Episode 5: Gaming in popular media Pt 2
In this episode we look at the how gamers used the internet to build an international community, and how gaming culture went mainstream in the 2000s. We also explore how the windows and mirrors theory by Rudine Sims Bishops applies to gamers, and look at the ‘Critical Role effect’.
You can listen to this episode on our website, or you can subscribe on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Guest Host
Tom / Robots: The Fallout Lorecast and Robots Radio Network – our guest host on this episode. Check out his stuff, it is awesome!
Timestamps:
0:00 – Introduction
1:15 – Building an international community of gamers
4:52 – Gamers go mainstream
12:22 – Flipping the narrative
16:43 – Windows and mirrors theory in gaming
23:27 – The Critical Role Effect in gaming
46:06 – Outro
Books we discuss
Blackburn, Jolly. Knights of the Dinner Table
Burlew, Rich. Order of the Stick webcomic
Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games
Corey, James S.A.. The Expanse novel series
Elton, Ben. Popcorn
Holkins, Jerry, and Mike Krahulik. Penny Arcade web comic
Kawahara, Reki. Sword Art Online (light novels)
Palahmuik, Chuck. Lullaby (discusses laugh tracks)
Phillips, Andrea, Maurice Broaddus, Jacqueline Koyanagi, and E.C. Myers. Alternis. (NOTE: This has now been re-titled Ctrl-Alt-Destroy) Narrated by Summer Glau. A Serial Box Production. Serial Box has now been re-branded Realm.
Sims Bishop, Rudine. Windows, Mirrors and Sliding Glass Doors
Stross, Charles. A Colder War
Wu, Tim. The Attention Merchants
Movies & TV shows we discuss
Games we discuss
Rolemaster (the BEST roleplaying system – try 2nd Edition aka Rolemaster Classic! You won’t regret it.)
Other links:
Illich, Ivan. Shadow Work
Libraries Publishing / University of Minnesota. ‘The Impact of Video Games on Culture’, in Understanding Media and Culture. Understanding Media and Culture by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.
Langum, Christolph. Critical Role’s “Mercer Effect” Explained (& How It Hurts D&D) on Screenrant
Paez, Danny. How Gaming turned a Hindu concept into the internet’s most common feature.
Pop Culture Detective. The Adorkable Myysogyny of The Big Bang Theory
Wu, Tim. In praise of mediocrity in the New York Times
