With a Terrible Fate

Join Aaron and Dan in a behind-the-scenes look at "The Gwyn Moment," a reflection on how Dan's experience with the first Dark Souls led him to think about video-game storytelling, Miyazaki, and his own life differently. Topics include: why it can be hard to take good video-game recommendations from friends; how gamers get motivated to care about the lore of a world; using Gwyn as a cipher to understand Miyazaki's other works; the community's ever-fraught relationship with Dark Souls 2; how memorable moments in games can radically change our views about the games—and ourselves. Want to dig further into the storytelling of Elden Ring? Attend With a Terrible Fate's PAX East 2022 panel on April 21st, in person or virtually! Find all the details you need to know here. (Spoilers for the Dark Souls series, Bloodborne, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Demon's Souls, Final Fantasy XIII-2, and BioShock.) "The Gwyn Moment," Dan Hughes "Understanding Xemnas in Kingdom Hearts II," Dan Hughes

Join Aaron and Dan in a behind-the-scenes look at the argument that the player of Elden Ring is an Outer God, not a Tarnished. Discussion topics include: why Elden Ring's endings are puzzling in the first place; what we can learn about Elden Ring from Miyazaki's other work; how Elden Ring uses lore differently than Dark Souls; why the Golden Order is a paradox, and how the player's ability to resolve it spells new opportunities for video-game storytelling. Want to dig further into the storytelling of Elden Ring? Attend With a Terrible Fate's PAX East 2022 panel on April 21st, in person or virtually! Find all the details you need to know here. (Spoilers for Elden Ring, the Dark Souls series, Bloodborne, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.) “How Elden Ring Turns Its Player into an Outer God,” Aaron Suduiko “Where are the Humans in NieR: Automata?”, Aaron Suduiko “‘How Gaming Will Change Humanity as We Know It': A Reply,” Aaron Suduiko “Understanding Xemnas in Kingdom Hearts II,“ Dan Hughes

In the inaugural issue of a new type of With a Terrible Fate audio content, join Aaron and Dan for a deep dive into the publication's most recent analysis, "Critical Review: The Path to Necron in Final Fantasy IX." Discussion topics include: what video games can learn from theater; the good, bad, and ugly of games that "break the fourth wall"; how complex stories like FFIX's can be rendered coherent and compelling; FFIX's place in the shadow of FFX; what FFIX's endgame can teach us about the endgame of Final Fantasy VII Remake. (Spoilers for Final Fantasy IX, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy VII Remake, and Bioshock.) "How Final Fantasy VII Remake's Whispers Changed Fate—and Storytelling," Aaron Suduiko

This week, we come to you with an update about the future trajectory of With a Terrible Fate's podcast endeavors. In summary, we're going to be working to retool our audio material around deep-dives into our written analytical content, as well as longer, less frequent explorations of the most fascinating topics concerning video games as a storytelling medium. At the same time, Stefan will be stepping away to launch a new podcast focused more broadly on video game studies and culture; he'll continue to be involved with With a Terrible Fate as an analyst, and we're already looking forward to his first article. Listen in for all the details, and we're looking forward to more conversations with you in the weeks and months to come. Listen to the first of With a Terrible Fate's new "Director's Commentary" features Check out Stefan and Dan's new, broader game studies and culture podcast

What does it take to put two great video game series together in a successful mashup? Join us this week in a free-wheeling exploration of the concept of "Silent Souls": a hypothetical mashup of Dark Souls and Silent Hill, inspired by a provocative internet image of a Catarina Knight sitting by the rest stop James Sunderland visits at the beginning of Silent Hill 2. In our side quests, we ponder Dontnod's new home office program and Aaron's experiences with the wonderful gamers of PAX West 2021. Support us on Patreon! Main Story 00:01:51 Silent Souls Side Quests 00:43:42 Dontnod adopting permanent work-from-home policy (Brendan Sinclair) 00:50:29 PAX West Now Loading… The Video Game Canon! (Dan Hughes) Publication | Twitter | Facebook

