#Eric Zimmerman music video

[lyrasky]

Nine Inch Nails【Head Like A Hole】和訳 宗教政治と献金 Religion And Money

Nine Inch Nails【Head Like A Hole】和訳 宗教政治と献金Religion And Money #nineinchnails #headlikeahole #TrentReznor #PrettyHateMachine #nin #NIИ #ナインインチネイルズ #blackmirror #BeavisAndButtHead #halo3 #ChrisVrenna #MartinAtkins #LostHighway #RachelJackandAshleyToo #ashleyo #ComeBackHounted #korn

  Nine Inch Nailsが大好きで毎日聞いていた。ただ最近はご無沙汰だったのですが、たまたまかかったのが、この曲やNine Inchがバカ売れしていた時代の曲だったため、血湧き肉躍るLyra → 「もう和訳していたよなあ〜」と見てみたら、この曲はまだUPしていなかったので、今日取り上げることにした。 このバンドの要であるTerent…

[vinnylignes]

"Alright" by Kendrick Lamar- A Culture Change

Few songs in the canon of hip-hop's socially aware songs have the same cultural and political significance as Kendrick Lamar's hit song "Alright" from To Pimp a Butterfly. The song, which was released in 2015, swiftly went beyond its musical origins to serve as a rallying cry for the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. "Alright" captures the anguish and optimism of the Black experience in America with its eerily optimistic chorus, potent lyrics, and vibrant sound. "Alright" is more than simply a song; it is a cultural relic that addresses structural injustice, the lasting strength of fortitude, and the need for optimism in the struggle for equality.

A Soundtrack for Resilience

"Alright" is really about surviving. Its first words, "Alls my life, I has to fight," trace a legacy of tenacity in the face of institutionalized injustice and mirror the hardships endured by generations of African Americans. These lyrics establish a motif that runs throughout To Pimp a Butterfly: a song that strikes a balance between defiance and sadness. The joyful chorus of the song, "We gon' be alright," acts as a reminder that surviving is a kind of resistance and a motto for tenacity.

The song's resonance was enhanced by the date of its release. The killings of Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and Tamir Rice were among the high-profile instances of police brutality that occurred in the mid-2010s and rekindled national discussions about racial injustice. During protests in American cities, the chorus of "Alright" was chanted by demonstrators who were marching against police brutality. For activists who were struggling with the effects of institutional racism, Lamar's message of optimism served as an emotional lift.

"Alright" and the Black Lives Matter Movement

The Black Lives Matter movement gave "Alright" its most notable cultural footing, turning it into a musical representation of resiliency. By the time "Alright" was published, the movement, which started in 2013 following George Zimmerman's acquittal in the murder of Trayvon Martin, had become a significant force. "Alright" provided a counterpoint to the persistent sadness and wrath of communities impacted by police violence, which frequently served as the focal point of BLM rallies. Its upbeat melody served as a reminder to demonstrators that anger and optimism could coexist and that fighting for justice could be both draining and motivating.

In one especially noteworthy instance, demonstrators in Cleveland attempted to disperse the crowd and then sung the chorus of "Alright." In these situations, the song's message of survival and togetherness struck a deep chord, turning it from a personal hymn into a statement of the group.

As essential to "Alright's" effect as its words is its production. Pharrell Williams and Sounwave produced the song, which balances its weighty subject matter with a catchy tune, jazzy trumpets, and rhythmic percussion. While Lamar's flow veers between frantic and introspective, representing the song's dichotomy of despair and optimism, Pharrell's production gives the song a lively vitality.

Lamar traverses a complicated emotional terrain in his lyrics. He understands his personal problems and institutional injustice, but he does not allow them to define who he is. The cyclical nature of tyranny is captured in lines like "Wouldn't you know / We been hurt, been down before," and the chorus "We gon' be alright" acts as a vow of survival. The song's impact lies in this tension between strength and vulnerability, which enables it to speak to people on a personal and a societal level.

The Visuals: Amplifying the Message

The Little Homies and Colin Tilley's music video for "Alright" reinforces the song's standing as a cultural relic. The black-and-white film, which features scenes of police brutality alongside Lamar hovering above the city as a metaphor of spiritual transcendence, contrasts moments of beauty and savagery. In a particularly powerful moment, Lamar gets shot by a policeman and drops from the sky with a calm face. The images emphasize both the adversity of Black existence in America and the fortitude required to persevere.

The bizarre and metaphorical aspects of the video highlight the conflict between individual transcendence and social subjugation, echoing the themes of To Pimp a Butterfly as a whole. The music video transforms "Alright" from a song into an emotional artistic statement by fusing forceful lyrics with eye-catching imagery.

A Legacy of Protest Music

Following in the footsteps of songs like Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On," Sam Cooke's "A Change is Gonna Come," and Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit," "Alright" is part of a long legacy of protest music in the Black community. Each of these songs uses music as a vehicle for social criticism and group healing, capturing a particular point in the continuous struggle for racial justice.

The duality of "Alright" is what distinguishes it; it offers optimism as a means of resistance while acknowledging suffering without giving in to it. As a timeless hymn for resiliency and a historical monument of the BLM period, this balance has allowed the song to remain relevant.

Critiques and Controversies

Despite being generally praised, "Alright" has generated some controversy. Critics contend that by providing a positive theme that might not accurately represent the lived reality of many, it runs the risk of oversimplifying the systematic basis of racism. Furthermore, some have critiqued the song's usage at rallies as performative, raising doubts about whether shouting "We gon' be alright" actually results in meaningful action.

However, these criticisms ignore how music can motivate and uphold movements. Bell Hooks, a scholar, points out that cultural objects like music may operate as "a catalyst for critical thinking," inspiring individuals to envision novel approaches to justice. Within this paradigm, "Alright" encourages introspection as well as action.

The influence of "Alright" is not limited to the US. It is a global song for social justice because its themes of resiliency and structural injustice speak to underprivileged groups everywhere. The song has gained a global audience, highlighting the connections between campaigns for equality, from anti-racism marches in Europe to protests against police brutality in Brazil.

The song's appeal is further increased by Lamar's widespread praise. His work as a Pulitzer Prize-winning artist goes beyond hip-hop, making him a global spokesperson for creative quality and social justice.A cultural staple that encapsulates the complexity of the Black experience in America, "Alright" is more than just a protest song. Its ongoing significance attests to the ability of music to uplift, heal, and inspire. "Alright" will continue to play a significant role in the cultural discourse for many years to come because of Kendrick Lamar's unique fusion of lyrical genius, explosive production, and visual narrative."Alright" conveys a straightforward yet impactful message in the midst of institutional racism and social division: optimism is a radical act, and perseverance is resistance. Those four words, "We gon' be alright," are a promise and a call to action for a generation that is fighting for justice and equality.

[industrial-horror]

In August of 1988, Ministry released their only single 'Stigmata' from the album 'The Land of Rape and Honey'. The video is one of the first music videos directed by Eric Zimmerman and Ben Stokes of H-Gun Productions. The track was later featured in the 1990 horror movie 'Hardware', 1995 in 'Rumble In The Bronx' and in 2017 Marilyn Manson did a cover to the song in the movie 'Atomic Blonde'.

[midnight-star-world]

#CountryMusic

57th Annual CMA Awards/16th Annual Academy OF Country Music Honors/People's Choice Country Awards

So today on the MSR (Midnight Star Review), I would like to talk about the latest edition of the CMA Awards (This time the 57th Annual). They originally aired on Wednesday November 8th, 2023 at 8pm EST (Eastern Standard Time) on ABC. And they were co-hosted by Luke Bryan & Peyton Manning. Let's first see what they played for us on this night.

Performances (Who played and what they played for us). Jelly Roll featuring Wynonna Judd - Need a favor. Luke Bryan performing a medley of hits - Huntin', fishin' and lovin' every day -> One margarita -> That's my kind of night -> Play it again -> Country girl (Shake it for me). Ashley McBryde - Light on in the kitchen. Cody Johnson - The painter. Morgan Wallen & Eric Church - Man made a bar. Luke Combs - Where the wild things are. Chris Stapleton - White horse. Jordan Davis - Next thing you know. Lainey Wilson - Wildflowers and wild horses. Dan + Shay - Save me the trouble. Kelsea Ballerini - Leave me again. The War and Treaty - That's how love is made. Tribute to Jimmy Buffett (Kenny Chesney & Mac Mcanally) - Mother Mother Ocean. Tribute to Jimmy Buffett (Zac Brown band & Alan Jackson) - Adios my friend. Tribute to Jimmy Buffett (Alan Jackson & Zac Brown band) - Margaritaville. Old Dominion & Megan Moroney - Can't break up now. Carly Pearce with Chris Stapleton - We don't fight anymore. Tribute to Joe Diffie (Hardy & Morgan Wallen) - John Deere Green. Tribute to Joe Diffie (Hardy, Morgan Wallen, & Post Malone) - Pickup man. Little Big Town (LBT) with Tanya Tucker - Delta Dawn. Jelly Roll with K. Michelle - Love can build a bridge (Judds Tribute).

And who won what awards and who according to MY MSR (Midnight Star Report), who should have won. Single of the Year goes to Luke Combs - Fast car (Good choice, could have also gone to Jordan Davis - Next thing you know). Song of the Year goes to Tracy Chapman - Fast car (Another good choice for this). Vocal duo of the Year goes to Brothers Osborne. (This one should have gone to Dan + Shay). Vocal group of the year goes to Old Dominion (No competition this year). Music video of the year goes to Hardy & Lainey Wilson - wait in the truck. Musical video of the year goes to Hardy & Lainey Wilson - wait in the truck. New artist of the year goes to Jelly Roll (The only competition for him would be Parker McCollum). Album of the year goes to Lainey Wilson - Bell bottom Country. (This should have gone to Luke Combs or Morgan Wallen). Female vocalist of the year goes to Lainey Wilson. She had the most success of any of the female singers this year. Male vocalist of the year goes to Chris Stapleton. This should have gone to Luke Combs or Morgan Wallen. Entertainer of the year goes to Lainey Wilson. This should have gone to Luke Combs or Morgan Wallen.

