Here are the best things I’ve published online, sorted alphabetically, with a brief explanation of what makes each one special. Most of them are about games, but a few are short stories and several stand up as interesting no matter what your interest in video games. Enjoy.
A truly graphic adventure: The 25-year rise and fall of the adventure genre
At the beginning of December, 2010, I got an unexpected email. Ars Technica had, some weeks prior, put out a call for freelancers who could write good long-form content. I responded to the call, sending three pitches as per their instructions, and thought I’d never hear back. I was wrong. They liked my pitches, and wanted me to do two of them. I agreed to do one immediately, and suggested the other could come later if things go well.A week later, I’d signed a contract and agreed to write 2500-5000 words about the history of graphic adventure games. I finished off my research and wrote the story, which eventually—after a few drafts—ended up at around 6700 words. My first professional feature article was a big one, and it attracted a huge number of readers.
An excerpt: “Sam and Max also find exploitative tourist attractions such as a gigantic ball of twine and a small rock that utterly fails to look like a frog, and a country music star lives a life of absurdly extravagant self-indulgence that includes two gigantic statues and an escalator-equipped bed.” Click here to read the whole thing.
