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Roger Ebert, just what have you wrought? Several Bitmobbers had something to say on the subject of games as art (and Ebert's rejection of them as such). I've collected all of their articles here.

Ready to give them thumbs up or thumbs down? Then start reading!

The Importance of Video Games to the Human Condition
By Antonio Byrd
If games are indeed art, Antonio asks the next logical question: What should games do as art? His argument stems from cultural examples and the evolution of artistic debate.

Why Games Being Art Doesn't Matter or Shouldn't
By Matt McMillan
I am in the camp of gamers who don't care if the medium is considered artistic or not. Matt makes the case that this question doesn't matter as long as we enjoy playing games. I wouldn't go that far, but this certainly a refreshing take on the debate.

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Twitter: Your number-one source for confusing statements from video game designers in 140 characters or less.

News Blips:

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Last week we asked two questions via our Twitter account and Facebook page. They were very different questions, and we received a wide variety of answers! Follow us off-site to chime in on issues of the day, and you may be featured in our weekly Tweetbook Q&A.

We also had a little contest running. If you answered last week's second question on Bitmob, Twitter, or Facebook, you were entered into a drawing for the PSN title Kick-Ass: The Game. Winners can be found at the end of this post.

And here's what we asked you last week:

Will Monster Hunter Tri finally be the game that gets the very popular Japanese franchise to break through in North America? Why or why not?

Via Facebook:

Shawn Wedick, short and to the point: "Probably not. It's kind of boring."

Alex Cronk-Young on previous failed attempts: "It certainly has a better chance than the PSP versions had, but I'll assume it's going to fail like all the rest. The first PSP release was my first attempt at playing a Monster Hunter game, and honestly I had no clue what the hell I was doing. They'd have to make some drastic changes to the gameplay for Tri to catch on on the Wii."

Michael Rousseau on the key ingredient: "With the way the online on the Wii works, no. I think it would have a better chance as a DS title or as an XBLA game."

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Editor's note: As a former vegetarian who is dating a vegan, I am sympathetic to PETA's cause. But when you name your blog the PETA Files, it's really difficult to take you seriously -- I'll toss that joke to the reader. Either way, Alex's pro-animal article is a great, candid look at the silliness of criticizing virtual pet abuse. -James

As it does many vegetarians, PETA frequently embarrasses me. The animal rights advocacy group recently complained about Zynga adding pit bulls to Mafia Wars. In a letter to Zynga CEO Mark Pincus, they said:

"Bully breeds" like your beloved late American bulldog, Zinga, are also the breeds of choice for dogfighters and thugs who want a "macho" animal to intimidate others, guard their property, or make them money by winning fights. Every day, PETA staffers meet dogs who have been trapped for years at the end of heavy tractor-trailer chains with nothing but bare patches of dirt and plastic barrels for shelter. These dogs are usually full of heartworms, emaciated, and scarred all over. They are often physically abused and starved, sometimes to death, for losing in illegal dogfights or for being "bad guards" or "not mean enough." The people who acquire them do so because they have been taught that having one of these dogs is "cool" and "tough," but they have no idea about the care and feelings of the animal they have enslaved.

While I'm prepared to believe all of that and agree that dog fighting needs to stop, PETA's pursuit of Zynga bemuses me. Mafia Wars is a game in which you play a mobster -- not a model citizen. Players know from the outset that the game involves some dirty deeds -- concrete shoes, seedy contracts, and now, attack dogs. No reasonable person will come away from Mafia Wars thinking that dog fights -- or any other mob-related activities -- are morally acceptable.

I would say that not including pit bulls would be a disservice to the breed and the victims of dog attacks, but Mafia Wars isn't exactly the serious venue of discussion this issue requires. Perhaps games that portray real events in a realistic manner are.

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Recently in GamePro, Julian Murdoch examined the reviews aggregator site Metacritic. His story opens with a rather startling observation from Activision Vice President of Marketing Robin Kaminsky at the 2008 Design, Innovate, Communicate, and Entertain (DICE) Summit. The opening slide to her presentation read: "For every additional five points over an 80 percent average review score, sales may as much double."