And that's a wrap for the Show. And on the MSR (Midnight Star Review), I would give this show a 3 out of 5 stars. There was a lot of people that probably should have won or shouldn't have won as usual. And they don't seem to let as many people perform their songs during their show. Now we need to bounce on to our next award show we will be reviewing. And that will be the 16th Annual Academy of Country Music Honors.

16th Annual Academy of Country Music Honors

This show was hosted by Carly Pearce on Monday September 18th, 2023. The show originally aired on Fox at 8pm EST (Eastern Standard Time). Now the awards and performances will be combined for this.

ACM Lift Every Voice Award goes to Breland. ACM Service Award goes to Charlie Cook. Chris Janson - Good vibes. ACM Spirit Award - Charlie Daniels. Billy Ray with Firerose & Travis Denning - Long haired Country Boy. ACM International Award - Kane Brown. Lee Brice - Like I love Country Music. ACM Artist-Songwriter of the Year goes to Hardy. Bailey Zimmerman - Signed, Sober you. ACM Lifting Lives Award goes to Troy Vollhoffer. Dennis Quaid - Fallen. ACM Icon Award - Mike Dungan. Jordan Davis - Buy dirt with Anne Wilson. ACM Poet's Award - Clint Black. Lady A - A bad goodbye. ACM Poet's Award - Mary Chapin Carpenter. Trisha Yearwood - This shirt. ACM Poet's Award - K.T. Oslin. Brandy Clark - 80's Ladies. ACM Service Award - Bill Mayne. Sara Evans - Born to fly. ACM Songwriter of the Year goes to Ashley Gorley. Carly Pearce & Emily Shackleton - What he didn't do. ACM Icon Award - Tim McGraw. Brett Young - Don't take the girl. Nelly - Over and over. ACM Triple Crown Award - Chris Stapleton. The War and Treaty - Cold. Hailey Whitters - Everything she ain't.

And this show with the MSR (Midnight Star Review), I would give this show a 2.75 out of 5 stars. There were a lot of people who got awards that I don't really know about. But it was a short show to highlight some careers in Country Music. And onto the first ever People's Choice Country Awards.

People's Choice Country Awards

This is the 1st ever People's Choice Country Awards and this time hosted by Little Big Town (LBT). And this originally aired on Thursday September 28th, 2023 on NBC.

Little Big Town - Boondocks. The Female Artist of the Year goes to Lainey Wilson. She has had a pretty big year Chartwise. Kane Brown - Bury me in Georgia. Carly Pearce - Country Music made me do it. Group/Duo of 2023 goes to Dan + Shay. Could have also gone to Old Dominion or Parmalee. Blake Shelton covering Toby Keith's Who's your daddy? Country Music Icon - Toby Keith. Toby Keith - Don't let the old man in. Hardy - Truck bed. Collaboration song of the 2023 goes to Save me from Jelly Roll featuring Lainey Wilson. This should have gone to Kane Brown & Kaitlyn Brown - Thank God. Social Country Star of 2023 goes to Blake Shelton. Kelsea Ballerini - Over for me or A mountain with a view. Country Champion - Wynonna. Wynonna - I saw the light in your window tonight -> How'd you get to me? Music video of 2023 goes to Hardy featuring Lainey Wilson - wait in the truck. Dan + Shay - Bigger houses. Male Artist of 2023 goes to Jelly Roll. Could have gone to Morgan Wallen, Luke Combs, or Kane Brown. Jelly Roll wins New Artist of 2023. Song of 2023 goes to Jelly Roll - Save me.

And that's a wrap for the first ever People's Choice Country Awards. This one I would give a 2.5 out of 5 stars. This one, they really could have gone without even doing the award show. There is already a lot of Award shows out there. Thanks for taking the time to read all this reviews for 3 award shows. See ya all next time.

[nofatclips]

Self Care by Mac Miller from the album Swimming (contains a sample of On & On by Erykah Badu) - Director: Christian Weber

[psifiakoipigkouini]

Αναζητώντας τον όρο και τις ευκαιρίες των “indies”.

50’-60’ Οι ρίζες του όρου “indie”

Ο όρος “indie” προέρχεται από καλλιτεχνικά κινήματα αυτής της εποχής, τα οποία ήθελαν να δημιουργήσουν έργα τέχνης που βρίσκονταν εκτός των κυρίαρχων δημοφιλών ρευμάτων(σύμφωνα με τον Oakes 2009, Lipkin 2012)

1961 

Spacewar!

Πολλοί το θεωρούν το πρώτο βιντεοπαιχνίδι. Δεν δημιουργήθηκε για εμπορικούς λόγους, αφού δημιουργήθηκε σ’ έναν PDP-1 υπολογιστή του MIT από έναν φοιτητή. Όμως, ενώ πληροί όλους τους λόγους για να θεωρηθεί “indie”, δεν είναι. Όπως αναφέρεται και στο βιβλίο του Jesper Juul, “όπως είπε κι ο Nooney’s δεν υπήρχε κάτι από το οποίο θα ήταν ανεξάρτητο”.

80’: Οι Bedroom Coders.

Με την χρήση υπολογιστών, όπως ZX81s, VIC - 20s και του Acorn Atoms, ένα νέο κύμα σχεδιαστών ξεκίνησε να εμφανίζεται. 

1983

Video Game Crash

Οι κασέτες βιντεοπαιχνιδιών υπερχείλισαν την αγορά. Ταυτόχρονα οι υπολογιστές άρχισαν να αποκτούν νέους σχεδιαστές παιχνιδιών με τις κονσόλες ZX81s, VIC - 20s, Acorn Atoms κλπ.

1988

Game Developers Conference

Συνέδριο, στο οποίο συγκεντρώνεται η κοινότητα των σχεδιαστών βιντεοπαιχνιδιών, απ’ οποιοδήποτε κλάδο.

90’: Τα Shareware

Αν κι η ιδέα υπήρχε από το 70’, εδραιώθηκε στους κύκλους τον σχεδιαστών βιντεοπαιχνιδιών το 1982 από τον Bob Wallace. Η διαδικασία είχε ως εξής: Οι χρήστες των βιντεοπαιχνιδιών αυτών είχαν την δυνατότητα να παίξουν και να μοιραστούν μέρος του λογισμικού με άλλα άτομα δωρεάν, κι έπειτα ολόκληρο το παιχνίδι μπορούσε να  αγοραστεί κατευθείαν από τον δημιουργό του. Ένα από τα πιο γνωστά μοντέλα διαμοιρασμού λογισμικού ήταν το Apogee model (που πήρε την ονομασία του από τους Apogee Software). Στο συγκεκριμένο μοντέλο το παιχνίδι χωριζόταν σε 3 μέρη, το πρώτο από τα οποία ήταν δωρεάν και επιτρεπόταν ο διαμοιρασμός του, ενώ τα άλλα δυο μπορούσε να τα παίξει κανείς επί πληρωμή. Αυτό βοήθησε και στην αποφυγή συνεργασίας με κάποιον εκδότη για την προώθησή του παιχνιδιού, αλλά είχε κι ως αποτέλεσμα την ηλεκτρονική πειρατεία.

1992

Rpg Maker

    Δημιουργήθηκε από τους Enterbrain. Όπως φανερώνει και το όνομα της, η ίδια η εφαρμογή προσφέρει τη δυνατότητα κατασκευής βιντεοπαιχνιδιών, χωρίς την χρήση κώδικα, με παρόμοια αισθητική μ’ αυτών των παλιών Ιαπωνικών παιχνιδιών ρόλων (JRPGs). Η πρώτη έκδοση του ήταν διαθέσιμη μόνο στην Ιαπωνία, όπου έως και σήμερα το RPG maker είναι πολύ γνωστό μεταξύ των προγραμματιστών - σχεδιαστών παιχνιδιών. To 2000 ένας Ρώσος φοιτητής με το ψευδώνυμο ‘Don Miguel’ το δημοσίευσε παράνομα και στην Δύση. Αυτό συνέχισε το 2004 με την επόμενη έκδοση του, RPG Maker XP, από άλλον χρήστη με το όνομα ‘RPG Advocate’. Εν τέλει το 2006 η Enterbrain εκδίδει το RPG Maker VX παγκοσμίως.

1995

Πολλά παιχνίδια στα μέσα του ‘90 ξεκίνησαν να μεταφέρονται και να διανέμονται σε CD-ROMS. Τα ίδια τα CD- ROMS εκείνη την εποχή θεωρούνταν ένα κομμάτι πολιτισμού κι όχι απλώς μια μονάδα αποθήκευσης (Juul 2019, σελ.69). Αυτό έφερε παιχνίδια όπως το Myst και το Puppet Motel της Laurie Anderson (1995), τα οποία δεν θεωρούνταν παιχνίδια. Είχαν πάρει τον τίτλο του χώρου αποθήκευσης των CD- ROMS και όπως τα περιέγραφε κι ο κατάλογος της εταιρείας Voyager ήταν experiences, multimedia, interactive και CD-ROMS(Juul 2019, σελ. 69).

1998

Independent Game Festival.

Πρόκειται για ένα μέρος του Συνεδρίου Προγραμματιστών Παιχνιδιών και δημιουργήθηκε για την ανάδειξη καινοτόμων “indie” παιχνιδιών.

Ο ερχομός του Flash Player.

To Flash είχε ξεκινήσει να γίνεται ένα από τα πιο συνηθισμένα προγράμματα αναπαραγωγής βίντεο στο διαδικτυακ�� χώρο και εδραιώθηκε ως ακόμα ένα εργαλείο για ερασιτέχνες προγραμματιστές για τη δημιουργία παιχνιδιών, όπως για παράδειγμα το Super Meat Boy. Αποτελούνταν από δύο μέρη το Flash Program και το Flash player.

1999

GameMaker 

Άλλη μια μηχανή βιντεοπαιχνιδιών, η οποία έχει αναπτύξει και την δική της γλώσσα GML ( Game Maker Language).

