BY KAYLYN HASLUND
For the UAS Whalesong
Video games have a lot of value in media. They are interactive and capture a wide audience. However, games without intense, immersive, and surrounding storylines really don’t have a lot of appeal to me. A storyline that doesn’t have a fully immersive plotline gives me no reason to care, personally. If a story does capture me though, boy, does it capture me. Continue reading “The Importance of Story in Video Games”
BY KAYLYN HASLUND
For the UAS Whalesong
Continued from Alexa Cherry’s article.
As Lexi has pointed out in her part of this article, the video game, Never Alone: Kisima Ingitchuna, has brought attention to the Iñupiaq community. The game, made by Upper One Games and published by E-Line Media, was made in conjunction with the Cook Inlet Tribal Council. They worked together with elders to make sure that the game actually fit the culture and stories that they were working to give representation to. Ernestine Hayes, our one campus one book author, headed the panel at “The Making of ‘Never Alone’: Native Voices and New Media Display.”. They skyped with E-Line Media. Continue reading ““Never Alone:” Cultural Importance”
BY ALEXA CHERRY
For the UAS Whalesong
If you own one of the big-name video game consoles – an Xbox or a PlayStation – or even if you just play games on your computer, you’ve probably heard of the game Never Alone (Kisima Innitchuna). You will also have heard of it if you attended one of the recent events at UAS, “The Making of ‘Never Alone’: Native Voices and New Media Display.” Released in 2014, Never Alone uses the technology of gaming systems to share Native Alaskan culture and storytelling with the world. The main website for the game (http://neveralonegame.com/) explains this better than I can: “We paired world class game makers with Alaska Native storytellers and elders to create a game which delves deeply into the traditional lore of the Iñupiat people to present an experience like no other. Never Alone is our first title in an exciting new genre of ‘World Games’ that draw fully upon the richness of unique cultures to create complex and fascinating game worlds for a global audience.”
I attended the aforementioned event about Never Alone and its creation, but in preparation for doing so, I thought I would go ahead and try to actually finish playing the game. I got it for free through PlayStation Plus about a year ago, and after it downloaded I let it sit on my console for a while without actually ever playing it. Then, one night, I was tooling around on my PS4 while my friend sat on the couch trying to do homework, and found it in my menu of downloaded games. Recalling that I’d heard it was good and also short, I decided that my friend’s homework was less important than us having a Cultural Experience and kicked the game into gear. Continue reading ““Never Alone:” Until You Are”
BY ALEXA CHERRY
For the UAS Whalesong
Post-Halloween and pre-Christmas break is perhaps the most stressful time of year for students, because it heralds the arrival of final tests and projects. And, while I do not promote blatantly ignoring your problems until they go away (because most of the time, they won’t), sometimes you do need to just stop and give yourself a little break. And I think that video games are a great way to do that! But before you skip away from this article, muttering something derisive about gamers – give me a chance. I’m not talking about Call of Duty or Halo or World of Warcraft, here. I’m simply referring to a selection of calming, distracting games that I’ve found floating around the internet that I find both distracting and relaxing. I thought I would share what I’ve found with those of you who might want something to do on your computer during your 15-minute study breaks, or in the evenings after you’ve just finished a huge assignment but still have a bundle of nervous energy you need to get rid of.
BY ALEXA CHERRY
I have not spent very much time playing video games recently, due to abandoning my consoles in a harried attempt to catch up on my academic and life responsibilities—after all, that’s what I’m here for. However, for some weeks previous I have been laboring away at what is quickly becoming one of my favorite games of all time, Far Cry 4.