Incredible! If true, game sales must increase exponentially as they score above an aggregate of 80 on the website. Surely, an employee of Activision -- let alone a VP of marketing -- must have solid data to back up such a bold declaration.

But I'm the skeptical type, so I did a little of my own research. I’m here to tell you that Kaminsky's statement is a load of horse shit, and that publishers' insistence on a correlation between scores and sales is unfounded.

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Editor's note: Mark gives us a broad view of the current landscape of digital distribution. What will the future hold for everyone from consumers to the Blockbusters of the world? -Shoe

Penny-Arcade's take on GameStop and digital distribution.

The idea, which is nothing new, seems to be a popular topic these days as more online distributors rise up and vie for your gaming and entertainment dollars. While companies like Netflix and Gamefly have been around for years (Netflix was founded in 1997 while Gamefly started up in 2002), many more companies and even publishers have recently begun to toss their hats into the digital distribution arena.

This means that, while we lose physical media, we have a faster and more readily available resource for our gaming purchases. But what does that mean for us, the consumers? As physical, real-life competition begins to drop and all we’re left with is a computer screen and a “buy it now!” button, to what extent will it affect us? Will this cause the industry to collapse in on itself?

Let’s look at a few major concerns that have cropped up around the industry:

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Editor's note: I think we missed Chris's initial announcement for this episode of the community-organized Bitmob Writing Challenge -- but the good news is, it's not over! -Demian

The This or That Writing Challenge ends on Friday, April 30. The plan: Pick two well-received games of the same genre and describe why you prefer one over the other. The details:

1. Write a 500-800 word article comparing two games of the same genre. Back up your choice with reasons, making sure that anyone can understand where you’re coming from. 

2. Approach the topic from any angle you want. It can be a basic article, a breakdown by subject, a first-person account, or even a screenplay. Go nuts. 

3. Post your article as "This or That – (Game 1) Vs. (Game 2)." Include “This or That” in the title and tags so that I can find it in a search.

If you need some inspiration for the challenge, please check out this submissions list for ideas as well as my example using BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger and Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom. Brendon Morz's submission on breasts in  God of War 3 and Dante's Inferno transcended the challenge and was promoted to Bitmob's front page.

I'm not going to hold it against anyone for taking liberties like I did with the First-Person Writer challenge, but I do recommend sticking with a comparison between two games. It brings a sharper focus to the article and forces you to dig deeper into the games to make your arguments.       

I look forward to reading the results!

This challenge is now over. Thanks to everyone who participated.

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I'd like to see the electronics journalism industry receive a stern admonition from John Bunnell about the dangers of exclusive stories.

News Blips:

Police have raided Gizmodo editor Jason Chen's home after the website's exclusive reveal of Apple's next iPhone. Members of California's Rapid Enforcement Allied Computer Team seized four computers and two servers under a warrant issued by the San Mateo Superior Court. Predictably, the Internet was in uproar shortly after the raid, with Gizmodo COO Gaby Darbyshire and the Electronic Frontier Foundation proclaiming the warrant illegal due to a California shield law which protects any property used by journalists and reporters from being confiscated. The punch line to this whole ordeal? Just days before, Apple had sent the Gawker offices an exceedingly polite letter requesting the return of the iPhone.

A group of former and current Infinity Ward employees have filed a mass lawsuit against Activision for its failure to pay royalties owed to Modern Warfare 2's development team. The lawsuit charges the publisher with a staggering $500 million in punitive damages, in addition to upwards of $125 million in unpaid bonuses earned from sales of the game. The lawsuit contends that Actvision's real reason for reneging on payment of bonuses is quite sinister: "Activision withheld the property of the [Infinity Ward employees] in an attempt to keep the employees hostage so that Activision could reap the benefit of the completion of Modern Warfare 3." [G4TV]

The SyFy Channel plans to release a straight-to-TV film based on Red Faction. The two-hour-long movie will hopefully serve as a springboard for a potential TV series, according to SyFy Ventures senior vice president Alan Seiffert. "It is the kind of content that fits our genre," he said. "It is a great fit for a big Syfy Saturday movie, and if it really works, it is a great back-door pilot." If the movie possesses any shred of quality -- which I doubt -- then it will star best-actor-in-the-world Casper Van Dien. [BroadcastingCable]

Kotaku reports on the rumor of a sleek black version of the Wii appearing in U.S. stores very soon. Tips from major retailers such as Target and GameStop have hinted at the $199 console showing up as early as May, packaged into a bundle deal that includes Wii Sports Resort and the MotionPlus add-on. A formula for success: Coat anything in black paint, and gamers will eat it up.

