Paper: Copy, paste, save as ‘music’

Since I began my internship early, I only followed the course Digital Music Cultures last term. Although I was determined to write a paper on game music, the initial reason why I picked the course, I eventually wrote a paper that compares the postmodern otaku and contemporary remix cultures.

Paper: Serious ‘techno-intimacy’

For Game Studies, I submitted the following paper on the exploration of definitions for serious games and whether a dating sim, such as the highly commercial LovePlus, could be understood as a ‘serious game’. This paper was also published in the fifth issue of the New Media Studies magazine.

Paper: Remediating traditions

The first paper I submitted this year, was a study on the remediation of Japanese traditional art techniques in the video game Ōkami. Although I did not have to change much between the first draft and this final version, I found it reassuring that there was a preliminary deadline. Also, I guess I have to credit my sempai Jesse Zuurmond for blogging about papers in this very format.

So far, so good

‘So far, so good’ is probably the best manner to summarize my first two months at the MA programme New Media and Digital Culture. While still having problems in finding certain buildings of certain lectures in Utrecht, I fortunately had less difficulties with the programme itself. Both courses, digital visualization and game studies, really were thought-provoking and eye-openers, especially after having spent three years on the traditional subjects of Japanese Studies. For this courses, I did research on the remediation of traditional Japanese art styles in Ôkami and the consideration of Japanese dating sim LovePlus as a serious game, respectively. Next course, I’ll be following Digital Music Cultures, which won’t be much of a surprise if you know my background.

A close reading of No More Heroes: Why you’re no more hero

This article was previously published on the website of Rising Star Games (2009).

How do we perceive video games these days? Stores are crammed with them. Three enormous shelves for the current generation of consoles; next to these, there are handheld titles, somewhat less prominent. Finally, at our feet, there are the remnants of the previous generation of games. Most people who enter a game store know already what game they are going to buy. If not, they’ll tend to pick something with an attractive cover or agreeable price. In this case, games can be considered as a source of amusement. For the store owner, games are the fruits of his labour. Still, games, like movies and literature, are often more than just that – more than a form of amusement or a way to earn your bread. Sometimes they contain a message, like No More Heroes.

Reflective introduction

Friends who’ve known me for at least five years will probably not argue when I claim that I’ve grown greatly over the past few years. Not so much in height, like I did in high school, but primarily in ambitions and approaches — and, fair enough, somewhat in weight.

In retrospect, high school was a joke. Especially on havo (this is generally considered to be to ‘medium’ difficulty level, as if the education system is like a game) I managed to pass courses with the bare minimum amount of studying, like most of my friends. I would study for the subjects I was interested in, such as music class, and emphasize the final exam that got graded A- in my parents’ vicinity, disregarding the remaining C’s.