00’-10’ Indies

Μέσα από συνεντεύξεις που έγιναν το 2006 απο τον Henry Jenkins με έναν από τους δημιουργούς του στούντιο “Manifesto Games”, τον Greg Costikyan, γίνεται συζήτηση πάνω στο τι μπορεί πραγματικά να θεωρηθεί “indie”. Ο ίδιος κατά τη διάρκεια της συνέντευξης σχολιάζει: «Συνήθως ξεχωρίζω κάποια παιχνίδια από τα “independent games”, κάποια που άλλοι θα θεωρούσαν σίγουρα ότι συμπεριλαμβάνονται στον ορισμό, από την δική μου οπτική, τα “casual games” είναι διαφορετικό, παράλληλο κίνημα, και κατα κύριο λόγο απευθύνονται σε διαφορετική αγορά». Παράλληλα σε μια άλλη συνέντευξη, o Eric Zimmerman διαφωνεί μ’ αυτόν το διαχωρισμό λέγοντας: «[...] πολλές φορές εν ονόματι “casual games” - αν κι εγώ προσωπικά μισώ αυτόν τον όρο, λες και οι μουσικοί θα έλεγαν ότι αυτή δημιουργεί “casual music”?!». O όρος “Casual games” χρησιμοποιούνταν για παιχνίδια που ήταν εύκολο να κατεβάσεις και να παίξεις. Ταυτόχρονα, ένα ευρύτερα γνωστό νόημά του προέρχεται από τους ίδιους τους παίκτες, από τους οποίους τα παιχνίδια θεωρούνται εύκολα και απλά, καθώς κι ότι παίζονται ένα μεγάλο μέρος της αγοράς, συνήθως νέοι - άπειροι παίκτες.

Το 2009 ξεκίνησαν συζητήσεις πάνω στην αισθητική και πολιτιστική ανεξαρτησία που μπορεί να φέρει η δημιουργία βιντεοπαιχνιδιών (Juul 2019). Πολλοί κατέκριναν τους ίδιους τους δημιουργούς, αποκαλώντας τους “ανώριμους” (σύμφωνα με την Chaplin , Juul 2019). Στο μεταξύ, η Heather Kelley τόνισε ότι τα βιντεοπαιχνίδια θα πρέπει να σχεδιάζονται για γυναίκες (Juul 2019), ενώ οι Tale of Tales έθεσαν το ερώτημα “Από τι είναι, τα ανεξάρτητα παιχνίδια, ανεξάρτητα;”(Juul 2019).

Υπάρχουν κι άλλες συζητήσεις σχετικά με το εάν ένα παιχνίδι που προέρχεται από ανεξάρτητα στούντιο μπορεί να θεωρηθεί “indie”. Ένα παράδειγμα αποτελεί ο σχολιασμός του Dennis Kogel το 2012, ο οποίος θέτει ως βασικό κριτήριο διαχωρισμού το κίνητρο του εκάστοτε δημιουργού. Μιλώντας συγκεκριμένα για “ανεξάρτητες” εταιρείες, έχει αναφέρει μεταξύ άλλων: «[...] παρά το γεγονός ότι είναι ανεξάρτητοι και παρά το γεγονός ότι αναπτύσσουν χαριτωμένα παιχνίδια για φυλλομετρητές και smartphone. Είναι κακοί, επειδή δίνουν προτεραιότητα στα χρήματα αντί για το δημιουργικό όραμα. Εάν τα χρήματα έρχονται πρώτα, ούτε η μορφή ούτε η τιμή μπορούν να αλλάξουν το ότι ο προγραμματιστής δεν θεωρείται ανεξάρτητος.» (Juul 2019)

2000

Newgrounds   

Ιστοσελίδα που δημιουργήθηκε από τον Tom Fulp, η οποία μέσα στα χρόνια συγκέντρωσε μια μεγάλη κοινότητα σχεδιαστών flash games και βιβλιοθήκη των παιχνιδιών τους. Καθ’όλη τη διάρκεια λειτουργία της, ένα από τα πιο σημαντικά εργαλεία που δημιουργήθηκαν ήταν το Portal. Εκεί οι χρήστες μπορούσαν να ανεβάσουν κατευθείαν τα flash παιχνίδια τους. 

Blitz Basic/Blitz Max και Dark Basic 

Εργαλεία για ανάπτυξη βιντεοπαιχνιδιών που ήλπιζαν να δημιουργήσουν το νέο ρεύμα από “bedroom coders”, χωρίς ιδιαίτερη επιτυχία(Cobbett 2017).

2003

Steam

Περίπου στα μέσα του 90’ οι μεγάλες εταιρείες είχαν ξεκινήσει να εδραιώνονται και στους υπολογιστές, ενώ οι μικρές ομάδες προγραμματιστών είχαν αρχίσει να εξαφανίζονται. Με τον ερχομό του Steam από την Valve, μιας ψηφιακής αγοράς, υπήρχε πλέον ένα νέο μέρος για την προώθηση των βιντεοπαιχνιδιών από μικρότερες ομάδες και για την εξαργύρωση τους αντίστοιχα απ’ ένα ευρύ κοινό. Το 2005 τα πρώτα indie παιχνίδια εμφανίστηκαν στο Steam.

2005

Unity Engine 

Η πρώτη έκδοση γίνεται διαθέσιμη δωρεάν για ατομική χρήση και στα 1500 δολάρια για μικρά στούντιο. Διευκολύνει τη διαδικασία δημιουργίας παιχνιδιών, αφού δεν χρειάζεται οι χρήστες να δημιουργήσουν πλέον την απαραίτητη τεχνολογία για την χρήση τρισδιάστατων γραφικών στα παιχνίδια τους.

Indiecade.

Ένα, ακόμα, φεστιβάλ για την απονομή βραβείων και για την υποστήριξη των indie παιχνιδιών. Το φεστιβάλ διοργανώνεται στην Ευρώπη και στην Αμερική.

Σε μια συνέντευξή της η Stephanie Barish(2006), ιδρυτής του Indiecade, ανέφερε ότι ο διαγωνισμός θεωρούσε indies μόνο τα παιχνίδια που δεν είχαν συνεργασία με κάποιον μεγάλο εκδότη. Επιπλέον, τόνισε ότι απορρίπτονταν και παιχνίδια που συνεργάζονταν με μεγάλες εταιρείες, “[...]χρησιμοποιώντας το βιομηχανικό πρότυπο, όπως έχουν κι άλλοι πριν από εμάς, για να ορίσουν τις 30 μεγάλες εταιρείες του διοικητικού συμβουλίου του ESA.” (Barrish, 2006). 

Έτσι ενισχύεται το βάρος της ανεξαρτησίας ενός στούντιο από τις υπόλοιπες μεγάλο-εταιρείες του κλάδου ως κυρίαρχο στοιχείο των indies.   

Το Live Arcade από την Microsoft ξεκινά την λειτουργία του στο Xbox360.

Δυνατότητα για indie developers να πουλήσουν τα παιχνίδια τους σε   κονσόλα.

Kokoromi.

Πρόκειται για ��ια ομάδα τεσσάρων ατόμων που έχουν ως σκοπό την ανάδειξη των πειραματικών παιχνιδιών και του gameplay τους ως μορφή τέχνης παγκοσμίως. Αποτελείται από τους σχεδιαστές βιντεοπαιχνιδιών Heather Kelley, Phil Fish, και Damien Di Fede, και με την digital media creator και επιμελήτρια Cindy Poremba.

2007

Independent Game Summit στο GDC

Στο ετήσιο Συνέδριο Προγραμματιστών Βιντεοπαιχνιδιών (GDC), προστέθηκε συγκεκριμένη κατηγορία για ανεξάρτητους προγραμματιστές, κάτι που δήλωσε την αναγνώριση των indie βιντεοπαιχνιδιών στη βιομηχανία και την αγορά των παιχνιδιών.

Xbox Live Indie Games (XBLIG)

Αρχικά επονομαζόμενο Xbox Live Community Games από την Microsoft, η συγκεκριμένη πλατφόρμα παρουσιάστηκε με σκοπό την ανάδειξη και τον διαμοιρασμό indie βιντεοπαιχνιδιών.

2009

Twine

Λογισμικό ανοιχτού κώδικα που επιτρέπει την δημιουργία ιστοριών χωρίς ή με την χρήση κώδικα.

IGF Nuovo

Βραβείο, το οποίο προστέθηκε για την αναγνώριση πιο αφηρημένων και πειραματικών παιχνιδιών.

2010

Humble Bundle 

Άλλη μια πλατφόρμα που έδωσε την ευκαιρία σε indie παιχνίδια να προωθηθούν, βοηθώντας τα να αποκτήσουν μεγαλύτερη αναγνωρισιμότητα. Χαρακτηριστικό στοιχείο της πλατφόρμας είναι η πώληση διαφόρων πακέτων “bundles”, στα οποία περιλαμβάνονται πολλά παιχνίδια σε μειωμένη τιμή. Η έναρξη λειτουργίας της πλατφόρμας έγινε με την προσφορά μιας συλλογής indies ως bundle.

Minefest Convention.

Εκδήλωση που ξεκίνησε από την Mojang για τους παίκτες του παιχνιδιού τους Minecraft. Το πρώτο, αν όχι μοναδικό, φεστιβάλ για ένα indie παιχνίδι. 

Indie Megabooth. 

Ξεκίνησε στο Pax East όταν 16 δημιουργοί indie συνεργάστηκαν για την κατασκευή ενός μεγαλύτερου παραρτήματος για τα indie παιχνίδια. (About Indie Megabooth 2020)

2013

Itch.io 

Αγορά βιντεοπαιχνιδιών αποκλειστικά για indies.

Full Indie Game Summit

Συνέδριο για ανεξάρτητους σχεδιαστές και indies παιχνίδια.

2020

Το τέλος μιας εποχής: στις 31 Δεκεμβρίου η Adobe σταματάει την υποστήριξη του Flash Player

Βιβλιογραφία:

Zebrowski Stefan. “Games (as) Art: The Kokoromi Collective.” Art21. Τελευταία πρόσβαση: 15 Ιουνίου 2020. http://magazine.art21.org/2010/09/20/game-as-art-the-kokoromi-collective/

“ABOUT INDIECADE.” Indiecade. Τελευταία πρόσβαση 13 Ιουνίου 2020. https://www.indiecade.com/about/

“ABOUT THE IGF.” About IGF. Τελευταία πρόσβαση: 12 Ιουνίου 2020. https://igf.com/about-igf

“ABOUT THE INDIE MEGABOOTH”. Indie Mega Booth. Τελευταία πρόσβαση 17 Ιουνίου 2020, https://indiemegabooth.com/about/2020.

