VGL Review – Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

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This article is from the first edition of The Video Game Librarian website I published between 2008 and 2010. It was originally written on November 14, 2008.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed has done pretty well for itself on the sales charts, but it has been coming up a bit short amongst the rank and file of gamers who hound game forums. Complaints of poor camera control, unfair enemy attack patterns, lame boss fights, loads of bugs and just plain unsatisfying gameplay abound. But I’m here to say that they’re all wrong. So very, very wrong. The Force Unleashed is a fantastic action game and one of the best Star Wars titles in a long time.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is the second Star Wars “media project” from LucasArts. The previous project, Shadows of the Empire, was built around a novel set in between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. The game, which was initially exclusive to the then new Nintendo 64, was a bit of an afterthought to LucasArts, but loved by most N64 owners. This time around, the PS3 and Xbox 360 game (along with DS, PS2, PSP and Wii ports) is the focal point and the novel is an afterthought. Amazing what a decade (and several billion dollars in sales) will do for a medium, isn’t it? Continue reading →

1UP Covers National Gaming Day @ Your Library 2008

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This article is from the first edition of The Video Game Librarian website I published between 2008 and 2010. It was originally written on November 11, 2008.

National Gaming Day @ Your Library, which is scheduled for Saturday, November 15, got another boost yesterday with some news coverage from 1UP. The article includes a brief writeup of what will be happening during National Gaming Day as well as a quote from ALA President Jim Rettig:

“Gaming formats have become a valuable tool for libraries,” said American Library Association President Jim Rettig. “Not only has this new format increased library usage from hard to reach users such as teens, we also have found that video games attract a variety of users and are a great vehicle to teach basic technology skills.”

UPDATE: A second writeup about National Gaming Day @ Your Library was published by the mainstream gaming press today. Be sure to check it out at Joystiq.

National Gaming Day @ Your Library 2008 Reminder

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This article is from the first edition of The Video Game Librarian website I published between 2008 and 2010. It was originally written on November 10, 2008.

This is a friendly reminder that National Gaming Day @ Your Library is scheduled for this Saturday, November 15, and it’s not too late to get involved. In fact, the American Library Association has two programs that can help librarians get their game on.

The first activity will be a national video game tournament using the Ann Arbor Library’s GT System. Interested librarians can sign up at icanhaz.com/ngd to participate.

If a national video game tournament sounds like too much, librarians who register to participate can also obtain a copy of the Hasbro board game Pictureka! for free. Hasbro has offered to donate a copy of the game to every public library branch in the U.S. And because of that, the second activity is an attempt to set a record for the most number of people playing a board game at the same time. The free copies of Pictureka! were sent out a few weeks ago, so if you’re at a public library, it’s likely you’ve already received yours.

Finally, an online publicity tool kit with downloadable artwork, a customizable postcard, a sample press release, a sample letter to the editor, and much more can be found at the ALA’s Games and Gaming Resources page or through a Facebook Event.

Interview With David Carter, Librarian at Michigan Game Archive

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This article is from the first edition of The Video Game Librarian website I published between 2008 and 2010. It was originally written on November 7, 2008.

When it comes to scholarly research and preservation, video games are not usually at the top of the list for librarians. After books and music and movies and about a hundred other things, there’s not much attention left over for games. But some people out there are attempting to change that. One of those people is David Carter, a librarian at the newly opened University of Michigan Computer and Video Game Archive.

Michigan’s Game Archive is a “usable archive” that allows students and professors the chance to come in and sit down with a variety of video games, both retro and modern titles alike. The archive is currently in preview mode with shortened hours, but the big Grand Opening has been scheduled for November 17. I recently had a chance to talk to David about what the archive is doing, what their plans for the future are, the challenges of running a game archive and what people have been playing (you’ll be surprised).

So hit the “Continue Reading” link for the lengthy interview. Continue reading →

GLLS 2008 Presentations and Session Notes: Day 2 @ ALA’s News About Games and Gaming

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This article is from the first edition of The Video Game Librarian website I published between 2008 and 2010. It was originally written on November 4, 2008.

Here are some more session notes and presentation details from the currently ongoing 2008 Games, Learning & Libraries Symposium courtesy of the ALA’s News About Games and Gaming blog:

  • Real Data on Video Game Violence – Dr. Larry Kutner, author of Grand Theft Childhood: The Surprising Truth About Violent Video Games, discussed the truth about the connection between video games and youth violence. Quick Preview: There isn’t one.
  • GamerDad: Helping Kids & Parents Find the Right Games – Andrew Bub, founder of the GamerDad website, explained why “You have to be a gamer to understand games!” and discussed some of the worries around video games.
  • The Power of Play – Jon-Paul C. Dyson of the Strong National Museum of Play talked about the importance of play.

Today is the final day of the symposium.

GLLS 2008 Presentations and Session Notes @ ALA’s News About Games and Gaming

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This article is from the first edition of The Video Game Librarian website I published between 2008 and 2010. It was originally written on November 3, 2008.

The 2008 Games, Learning & Libraries Symposium is currently taking place in Oak Brook, IL (and runs through November 4). If you couldn’t make it, ALA’s News About Games and Gaming blog is posting for session notes for a lot of the speakers and presentations:

The fine folks at ALA’s News About Games and Gaming blog have promised more from GLLS 2008, so be sure to check back with their page (and this page) for more.

National Videogame Archive Launches “Save the Videogame” Program

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This article is from the first edition of The Video Game Librarian website I published between 2008 and 2010. It was originally written on October 24, 2008.

Now this is a great idea. The Nottingham Trent University in the United Kingdom has started the National Videogame Archive…

[T]he Archive is working to preserve, analyse and display the products of the global videogame industry by placing games in their historical, social, political, and cultural contexts. This means treating videogames as more than inert, digital code: at the heart of the National Videogames Archive is the determination to document the full life of games, from protoypes and early sketches, through box-art, advertising and media coverage, to mods, fanart and community activities.

The archive will attempt to preserve video gaming’s rich history, especially the earliest so they are not forever lost like some early examples of film, TV and rock & roll.

And on that note, they’ve started another site, Save the Videogame, that is taking nominations from gamers on just what titles deserve saving. Of course, the correct answer is “all of them”, but I’d imagine space constraints prevent that.

Who knows, maybe they’ll even settle the debate over whether “video game” is supposed to be one word or two (but really, it’s supposed to be two words).

First Volume of The Legend of Zelda Manga Released

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This article is from the first edition of The Video Game Librarian website I published between 2008 and 2010. It was originally written on October 22, 2008.

One of the first posts I ever made on this blog was about the announcement that the manga series based on The Legend of Zelda would be coming to America soon. It looks that time is now, as Akira Himekawa’s The Legend of Zelda: Volume 1 – Ocarina of Time: Part 1 was released on October 7.

Ocarina of Time: Part 1 retells the first half of the game’s story, and Link’s adventure will conclude in The Legend of Zelda: Volume 2 – Ocarina of Time: Part 2, which is set to be released on December 2.

Volume 3 (which will be based on Majora’s Mask) and Volume 4 (which will adapt Oracle of Seasons) are currently on track for a 2009 release.