Adam_Vania
Banned
Kim Justice is great, has some cool series about game companies. i highly recommend the Psygnosis documentary!
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Progressive, critical, & interesting voices in gaming you should pay attention to
- Thread starter Lime
- Start date
I'd like to suggest Retronauts. They've done some absolutely great dives into the history of gaming and the main crew comes off as genuinely good people.
BRSxIgnition
Member
Is this only for full websites or writers?
Because Easy Allies is full of great people as far as I'm aware.
Because Easy Allies is full of great people as far as I'm aware.
Gonna give some love to Noe V/BigMex. They've got blog posts all over various places (formerly 1up, Capcom Unity and his most recent site, Street Writer) and mostly covers fighting games. I don't agree with all of his stuff, but his design critiques (particularly for SF4 and SF5) are generally on point. I personally think his best stuff is when he's pinpointing the influences behind fighting game characters (particularly for older fighting games).
Hmm
The closest I can think of this is the Archlich for primarily Dynasty Warriors/the historical Three Kingdoms era.
Not technically a non-gamer, but got into that era of history because of the game and they now seem to be really knowledgeable about it. There hasn't been a new DW game so he's currently out of material, but he's looked at the portrayal of 3K Figures in Dynasty Warriors and provides a (rather informal) critique along with the actual history of the figure. He's also looked at significant figures that have also been overlooked by the games. I'll admit that Archlich can be very biased at times (especially in regards to certain characters) and it's probably not quite what you're looking for (since it's fairly informal, and I've seen some others disagree on some historical bits he's typed out) but I still think he's a fun read from time to time.
Hmm
The closest I can think of this is the Archlich for primarily Dynasty Warriors/the historical Three Kingdoms era.
Not technically a non-gamer, but got into that era of history because of the game and they now seem to be really knowledgeable about it. There hasn't been a new DW game so he's currently out of material, but he's looked at the portrayal of 3K Figures in Dynasty Warriors and provides a (rather informal) critique along with the actual history of the figure. He's also looked at significant figures that have also been overlooked by the games. I'll admit that Archlich can be very biased at times (especially in regards to certain characters) and it's probably not quite what you're looking for (since it's fairly informal, and I've seen some others disagree on some historical bits he's typed out) but I still think he's a fun read from time to time.
Thanks. Just to be clear, I'm not asking for non-gamers (like Conan who Lime mentioned) or gamers for that matter, just for someone who brings outside experience into her/his writing/videos. Can be a longtime gamer or a "What is CoD? What is Candy Crush?" type of person.
Like someone who always played historically themed games, studies/d history due to that and now shares his/her knowledge how accurate the games actually are.
Great idea and great list. I'll definitely be checking some of these people out.
As far as game developers who I see as trying to "illuminate what video games are, what they can be, and how they can become better", that frequently speak out for/against trends they see occurring, I submit Rami Ismail and Jonathan Blow.
(I just had another great discussion with Rami this weekend at PAX East. Always appreciate hearing his thoughts.)
As far as game developers who I see as trying to "illuminate what video games are, what they can be, and how they can become better", that frequently speak out for/against trends they see occurring, I submit Rami Ismail and Jonathan Blow.
(I just had another great discussion with Rami this weekend at PAX East. Always appreciate hearing his thoughts.)
NipplesAndToes23
Member
Yo, I've been looking for some black women to follow. Respect Lime. Repsect. Do you know of any that do good quality reviews like PB Gamer, The Completionist and the dozen other white male YouTubers? I'm also interested in game design analysis and history too.
cryptosporidium
Member
SuperBunnyHop gives really indepth/explanatory stuff both about games and the industry itself.
Tinfoilhatsron
Banned
This is a great idea for a thread. Subbed.
I'm probably not the most informed person to ask here, but it's difficult off the top of my head that fits this criteria of youtube video reviews - Dr. Samantha Blackmon from NYM is really good, so is Dr. Kishonna Gray and Dr. TreaAndrea Russworm (you can listen to this SpawnOnMe episode as an appetizer although it's from 2015). Gita Jackson does fresh writing for Kotaku. Tanya DePass is amazing as well. Black Girl Nerds is a bit broader in scope, but they do a lot of good work. Latoya Peterson is really cool, but she's more tech focused these days. Streamers you have Simply Undrea, AutomaticUzoy, PrettyBrown&Nerdy, REDinfamy. maybe Brooklyn Skill Tree although it's more of a trio? There are lots more I'm sure, I just haven't actively sought them out yet (NYM already gives me my fill) - others can probably fill in better than me.
Mr. Pointy
Member
When the hell is Gaming With Character going to update?
hydrophilic attack
Member
Yeah, Cool Ghosts are great
Jeff Cannata and Christian Spicer on the DLC podcast are great.
Shawn Andrich, Sean Sands and the crew on Gamers with Jobs have a great podcast every week.
I'm also liking the podquisition alot with Jim Sterling.
Angry Centaur Gaming with Karak is awesome but it comes out fortnightly.
Shawn Andrich, Sean Sands and the crew on Gamers with Jobs have a great podcast every week.
I'm also liking the podquisition alot with Jim Sterling.
Angry Centaur Gaming with Karak is awesome but it comes out fortnightly.
