Studying Pixels

We have been podcasting diligently every week for approximately two years. Now, we decided to take a hiatus to recover a bit and organize some things in our private and professional lives. We look forward to returning, because we have got so many more episodes already planned. It's going to be fun!

If you are a Studying Pixels Plus subscriber, you do not have to do anything. We will pause our Patreon campaign while we are on hiatus, so you will not be billed.

If you wish to stay in the loop, please stay subscribed or join our Discord, which will also be alive and running the entire time.

You are the best and we are looking forward to resume our journey!

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How do we go about analyzing video games? Well, close playing is one of the most prominent methods to do so. Together with Prof. Dr. Theresa Jean Tanenbaum, we discuss what close playing means and how to pragmatically go about it.

Well read: Applying close reading techniques to gameplay experiences (Jim Bizzocchi and Theresa Tanenbaum)

Hermeneutic Inquiry for Digital Games Research (Theresa Tanenbaum)

https://transformativeplay.ics.uci.edu/

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This is a replay episode, originally aired on August 14, 2022.

Technically, JRPG simply stands for Japanese Role-Playing Game. Yet, it seems like the genre ascription has taken on a life of its own. Is every RPG made in Japan automatically a JRPG? And what differentiates them from Western RPGs? Here’s our take on the matter!

Shownotes

Japanische Rollenspiele: Was macht ein Spiel zum JRPG? – Podcast E054 (Behind the Screens)

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The Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster was recently released for PS4 and Nintendo Switch, and you know Dan has some thoughts about it. It’s another solo episode, this time with Dan and his theories about the Final Fantasy series, it’s origins, and how it came to be what it is today. 

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We are all familiar with names such as Sony, Nintendo, Ubisoft, or Konami. But how did these names come about? In this short episode, we explore the background behind some of the most influential company names.

The Stories Behind the Names of 15 Gaming Brands You Know (Kelvon Yeezy)

The History and Meaning of the Ubisoft Logo (FreeLogoDesign)

What's In A Name (1Up.com)

Sony Company History (Sony)

Interview: Former Microsoft Exec Fries Talks Xbox's Genesis (Leigh Alexander)

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E3 was the event that kept the entire video game industry in suspense for a whole week. It brought for bouts of joy and sighs of disappointment. Now, that E3 might be no more, we reflect upon its history.

E3 (Wikipedia)

A Tale of Two E3s - Xbox vs Sony vs Sega (Christopher Dring)

Geoff Keighley will not participate in E3 2020 (Christopher Dring)

E3 Has Been Canceled (Rebekah Valentine)

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Trends, they come and go. But some peculiarities of video game culture disappeared for a while only to make a more or less major comeback.

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We discuss the problems neurodiverse students and academics may face throughout their studies and provide a series of tips and tools.

Neurodiversity in higher education: a narrative synthesis (Clouder, L., Karakus, M., Cinotti, A. et al.)

Autism spectrum disorder: reconceptualising support for neurodiverse students in higher education (Evans, D., Granson, M., Langford, D., and Hirsch, S.)

5 study tips for neurodivergent college students (Cliff Weitzman)

Studying tips and tricks: a Neurodivergent perspective (Alice Farion-Renard)

6 Tips For Neurodivergent College Students Going Back To School (Jayar Brenner)

Three simple ways to help your neurodivergent students succeed (William Lane)

5 ways educators can support neurodiversity in the classroom (InnerDrive)

Students with disabilities (National Center for Education Statistics)

Neurodiversity in College Admissions (Independent Educational Consultants Association)

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This is a replay episode, originally aired on January 16, 2022.

Learning any language is a lengthy and, at times, tedious endeavour. So why not make the process as fun as possible? – On his YouTube channel Game Gengo (ゲーム言語) our guest, Matt, does exactly that. Because how could learning Japanese be more fun than learning with video games?

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Ludo-narrative dissonance occurs when a game’s story appears to be at odds with the gameplay. When The Witcher has to urgently save Ciri, but must first explore every village and cave, master a trading card game, and visit all the brothels in the realm. But can ludo-narrative dissonance also have creative merit? We discuss precisely this question, based on the article “Game of Twisted Shouting: Ludo-Narrative Dissonance Revisited” by Paweł Grabarczyk and Bo Kampmann Walther.

Grabarczyk, Paweł, and Bo Kampmann Walther. “Game of Twisted Shouting: Ludo-Narrative Dissonance Revisited.”Eludamos: Journal for Computer Game Culture, vol. 13, no. 1, Dec. 2022, pp. 7–27.

Ludonarrative Dissonance in Bioshock (Clint Hocking)

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