“Adobe Flash Player EOL General Information Page. ” Adobe. Τελευταία πρόσβαση: 13 Ιουνίου 2020. https://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/end-of-life.html#

Big Fish Games. Τελευταία πρόσβαση 17 Ιουνίου, 2020 https://www.bigfishgames.com/daily/gaming-conventions-timeline/

Baker, Tabitha. “The Complete History of Indie Games”. The Indie Game Website. Τελευταία πρόσβαση: 13 Ιουνίου 2020. https://www.indiegamewebsite.com/2018/10/19/the-complete-history-of-indie-games/

Barish, Stephanie. “The Independent Games Movement( Part Three) : Behind the Scenes at Indiecade.” Συνέντευξη από τον Henry Jenkins. Confessions of an Aca-fan. 30 Οκτώβρη 2006. http://henryjenkins.org/blog/2006/10/the_independent_games_movement_2.html

Ben Reeves. “How Flash Games Changed Video Game History.” Gameinformer. Τελευταία Πρόσβαση 13 Ιουνίου 2020. https://www.gameinformer.com/index.php/2018/12/22/how-flash-games-changed-video-game-history http://henryjenkins.org/blog/2006/10/the_independent_games_movement_2.html

Cobbett, Richard. “From shareware superstars to the Steam gold rush: How indie conquered the PC.” PC Gamer. Τελευταία πρόσβαση: 13 Ιουνίου 2020. https://www.pcgamer.com/from-shareware-superstars-to-the-steam-gold-rush-how-indie-conquered-the-pc/

Dale, K. Laura. “Unity - does indie gaming’s biggest engine have an image problem?. ”. The Guardian. Τελευταία πρόσβαση: 13 Ιουνίου 2020 https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/06/unity-indie-gamings-biggest-engine-john-riccitiello

Full Indie Game Summit. Τελευταία πρόσβαση 17 Ιουνιου 2020. www.fullindiesummit.com/organization

“Game Maker Version”. Game-Maker Wiki. Τελευταία πρόσβαση: 12 Ιουνίου 2012. http://game-maker.wikidot.com/game-maker-versions

GDC. “What is the Game Developers Conference?. ” About. Τελευταία αλλαγή: 2020. https://gdconf.com/about-gdc

Cooney, John.”The Flash Games Postmortem.” Βιντεοσκοπήθηκε το 2017, 1:00:30. https://gdcvault.com/play/1023967/The-Flash-Games

Itch.io. Τελευταία πρόσβαση : 13 Ιουνίου 2020. https://itch.io/docs/general/about

Juul Jesper, Handmade Pixels: Independent Video Games and the Quest for Authenticity. MIT Press 2019. https://books.google.gr/books/about/Handmade_Pixels.html?hl=el&id=i-mvDwAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y

Juul, Jesper. “The indie explosion that’s been going on for 30 years (give or take).” PC Gamer. Τελευταία πρόσβαση: 12 Ιουνίου 2020. https://www.polygon.com/2019/11/15/20962788/indie-development-history-handmade-pixels

Lipkin, Nadav. “Examining Indie’s Independence: The Meaning of “Indie” Games, the Politics of Production, and Mainstream Co-optation.” Loading… 7, νουμ. 11 ( Δεκέμβριος του 2012).  https://journals.sfu.ca/loading/index.php/loading/article/view/122/149

Twine. Τελευταία πρόσβαση : 13 Ιουνίου 2020. http://twinery.org/

“What is Humble Bundle?.” Humble Bundle. Τελευταία πρόσβαση: 17 Ιουνίου 2020. https://www.humblebundle.com/about?hmb_source=navbar

Zavarise, Giada. “The secret history of underdog game engine RPG Maker and how it got its bad reputation”. PC Gamer. Τελευταία πρόσβαση: 14 Ιουνίου 2017. https://www.pcgamer.com/the-secret-history-of-underdog-game-engine-rpg-maker-and-how-it-got-its-bad-reputation/

[adoraxo]

Behind the Lens || Derrick Johnson 

Oscar Grant III, Trayvon Martin, Sandra Bland, Philando Castile, Eric Garner, Mike Brown, Rekia Boyd, Sean Bell, Tamir Rice, Freddie Gray, Danroy Henry, Terence Crutcher, and Aiyana Jones all have something in common. They were being black in America. In American society, anti-blackness is not the exclusive division of white Americans. The anti-blackness is so deep in the fabric of the United States of America’s history that no community is immune from it. August 28th, a day that most people disregard and think it’s a normal workday, school day, or regular day. The first thing that comes to mind for me is that this day should be marked as a day of memoriam for Emmett Till. In grade school usually during February, (also deemed as Black History Month) as students, we are taught only to celebrate positive black role models like; Martin Luther King Jr, Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, etc. However, when being taught this curriculum it never focuses on America’s flaws such as slavery, and the radical and prejudice practices that occurred. 

Being an African American woman I was taught from a young age that there is a system of societal norms and behavior that are justified as acceptable even though it is discriminate against not only me and my race but also, against anyone else whose appearance does not reflect European white beauty standards. According to the New York Times, Professor Angela Onwuachi-Willig a professor at the University of Iowa College of Law states that  “Race is not biological. It is a social construct. There is no gene or cluster of genes common to all blacks or all whites. Were race “real” in the genetic sense, racial classifications for individuals would remain constant across boundaries.” In today’s society white privilege is often described through the lens of Peggy McIntosh’s revolutionary piece “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack.” McIntosh exposes to readers of how white people’s skin is a privilege due to there being a transparent preference for whiteness that absorbs our society. Having white skin gives them privileges that contributes to several roles in our society. First, it gives white people amenities that people of color cannot earn. Second, it allows them to possess real advantages for them. Reflecting back, it is evident that white people are not liable to a lot of challenges that people of color are exposed to and have to endure. 

Currently, there is an advertisement created by Procter and Gamble called, “The Talk”. This advertisement exposes the true depths of what people of color, but mainly what African Americans have to endure every day. It shows a variety of scenarios that present on the variety of particular challenges faced by African-Americans. It reveals the struggles African Americans may have thought were left in the past, but sadly still remain a pitiful reality today. Numerous scenes portray how mothers balance their fears with hope as they try to nurture their children and discuss the racial encounters they will have endured, and how their lack of privilege is used against them. From the beginning, one mother assures her daughter that she will be fine while she is away at science camp. The only contradicting part was that she would have to "work twice as hard and be twice as smart,". Another mother with a "pretty" daughter is combing her hair while they are at home, the daughter says that a woman called her “pretty for a black girl” as if her beauty was not acceptable to conventional beauty standards. The mother clarifies to the daughter that she's "beautiful, period." Yet, there are other concerning scenarios as well, things that are beyond their control over. Also in the video, one mother insists that her son brings his ID with him to music practice, because it will be late when he returns home. Another concerning scenario was a young lady at the steering wheel and she is telling her mother that she does not need to worry because she's a "good driver," but that's not what her mother’s real concern is. The mother implies, “It’s not about you being a good drive it’s about you coming home.” This advertisement does not sugarcoat with assurances that things will only get better but, creates a need for awareness that these scenarios are apart of the African American experience. This conversation is becoming more prominent in black homes due to today’s political and social climate.

Currently, it has been seven years since Trayvon Martin’s death but it sparked back up the controversial conversation that needs be had between “race” and “white privilege”. I remember that immediately after the murder of Trayvon Martin, people of every race took to the Internet to proclaim “I am Trayvon Martin.” They created clothing that only showed an Arizona can and a bag of Skittles, supporters proclaimed solidarity. That was a well-meaning and earnest attempt to express their empathy, but it also veiled the core issue, which is that Martin’s death was not because he was wearing a black hoodie past 10 o’clock at night, but because he was wearing a hoodie while being black. His killer George Zimmerman abused his white privilege to the utmost, from selling the gun that he used to kill Trayvon with for over $250,000, to try to plead his case by victimizing himself Zimmerman is and the jury that allowed Trayvon’s death to be in vain are solely responsible for the death of a child. Zimmerman exercised his privilege to ignore the messy reality that he caused a person's death in order to promote his own narrative of victimhood.

In closing, as a black woman who is socially conscience about the white American experience. There will always be ignorance and prejudice in the world, but there are also people in pain, suffering, and struggling. I am grateful to be able to notice and face racism and discrimination head first, it allows me to educate others who are not aware of their privilege based on race, sex, ethnicity, etc. They have helped me to understand my personal experience and, just as importantly, to see beyond it.

[sissyfighter]

Executive Producer - Marisa Bowe [Tootsie] Concept - The Staff of Word & Eric Zimmerman Game Design & Project Management - Eric Zimmerman [Pug] Lead Programmer - Ranjit Bhatnagar [Cassie] Art Direction - Yoshi Sodeoka Art & Interface Design - Jason Mohr [Regularity] Producer & Assistant Game Designer - Naomi Clark [Claudia] Additional Programming - Wade Tinney Text - Naomi Clark and Daron Murphy Sound and Music - Lem Jay Ignacio Communication Engine - Lucas Gonze Additional Project Management - Michelle Golden

Sissyfight 2000 was ceated as a collaboration between the staff of the online magazine Word and game designer Eric Zimmerman. We came up with the concept as a group, and there were a lot of influences: Japanese anime, Hello Kitty, 80s video games, the card game "Lunch Money," previous games designed by Eric, and the books of Edward Gorey. One of our biggest influences was the work of Henry Darger, an "outsider" artist who painted armies of cute little girls, the kind you see on old Campbell's Soup cans, fighting against demons on a surreal alien planet. We were also very inspired by the example of many other online communities, like the New York BBS Echo, various MUDs and MOOs, and Habitat, the very first graphical online community. In development for a year, SiSSYFiGHT launched in 1999 to critical praise. The first multiplayer browser-based game to feature real-time chat, SiSSYFiGHT was technologically innovative for its day. With its stylish pixel-primitive art, gender-bending player characters, and psychologically social gameplay, SiSSYFiGHT anticipated indie games" and "social games" that were to come nearly a decade later.

