The following is a brief, informal response to Noah Wardrip-Fruin’s The Prison-House of Data from the perspective of a PhD student in Digital Media Studies.

Category: Browser, Games

In the bevy of articles and books on the Wonders of the Internet™ one aspect seems to have become a mainstay of academic interest: the variability of words (or signifiers). A good measure of this hype comes from the simple fact that for centuries the printed word was fixed, locked in place by the printing press as static variable. However, in a word processor or on a web page, the variables become fluid and are subject to dynamic, global (i.e. system-wide) changes. You can see this by changing the ‘Style’ in Word document or altering a variable through Chrome’s console; the document dynamically reflects the altered variable (a red font instantly becomes blue).

Overview

In this article I will be explicating and assessing the real-time web-narrative The Bureau from two perspectives: Concept and Gameplay. Prior to plunging into those subheadings, however, I would like to preface this essay with a few remarks on my theoretical bent.

3 Weeks on the Case

Three weeks have passed since Agent Kim arrived in Pine Point to solve what appeared to be an isolated, if twisted, murder. Now the case has expanded to claim multiple victims while the killer invokes an ancient charm called the Sator Square. Here’s a quick recap of events in Pine Point from July 31st to Aug. 6th [spoilers abound]:

2 Weeks in the Woods

It’s been fourteen days of murder, mystery and mayhem in Pine Point. This past week saw a number of major developments, including the revelation that the killer is a palindrome-obsessed deviant. Here’s a quick recap of events in Pine Point from July 26th to Aug. 2nd [spoilers abound]:

7 Days in Pine Point

Well, Agent Michael Kim has been on the case for a full week now and what an eventful week it’s been. Here’s a quick recap of the past seven days in Pine Point [spoilers abound]:

About

The investigation is underway at http://allusiononline.ca/thebureau/

A Murder-Mystery in Real-Time

I’ve written briefly about my upcoming web project in a previous post but as the July 19th launch approaches I thought I’d take the opportunity to flesh-out some of the ideas mentioned earlier. To recap: The Bureau is an interactive web-based narrative told in real-time over 5 weeks. It’s part blog, part video game set against a series of gruesome murders in a small Washington town. Followers of The Bureau engage with the devices and materials on the desk of Agent Michael Kim, the lead investigator assigned to the case. As new developments in the case emerge, the lines of communication swell–emails are sent, calls are placed, evidence is distributed and theories are formed. Followers witness these developments in real-time through Agent Kim’s tablet and cell phone.

The Site: ign.com

Publisher: IGN Entertainment Inc

The Game: Duke Nukem Forever (PC) | MetaCritic score: 58/100

Opening Remarks: IGN or Imagine Games Network is a fairly large entity in the video game world of reviews and previews. In addition to covering most major and minor gaming platforms, IGN Entertainment Inc. also owns GameSpy, a site that also reviews titles on the major platforms. Some may be hesitant about a game-reviewing network that covers movies, comics, and television programs, in addition to owning an online game retailer (Direct2Drive). And yet in this case study, IGN was surprisingly balanced in regards to the gaming icon that is Duke Nukem.

The Duke is Dead. Long Live Duke.

From the most recent coverage you get the sense that many–many–reviewers wished The Duke (aka Duke Nukem) had remained dead (see Metacritic). After all, being revered as a gaming icon has certain perks, not the least of which is the rose-tinted rear-view mirror of nostalgia. It’s a lot easier to enjoy accept a hero who fights intergalactic pigs, pausing only to pass bills to strippers and ‘mark’ more territory than your average German Sheppard, if you don’t have to consider the fourteen years since the last Duke. During that time a prolific production of video games brought the industry a modicum or two of mainstream respect.