Bioware & Voluntary Slavery
A recurring theme in Bioware’s Mass Effect and Dragon Age series is that slavery – while bad – can be justified if it’s chosen. Here we consider whether volunteering to be a slave makes a moral difference.
Video Games
Fight or Flyte? The Poetic Tradition in Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla
Ever wanted to tell a colleague exactly what you think of them and not have it become a HR issue? Here we delve into a brief history of flyting – the poetic exchange of invectives – as found in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.
Black Lives Matter
Black Lives Matter. Herein are links to more information and what we can do in support as well as an overview of some of our favourite books by BAME authors.
Gender-Inverted Trope: Philosopher Queens
In art, as in life, the trope of the philosopher usually depicts a male character, sage-like, with a tendency to impart useful information. In this short but sweet piece of pop(culture)corn, we highlight gender-inverted instances of the Philosopher and Philosopher King.
Mass Effect & the Problem of Other Minds
Given that I only have access to my own mind, is it rational to attribute minds and mental states to others? What if the others in question are drastically different to us – such as the aliens in Mass Effect? Here we introduce the problem of other minds and the argument from analogy.
Trope Alert: The Prison Level
In this short and tasty piece of Pop(Culture)Corn we introduce the Prison Level trope, with some of our favourite video game examples. Final Fantasy, Dragon Age, Elder Scrolls and more!
“A ferlie he spied wi’ his e’e”: Examining the Apologetic Apostrophe
A brief summary of the apologetic apostrophe and its evolution from marketing tool to characterisation device.
Game for Graduates
In this short and sweet piece, game studies expert Matthew Barr outlines his research on the benefits of video games for learning. Never fear, the justification for hours of gaming is here!
Nine Worlds Wrap-Up
A retrospective of our time at Nine Worlds, with a hint of what's coming soon.
Ori and the Blind Forest
This spoiler-filled review explores ecocriticism, anthropomorphism, and the author's burgeoning enthusiasm for platformers. The conclusion: Ori is baws-to-the wall awesome.
Language Evolution and Gaming
Evolutionary linguist Sean Roberts outlines three ways his research is influenced by video games – including our understanding of the brain, language evolution, and linguistic diversity. Features Minecraft!