscapes, but help improve our spatial awareness and problem solving skills. And in many ways it could be a great tool for building one's mental self: confidence, trust, responsibility, etc.

But would a game set in a school help promote this, or inhibit it?

The difference between a 30 minute after-school show ('Saved by the Bell') and a 30 hour game...well I just spelled it out for you. It's the time! I couldn't imagine going to school for 7-10 hours a day (depending on your activities, yes it can be a 10 hour day), coming home, having to handle another 5-7 hours of homework, and try to find time to relax by playing a video game that takes place in a school. Not with how intense today's schools are in the U.S. There's an increased pressure now then ever to get the best grades and fight for the slim pickings of scholarships that are available. School is stressful. It was bad enough when I went - and I was going through middle school and high school at the turning point of education: Columbine and 9/11. And no, that's not meant to be taken lightly. I remember what school was like before those events, and I remember how drastically it changed after. Today's academics are so much more intense and scrutinized that kids are under an immense amount of pressure to always be at their best.

So no. If I were a kid today I would certainly not play a video game that took place in a school. I'd be stressed out by school enough daily that I wouldn't want it to enter my gaming hobby as well. Somehow I get the feeling a number of kids, and adults, would agree with me.

And again, it's not like games are avoiding the subject entirely. There are plenty of games with a school setting if you're willing to think outside of the big developers like EA and Activision. There are choices.

What The Guardian article misses is that kids don't want to spend another 20-50 hours playing a game inside a school setting when 40-80 hours a week are already devoted to schooling. It'd be the same as a working adult going home to play a job simulator that replicates their day-to-day activities. It's not inspiring. It's much more beneficial to kids and adults to play games that help stoke the fires of imagination. We gain more out of these crazy fantasy settings then by restricting ourselves to school/job simulations.