What happens when the cosmic proportions of a Bandai Namco JRPG collide with the intimate, personal storytelling of deep character study? Join us this week as Aaron begins an analysis of Scarlet Nexus, the "brain punk" video game that's equal parts psychology of the self and psychology of the Other. In side quests, Stefan continues his Yakuza: Like a Dragon diary, Dan reflects on what the Japanese language illuminates about The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and Aaron considers the dynamics of gaming in the company of "uninvited onlookers." (Correction: three characters not mentioned in the conversation can use a Brain Field, but one is unable to maintain his sanity thereafter and the other two can only use one when working in tandem with one another, so the point about the set of characters to which Brain Fields are available stands.) Support us on Patreon! Side Quests 00:03:39 Uninvited Onlookers "Why Games Matter, and What Jane Austen Has To Do with It" (Aaron Suduiko) 00:13:50 Ocarina of Time – Japanese Original vs. English Translation 00:21:50 Yakuza: Like a Dragon Diary Main Story 00:26:39 Scarlet Nexus "The Tragic Irony of Final Fantasy XIII-2" (Aaron Suduiko) "Understanding Xemnas in Kingdom Hearts II" (Dan Hughes) "The Horror of Code Vein is You" (Aaron Suduiko) Publication | Twitter | Facebook

Iconic musical themes from games such as The Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy, or Undertale are deeply ingrained into the minds of any avid gamer. This week, With a Terrible Fate video game analyst Laila Carter joins us for an exploration of how these and many other leitmotifs frame, complement, constitute, or even subvert video game stories. Support us on Patreon! Main Story 00:05:04 Musical Leitmotifs (with Laila Carter) 8-bit Music Theory The Legend of Zelda Theme, Kōji Kondō Zelda's Lullaby, Kōji Kondō Ballad of the Goddess, Hajime Wakai & Takeshi Hama Temple of Time Theme, Kōji Kondō Hyrule Castle, Manaka Kataoka & Yasuaki Iwata Ballad of the Wind Fish, Ryo Nagamatsu Gwyn, Lord of Cinder, Motoi Sakuraba Hollow Knight Title Theme, Christopher Larkin Sealed Vessel, Christopher Larkin Karma (Tales of the Abyss Opening), BUMP OF CHICKEN Meaning of Birth, Motoi Sakuraba, Shinji Tamura, & Motoo Fujiwara Unbreakable Chains, Yoko Shimomura Octopath Traveler Theme, Yasunori Nishiki Super Metroid Soundtrack, Kenji Yamamoto & Minako Hamano Magmoor Caverns Theme, Kenji Yamamoto & Kouichi Kyuma Angel Island Zone Act 1, Brad Buxer, Michael Jackson, Cirocco Jones, Bobby Brooks, Darryl Ross, Geoff Grace, Doug Grigsby, Sachio Ogawa, Tatsuyuki Maeda, & Jun Senoue Angel Island Zone Act 2, Brad Buxer, Michael Jackson, Cirocco Jones, Bobby Brooks, Darryl Ross, Geoff Grace, Doug Grigsby, Sachio Ogawa, Tatsuyuki Maeda, & Jun Senoue Hydrocity Zone Act 1, Brad Buxer, Michael Jackson, Cirocco Jones, Bobby Brooks, Darryl Ross, Geoff Grace, Doug Grigsby, Sachio Ogawa, Tatsuyuki Maeda, & Jun Senoue Hydrocity Zone Act 2, Brad Buxer, Michael Jackson, Cirocco Jones, Bobby Brooks, Darryl Ross, Geoff Grace, Doug Grigsby, Sachio Ogawa, Tatsuyuki Maeda, & Jun Senoue UNDERTALE Soundtrack, Toby Fox Publication | Twitter | Facebook

Maps are profoundly practical. They help players find orientation in extensive game worlds, indicate points of interaction, and track progress. Yet by the same token, they complicate a player's relationship to the world of a game's fiction. This week, we discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly of those complications. Later: Stefan kicks off his Yakuza: Like a Dragon diary; we discuss the order in which we unlock the final trophies of a game; and Dan recaps his visit to last week's Classic Game Fest in Austin. Support us on Patreon! Main Story 00:05:53 Maps: Salvation or Sin? Related listening and reading: "Why 'Immersion' is a Dirty Word in Gaming Discourse" (Dan Hughes & Aaron Suduiko) "The Aesthetics of User Interfaces" (Aaron Suduiko) "Beacon Received: The Satisfaction of Discovery in the Metroid Series" (Laila Carter) Side Quests 00:44:10 Yakuza: Like a Dragon Diary 00:48:25 The Art of Unlocking Platinum Trophies "The Language of Trophies in Final Fantasy VII Remake" (Aaron Suduiko) 00:59:37 Classic Game Fest Austin Ukiyo-e Heroes Publication | Twitter | Facebook