[independentartistbuzz]

Midnight Nightmare Release New Single & Video for “Fear & Apathy”

Midnight Nightmare is back at it again with their heavy-hitting new single and video “Fear & Apathy,” which will strike you to your very core. The track is taken off their latest release Corrosive Hate EP/Remix Album.

“This song is simply about the horrors and bleakness of living in a dying world. A world where you feel alienated from and have apathy for any hope of change or restoration, progress, or belonging.” - Midnight Nightmare

Midnight Nightmare is an industrial metal group created by Angel Nightmare that originated in Atlanta, Georgia, and now hails from Los Angeles, California. With the new iteration of the band, they have brought to life a heavier sound that brings in elements of black metal, death metal, and deathcore. Alongside these elements that bring in infectious industrial electronic synthesizers, brooding strings, and choirs which help to set the backdrop for their music as a whole. Midnight Nightmare also brings a ferocious performance, with eye-catching horror influenced aesthetics, and diehard, dedicated fans to each and every show.

For fans of Dir en grey, Motionless in White, 3teeth Youth Code, Dawn of Ashes (Krock & Angel are also in this band), Cradle of Filth, Ghostemane, Poppy,  Nine Inch Nails, The Browning, Rammstein, Ministry, Code Orange and Combichrist, Midnight Nightmare will not disappoint for your Metal cravings.

“Fear & Apathy,” was composed, recorded, mixed, and mastered by Angel Nightmare. The video was directed by Eric A Zimmerman and Angel Nightmare. It was edited by Zimmerman who also did the cinematography alongside Angela Izzo. The accompanying video reveals the essence of the band bringing enticing imagery which carries throughout. The group does most of their own props and set design, and makeup for each show and video. Zimmerman was also the director for Nine Inch Nails "Down In It" & "Head Like a Hole" music videos.

Midnight Nightmare’s “Fear & Apathy” is out December 5, 2021, and dive into their new album Corrosive Hate EP/Remix Album out now via Spotify.

Listen to “Fear & Apathy” HERE

Watch  “Fear & Apathy” HERE

Follow Midnight Nightmare:

Instagram | Website | Spotify | Facebook | Youtube | Hi-Res Photos

[motioncollector]

DCN Video Pick: Influx by Daniel Uribe // A mother finds herself sinking into a domestic violent relationship, until an influx of emotions is awakened within her. ‘Influx’ is a poetic short film that sinks into the themes of domestic violence, alcoholism, and love. Inspired by Leslie Morgan Steiner's TED talk: ‘Why domestic violence victims don’t leave’. And by the countless stories of mothers trapped in abusive relationships and the power of love for their children. Film Shortage - Daily Pick Independent Short Awards 2019 - Gold in the Microfilm Category Poem written by Daniel Uribe Deep... ..within me A tide is forming Drifting through this storm I let myself go... Unconscious Swimming against these walls I can hear myself say "Enough." And begin to flow Like a current An unstoppable force That grows bigger and bigger A breaking wave Arriving to shore Cast: Anna Reichert Abbey Hafer Bryce Craver Credits: Written and Directed by: Daniel Uribe Produced by: Jonathan Melton Production Company: Curfew Director of Photography: Htat Lin Htut Production First Assistant Director: Susan O'Brien First Assistant Camera: Carey Hu Second Assistant Camera: Kayli Weiss Production Designer: Ana Coccioletti Set Dresser: Matilda Sakamoto Wardrobe Stylist: Ana María Hoyos Espada Gaffer: Eric Sorenson Key Grip: Otter Moore Best Boy Electric: Trevor Gilman Best Boy Grip: Josh Mercer Grip and Electric: Jack Desormier VFX Supervisor: Juan Carlos Barquet On Set Sound Mixer: Frank Lopez Hair and Makeup: Bamike Ogunrinu Production Assistant: Chris Biery Production Assistant: Michael Candelori Production Assistant: Mike Moses Driver: Askia Miller Casting: Winter Coleman Locations: Audrey Lorea Post Production Editor: David Cea Original Music: Andrei Vonavi Visual Effects Supervisor: Juan Carlos Barquet Compositors: David Anger, Justin Keil, Sung Eun Moon, Mark French FX Artist: Christian Gallagher Colorist: Nick Metcalf at The Mill Cellist: Anastasia Mansurova Re- recording Mixer: Jon Flores Voiceover Recording: Kieran Kaye at Full English Post Special Thanks Spencer Dennis Kathryn Berk Mark Smith William Crouse Irulan and Michael Bodabin Diana and Alex Ramanujam Sadira Ramanujam Curfew Marni Zimmerman & Terra Bliss from Panavision Handheld Films Shaun Malkovich Nicci Hafer For more information about domestic abuse please go to the following websites: The National Domestic Violence Center: https://www.thehotline.org/help/ Women's Aid: https://www.womensaid.org.uk/ For information on healing trauma please visit: Healing Tree www.healingtreenonprofit.org

[mattgriffo]

People coming together to make a music video to lift us up. Download the track at this link: https://ift.tt/3d5YrKG Website: mattgriffo.com mailing list: https://ift.tt/2Itjc61 PATREON: https://ift.tt/2f3wXaV iTUNES/APPLE MUSIC: https://ift.tt/2tlz30L Social Media Links SPOTIFY: https://ift.tt/2tV0VpE INSTAGRAM: https://ift.tt/2tlPTfU TWITTER: https://twitter.com/mattgriffo FACEBOOK: https://ift.tt/2tUXhw5 ITUNES: https://ift.tt/2tlz30L This track will eventually be available on Spotify and all other streaming platforms, for now, you can download the mp3 from this page. I've got a release coming up for may for a song called " I Don't Know What Day It Is Anymore". I'll be posting a video soon of the submitted videos I couldn't fit into the music video. They are so great. RECORDED TRACK Piano, Lead Vocal, Ukulele, MIDI Drum Programming, Mixing - Matt Griffo Cello - Leyla I. Royale Cello - Marilynn Eguchi Tumpets - Ivan Pyzow Trombone - George Bartle Backup Vocals - Brandon Pfieffer & Homeboy Beautiful People in the video in this order: Leyla I. Royale - in black on the left only her body Matt Griffo - sitting on the train Marilynn Eguchi - Sitting on the CTA Train Holly Souchack - Sitting In Chair Teri Jo Rask - With Bottle of Wine Leyla I. Royale - playing cello Rosie Roche - Putting on lipstick Abby Vatterott & Michael Jordan - in bed Brandon Pfeiffer - on stairs Asgeir Døhl Dybvig - sassy living room shot Joel Wiersema - Playing Guitar Alex Frogge - on couch texting George Bartle - Playing Trombone Ryan Flynn - dancing in suit in LA Liz Chidester - dancing Kai Smythe - dancing with vest on Brad French - with his lion cat Brandon Pfeiffer's partner - on the floor reading Chris Barker & Kristen Barker - working out with their dogs Laura Coppinger - Roller Skating Andrea Mattson - dancing in studio in New Orleans Hannah K Watson - playing violin Patreon Patrons of Matt Griffo: Anne Zimmerman Chicago Cameraslinger David Kazanow Dotti Moscati Emily Fleischer Emily Wilson Eric Ray Ivan Pyzow JaDiah James T Griffo Jason Lord Jeff Koch Jeff Murray Jerf Jim Prov JT Julia Farmer Justin Brown Kesley Waughon Kim Rodger Krista Zimmerman Liz and The Lovelies Mandy Megan Rhyme Michael Greenberg Moe Macpherson Paige Scott Rachel Damon Robert Freese Sherry Griffo Tamale Rocks Victoria Vox by Matt Griffo

[montrealtimes]

A Veteran Video Game Designer on Why We Play

A Veteran Video Game Designer on Why We Play

OneZero: You have studied play extensively. What makes it so valuable?

Eric Zimmerman: I see playing as a fundamentally social, creative, and cultural activity. For me, any game and play are like image-making, story-telling, or playing music. It’s a fundamental human activity, something that’s almost biological and definitely cultural. It’s about meaning and signification, about personal…

[garp19-jessicaellison-blog]

Research Statement

Can video games be considered an art form?

Jess Ellison

Initially, after spending some time looking at five possible subject ideas, I had decided to research into and write an essay on Art Nouveau as I felt that this was a style that was very similar to my own portrait illustration style. However, I was also considering the topic ‘Can video games be considered an art form?’, as video games are something I have always enjoyed and there are many aspects of game creation that I feel I would enjoy being a part of. After looking at possible sources for both topics, I eventually decided to continue with ‘Can video games be considered an art form?’ as there were far more books and articles on all points of view for video games than there were for Art Nouveau, and I felt much more inspired for this subject than the previous one.

  The question of video games as art is one that has been asked before, and I am taking the most direct approach to answering this.

I will be focusing on the most obvious element of the visual graphics, and to a lesser extent, soundtracks and in-game audio, involved in the game. Concept artworks and character designs offer an inside view of a game’s development, while designer’s commentaries and Q&A sessions at events such as E3 can show the thought processes that went into making them.

By looking at the design and ideation processes of making games, it is possible to more accurately assess them under the kinds of criteria that more traditional, uncontested artwork is measured by.

Video Games are a $138 billion industry, and this is no longer based on initial game purchases (Ell, 2018). The introduction of microtransactions for in-game cosmetic items demonstrates a direct financial benefit to the developers for what is essentially a purely artistic contribution. This, coupled with merchandising and licensing of creative content from video games shows the clear monetary significance of this field.

Video games aren’t just of significance to those who are making them. Video games attract players from across the globe, and the growing popularity of e-sports stands as evidence of the reach that these games can have. Gaming networks such as PSN or Xbox Live connect these players together, and often these players share an appreciation for the aesthetics of a game as much as its actual gameplay.

I am looking at whether video games can be considered as works of art. In this essay I am going to look at the definitions of art, the definitions of a video game, and where there is overlap between the two, such as the desired emotional response that a game produces. I am also going to look at the effects of art on video games; the value of concept sketches and the role of the artist in game design as well as in- game cosmetic items and their impact on a game’s appeal.

