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G. Christopher WilliamsPopMatters Multimedia EditorAbout G. Christopher Williams G. Christopher Williams is an Associate Professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Besides serving as Multimedia Editor at PopMatters and writing a blog called Neuromance, he has also published essays in Film Criticism, PostScript, and the Popular Culture Review. Despite vicious sin taxes, he smokes as often as he can and recently has taken up eating the occasional vegetable. Features
Bettie Page, Dead Since 1957What might be remembered of the life of a woman who was long ago replaced by her own representation? [15 December 2008] Wizards & Words: An Interview with Patrick RothfussAuthor Patrick Rothfuss talks to PopMatters about the pivotal role of language in magic, the structure of storytelling, and the role of fantasy in contemporary fiction. [5 June 2008] Painfully Masculine: An Interview with Benjamin PercyWith the rise of the metrosexual and the fall of the patriarchal society, some men, lost in a gray zone, compensate by joining Gold’s Gym, screaming at Packers games, and driving big-ass Hummers [24 April 2008] Super Columbine Massacre RPG!: Can a Historic Event Be Examined Seriously By a Video Game?Unlike more passive forms of art that largely require the participation of viewers as interpreters and observers of their subject matter, video games raise thorny questions about "viewing" content, since the action of a player is more directly participatory for the audience. [20 September 2007] The Death of Jean Baudrillard Did Not Take PlaceThe controversial French philosopher's legacy has been tarnished by reductionist readings of his work, generated precisely by the tendencies of the mass media he sought to illuminate. [30 March 2007] Columns
Parent-Child Bonding: Video Games that Bridge the Generation GapCan Gen X parents bond with the newest generation of gamers given the ways that cooperative gameplay has changed over the years? [6 November 2009] (more Moving Pixels) The Art of Atmosphere: From Bioshock to WolfensteinWilliams considers how the release of Bioshock has affected the way that apprehension and terror are evoked through the little details in video games. [17 September 2009] (more Moving Pixels) The Mask of the Deviant: Understanding Our Role in Killer 7Williams considers the often strange roles that masks serve in Suda51's games and how they implicate us as players of video games. [10 July 2009] (more Moving Pixels) Reviews
Fatale: Exploring SalomeIf any pleasure is to be derived from Fatale, it is likely the pleasure that one derives from the activities of looking and observing, which is in itself a problem if it is about Salome. The Biblical story indicates that being looked at and observed is the catalyst for potential nastiness and ultimately an ending. [9 October 2009] 
WetIt as if Wet seems to apprehend the language of the exploitation cinema that it apes, but it is questionable whether it truly comprehends that language. [25 September 2009] 
Majesty 2It is ironic that Majesty 2's subtitle is The Fantasy Kingdom Sim, since it simulates economy much more realistically than most games of this type often do. [16 September 2009] 
Batman: Arkham AsylumIt is a great homage to the character that the developers seem to clearly understand how to make the player feel like they inhabit the Batman's skin. [4 September 2009] 
PrototypeThe fact that power is contingent upon feeding off the bodies of those around Alex very quickly becomes achingly and ickily obvious as one of the game's major themes. [10 August 2009] 
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner 2Through its gameplay, Devil Summoner 2 seems to represent a strange drama about the relationship between religion and the political world, exposing gaps that may exist between ethical systems and the political causes that they intend to inform. [26 June 2009] 
Ghostbusters: The Video GameA distrust of the institutions of science and learning are present even in the gameplay. [15 June 2009] 
Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office BustLeisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust is a less than average game. However, it still is a perfectly average piece of smut, which I guess for some fans of smut might just suffice. [24 April 2009] 
The Godfather IIThe Godfather's familiar emblem,the hand that holds the puppet strings, signals the clearest interests of what the films and this game attempt to explore: how individuals seek and attain power through manipulation and control albeit largely at the distance afforded the puppeteer, not the puppet. [17 April 2009] 
SimAnimalsThis simulation of animal behavior may further the Sim-franchise's interests in simulating human behavior. [27 February 2009] 
Iron Chef America: Supreme Cuisine (Wii Version)If you really like the experience of chopping a lot, you're gonna love Iron Chef America: Supreme Cuisine. [16 February 2009] 
Tom Clancy’s EndWarTom Clancy's EndWar takes the premise of leading through words and literalizes the experience for the real time strategy game. [2 February 2009] 
Prince of PersiaThe effort here is to provide a fantastic experience, not at all intellectual but one driven by velocity and the player's own gut. [23 January 2009] 