Diving into the depths of the human psyche is something the progenitors of psychoanalysis could have only dreamed of. Yet, games such as Persona 5, Silent Hill, and Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice enable us to do just that—at least within the domain of play and fiction. Join us for a discussion for a ride through various formations of mindscapes. Further, Aaron addresses reader commentary on his new Returnal analysis and Stefan celebrates the 20th anniversary of Final Fantasy X by reminiscing (or trying to) about one of its most romantic scenes. Support us on Patreon! Main Story 00:06:18 Into the Mindscape "Does Silent Hill Belong in the Video Game Canon?" (Dan Hughes) "Does Silent Hill 2 Belong in the Video Game Canon?" (Dan Hughes) "Does Silent Hill 3 Belong in the Video Game Canon?" (Dan Hughes) "Does Silent Hill 4 Belong in the Video Game Canon?" (Dan Hughes) "Guilt and Inequity in Silent Hill 2" (Aaron Suduiko) "Bloodborne, Lovecraft, and the Dangerous Idea" (Aaron Suduiko) Horror Storytelling in Prey (begins at 28:15) (With a Terrible Fate) "PAX East 2018: How Video Games are Changing Serialized Storytelling" (With a Terrible Fate) Side Quests 00:57:55 "Game as Mind: A Psychoanalytic Explanation of Returnal" (Aaron Suduiko) Aaron on different levels of narrative analysis (see Section 1, "Preliminaries") "More Cowbell" (Saturday Night Live) 01:15:20 "A Look At Final Fantasy's First Sex Scene, 20 Years Later" (Ash Parrish) Publication | Twitter | Facebook

A new challenger joins the market for hybrid handheld gaming: Valve‘s Steam Deck. This week, we discuss whether the Steam Deck may change where and how the stories PC games will be experienced—and what lessons the Switch can teach us to guide our thinking. Later, we contemplate recent rumors revolving around Netflix's supposed plans to stream video games, and a copy of Super Mario 64 that is more valuable than most homes. Support us on Patreon! Main Story 00:07:11 What to expect from Steam Deck "The most gaming power you have ever held," Valve "Valve's gaming handheld is called the Steam Deck and it's shipping in December," Jay Peters, Chaim Gartenberg, Richard Lawler, and Sean Hollister "Three Core Ways the Nintendo Switch Will Make New Stories Possible," Aaron Suduiko "Console Analysis: What a portable Termina means for Majora's Mask,” (Aaron Suduiko) "Breath of the Wild: The Hero Who Never Was," Aaron Suduiko Side Quests 00:58:22 "Netflix To Offer Video Games on Its Streaming Platform," Mark Gurman Netflix job announcement: Director of Product Innovation, Interactive, Netflix Data mining tweet, Steve Moser 01:11:39 "It's-a Me, a $1.56 Million Copy of Super Mario 64!", Aaron Mak Publication | Twitter | Facebook

The flavor text of EarthBound tells a story you might have missed. This week, Aaron and Dan chat with fellow video game analyst Max Gorynski about the new article in his ongoing analysis series, A Comprehensive Theory of EarthBound. Later on, we discuss Nintendo's announcement of the Switch OLED model, the value of hard copies, and the transformative potential of treating video-game-story analysis as a metagame. Support us on Patreon! Main Story 00:07:36 EarthBound's Flavor Text (with Max Gorynski) "Why EarthBound's Flavor Text Tastes So Good," Max Gorynski "Understanding Xemnas in Kingdom Hearts II," Dan Hughes "What Can Magic: The Gathering and JRPGs Learn from Each Other? [PAX Online 2020 presentation]," Aaron Suduiko, Dan Hughes, and Max Gorynski "Want to Learn How to Design Sidequests? Play Majora's Mask," Aaron Suduiko Side Quests 00:38:43 "Nintendo Switch OLED model will go on sale October 8th for $350," Tom Warren 00:49:31 "A copy of the original Legend of Zelda video game sold at auction for almost a million dollars,"Kelly McLaughlin 00:56:23 Video-game-story analysis as a metagame Publication | Twitter | Facebook