My first point of research was to read through the commentary accompanying my collection of video game art books. Three titles stood out in particular; The Art of Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey (Lewis, 2018), The Art of Assassin’s Creed: Origins (Davies, 2017), and Shadow of the Tomb Raider: The Official Art Book (Dubeau, 2018).

Shadow of the Tomb Raider: The Official Art Book (Dubeau, 2018) gave a clear commentary on the intentions and thought processes of the design team in developing the environments, creatures, characters, and puzzles of the game. Davies and Dubeau talk in detail about the kinds of emotional responses they wanted different areas and challenges within the game to inspire in the player, and how their artistic and design decisions reflect this.

The Art of Assassins Creed: Origins (Davies, 2017) talks about the artistic challenges in creating a game world that is beautiful and interesting, but at the same time historically accurate and believable. Davies talks about the importance of blending the aesthetics of the game’s artwork with the mechanics of the gameplay to create something ‘spectacular’.

The Art of Assassins Creed: Odyssey (Lewis, 2018)  is different from the previous Assassin’s Creed book mentioned, as it is written by a different author and looks at the challenges of blending the different gameplay mechanics in a way that is visually seamless, and how the artistic design of the game is important to this. Additionally, this game had a much stronger focus on mythical creatures and folklore, and so the designers also had to create these creatures in scenarios that the players would find believable and impressive.

Moving away from specific concept art books, I looked at similar papers on the question of video games as an art form, and Aaron Smuts of Wisconsin University (2005) is one of the more oft-cited authors. In his essay he discusses the definitions of art and how video games could be considered art in the same way as animation. He cites the examples of Max Payne (2001), Halo (2001), and Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell (2002). His work is older, dating from 2005, so may be of less relevance today as games have advanced significantly.

One text that was particularly dated was Crawford’s The Art of Computer Game Design (1982). Published in 1982, this book is a guide on how to design a computer game, and it treats the subject in much the same way that ‘how to’ art books discuss composition, mood, and theme. Crawford discusses how games are distinct from stories, and how the aspiring game designer should consider theme and mood in order to create a truly great video game. Although it is over thirty years old, this book deals with fundamental principles of design that have not changed.

Why Game Studies Now differs from the other works in my research, in that Gee (2006) begins with the assertion that video games are an art form and argues that as a largely new and unknown art form they are deserving of a field of study so as to more objectively consider their artistic value. Rather interestingly, the essay looks at earlier games (namely Tetris) as an example of video games that are not artistic, and what makes them different from modern, story-driven games. This essay, like Smuts’, is also somewhat older, from 2006.

In A Short and Simple Definition of What a Videogame Is, Esposito (2005) defines a video game as ‘a game which we play thanks to an audiovisual apparatus and which can be based on a story.’ (Esposito, 2005).  He also states that Eric Zimmerman’s definition of a game is very close to accurate in defining a video game, but it falls short in that it does not consider games with no quantifiable conflict or resolute outcome (‘A game is a voluntary interactive activity, in which one or more players follow rules that constrain their behavior, enacting an artificial conflict that ends in a quantifiable outcome.’) (Esposito, 2005). Games without conflict or a quantifiable outcome include titles such as The Sims, and even simple puzzle games such as Tetris. Should these titles not be considered games because of these factors? Personally, I find Esposito’s definition to be more applicable to all modern games, including video games. However, I disagree with his idea that a video game needs to be based on a story, again using the example of Tetris.

In 2010 the case for video games being treated as artworks was taken to the US supreme court (BROWN, GOVERNOR OF CALIFORNIA . v. ENTERTAINMENT MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION, 2010), in the case of Brown Vs the Entertainment Merchants Association. The outcome of this case was the ruling that video games were sufficiently similar to other accepted works of art as to be awarded the same status and protections as film, music, and print media. While this doesn’t settle the debate entirely, it does provide a compelling case in favour.

Brenda Romero (Romero, 2016) gave a TED talk in which she explored whether video games could be considered an art form and looked in detail at the arguments for and against. Romero is an award-winning game designer as well as an artist, and is uniquely placed to comment on this debate. There were some factual errors in her talk however, such as incorrectly citing a game’s publisher, which damages her credibility slightly.

Tavinor’s (2009) The Art of Video Games looks at the human response to video games. It considers the narrative, emotion, and morality behind video games, before looking at if video games can be considered art. This book is a particularly comprehensive resource, covering a wide range of sub-topics around art and video games. The key concepts that inform this subject are video games, concept art, game design, the definition of art, video game cosmetics, skins and decals, character design, environmental design, lighting, ambiance, soundtrack, and emotion. Art is a difficult term to pin down. Each of my secondary sources cites the definition that they use when considering video games in an artistic sense. The definitions loosely agree that art is a creative endeavour and that its purpose is to evoke an emotional response, which makes collating these arguments simpler. There is a great deal of resources for concept artwork in video games and the creative processes behind them. In particular interviews and talks with various industry professionals at events such as E3 and developer’s conferences would be a valuable resource, and one I intend to look further into as my research continues. The subject of in-game purchased cosmetic upgrades (skins and mods) is a little more recent, and there is less available material on it. I will include questions on the opinion towards these in my primary research to get a better picture of the contribution that cosmetic items make towards a game.

The obvious question emerging from this research is “Are Video Games a form of Art?” and this will be the primary focus of my research. At present, the general consensus seems to be that; yes, video games are art, but it is too early for conclusions at this stage.

Over the summer I will be looking at Q&As with designers and developers to get a more comprehensive look at the thought processes that go into the making of games. I will also try to find any articles that argue against the point of video games being art, to ensure greater criticality in my final writing. Currently I don’t have any sources or knowledge on the importance or effect of soundtrack in video games, or on the culture of purchasable cosmetic in-game items, so this is something that I will also need to look into. I will also be looking at the following key texts: Image Studies: Theory and practice by Manghani S (2013), and Reading Images: The Grammar of Visual Design by Kress G and van Leeuwen T (2006).

  I still need to find some more contemporary sources regarding the artistic value of video games. While Smuts is a good example, it is over 10 years old. I will also look to gauge common opinion on whether or not video games can be considered art by carrying out a survey. Finally, I will conduct a review of specific video game reviews, and in particular comments surrounding the artistic appeal of the game, and if there is any correlation between positive reviews of a games visuals and soundtrack, and the specific score or rating that the game achieved in its review. I will only use reviews from industry professionals, rather than community or customer reviews, as these are often more fair and critical. As different publications will have different scoring systems I will standardise each score as a percentage of the maximum possible score, and refer to this percentage score throughout.

  The majority of the research for this project will be documentary analysis, although the popular opinion research will be done by surveying with a questionnaire. The questionnaire will ask the larger question of ‘Are video games art?’ but also secondary questions to determine the value of art in video games, such as how much the graphics of a game adds to its overall appeal, or if purely cosmetic in-game purchases are a factor in how much money a person is willing to spend on a game. The questionnaire will ask about preferred genre of games, and look at the impact of art between bigger budget titles and smaller independent games.

  Since I am gathering primary research, I will need to consider the ethical implications. My survey will be anonymous, and participation will be voluntary. The survey will be written to contain no distressing material, and responses will be collected online with minimum disturbance. The survey will not be biased toward any particular gaming genre, platform, or title, as these could potentially be divisive subjects amongst the gaming community. My objectives for the summer are:

To plan and carry out my primary research into the opinions of the general public.

To carry out primary research into game reviews and the impact of artistic content on the overall review score of the game.

To continue to expand my breadth of secondary sources to include developer interviews, Q&A sessions, and articles that oppose the argument of games as art.

List of references:

  BROWN, GOVERNOR OF CALIFORNIA . v. ENTERTAINMENT MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION (2010).

  Bungie. (2017) The Art of Destiny, Volume 2 [online]

Available at: http://theamazingdigitalart.tumblr.com/post/173383935163/the-amazing-concept-art-of-ryan-demita-for

[Accessed: 20/03/2019]

  Crawford, C. (1982) The Art of Computer Game Design [online].

Available at: http://www.stonetronix.com/gamedesign/art_of_computer_game_design.pdf?fbclid=IwAR1kHBSamT0AXjbDloHFG0JzLYXjvuvmfsjTuWFai3ZhZ9E_e6Pnfp4dCak [Accessed 31/03/2019].

  Crawford, C. (1997) The Art of Computer Game Design [online]

Available at: http://www.e-booksdirectory.com/details.php?ebook=1572

[Accessed: 31/03/2019]

  Davies, P.  [online]

Available at: https://www.polygon.com/2017/10/31/16575194/the-art-of-assassins-creed-origins

[Accessed: 31/03/2019]

  Davies, P. (2017) The art of Assassin’s Creed Origins. London: Titan Books.

  Dubeau, P.D.a.M.  [online]

Available at: https://garp19-jessicaellison.tumblr.com/post/183844411696/shadow-of-the-tomb-raider-the-official-art-book

[Accessed: 31/03/2019]

  Dubeau, P.D.a.M. (2018) Shadow of the Tomb Raider: The Official Art Book. London: Titan Books.

  Esposito, N. (2005) A Short and Simple Definition of What a Videogame Is. Digital Games Research Conference

  Gamespot. (2018)  [online]

Available at: https://www.gamespot.com/gallery/new-games-announced-at-e3-2018-gears-5-elder-scrol/2900-2051/

[Accessed: 01/04/2019]

  Gee, J.P. (2006) Why Game Studies Now? Video Games: A New Art Form. Games and Culture, 1 (1), 58-61.

  Hephner, L.  [online]

Available at: https://paysimple.com/blog/10-ted-talks-for-small-business-owners-and-entrepreneurs/

[Accessed: 01/04/2019]

  Lewis, K.  [online]

Available at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Art-Assassins-Creed-Odyssey/dp/1785659650/ref=asc_df_1785659650/?tag=bingshoppinga-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid

[Accessed: 31/03/2019

]

  Lewis, K. (2018) The art of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. London: Titan Books.

  nyiro. (2017) The Witcher 3 concept art: Skellige [online]

Available at: http://nyiro.tumblr.com/post/144674276642/the-witcher-3-concept-art-skellige-the-rocky-and

[Accessed: 01/04/2019]

  ondinedecadier. (2014) What Is Art Nouveau [online]

Available at: https://ondinedecadierdeveauce.wordpress.com/2014/04/25/what-is-art-nouveau/

[Accessed: 01/04/2019]

  Romero, B. (2016) Are Games Art? TEDxGalway Irelandof Conference.