Call of Duty: World at WarCall of Duty: World at War's catalysts for combat personalize the brutality that the player will mete out on the Axis by dehumanizing and "othering" the Japanese and the Germans as barbarians and monsters. [9 January 2009] 
Quantum of SolaceThe hybridization of Quantum of Solace's first person mechanics with gameplay styles more often found in third person action titles lends the Bond game a curiously more elegant and thoughtful approach to first-person shooting. [12 December 2008] 
Saints Row 2Saints Row 2, more so than many other open world games, has a real tendency to drive one to distraction. [31 October 2008] 
Viva Piñata: Trouble in ParadiseThe chief lure of the Viva Piñata series is the ability to witness the E-rated mating rituals of the piñatas themselves. [29 October 2008] 
Lego BatmanWith Lego Batman, it feels like the Lego series has finally hit its stride. [17 October 2008] 
Order Up!Order Up! takes the simulator aspects of a game like Cooking Mama and adds a broader frame and purpose. [27 August 2008] 
Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne ConspiracyBourne seems like the kind of cool action hero that might well easily transition to the role of the protagonist of a video game. [8 August 2008] 
Battlefield: Bad CompanyA first-person shooter focused more on fun than authenticity or a deeply written narrative is actually a bit refreshing. [1 August 2008] 
Battle of the Bands"Mama Said Knock You Out" becomes a whole different song when sung by a jug band. [4 June 2008] 
Grand Theft Auto IVNiko is very interested throughout the game in killing for the sake of revenge but, perhaps, even more so for the opportunity of wiping out his own past and eradicating his previous life. [30 May 2008] 
Obscure: The AftermathObscure's tendency to eliminate certain characters from time to time in the name of slasher conventions happens to also be its twist on the survival horror genre. [19 May 2008] 
NiGHTS: Journey of DreamsAfter several frustrating flights attempting to guide NiGHTS in the more innovative "Wii" style, I quickly defaulted to the easier approach. [7 April 2008] 
Bully: Scholarship EditionThe Bully franchise is more or less Grand Theft Auto filtered through the meaner streets of boarding school. [4 April 2008] 
Devil May Cry 4The Devil May Cry series takes neither violence nor sex seriously, intending to see both as merely the vehicle to a very basic form of visual stimulation. [28 March 2008] 
TurokTurok has some sneaky ways of getting the dinos to do his bidding by luring them with flares to enemy forces, allowing the player to sit back and watch the carnage ensue. [3 March 2008] 
Endless OceanShouldn't one fear shark attack when chumming a stretch of sea and then poking and stroking a shark? [13 February 2008] 
Soulcalibur LegendsThe notion of mapping physical action to gameplay in Wii games is both the system's greatest strength and its greatest weakness. [14 January 2008] 
Assassins CreedWhile the word jihad is never spoken, its frightening theological implications as a physical struggle as well as its more disarming theological definition as a spiritual struggle are both on display. [7 January 2008] 
ConanThrough its focus on a character bound by no law coming into conflict with encroaching civilizing advancements, Conan finds some parallels in the classic tradition of the American Western. [16 November 2007] 
Spider Man: Friend or FoeSpider-Man: Friend or Foe seems like a commercial for the upcoming WB Kids animated series The Spectacular Spider-Man with both its cartoony aesthetic and kid-friendly game play. [5 November 2007] 
StrangleholdStranglehold resembles Hard Boiled in that it, like the film, seems largely a series of very pretty, very stylish action sequences unified by only the thinnest veneer of a plot and motivations for characters. [12 October 2007] 
Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80sGuitar Hero has largely always been rocking the '80s. [12 September 2007] 
Tomb Raider: AnniversaryWhile Tomb Raider: Anniversary succeeds in recreating the isolated mood and tone of the original, it lacks some of the nostalgia for the original's genre-blending conventions. [13 July 2007] 
Made ManHaven't games like Grand Theft Auto and The Godfather shown that there are a variety of ways of providing a more holistic depiction of a gangster's lifestyle? [25 May 2007] 
Def Jam: IconBattles frequently come down to throwing opponents into obstacles and then blasting those obstacles with your beats. [13 April 2007] 
Ghost RiderGhost Rider is a biker in the service of a demon -- a literal Hell's Angel -- a rebellious spirit of vengeance much like the biker antihero of drive-in-movie or television fare of the '70s. [30 March 2007] 
Sam & Max: Season 1, Episodes 1-3Sam & Max work best when mirroring the comedic mood and tone of the story being told with the conflicts that an adventurer seeks to resolve. [23 March 2007] Saints RowWhile Saint's Row gets much of the successful elements of Grand Theft Auto right, it is chiefly the next-gen shininess and slick graphics that are, perhaps, the only thing that developer Volition has in some sense "gotten wrong." [12 February 2007] 