What is play? What are its functions and why do so merrily do it? One of the most influential books to address these questions is Homo Ludens by the Dutch cultural historian Johan Huizinga. In our brand new reading circle, we discuss the first section of Huizinga's renowned engagement with the intricacies of play. Later on, we discuss and analyze one of the most prominent PS5 games at the moment: Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. Support us on Patreon! Main Story 00:02:53 Reading Circle: Johan Huizinga – Homo Ludens Side Quests 00:57:35 Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Publication | Twitter | Facebook

Our main story today is about Returnal, one of the few PS5 flagship titles at the moment and part of the recent resurgence of "roguelikes," commonly understood as games that feature mechanics setting avatars back to near the beginning of the game and largely resetting their progress every time they die. We analyze Returnal as a multiply psychological game that boldly meshes genres and ultimately refuses to let us go. Support us on Patreon! Main Story 00:03:32 Returnal "'Dark Souls of X': What Makes a Successful Souls Successor?" Side Quests 00:55:45 Stop Treating Hideo Kojima Like He's the Riddler (Imran Khan) 01:01:49 Multiple Avatars in Scarlet Nexus Sounds from zapsplat.com Publication | Twitter | Facebook

Video games return to the topic of pandemics time and time again. The Resident Evil series continues to indulge in close-up outbreak scenarios; The Walking Dead has brought players to tears at the emotional impact of loss; creative twists like Plague Inc. introduced the role of a pathogen on a quest to conquer the world; the infamous Corrupted Blood Incident in World of Warcraft even accidentally simulated a raging pandemic. With our guest, the cultural historian Dr. Arno Görgen, we discuss the constructions of pandemics in video-game stories and how they relate to our current real-world situation. Later, Dan and Stefan's side quests merge to ponder E3 2021, Take Two‘s diversity panel, and the Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origins demo. Support us on Patreon! Main Story 00:02:15 Playing the Pandemic (with Dr. Arno Görgen) Side Quests 00:40:08 E3 2021 Overview 00:44:01 Take Two's "Play for All" panel Take-Two's E3 Panel Was The Right Thing At The Wrong Time (Stacey Henley) 00:49:35 Strangers of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origins 00:54:32 Rocksmith+ 00:58:05 Aragami 2 00:59:19 Vertigo 01:00:05 Xbox/Bethesda 01:01:50 Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope 01:03:33 Game & Watch: The Legend of Zelda 01:07:02 The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 01:09:00 Where to go from here? Publication | Twitter | Facebook

However one might spin it, video games often require a substantial time commitment, usually much more so than other storytelling media. Eventually, a player might lose interest, feel overwhelmed, or simply get disconnected from her own role in the story. In this week's main story, grounded in the first half of Aaron Suduiko's new "Final Fantasy VII Remake is the Template for 'Grown-Up' JRPGs," we discuss three ways in which long games can alienate players. In our side quests, Dan reviews Resident Evil Village, Stefan constructively criticizes the PS5's mute button, and Aaron argues that Final Fantasy VII Remake's narrative structure overcomes the problems we discussed in our main story—the second half of his new article. Support us on Patreon! Main Story 00:08:18 Too Long to Beat Final Fantasy VII Remake is the Template for 'Grown-Up' JRPGs," Aaron Suduiko The role of the player in Xenoblade Chronicles and Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Aaron Suduiko The role of the player in Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, Aaron Suduiko The storytelling role of multiple outcomes in Dishonored, Aaron Suduiko Side Quests 00:56:47 Resident Evil Village "Ethan Winters' poor hands are the laughingstock of the internet," Michael McWhertor 01:06:34 PS5 Mute Button Design 01:12:32 "Final Fantasy VII Remake is the Template for “Grown-Up” JRPGs," Aaron Suduiko "Critical Review: Final Fantasy VII Remake is Completely Incomplete," Aaron Suduiko Publication | Twitter | Facebook

