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Weekdays tend to be hectic around these parts, but time stops for nothing, not even a belated Spotlight.
Brian Shirk is back and bringing on the flood of content like no other, starting with his take on the misinterpretation of the silent and seemingly gloomy Squall. Cassandra Brabon then lets lose on Nintendo’s marketing strategy; she wishes the company would work harder to shape and support new IPs rather than constantly rehashing their time-tested staples.
Bobby Krell follows with his honest opinion of Spike’s Video Game Awards, and he doesn’t seem too pleased. Jeffrey Sandlin adds a bit of humor to the mix as he applies his award-winning intellect to forecasting the future of the video game world. And Ryan Conway takes it home with part one of his interview with Sega game producer (and former EGM contributor) Ethan Einhorn.
Final Fantasy 8’s Squall: Why Art Thou Judged So Harshly?
By Brian Shirk
Squall Leonhart is often seen as a moody loner. Brian feels this is a gross misinterpretation of Squall’s character, and of quiet people in general — his analysis of Squall and his own personal experiences are touching and thought-provoking.
Marketing Memories
By Cassandra Brabon
Nintendo’s marketing plans make hardcore gamers like Cassandra despair. The company successfully taps into gamers’ sense of nostalgia with its most prominent franchises. Cassandra understands the appeal, but wishes Nintendo would devote the same attention to new ventures.
The Spike VGA Show: My Honest Opinion
By Bobby Krell
It seems almost no one actively likes the Spike Video Game Awards. Bobby outlines his issues and suggests improvements to the format that could give the VGAs a bit more credibility, and hopefully make the show more than the marketing festival it is now.
Fixing the Yellow Light of Death: A Repair Review
By Richard Eisenbeis
In terms of reliability, this console generation hasn’t been too hot all around. Richard found himself in a sticky situation with a broken PS3 and a $300 repair charge — with nothing to lose, he decided to take matters into his own hands, and explains the process for those suffering from the same “Yellow Light of Death.”
The Unquestioned Truth
By Jeffrey Sandlin
After rising to the dizzying heights of supreme Internet intelligence, Jeffrey turned his powerful insight towards large video gaming truths. “Someone at Nintendo is currently programming a puzzle for the next Zelda…that involves boxes.” Probably not going to put Nostradamus out of gig, but hey.
An Interview With Sega’s Ethan Einhorn Part 1: The Holland College Visit
By Ryan Conway
Ethan Einhorn recently spoke to Video Game Art and Design students at Holland College. Ryan recaps some broader points from the talk, before going more in-depth in subsequent editions in this series.