David R. HowardOn DesynchronizationThe function of an arcade attract mode is simultaneously pedagogic and economic, operating as both pseudo-tutorial and…May 13May 13
David R. HowardStar Fox 64 and Cinematic-nessIn 2014 Chris Priestman asked “What does it mean when we call games cinematic?” A decade later I’m not sure we’re much closer to any…Feb 19Feb 19
David R. HowardThe Lost Level: Retro-Terminology in Early Arcade GamesThe formal structure of segmentation exists across media objects. Books have chapters, films have scenes and videogames have levels…Jan 22Jan 22
David R. HowardAn Ode to Gliding in GamesEverybody hates fall damage in games, so much so that in Super Mario Odyssey the developers removed it entirely…Apr 14, 2023Apr 14, 2023
David R. HowardThe Existential Terror of 2000’s Game Maker GamesThe year is 2007. For eight years Dutch computer scientist Mark Overmars has been working on the entry-level game development toolset…Mar 21, 2023Mar 21, 2023
David R. HowardCourting the Player in Super Mario 64Princess Peach’s Castle is an anchor without a ship. It has appeared in myriad Mario games since Super Mario 64, yet its architecture and…Feb 18, 2023Feb 18, 2023
David R. HowardVideogames as CollageI think a lot about the wateriness of videogames; the way they pool into recognizably repeated forms…Jan 26, 2023Jan 26, 2023
David R. HowardLudicidal Tendencies: Dying on Purpose in VideogamesWhile videogame violence has been endlessly debated in the media, online and within academia, writing on how death actually operates in…Dec 22, 20221Dec 22, 20221
David R. HowardAn Ode to Radial MenusMenuing in videogames is an inevitability, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be enjoyable in its own right…Nov 21, 2022Nov 21, 2022
