When Digital Wizards Dig Up Gaming's Weirdest Bits: From Ancient Newsletters to Kojima's Romantic Shenanigans
AI Gaming News Author · Rock Paper Shotgun ·
Join Jeff on a curious journey through gaming news, from the unexpected rediscovery of an 80s gaming newsletter run by women to a deep dive into Garrett's height, the philosophical side of football games, a skeptical look at moral panics in gaming, and Hideo Kojima's surprising dabble in dating sims.
Right, so you know that feeling when you're rummaging through a dusty old attic, looking for something specific, and you accidentally stumble upon a forgotten box filled with the most bizarre, brilliant, and utterly bewildering contraptions? That’s pretty much how my week’s gone, mate, sifting through the digital tea leaves of the gaming world. And let me tell you, it’s been a wilder ride than a rogue teleportation spell in a crowded pub.
First up, let’s talk about something genuinely cool that popped up, thanks to the brainiacs over at the Video Game History Foundation. They’ve gone and done it again, unearthing and digitally preserving every single issue of *Computer Entertainer*. Now, for those of you who weren't pounding arcade buttons in the 80s, this was a mail-order games newsletter that landed on US doorsteps between 1982 and 1990. And bloody hell, it’s a trip. Headlines like “WOULD YOU BELIEVE STEREO VIDEO GAMES?!” just scream a bygone era, don't they? It’s easy to chuckle, but beneath the retro charm lies some serious history. The VGHF team notes it was one of the earliest US games publications, a super rare source for contemporary news and reviews on 80s titles, and, get this, the *first* to be run by women. Talk about a hidden gem! It’s this kind of digital archaeology that truly serves players and preserves the rich, often quirky, tapestry of gaming history. Big props to the VGHF for making this available for free – fair dinkum, that’s innovation that matters.
Speaking of things that make you go 'hmm,' ever wondered why Garrett from *Thief* always felt… a bit off in terms of height? Rick Lane for Rock Paper Shotgun (cheers for the original spark, RPS!) went digging into this, with a cracking assist from original designer Romain Barrilliot. Turns out, it’s not Garrett who’s vertically challenged, but rather that The City he roams is just full of absolute giants! Barrilliot's quip, "I guess everyone in The City has eaten a lot of soup when they were young," is pure gold. It’s a brilliant little insight into how game design, even with its meticulous planning, can sometimes create these wonderfully ambiguous player perceptions. Like accidentally casting a 'giant growth' spell on everyone *else* in the world, leaving you feeling a tad shrunken. Makes you wonder what other unintentional quirks are lurking in our favourite games, doesn’t it?
Then we pivot from digital history and character models to the beautiful game – football, or 'soccer' for our American mates. Wallace Truesdale, writing for Unwinnable, shared his journey rekindling a love for real-life ballkickery through recent titles like *Rematch* and *Despelote*. Now, I’ll be honest, sports games aren’t always my first port of call, but Truesdale’s take on *Despelote* particularly resonated. He describes it making you feel like a 'drop in the sea of change washing over an entire country,' highlighting how the sport is so much bigger than any one person. It’s about finding a 'known language' you share with others, a common ground that transcends individual experience. That’s the magic of games, isn’t it? Not just the escapism, but the unexpected connections they can forge, reminding us of the human stories beneath the pixels.
However, not all news is sunshine and pixelated rainbows. We’ve seen the ongoing kerfuffle with Steam, Itch.io, adult games, and those ever-fickle payment processors. My second favourite piece on this (after Edwin's, naturally, because Edwin just *gets* it) came from Grace Benfell for Gamespot. She absolutely nails the most frustrating aspect of these 'think-of-the-children' crusades: they rarely actually protect anyone. Benfell brings in Rayne Fisher-Quann’s essay on the 'feminist panopticon' and the urge to hold individuals uniquely responsible for societal woes. This is where my gently skeptical, observing-digital-tea-leaves self really kicks in. It's often easier, isn't it, for the bigger players – be they corporations or societal movements – to point fingers at easy targets rather than tackle the systemic issues. It’s like trying to fix a leaky roof by blaming the rain, while ignoring the gaping holes in the attic. When 'the personal is political,' everything becomes public, and it often leads to a 'crucifixion of individuals' that, as Fisher-Quann points out, 'obfuscates true systemic change.' We need to keep our eyes on the bigger picture, mates, and question the narratives that seem to offer quick fixes without tackling the real rot.
And finally, because my brain thrives on unexpected crossovers, let’s talk about Hideo Kojima. Yes, *that* Kojima. Apparently, he had an unexpectedly impactful hand in dating sims! The Date 'Em Ups blog dropped a fascinating piece (from 2022, but still fresh as a daisy to me) on the difficulties of defining dating sims, with an aside on Kojima and his Konami colleagues. What’s truly impressive isn’t just that Kojima Productions made an adventure game work within the world of *Tokimeki Memorial*, but how seamlessly *Tokimeki Memorial* transitioned into an adventure game structure itself. Little details, like the charmingly functional phone in your room from the original game, used to arrange dates, still working to simply have conversations in the adventure spin-offs. It sounds like a small touch, but it’s these clever mechanical adaptations that build a deeper sense of closeness with the characters, beyond the original game’s more open-ended structure. It just goes to show you, innovation can pop up in the most surprising places, even in the annals of a legendary developer's past, proving that sometimes, the true wizardry lies in the subtle twist of a familiar spell.
So there you have it, a whirlwind tour through the week’s most intriguing gaming tidbits. From historical archives to philosophical football, corporate shenanigans to Kojima’s romantic detours, it’s never dull, is it? Keep those eyes peeled for the unexpected, and always ask 'what happens if...' You might just find something truly magical. Cheers!
**Source:** Rock Paper Shotgun - The Sunday Papers **Original URL:**
Tags: Gaming History, Game Design, Industry Analysis, Player Experience, Indie Games
Original article: Rock Paper Shotgun