It's been nearly a decade since the original Mass Effect Trilogy ended, and now veterans and new players alike are experiencing the story of Commander Shepard and the Reapers. In this episode, we discuss what it's like to go back to a series after so long, how distance can add a new perspective to your understanding of a game, and how the controversial ending to Mass Effect 3 comes off today. In our side quests, we discuss Ubisoft's acknowledgement of politics in Far Cry 6, how developers try to recreate games as they were years ago, and the extent to which our mode of engagement changes based on how many games we play at a single time. Support us on Patreon! Main Story 00:02:50 Mass Effect Revisited "I Would Not Plant Apple Trees If the World Will Be Wiped: Analyzing Hundreds of Millions of Behavioral Records of Players During an MMORPG Beta Test" (Ah Reum Kang, Jeremy Blackburn, Haewoon Kwak, Huy Kang Kim) Side Quests 00:37:15 The Politics of Far Cry 6 (Navid Khavari) 00:51:43 "‘Blizzard 2.0' Storms In to Make the Games Blizzard No Longer Wants To" (Jason Schreier) 00:59:21 How focused do we need to be on a single game? Website | Twitter | Facebook

Philosopher Daniel Muñoz begins his "Wronging Oneself" with the following anecdote: "Earlier today, without asking permission, I took a bike belonging to someone in my neighborhood and rode it to work. I later noticed that this same person, who works in my office, was looking tired. So I pinched their arm, opened their mouth, and poured hot coffee inside. As if that weren't enough, I took some cash from their wallet to buy my lunch, and I even spent my break thumbing through their private emails. Before you reach for any moral sanctions: this 'neighbor' of mine was me." The question of whether we owe anything to ourselves is surprisingly controversial in philosophy because it seems as though we stand in a different relationship to ourselves than we do to other people. It also has potentially interesting implications for ethics in video games: fictionally, what do we, as players, owe to avatars—those characters whose actions we determine, through whose eyes we see the worlds of video games? In this week's episode, Aaron sits down with Daniel Muñoz, a moral philosopher and one of Aaron's mentors and friends, to discuss the many insights that philosophy, ethics, and video-game storytelling have for one another—including how these analytical tool kits may open the way to an understanding of The Last of Us Part II that others have missed. Later, in a side quest, Stefan shares a new article by Sky LaRell Anderson and Karen Schrier analyzing the concept of accessibility in video games, as well as the ways in which game design and game journalism approach disabilities in gaming. (Spoiler warning for The Last of Us and The Last of Us Part II.) Support us on Patreon! Main Story 00:01:58 What we owe to ourselves and avatars (Daniel Muñoz) Daniel Muñoz's personal website "The Paradox of Duties to Oneself," Daniel Muñoz "The Role of the Player in Video-Game Fictions," Aaron Suduiko "Naughty Dog's Game Design is Outdated," NakeyJakey Side Quest 01:02:22 "Disability and Video Game Journalism: A Discourse Analysis of Accessibility and Gaming Culture" (Sky LaRell Anderson & Karen Schrier) Publication | Twitter | Facebook

Falling through the floor, stalked by a burly viking, or plagued by boss self-destruction? Listen in as we discuss the good, the bad, the ugly, and the hilarious of glitches, trading stories and trying to determine what, if anything, makes glitches different from much more mundane divergences from authorial intent. In our side quests, we share our impressions of the critically acclaimed Disco Elysium and admire the "immersive" engagement with literary and performative arts in Final Fantasy IX. Support us on Patreon! Main Story 00:03:54 Glitches Immediacy and hypermediacy: Remediation: Understanding New Media, Jay Bolter & Richard Grusin (1999) Literal and implied authors: The Rhetoric of Fiction, Wayne C. Booth (1961) The psychology of speedrunners: "More Than Just a Game: Inside the Minds of Speedrunners," Matt McGill The vagueness of 'immersion': "Why 'Immersion' is a Dirty Word in Gaming Discourse," Dan Hughes & Aaron Suduiko Application of the distinction between literal & implied authors: "Video Game Structural Aesthetics: Why The Beginner's Guide is Masterfully Confusing," Aaron Suduiko Immediacy vs. hypermediacy in video games and virtual reality: "Listen to My Story": The Problem of Storytelling in Virtual Reality," Aaron Suduiko Nihilism in Majora's Mask: "Critical Review: Majora's Mask Should Terrify You, and This is Why," Aaron Suduiko Side Quests 01:01:07 Disco Elysium 01:12:39 Final Fantasy IX Publication | Twitter | Facebook

