Money is something that we talk about a lot on et geekera (and it’s something that is likely to come up again soon in an upcoming beta impressions post). However, we never really talk about some of the theory behind the rise of virtual economies in video games. Fortunately, PBS’ Offbook YouTube channel brought in a Cornell business professor and a Rutgers law professor to explain the theory and rise of video game economies.
Blog Archives
The Science of Game of Thrones
Sometimes real science and unreal fiction don’t always work together but that doesn’t mean that we can’t enjoy the internal science of fiction. Take, for example, Game of Thrones. Well, it is Friday of Ice and Fire so you had to know that this was likely to be a GoT post.
PBS’ It’s Okay To Be Smart takes a look at some of the various bits of science unique to the Song of Ice and Fire franchise to see if it could work in our reality. Today’s video looks at the science of GoT’s seasons, the geography and geology of Westeros and Essos, forging Valyrian steel and more.
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Why Do Games Make Us Rage?
The good folks at PBS and Kill Screen Daily that bring us Game/Show have another interesting look into how we game. This week, they examine why gamers get angry about games and the affect rage has on how we play. It’s a really cool video they did and it’s good to see there’s nothing wrong with throwing the occasional controller. And they have a Francis clip which is always awesome.
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Will There Always Be Violent Video Games?
One storyline about gaming that won’t go away is that games are too violent and lead to violent crimes. It’s the reason why Bill S. 134: Violent Content Research Act of 2013 is making its way through the US Congress. Fox News recently had a poll about the perceived influence of violent games in causing violent acts. Heck, even I wrote a column about violence in games.
With all this focus on violent games, will violent games eventually disappear? According to PBS’ Game/Show, not only will there still be violent games going forward but this a continuation of violent games from history.
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Why are Let’s Play Videos So Popular?
If you read et geekera with any degree of regularity, you probably heard through the grapevine that the most subscribed channel on YouTube, for better or worse, belongs to Pewdiepie. While Justin Bieber might be the king of Twitter, a twenty-something Swedish gamer is the king of YouTube.
But why are let’s play videos so big that Pewdiepie is the most subscribed to man on YouTube? Is it because people are too cheap to buy games, that many people need help with game or some other reason? PBS’ Game/Show examines the popularity of let’s plays.
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This Week in PBS Documentaries: The Rise of Web Comics
I have to give PBS’ Off Book credit. They’re putting out some pretty good short documentaries about web culture. It sure shakes the stereotypical image of PBS of kids shows, imported British programming and fundraising drives.
This time out, Off Book looks at the rise of the web comic.
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This Week in PBS Documentaries: Superheroes
PBS recently released a documentary that’s near and dear to every geek’s heart. It’s a feature-length documentary about the golden age of superheroes on television. The film looks back on the great TV superheroes like Batman, Wonder Woman, The Incredible Hulk and more through interviews with the stars of the shows.
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PBS Examines the Rise of Competitive Gaming and eSports
How do we know that competitive gaming is a bit of a big thing now? PBS made a brief documentary about eSports. It looks at the growth of competitive gaming from small events in arcades to massive events watched live by thousands of fans and streamed online by hundreds of thousands more.
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