GYGO: Extremely Specific

Do you like extremely specific catalogues of minutiae in video games? Well, you’re in luck! Check out the The Video Game Soda Machine Project, which is a blog collecting the appearance of vending machines selling soda in video games. This is absolutely something I would not have thought of cataloguing, but it completely makes sense: soda is in itself a part of pop culture, and how developers and designers choose to depict it in their games can say a lot about their views on both the product and the culture around it. The list is pretty comprehensive—I had no trouble finding multiple posts for DCUO, a game I once spent too much time playing.

New (…Hot) Rockets Come to Pokémon Go

Who are these mysterious new Rocket-aligned trainers in Pokémon GO? I have no idea, but is Sierra single?

Dontnod and Critical Role Actually Engage with Politics

Dontnod’s Michel Koch gave a lengthy interview at PAX where he finally proved that at least one popular game company understands the relationship between art and politics.

After a great many fans pointed out the problem to them, the folks at Critical Role have donated the entirety of their profits from the partnership they did with Wendy’s restaurants to the very labor organization that Wendy’s is feuding with. It’s a pretty rad solution to a public gaffe, and it’s nice to see a company that learns from its mistakes.

That’s all I have for you! Go forth, listen to GameTimeBot and embrace the gospel of Fire Emblem: Three Houses.

Nola Pfau

Nola is a bad influence.