  Smuts, A. (2005) Are Video Games Art? Contemporary Aesthetics, 3.

  Tavinor, G. (2009) The Art of Videogames. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.

  theamazingdigitalart. (2017)  [online]

Available at: http://theamazingdigitalart.tumblr.com/post/160667117043/the-amazing-concept-art-for-horizon-zero-dawn

[Accessed: 01/04/2019]

[responsivesites]

New Post has been published on Website Design Naples Florida Webmaster

New Post has been published on https://vinbo.com/wordpress-5-0-bebo/

WordPress 5.0 ���Bebo”

Say Hello to the New Editor

We’ve made some big upgrades to the editor. Our new block-based editor is the first step toward an exciting new future with a streamlined editing experience across your site. You’ll have more flexibility with how content is displayed, whether you are building your first site, revamping your blog, or write code for a living.

Building with Blocks

The new block-based editor won’t change the way any of your content looks to your visitors. What it will do is let you insert any type of multimedia in a snap and rearrange to your heart’s content. Each piece of content will be in its own block; a distinct wrapper for easy maneuvering. If you’re more of an HTML and CSS sort of person, then the blocks won’t stand in your way. WordPress is here to simplify the process, not the outcome.

We have tons of blocks available by default, and more get added by the community every day. Here are a few of the blocks to help you get started:

Paragraph

Heading

Preformatted

Quote

Image

Gallery

Cover

Video

Audio

Columns

File

Code

List

Button

Embeds

More

Freedom to Build, Freedom to Write

This new editing experience provides a more consistent treatment of design as well as content. If you’re building client sites, you can create reusable blocks. This lets your clients add new content anytime, while still maintaining a consistent look and feel.

A Stunning New Default Theme

Introducing Twenty Nineteen, a new default theme that shows off the power of the new editor.

Designed for the block editor

Twenty Nineteen features custom styles for the blocks available by default in 5.0. It makes extensive use of editor styles throughout the theme. That way, what you create in your content editor is what you see on the front of your site.

Simple, type-driven layout

Featuring ample whitespace, and modern sans-serif headlines paired with classic serif body text, Twenty Nineteen is built to be beautiful on the go. It uses system fonts to increase loading speed. No more long waits on slow networks!

Versatile design for all sites

Twenty Nineteen is designed to work for a wide variety of use cases. Whether you’re running a photo blog, launching a new business, or supporting a non-profit, Twenty Nineteen is flexible enough to fit your needs.

Give Twenty Nineteen a try

Developer Happiness

Protect

Blocks provide a comfortable way for users to change content directly, while also ensuring the content structure cannot be easily disturbed by accidental code edits. This allows the developer to control the output, building polished and semantic markup that is preserved through edits and not easily broken.

Compose

Take advantage of a wide collection of APIs and interface components to easily create blocks with intuitive controls for your clients. Utilizing these components not only speeds up development work but also provide a more consistent, usable, and accessible interface to all users.

Create

The new block paradigm opens up a path of exploration and imagination when it comes to solving user needs. With the unified block insertion flow, it’s easier for your clients and customers to find and use blocks for all types of content. Developers can focus on executing their vision and providing rich editing experiences, rather than fussing with difficult APIs.

Learn how to get started

Keep it Classic

Prefer to stick with the familiar Classic Editor? No problem! Support for the Classic Editor plugin will remain in WordPress through 2021.

The Classic Editor plugin restores the previous WordPress editor and the Edit Post screen. It lets you keep using plugins that extend it, add old-style meta boxes, or otherwise depend on the previous editor. To install, visit your plugins page and click the “Install Now” button next to “Classic Editor”. After the plugin finishes installing, click “Activate”. That’s it!

Note to users of assistive technology: if you experience usability issues with the block editor, we recommend you continue to use the Classic Editor.

Check out the Classic Editor

This release is named in homage to the pioneering Cuban jazz musician Bebo Valdés.

The Squad

This release was led by Matt Mullenweg, along with co-leads Allan Cole, Anthony Burchell, Gary Pendergast, Josepha Haden Chomphosy, Laurel Fulford, Omar Reiss, Daniel Bachhuber, Matías Ventura, Miguel Fonseca, Tammie Lister, Matthew Riley MacPherson. They were ably assisted by the following fabulous folks. There were 423 contributors with props in this release. Pull up some Bebo Valdés on your music service of choice, and check out some of their profiles:

Aaron Jorbin, Abdul Wahab, Abdullah Ramzan, abhijitrakas, Adam Silverstein, afraithe, Ahmad Awais, ahmadawais, Airat Halitov, Ajit Bohra, Alain Schlesser, albertomedina, aldavigdis, Alex Sanford, alexis, Alexis Lloyd, Amanda Rush, amedina, Andrés, Andrea Fercia, Andrea Middleton, Andrei Lupu, andreiglingeanu, Andrew Duthie, Andrew Munro, Andrew Nevins, Andrew Ozz, Andrew Roberts, Andrew Taylor, andrewserong, Andy Peatling, Angie Meeker, Anna Harrison, Anton Timmermans, ArnaudBan, Arshid, Arya Prakasa, Asad, Ashar Irfan, asvinballoo, Atanas Angelov, Bappi, bcolumbia, belcherj, Benjamin Eyzaguirre, Benjamin Zekavica, benlk, Bernhard Kau, Bernhard Reiter, betsela, Bhargav Mehta, Birgir Erlendsson (birgire), Birgit Pauli-Haack, blowery, bobbingwide, boblinthorst, Boone Gorges, Brady Vercher, Brandon Kraft, Brandon Payton, Brent Swisher, Brianna Privett, briannaorg, Bronson Quick, Brooke., Burhan Nasir, CantoThemes, cathibosco, Chetan Prajapati, chetansatasiya, chetansatasiya, Chouby, Chris Runnells, Chris Van Patten, chriskmnds, chrisl27, Christian Sabo, Christoph Herr, circlecube, Claudio Sanches, coderkevin, Copons, courtney0burton, Csaba (LittleBigThings), csabotta, Daniel James, Daniel Richards, danielhw, daniloercoli, DannyCooper, Darren Ethier (nerrad), davemoran118, David Cavins, David Herrera, David Kennedy, David Ryan, David Sword, Davide ‘Folletto’ Casali, davidherrera, Davis, dciso, Dennis Snell, Derek Smart, designsimply, Devin Walker, Devio Digital, dfangstrom, Dhanendran, Diego de Oliveira, diegoreymendez, dingo-d, Dion Hulse, Dixita Dusara, Dixita Gohil, Dominik Schilling, Donna Peplinskie, Drew Jaynes, dsawardekar, dsifford, Duane Storey, Edwin Cromley, ehg, ElectricFeet, Elio Rivero, Elisabeth Pointal, Ella Iseulde Van Dorpe, elrae, enodekciw, ephoxjames, ephoxmogran, Eric Amundson, ericnmurphy, etoledom, fabiankaegy, fabs_pim, faishal, Felix Arntz, Florian Simeth, foobar4u, foreverpinetree, Frank Klein, fuyuko, Gabriel Maldonado, Garrett Hyder, Gary Jones, Gary Thayer, garyjones, Gennady Kovshenin, George Olaru, George Stephanis, georgeh, gnif, goldsounds, Grappler, Grzegorz Ziółkowski, Gustavo Bordoni, gwwar, Hardeep Asrani, hblackett, Helen Hou-Sandi, Hendrik Luehrsen, herbmiller, Herre Groen, Hugo Baeta, hypest, Ian Dunn, ianstewart, ibelanger, iCaleb, idpokute, Igor, imath, Imran Khalid, intronic, Ipstenu (Mika Epstein), Irene Strikkers, Ismail El Korchi, israelshmueli, J.D. Grimes, J.D. Grimes, Jacob Peattie, jagnew, jahvi, James Nylen, jamestryon, jamiehalvorson, Jan Dembowski, janalwin, Jason Caldwell, Jason Stallings, Jason Yingling, Javier Villanueva, Jay Hoffmann, Jb Audras, Jeff Bowen, Jeffrey Paul, Jeremy Felt, Jip Moors, JJJ, Joe Bailey-Roberts, Joe Dolson, Joe Hoyle, Joe McGill, joemaller, Joen Asmussen, Johan Falk, John Blackbourn, John Godley, johndyer, JohnPixle, johnwatkins0, jomurgel, Jonathan Desrosiers, Jonny Harris, jonsurrell, Joost de Valk, Jorge Bernal, Jorge Costa, Jose Fremaint, Josh Pollock, Josh Visick, Joshua Wold, Joy, jrf, jryancard, jsnajdr, JulienMelissas, Justin Kopepasah, K.Adam White, Kallehauge, KalpShit Akabari, Kat Hagan, Kelly Dwan, Kevin Hoffman, khleomix, Kite, Kjell Reigstad, kluny, Konstantin Obenland, Konstantinos Xenos, krutidugade, Lance Willett, Lara Schenck, leahkoerper, lloyd, Loïc Blascos, Lucas Stark, LucasRolff, luigipulcini, Luke Cavanagh, Luke Kowalski, Luke Pettway, Luminus, lynneux, macbookandrew, Maedah Batool, Mahdi Yazdani, mahmoudsaeed, Maja Benke, Marcus Kazmierczak, Marin Atanasov, marina_wp, Marius L. J., mariusvw, Mark Jaquith, Mark Uraine, Marko Andrijasevic, martinlugton, Marty Helmick, mathiu, Matt Cromwell, Matt Mullenweg, MattGeri, Matthew Boynes, Matthew Haines-Young, maurobringolf, Maxime BERNARD-JACQUET, Mayo Moriyama, meetjey, Mel Choyce, mendezcode, Micah Wood, Michael Adams (mdawaffe), Michael Hull, Michael Nelson, Michele Mizejewski, Migrated to @jeffpaul, Miina Sikk, Mikael Korpela, Mike Crantea, Mike Haydon, Mike Schroder, mikehaydon, Mikey Arce, Milan Dinić, Milana Cap, Milen Petrinski – Gonzo, milesdelliott, mimo84, mirka, mitogh, mmtr86, Monique Dubbelman, Morten Rand-Hendriksen, Mostafa Soufi, motleydev, mpheasant, mrmadhat, mrwweb, msdesign21, mtias, Muhammad Irfan, Mukesh Panchal, munirkamal, Muntasir Mahmud, mzorz, nagayama, Nahid F. Mohit, Naoko Takano, napy84, nateconley, Native Inside, Ned Zimmerman, Neil Murray, nic.bertino, Nicola Heald, Niels Lange, Nikhil Chavan, Nikolay Bachiyski, nitrajka, njpanderson, nshki, Okamoto Hidetaka, oskosk, Paresh Radadiya, Pascal Birchler, Paul Bearne, Paul Dechov, Paul Stonier, Paul Wilde, Pedro Mendonça, Peter Wilson, pglewis, Philipp Bammes, piersb, Pieter Daalder, pilou69, Piotr Delawski, poena, postphotos, potbot, Prateek Saxena, pratikthink, Presskopp, psealock, ptasker, Rachel, Rachel Baker, Rahmohn, Rahmon, Rahul Prajapati, rakshans1, ramonopoly, Rastislav Lamos, revgeorge, Riad Benguella, Rian Rietveld, richsalvucci, Riddhi Mehta, Riley Brook, Robert Anderson, Robert O’Rourke, robertsky, Rocio Valdivia, Rohit Motwani, Ross Wintle, Ryan McCue, Ryan Welcher, ryo511, Sagar Prajapati, Sami Keijonen, Samuel Wood (Otto), Sang-Min Yoon, sarah semark, Scott Weaver, Sergey Biryukov, SergioEstevao, Shahjehan Ali, Shailee Sheth, Sharaz Shahid, Shaun sc, shaunandrews, Shawn Hooper, shenkj, sikander, Simon Prosser, siriokun, sirjonathan, sirreal, Sisanu, skorasaurus, Slushman, Sofia Sousa, SOMTIJDS, Soren Wrede, spocke, Stagger Lee, Stanimir Stoyanov, Stephen Edgar, Steve Henty, Store Locator Plus, strategio, stuartfeldt, tacrapo, talldan, Tammie Lister, ThemeRoots, Thorsten Frommen, Thrijith Thankachan, Tim Hengeveld, timgardner, Timmy Crawford, Timothy Jacobs, Tom J Nowell, Toni Laakso, Toni Viemerö, Tor-Bjorn Fjellner, Toro_Unit (Hiroshi Urabe), Toshihiro Kanai, Towhidul Islam, Travis Lopes, truongwp, Tunji Ayoola, twoelevenjay, Ulrich, Vishal Kakadiya, Vitor Paladini, Walter Ebert, warmarks, WebMan Design | Oliver Juhas, websupporter, Weston Ruter, William Earnhardt, williampatton, Willy Bahuaud, wpscholar, xyfi, Yahil Madakiya, yingles, Yoav Farhi, Yusuke Takahashi, zebulan, and Ziyaddin Sadigov.