Got any hot news tips? Send 'em over to [email protected].

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It's that time of the week again, Bitmobbers: We need your answers to the Pixel Revolt community question.

This week's question is probably our most topical and focused to date, so we want to hear what you have to say:

Did the recent exodus of employees from Infinity Ward change your feelings about the next Modern Warfare game?

Or, for those of you who don't play Modern Warfare:

Would key team members leaving your other favorite development studio affect your decision to buy their next game?

By the way, as of this week we have a new way for you to respond: over the phone! Now those of you without computer mics can call in your response. No more excuses!

So send on over your email and audio responses by 6 p.m. PST on Thursday to be featured on Pixel Revolt.

How you can respond to the question:

1) Record a sound clip on your computer, then email it to us at [email protected] (Preferred)

2) Call us on our new voicemail line! (626) 37-PIXEL

3) Send an email response to [email protected]

4) Leave a comment in this post!

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One of the most...hmmm...that's no way to start an article about walkthroughs!

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That's better.

One of the most popular forms of video game writing is the walkthrough, FAQ, or guide. While you could distinguish between them, most gamers use the terms interchangeably, and they all have a similar purpose -- to help you get through your games.

In fact, I would guess that walkthroughs represent a large percentage of games writing.

What you don't see, however, is writing about walkthroughs.

We want to hear your thoughts about them. We want you to explore every gamer's dirty little secret -- walkthroughs, FAQs, and guides. It is a writing space that has largely gone without commentary. Now's your chance to provide some! (Please note: We don't want you to write a walkthrough for any specific game).

You can take any stance and answer any questions, as long as it's about guides, walkthroughs, or FAQs. We're going to collect the best submissions and compile them into a walkthrough of our own: Bitmob's Walkthrough to Walkthroughs. (And yes, it will be 100% text-based with kick ass ASCII art!)

Here are the official rules to participate in this week's callout:

1. Write any article about walkthrough, guides, or FAQs. Keep it concise -- about 200-400 words should do it, but you can go longer if you choose.
2. Tag that article with the following tag "Walkthroughs" -- we'll use it as a catch all for this activity.
3. Submit your article to the Mobfeed by May 12, 2010.

Check out my sample article to get you started, and here are some questions for you to think about:

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While nailing tricks on your plank is ideal, skateboarding games have a tendency to devolve into big ragdoll simulators (at least when I play).

Video Blips:

• The bona fide enthusiasm of the gamers coordinating tricks in this Skate 3 video really lends an atmosphere of immersion. No, really. The ear-blasting rap music reminds me of the famous copy machine scene from Office Space. [Youtube]

Continue after the break for a trio of Monkey Island 2 Special Edition developers just sitting around, the sprawling battlefields of ARMA 2: Operation Arrowhead, and the weirdest trailer for a handheld game that I have ever seen.

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This week's edition of the Jukebox features community-submitted songs from every type of game imaginable. Don't believe me? Tropico 3, Super Mario Land 2, BioShock, and Silent Hill 2 all make appearance -- and that's just for starters.

Make sure to check out Bitmobber Michael Rousseau's pick from the as-yet-unreleased Super Street Fighter 4. Community members Alex Martin and Michael Pangelina duke it out Grand Theft Auto style with tunes from San Andreas and The Ballad of Gay Tony. Finally, don't miss the selection from Patchwork Heroes that this week's featured community writer, Daniel Feit suggested. He mailed it in all the way from Japan!

Everyone is welcome to suggest their favorite video game tunes. Hit the jump to find out how.

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