Kotaku: pop culture

Public Transit Ads Say Something About The Wii

AJ Glasser — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:20:00 MDT

So I'm on my way home from an evening with Ubisoft and I happen across these new Fly Oakland tourism ads on the Bay Area Rapid Transit.

Each ad features an adult doing something silly — like a dude in a kufi Xeroxing his face — with the catch phrase "Fly Oakland... What You Do With The Extra Hours is up to you. But this one here depicts a grandma playing the Wii with her grandchildren.

Maybe I'm reading too much into it after a late night with developers, but it seems to me like this ad is saying something about the Wii. Either that it's a frivolous thing that you can do in your spare time... or that only old people and young children play the Wii.

Huh.

Electronic Media Convergence: Yea or Nay?

Maggie Greene — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 15:30:25 MST

I'm generally a fan of convergence, but it does sometimes rub me the wrong way when we start talking electronics or electronic media. Is it a good thing? A bad thing? Both? And what does electronic media convergence spell for games? Leigh Alexander makes the case for the positive points of the industries colliding this week, with enough links to keep you clicking for a while (lots of CES round up talk). So, what's the crux of the argument for why media convergence could be a really, really good thing?

We'll play a role in the way entertainment media is shaped, because the game industry is pleasantly surprised at the way the mainstream has begun to embrace it in new ways, and film, television and music have realized that we're one of the cool kids, too. Neither camp expected this, and neither camp is quite sure, beyond the abstracts, how to address their evolving audiences. So they'll be listening, and watching, letting us declare how we want to play, how to reach us, and taking close notes on what makes us tick. That can only be a good thing.

It's an interesting read touching on a number of current issues, and while only time will tell how all the convergence stuff pans out, it's interesting to contemplate potential collaboration and cross-pollination.

Entertainment Media Convergence: The Case In Favor [Sexy Videogameland]

Steven Johnson, Smartguy Author Type, Talks Games On Colbert Report

Michael McWhertor — Sat, 10 Jun 2006 22:19:40 MDT

Remember those book things? With the paper and the words on 'em? Well, Steven Johnson, who works for something called "The New York Times Magazine", wrote an excellent book called Everything Bad Is Good For You: How Popular Culture Is Actually Making Us Smarter. I actually read this book! Mr. Johnson appeared on the (also excellent) television program The Colbert Report to discuss his book, primarily the mental benefits of video game playing on the developing brain and society as a whole.

Johnson did almost the same thing on an episode of the Daily Show last year, which can be seen on YouTube.

Comedy Central has posted the interview video segment for your streaming pleasure, featuring the typical Colbert comedic stylings, with a few name drops including Civ IV and Spore. Michael McWhertor

Colbert Report: Steven Johnson