Dead or Alive Xtreme 2Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 is less a sports game and more a complicated relationship simulator. [29 January 2007] The SopranosThere are enough of the sights and sounds of The Sopranos to feel immersed in its ambience as a show but there is not enough game here to feel immersed in a, well, game. [1 December 2006] Bully"You're dumb!" "What the heck are you wearing?" "I hate you!" "Stinky breath!" "That's it, you're dead!" [7 November 2006] ScarfaceScarface begat Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, which in turn begat...Scarface? [27 October 2006] Lego Star Wars II: The Original TrilogyThis is the Lego Star Wars game that you have been looking for. [12 October 2006] The Movies: Stunts and EffectsThe substance of Stunts and Effects is only as good as the property on which it rests. [17 August 2006] 
Massively Multiplayer PongI am not certain what the purpose of the game is. Indeed, I am not certain that this media product can be categorized as a game at all. [24 July 2006] 
Outlaw Volleyball RemixedRacial epithets seem largely to be one of the few ways that a young rebel can, well... rebel anymore. [18 August 2005] 
Advent RisingA potentially epic space opera is set in motion when Gideon learns some very Jedi-esque abilities. [22 July 2005] 
Destroy All Humans!These short dialogues are mainly intended to be parodic and humorous jokes at the expense of the straight-laced and ultraconservative Americans of the past. [15 July 2005] 
Grand Theft Auto: San AndreasThe 'violence' seemingly promoted by this GTA is less a violence to be feared for its realism, and one more committed against the dirty realism of history itself. [1 July 2005] 
Lego Star Wars: The Video GameNever has a rating seemed more appropriate to me. The game indeed invites 'everyone' with its 'E' rating into the obsessive realm of the collector. [3 June 2005] 
Capcom Fighting EvolutionIf anything, Capcom Fighting Evolution offers us the fossil record of the subtle evolution of the fighting genre. [27 April 2005] 
Freedom Force vs. The Third ReichWithin the innocent naivety and blustery melodrama is a romantic appreciation for justice, freedom, and heroism. [6 April 2005] 
The StrangerhoodThis distance from reality may be more authentic in its honesty than any of the 'real life' situations we see on the networks. [2 March 2005] 
Playboy: The MansionApparently, free love extends only to heterosexuals and lesbians in this representation of Hef's so-called revolution. [16 February 2005] 
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake EaterWe are unaccustomed to seeing stories about men and women that are anything but sexual dramas. [3 February 2005] 
The Bard’s TaleIts premise is simple: our hero, the titular musician and rogue, must save the world by banishing a great evil and rescuing a trapped princess. If this sounds familiar that's because it's supposed to be. [1 December 2004] 
Bush Shoot-Out!Cut to Bush working in the Oval Office dressed in a leather vest, cuffed jeans, cowboy boots, and a belt buckle stamped with a lone star. [17 November 2004] 
Sly 2: Band of ThievesIn many ways Sly and his band of thieves are better suited to the traditions of Western espionage and sneak 'thiefery' than Solid Snake himself may be. [5 November 2004] 
Zoo Tycoon 2We are like God, similar in that we are given domination and responsibility over these creatures somewhat inferior to ourselves, but different in that we have to follow his goals and plans. [20 October 2004] 
Spider-Man 2Perhaps, unsurprisingly, the video game, which follows much of the action-oriented plot of the battles between Spider-Man and Dr. Octopus, fails to include this theme of personal and ethical crisis in the narrative. [7 October 2004] 
True Crime: Streets of LARestraint in a lawless world is hard. Cops have to tangle with folks that have total freedom of action every day, and they need to do it the hard way, the frustrating way. They have to follow the rules even though they get to carry a gun. [11 August 2004] 
Psi-Ops: The Mindgate ConspiracyThis sort of tired and hackneyed plotting and game play is exactly why the B-movie comparison must be made. [15 July 2004] 
City of HeroesAmericans lack any real connection to mythology in the classical sense. All our stories of heroes and monsters -- religious and mythological -- are imports. [21 April 2004] 
MafiaThe plot is markedly less clichéd than that of The Getaway, which steals relentlessly and less interestingly from Ritchie and Quentin Tarantino's films. [24 March 2004] 
Champions of Norrath: Realms of EverquestCharacter development in this kind of 'role-playing' game is not so much found in the skills and abilities of the characters, but largely occurs through looting and accruing more weapons and armor. [25 February 2004] 
Fugitive Hunter: War on TerrorWhile gamers have for years played historical re-enactment of former events through board games like 'Axis and Allies' and 'Three Days of Gettysburg', this is a strange time in the development of interactive 'historical' reconstruction. [27 January 2004] 
Final Fantasy X-2If FFX-2's consideration of feminine identity is schizophrenic, so too is its game play. [7 January 2004] 
X-Men Legends II: Rise of ApocalypseThe character development contains about as much depth as a Playboy centerfold's bio sheet. [1 January 1995]
True Crime: New York CityThe game continues to remind you that being a good cop in such a rough and violent occupation is less than easy. 