Join With a Terrible Fate for a special podcast episode fully dedicated to explorations into the Kingdom Hearts series. To many, Kingdom Hearts might initially appear to be a curious amalgamation. Its infamously complicated plot aside, the series stands out for its integration of original characters and Final Fantasy characters with the worlds and characters of Disney. In this episode, we discuss the work of our guest, media and video-game studies graduate student Anh-Thu Nguyen, who argues that Kingdom Hearts employs a tourist gaze by letting players explore a digital Disneyland. We also join Dan Hughes in a discussion of his latest article on With a Terrible Fate, Understanding Xemnas in Kingdom Hearts II: a study in one of the most puzzling lines from the game's finale, which Dan believes sheds light on the game's themes of player agency and the plight of NPCs. We discuss the article itself, his philosophy of Kingdom Hearts, his analytical method, questions from his readership, and his plans for follow-up articles in the future. (Spoiler warning for the Kingdom Hearts series.) Support us on Patreon! Kingdom Hearts Ending LIVE Utada Hikaru Simple and Clean 00:04:13 Main Story The theme park experience: Kingdom Hearts and the franchise (Anh-Thu Nguyen) Side Quest 00:40:57 Understanding Xemnas in Kingdom Hearts II (Dan Hughes) Main Website | Twitter | Facebook

In Episode 2 of With a Terrible Fate's new podcast, we explore the structure of origin stories in video games: where does the concept of the origin story come from, how can it help us to understand our favorite games differently, and how can the special interactive nature of video games tell alarmingly nuanced origin stories unavailable to other media?   Also on the agenda: studying the ways in which we talk about players and avatars in video games; a peek into the academic study of video-game storytelling; how video games can disrespect your time; what the PS3 and PS Vita stores tell us about the future of gaming libraries.   Support us on Patreon! 00:03:53 Main Story (spoilers for The Last of Us and The Last of Us: Left Behind) Background on Joseph Campbell's "Hero's Journey" The storytelling of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door "Breath of the Wild: The Hero Who Never Was" "Critical Review: The Quandary of Responsibility in Breath of the Wild" Side Quests 00:39:54 "Ordinary language" in player-avatar relations "The Role of the Player in Video-Game Fictions" 00:56:14 Why Stefan quit Assassin's Creed: Valhalla Analyzing the use of aliens in Assassin's Creed vs. Majora's Mask "On Nier: Ought a Game's World to be Fun to Explore?" 01:07:58 The Ethics and Implications of Digital Stores Shutting Down Main Website | Twitter | Facebook

Welcome to the inaugural episode of With a Terrible Fate's podcast exploring the storytelling of video games from every angle. We press start on this very first episode, introducing ourselves, the publication, and the concept of the podcast. Further, we ponder the review discourse surrounding Returnal, the personal and cultural significance of NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139 as a work of literature, and the implications of an economic shift towards "games as a service." Support us on Patreon! Main Story 00:03:42 Meet Aaron Suduiko Bio & work on WaTF "The Role of the Player in Video Game Fictions" Original theory of Majora's Mask "The Missing Soul Mate in Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch" 00:17:17 Meet Dan Hughes Bio & work on WaTF Now Loading... the Video Game Canon! Understanding Ocarina of Time through the lens of the monomyth 00:26:13 Meet Stefan H. Simond 00:40:54 Meet With a Terrible Fate About With a Terrible Fate 00:46:52 What to expect from this podcast Side Quests 00:50:00 "I'm struggling with Returnal, and I play Dark Souls to relax" (Gene Park) "What Makes a Successful Souls Successor?" 00:59:40 A tribute to NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139 Comparative analysis role-playing dynamics of NieR Gestalt and The Man in the Iron Mask A speech about using NieR to better understand the identities of your fellow gamers and friends How humanity in NieR derives from the player's real humanity 01:07:34 "The Industry of Landlords: Exploring the Assetization of the Triple-A Game" (Alexander Bernevega, Alex Gekker) The Philosophical Justification for FromSoftware's DLC Main Website | Twitter | Facebook

It has been a hard secret to keep, but now we can finally lift the veil and present to you: the With a Terrible Fate podcast! Starting in May 2021, you can tune in on our weekly conversations about game studies, gaming culture, and the significance of storytelling in video games. Feel free to hit the 'subscribe' button. And if you want to help us get this project off the ground, you can support us on Patreon and/or spread the word on social media. We would be eternally grateful!