The PALGN Podcast, Episode 49

PALGN Feature | What is gaming culture? Plus Game Ed, Know Your Roots, and more.

In a return to our regularly scheduled content, this week, the PALGN Podcast is packed to the rafters. We have Evan discussing Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy in Know Your Roots, and Daniel discussing the role of other media in Game Ed 101. To top it all off, we have a lengthy discussion between Evan, Tristan and Daniel about gaming culture - does it even exist, and if so, what is it?

And, don't forget that our eGames competition continues to run this week - tune in for your chance to win a double pass for a full day at the expo. If you're one of the winners, we'll be in contact shortly to explain how to claim your prize.

Excerpts in 'Know Your Roots' used from the original BBC radio production of 'Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'. This week's outro remix is ReMix: The Legend of Zelda 'LinkGoesToNewOrleans' by Neskvartetten and distributed by OverClocked ReMix (www.ocremix.org). For the full bitrate version, why not head over to OverClocked ReMix and download it?

Also used this week is an excerpt from 'Welcome to Rapture' by Garry Schyman, and obtained from the BioShock Original Soundtrack.

Remember, if you don't want to miss any of our weekly podcasts, make sure to subscribe via your favourite podcasting service, whether it be Apple iTunes, Creative ZenCast, or a GPL alternative such as Juice.

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The PALGN Podcast, Episode 39
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The PALGN Podcast, Episode 31
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The PALGN Podcast, Episode 25
07 May, 2008 Random Walk: DS dominance, art design vs. realism, and over-reliance on visuals.

5 Comments

Fly

3 years ago

Stuff is good.

One thing in regard to culture though is that it's supposed to be in a state of flux, so that one could argue that those who have established culture are in fact going backwards in regards to it and that, those who have questions posed as to where it's at are infact the ones progressing. When you then also look at the correlations with the culture of varying civilizations you're not going to say that the Egyptian pyramids are similar to and thus void or are voided by the Mayan Chichén-Itzá which has a pyramid shape, they are both regarded as cultural monuments of a bygone age where a single ideology (triangular buildings) then spawned varying accomplishments of that ideology. In this term, that the ideologies of the gaming genre are revisted or redone / reimaged can add to that state of flux and lead to a "revolution" of the ideology but still further the inherent ideology. The stagnation of such would be with the mainstream titles and their saturation of the market and thus the culture with the same thing that was released over and over again (like the FF remakes for instance adding nothing but a slight graphical fix instead of a reimaging or overhaul)

Infancy then, would almost be the perfect state for culture to be fully expressed.

AllSchoolGamer

3 years ago

Well on a more simple note couldn't culture be related into merchandise? The more merch the bigger the culture purly because there is so much money to be made from it? There is so much of it relating to gaming that its quite staggering.

With that and also I would direct your attention to the Japanese..If the mainstream don't have a gaming culture persay wouldn't the Japanese be the exception to the rule? Or would that be more related to their exceptional love of technology or am I just looking at stereotypes? *shrugs*

All I know is gaming is a huge part of my culture...it's my passion.

Macka

3 years ago

Is Jeremy coming back? He hasn't been on in ages, I really hope he hasn't left the podcast for good? I liked his opinions and often found myself agreeing with him in discussions, etc. Anyway, yeah, hope you're back soon man.

The podcast has been great lately - really interesting topics you guys talk about. I wouldn't mind seeing more podcasts devoted to a single game franchise though - like the Zelda one you did a few months ago.

I was going to say something about episode 49 but I can't remember anymore. I guess Evan's theory about the lack of discussion in the podcast threads is true - I listen to it on the bus and have forgotten what I wanted to say by the time I get on palgn hours later

Evan

3 years ago

Sorry for the late responses - have been horrendously sick for the last week.

@fly: I think you're on the same side as Daniel. :)

My argument is that while a gaming culture exists by definition, it's not a creative culture, it's purely a consumptive culture. Developers keep drawing from other fields, but no-one else is really drawing from games. Not in any substantive sense, anyway. There are plenty of counter-examples that support this; graphic novels, movies, literature, even performance art. All of these influence other 'cultures' and developments. Games don't.

It's a very self-absorbed culture.

@AllSchoolGamer: Interesting idea - in today's consumerist society, maybe influence in popular culture is best measured by commercial investment. It's a sad thought, but it's an interesting one. On the other hand, maybe it's always been that way; Shakespear was popularist at the time, as crazy as that may sound. His plays were written to make money, not be influential, and yet look at where he's at now ...

@Macka: Jeremy's been preoccupied elsewhere for the last few weeks - if he ever gets the chance, I'm sure he'll be back. :)

Thanks for the feedback; I'm actually thinking we'll do one along those lines sometime over the next month. Just need to figure out which franchise to do, now ...

I know exactly what you mean about commenting (obviously!); I'm shocking at commenting about other people's podcasts. I think I've only ever managed to do it once, despite listening to many regularly and feeling pretty strongly about what they say. That's also why we appreciate the comments so much - we know how hard it can be to comment.