#224"To whom it may concern."Roundtable2021.07.09

Holly Harrison, aka "Best Friend of the Show," is back in the clubhouse! And we recorded this episode in person again! Can you tell? It probably comes through in the goofs...

There's plenty of silliness in this week's episode, even though your Nice Hosts explore some serious topics. Holly asks us what we can do to become more ethical consumers (and developers) of games. Ellen examines the dynamics of grind. Stephen finally admits to something BIG, and Mark takes a break.

Join Lobby - Video Game Culture Feed - Holly Harrison, InstagramHolly joined us for episode 40...Community Managment...and for episode 88...The Gaming Press...and for episode 89..."A mean secret that stays in this room."...and for episode 201..."Not like Beauty and the Beast."...and for episode 202!Business SpeakEllen's new laptop: Alienware M15R4Gris (a game, not a musical) - SteamNoble Engine - Mark LaCroixHere's episode 217, in which we discussed open source.Open Source Software

Photo by Helmi Lutvyandi from Pexels

Ethical Consumption0:13:06Holly HarrisonGamingMisc.Conflict minerals: Which gaming companies may have funded human rights abuses i… - Rebekah Valentine, GamesIndustry.bizIs There Really Such a Thing as “Ethical Consumerism”? - Maya Singer, VogueSummary of sexual and non-sexual allegations (megathread) - RedditGrind0:47:59Ellen Burns-JohnsonGame DesignGamingr/truegaming: For those who like talking about games as much as playing them. - Reddit

Ellen’s take on grind: “Going through the same content multiple times as a means to progress towards an in-game goal that doesn’t pertain to the player’s skill.”