Finally, thanks to all the community translators who worked on WordPress 5.0. Their efforts bring WordPress 5.0 fully translated to 37 languages at release time, with more on the way.

If you want to follow along or help out, check out Make WordPress and our core development blog.

Thanks for choosing WordPress!

Original source: https://wordpress.org/news/2018/12/bebo/

[nofatclips]

By Crooked Steps by Soundgarden from the album King Animal - Director: Dave Grohl

[musicplayperformance]

A Ratchet during Purim

By Derk van de Hulst

At one of my gigs with my klezmer band a few years ago, we had to play for the Jewish community of Utrecht. As a non-Jew myself, as are my fellow musicians, we had no idea what to expect. We were told to dress funny and as carnivalesque as possible and we had to play a few special songs we didn’t knew. These songs were Purim songs and we had to enliven Purim with our music, were everybody, even the rabbi himself, was dressed hilariously. But, honestly, we had no idea what Purim was and what the community was celebrating. The rabbi knew of our non-existing knowledge and gave us a summary of what Purim was all about. After that, he told us that we had to play one of the new songs on certain moments which he would point out to us. But, in all his enthusiasm and organizing, the rabbi forgot to mention one thing which made me remember this event so vividly.

Purim is centered around the reading of the Book of Esther. In the Book of Esther the Jews are about to be exterminated by Haman, but they are saved by the Jew Esther. This book is recited or read out loud at Purim while everybody listens. While listening, the children, around the age of 6 and 14 years old,  hold a gragger (a ratchet) and every time the name ‘Haman’ is said, the children start to make as much noise as possible with their graggers (it is also common for the adults to do the same with whistles and other noise-making instruments) to erase the name ‘Haman’. This noise came as a surprise for us musicians and it made me ask some questions to myself: why and for what purpose do they use a ratchet?

A ratchet is a percussion instrument categorized by the Hornbostel-Sachs system as a scraped idiophone <1>. The instrument consists of a long stick, which fits in one’s hand, and an almost equally long part perpendicular to the gripping stick, which contains of a piece of wood that revolves around a gear-like object which doesn’t revolve. When revolved, the gear will stay put while the perpendicular piece revolves around the gear, which results in a clicking noise. Made out of wood, it is not uncommon to see them painted in vivid colors. The ratchet is used for many purposes such as the replacement of bells of a church and as an alarm signal <1>. Nowadays, it is more common to entertain children with it and to use it as a cheering device in sports games <1>. But none of these examples are sufficient answers to one of my questions.

Of course, the question ‘for what purpose’ is, on first sight, easily answered: the ratchet is used to ward off the name of Haman, to react to the name of the man who would have murdered all of the Jews, if it weren’t for Esther’s braveness. But, because of the superficial nature of such an answer, I would like to propose that the use of the ratchet is more ludo-musical than practical. The ratchet is only used when the Book of Esther is recited or read out loud, and, in my experience (and a lot of YouTube examples), the ratchet is primarily used by children. Therefore, I would suggest that the use of a ratchet in the reading of the Book of Esther is to create immersion.

Immersion, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, means the “absorption in some condition, action, interest, etc.” According to Oliver Grau (a German scholar with a focus on immersion in visual art), immersion is “characterized by [the] diminishing … distance to what is shown and increasing emotional involvement in what is happening” <2>. Both the “absorption” and the “diminishing distance and increasing emotional involvement” are useful ways of reading into the purpose of the ratchet while reading the Book of Ester during Purim. Children are by nature very energetic and easily distracted by other things that are more fun. The Book of Esther is not a very short story (in comparison with, for example, some of the Short Stories by Road Dahl), and, although a summary is very exciting and packed with action, the long version is not. As a way to involve the children into the reading of the religious scroll, creating absorption of the children into the text, the name ‘Haman’ is given a ludo-musical action. Because ‘Haman’ is called out 54 times during the reading, giving the children 54 times the chance to burst out their energy in blotting out Haman’s name, it creates 54 opportunities for the children to react to the story. This results in attention to the story by creating action opportunities, for no child would miss an opportunity to do something fun. This, in turn, could lead to interest in the story and perhaps, later in ones live, into his or her Jewish religion and heritage. In terms given by Oliver Grau, the purpose of the ratchet is to be found in the diminishing of a distance between the listener and the reciter (or reader) by means of the use of a sound-making actions signaled by a name, which will lead to more emotional involvement in what is happening.

But, does this make a ratchet a ludo-musical object? Is the ratchet the pivot between story and emotional involvement? If we were to switch a ratchet for a whistle, would that make a significant difference? Or, if we were to switch it for a different action such as boo-ing? I don’t think it will make a significant difference, other than changing a tradition (it is just as easy to carry). Does this mean that the action must contain sound? If the ratchet was changed to a physical action, would the results be the same? By changing the ratchet for showing the middle finger, would that lead to the same results? Yes, probably it will (although I take no responsibilities for the consequences). This means that the object of study here is not the ratchet, but the Book of Esther, because Haman’s name is able to bring up deep emotions (such as anger). But, a physical action does not fade the name from the story, as is the initial purpose of the use of the ratchet.

So, does this mean that all sounds are fitting for a reaction to his name? It seems that, by creating a major triad, the name ‘Haman’ is not given the appropriate ‘sound’, because of the emotional load it carries. A minor triad would be more fitting, even better a diminished triad or a diminished seventh. But, the tradition prescribes a noise-making instrument. This means that there are some rules and requirements hidden beneath the practice of reading and reacting to the Book of Esther.

The requirements are easily found: we need (1) a reader or reciter and (2) an audience willing to hear (3) the story of the Book of Esther. Then there are some operational rules <3>. Rule one indicates that the role of reader/reciter and public/responder must be clear (for it will lead to a messy story otherwise). Rule number two states that the reaction must occur only when the name ‘Haman’ is recited or read. Rule three has to do with what kind of reaction is given. Because we concluded that the reaction must contain noise, the appropriate reaction to the name ‘Haman’ is by bursting out in noise-making action. The only implicit rules are to be found in the use of the instrument, which is the ratchet because the Purim tradition says so, and the carnivalesque clothing. This means that I will change my initial thoughts: the ratchet is nothing more than a carefully chosen medium for the ludo-musical requirements for the reading of the Book of Esther during Purim.

In hindsight, the execution of this story resembles interactive theatre for children. Interactive theater is not musical on its own but, in this example, it is made musical by the use of instruments. This is easily compared with Purim were, by the use of an instrument and a carefully chosen signal, children are allowed to take part in the performance of the story and become just as important as the actors.

That day, everybody was an important player in the story that was central, even we, the band, with no knowledge of what was happening in front of us, just smiling and faking it to the end, hoping that we did a good job for them.

<1> James Blade a d James Holland, “Ratchet,” Oxford Music Online, gepubliceerd in 2001, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.proxy.library.uu.nl/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000022927?rskey=vScsvA&result=1.

<2> Karen Collins, Game-Sound: An Introduction to the History, Theory, and Practive of Video Game Music and Sound Design, citing Oliver Grau’s Visual Art: From Illusion to Immersion (USA: MIT Press, 2003), 13.

<3> Eric Zimmerman, Katie Salen, Rules of Play: Game Designs Fundamentals (USA: MIT Press, 2003).