Still LifeIn some way the developers of Still Life have a great deal in common with the ivory masked ripper that is the game's villain. The MoviesI expect innovation when I hear Molyneux's name attached to a project. 
Marc Ecko’s Getting Up: Contents Under PressureYou spend the bulk of the game locating spots the designers want you to deface only to color in between the lines. 
Kingdom Hearts IIThe first Kingdom Hearts and its current sequel are both masterfully managed marriages of two narrative universes with similar goals. 
Graffiti KingdomThe interesting thing about Graffiti Kingdom is its effort to make drawing and creativity count. 
City of VillainsOvertly brutal and disturbing crimes are really not the subject matter of the genre. BlogsMoving Pixels: Uniforms Are Relics: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 [18 November 2009]Moving Pixels: The Ballad of Gay Tony Is the Straightest Grand Theft Auto Ever [11 November 2009]Moving Pixels: Democratizing Dictatorship: Tropico 3 [4 November 2009]Moving Pixels: Hard Boiled Heroism For the Kids: MySims Agents [28 October 2009]Moving Pixels: Inclusive Criminality: Multiculturalism and Saint’s Row [21 October 2009]Moving Pixels: The Gleam of Electric Sex: What Video Games Might (or Might Not) Teach Us About Sex [14 October 2009]Moving Pixels: Moving Pixels Plays Telephone Part 2: “Ganking” Broken Systems in Video Games [7 October 2009]Moving Pixels: The Weirdly Sexed Up Evony Advertising Campaign [30 September 2009]Moving Pixels: Elegant Tramps: The Bodies of Lara Croft and Rubi Malone [23 September 2009]Moving Pixels: Active Learning: The Pedagogy of the Game Tutorial [16 September 2009]Moving Pixels: Are We Allowed to Hate Ourselves? Reconsidering the Prince of Persia [9 September 2009]Moving Pixels: Project Runway As a Game? The Problems of Evaluating Style in Video Games [2 September 2009]Moving Pixels: It’s Always More Fun Killing Nazis [26 August 2009]Moving Pixels: The Pleasures of the Conventional: Considering the Call of Juarez Series [19 August 2009]Moving Pixels: Sympathy for the Thugs That We Can’t Help Being When We Play Grand Theft Auto [12 August 2009]Moving Pixels: Thou Shalt Deal, But Thou Shalt Not Use: The Curious Ethics of Grand Theft Auto [29 July 2009]Moving Pixels: Music, Nostalgia, and Force: Grand Theft Auto and Sensory Immersion [22 July 2009]Moving Pixels: The Realities of Aging in Video Game Characters [15 July 2009]Moving Pixels: Mario: Upward Mobility and the Working Class Hero [1 July 2009]Moving Pixels: Zen and the Art of Playing Video Games [24 June 2009]Moving Pixels: Splatter Porn and Additionally Strange Visual Stimulation in Video Games [17 June 2009]Moving Pixels: Piñata Porn and Other Strange Visual Stimulation in Video Games [10 June 2009]Moving Pixels: “Keepin’ It (Kinda) Real”: Characterization and Authenticity in Video Games [3 June 2009]Moving Pixels: Killing My Avatar, Killing Myself? [29 May 2008] |
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