::fibreculture:: Games industry discussion

Wed Jan 23 09:29:26 EST 2008

Hi Ana & fibreculturalists,

Fair enough, in the sense that their games are definitely of a minority appeal. But the company has managed to remain sucessful and innovative in their own niche without becoming a part of a larger corporation. They have even expanded their activities to include publishing games by other companies, and have their own online delivery service (much like steam) called gamersgate.

Tom

> Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2008 23:20:06 +0100> From: agora158 at gmail.com> To: poppatomi at hotmail.com> Subject: Re: ::fibreculture:: Games industry discussion> > Hi Tom, I know the games of Paradox (it was called Target Games> before), but their games are still more aimed to edutainment and more> as board games. They are very good in historical simulations but they> have a very poor graphic interface and not a great variation. Their> hits, Europa Universalis or Crusaders Kings are well done but I found> them very boring and with very little appeal to other than war> strategists.-> Ana> > On Jan 22, 2008 11:11 PM, Tom Apperley <poppatomi at hotmail.com> wrote:> >> > Hi Ana & fibreculturalists,> >> > While I'm not exactly an expret on the videogame industry in Sweden, I do> > know that there is one Sweden based company that its noteworthy - Paradox> > Interactive. I outline some of there activities in this paper I gave at CSAA> > in 2006, Virtual Unaustralia. To link back to the earlier posts about Auran> > and Fury, Auran publishes/published some of Paradox's catalogue in> > Aus/NZ/Asia, most notably Europa Universalis 1 & 2, and Hearts of Iron,> >> > Tom> >> > > Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2008 23:41:33 +0100> > > From: agora158 at gmail.com> > > To: m.gregg at uq.edu.au> > > CC: list at fibreculture.org> >> > > Subject: Re: ::fibreculture:: Games industry discussion> > >> >> > > I read with interest your post, Melissa, and the article you send the> > > link to. The same phenomen the writer describes in Australia can be> > > applicable to Sweden. In the beginning of the Nineties the Swedish> > > game industry was full of expectations and some small companies> > > succeded providing the home market with some good games, mostly> > > edutainment.> > > At that time I started to write reviews of computer games for Sweden's> > > largest morning paper, 400.000 copies every day. I wrote the reviews> > > for the cultural pages, the newspaper avantgarde arena.> > > Today, 20 years later, game industry in Sweden is mainstream, we have> > > 5 or 6 university masters and degrees in computer games design and> > > culture. But not one company is left producing games for the Swedish> > > market, all production is outsourced by Warner Bros or Sony. Digital> > > Illusions, authors and creators of Battlefield 1942, a real Swedish> > > product, are owned today by Electronic Arts.> > > I don't write reviews anymore since I don't find any creativity or> > > challenge in the market anymore.> > > The gaming industry is depending of infrastructure, good Internet> > > connections and fast computers. Maybe now, in the verge of a big> > > recesion, the gaming industry is not longer an answer to global> > > anxiety.> > >> > > Ana Valdés> > >> > > On Jan 21, 2008 5:22 AM, Melissa Gregg <m.gregg at uq.edu.au> wrote:> > > > Dear fibreculture,> > > >> > > >> > > > http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=6892> > > >> > > > Reading this article today, I was thinking how valuable it would be for> > this> > > > list to be re-activated as a place for informed discussion and debate> > about> > > > net-related issues in this region.> > > >> > > > There are local conditions described here that I find difficult to hear> > > > discussed in other places. It is also interesting to me that Online> > Opinion> > > > is now sourcing articles like this -- from the Courier Mail no less!> > What> > > > does this mean?> > > >> > > > It makes me wonder, is it one of the great ironies of fibreculture that> > just> > > > as its areas of expertise have become more mainstream, we are no longer> > > > talking together? Do people no longer talk here because they have> > finally> > > > achieved rewarding paid employment in the very areas and specialisms> > that> > > > once brought us together as a politics? The article is one example of> > how> > > > much economic clout the industries we work and train in are said to> > deliver,> > > > but I worry that at the very time when fibreculture could be useful as a> > > > defense against hyperbole of various kinds, we don't stay in touch.> > > >> > > > Anyway, I would love to hear from some of you who are teaching - or> > better,> > > > are graduates of - some of the courses discussed in the piece, to> > understand> > > > your take on the industry's present and future. And also where you are> > all> > > > hanging out to chat these days. It doesn't seem to be Facebook (which is> > its> > > > own relief, but makes me so very conscious of what was good about lists> > like> > > > this).> > > >> > > > Best wishes> > > > Melissa> > > >> > > >> > > > Dr. Melissa Gregg> > > > ARC Australian Postdoctoral Fellow> > > > Centre for Critical and Cultural Studies> > > > Fourth Floor, Forgan Smith Tower> > > > The University of Queensland> > > > QLD Australia 4072> > > > CRICOS provider number: 00025B> > > >> > > > p + 61 7 3346 9762> > > > m + 61 4 0859 9359> > > > f + 61 7 3365 7184> > > >> > > > http://cccs.uq.edu.au/index.htmlpage=16194&pid=16136> > > > www.homecookedtheory.com> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > > ::posted on ::fibreculture:: mailinglist for australasian> > > > ::critical internet theory, culture and research> > > > :: info: http://fibreculture.org/mailman/listinfo/list_fibreculture.org> > > > :: FIbreculture website: http://www.fibreculture.org> > > > ::please send announcements to separate mailinglist:> > > > announce at fibreculture.org> > > > :: Announce List info page:> > > > http://fibreculture.org/mailman/listinfo/announce_fibreculture.org> > > >> > >> > >> > >> > > --> > > http://caravia.stumbleupon.com> > > http://www.crusading.se> > > Gondolgatan 2 l tr> > > 12832 Skarpnäck> > > Sweden> > > tel +468-943288> > > mobil 4670-3213370> > >> > >> > > "When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth> > > with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been and there you> > > will always long to return.> > > — Leonardo da Vinci> > >> > > ::posted on ::fibreculture:: mailinglist for australasian> > > ::critical internet theory, culture and research> > > :: info: http://fibreculture.org/mailman/listinfo/list_fibreculture.org> > > :: FIbreculture website: http://www.fibreculture.org> > > ::please send announcements to separate mailinglist:> > announce at fibreculture.org> > > :: Announce List info page:> > http://fibreculture.org/mailman/listinfo/announce_fibreculture.org> >> >> > ________________________________> > Sell your car for just $30 at CarPoint.com.au. It's simple!> > > > -- > http://caravia.stumbleupon.com> http://www.crusading.se> Gondolgatan 2 l tr> 12832 Skarpnäck> Sweden> tel +468-943288> mobil 4670-3213370> > > "When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth> with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been and there you> will always long to return.> — Leonardo da Vinci
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