More_Badass
Member
Talking podcasts, my personal favorites are:
Final Games - basically Desert Island Discs for games, talking with everyone from Jason Schreier to Derek Yu about their favorite games
Checkpoints - talks with developers and others about the games that impacted and influenced their lives
Headshots - Psychologists discuss games and game-related topics from a psychological perspective
History Respawned - Hosts discuss topics related to historical games with experts in connected fields (ie Battefield 1, Mafia 3 and 1960s New Orleans, the lingistic foundations of Far Cry Primal)
Final Games - basically Desert Island Discs for games, talking with everyone from Jason Schreier to Derek Yu about their favorite games
Checkpoints - talks with developers and others about the games that impacted and influenced their lives
Headshots - Psychologists discuss games and game-related topics from a psychological perspective
History Respawned - Hosts discuss topics related to historical games with experts in connected fields (ie Battefield 1, Mafia 3 and 1960s New Orleans, the lingistic foundations of Far Cry Primal)
this thread is only for 'progressive' and diverse voices in the media specifically aimed at being critical towards parts of the industry so i dont know if SBH would actually apply
Personally speaking i'd recommend Joe as he's very pro consumer and anti corp, but i don't think its quite the example to give cause he doesn't really go into his progressive politics unless people are being idiots in his streams or comments sections
Noah Caldwell-Gervais
This guy goes deeeeeeeep, low production values in point of sound and editing but he more than makes up for it with his in-depth look looks and analysis of themes.
This guy goes deeeeeeeep, low production values in point of sound and editing but he more than makes up for it with his in-depth look looks and analysis of themes.
Dominic Snyder
Member
I've seen a lot of my faves suggested!
With a focus on games criticism and analysis, here's a few that I didn't see:
1: Good Blood - This channel is best known for their Sonic redesign video a year or so back, and they also caught a good amount of attention for their "Crash Bandicoot // An Icon Decline" video. They don't have a ton of content, but the previously mentioned two videos are worth checking out as well as are some of their other video essays on Limbo, The Last of Us, Year Walk, and Portal.
2: HeavyEyed - This guy specializes in short video essays examining specific games, genre trends, and design concepts and has been able to produce about a video or two a month for a while now. His Spec Ops: The Line, "Embracing Limitations", and "Language of Video Games" videos are all great as are many of his other offerings.
3: HyperBitHero - HyperBitHero has been making videos for years now. His most commonly recurring series are "Devious Intent", where he examines a villain, and "Your Next Favorite", where he discusses what he thinks is an underappreciated gem. He has a few very interesting "Lost in Concept" videos that study how certain games dramatically changed from production to finished product. And his video on "The Evolution of Uncharted's Convoy Chase" is neat.
4: Matthewmatosis - Matthewmatosis specializes in somewhat lengthy and in-depth video reviews of past and some more recent games. His critiques are generally on point, and he's covered games like Ico, Metal Gear Solid, BioShock Infinite, The Last of Us, Downwell, and the Souls games.
5: noclip - noclip is Danny O'Dwyer's newish channel that makes awesome, in-depth and well-produced game documentaries. So far they've come out with documentaries for Rocket League, the new Doom, and, most recently, a series on modern games which "rediscover the mystery" of games of yore in eras before the internet.
6: Orrin Luc - I think Orrin Luc is one of the most criminally underviewed game criticism video makers out there. Only one of his videos has reached 2,500 views, but all of them are incredibly thoughtful and fascinating little looks at specific elements of games like Shadow of the Colossus, Uncharted 4, P.T., Inside, and Conker's Bad Fur Day.
7: SoberDwarf - SoberDwarf first caught my attention with his "Design by Subtraction" video on Shadow of the Colossus, but when I went to his library, his "Design Documentary" on Bushido Blade ensured I'd make my way through the rest of his videos, too. SoberDwarf specializes in these "Design Documentary" videos and most of them are quite nice. You'll come for the detailed design analysis and production histories and stay for the charming, affable, and quirky host.
8: SolePorpoise - This channel features an excellent series studying games and their place as an artform within the humanities called "Oh the Humanities." His The Last of Us, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, and Games as Art videos are fantastic (as are some of his videos on films like Ex Machina and Interstellar.)
9: Cane and Rinse - This is a now four or five year old British podcast that aims to get some distance from games and have thought-provoking roundtable discussions and debates about their merits and cultural impacts. They're nearly on episode 260 and can provide hours and hours of great talk about a huge variety of games. Whether you listen to random episodes as you have time or just go through all of the ones featuring games you've personally experienced, you'll have tons of content to enjoy as you learn much and occasionally even begin arguing with the hosts.
Ok, there's plenty more I could list, but that's enough for now!
With a focus on games criticism and analysis, here's a few that I didn't see:
1: Good Blood - This channel is best known for their Sonic redesign video a year or so back, and they also caught a good amount of attention for their "Crash Bandicoot // An Icon Decline" video. They don't have a ton of content, but the previously mentioned two videos are worth checking out as well as are some of their other video essays on Limbo, The Last of Us, Year Walk, and Portal.
2: HeavyEyed - This guy specializes in short video essays examining specific games, genre trends, and design concepts and has been able to produce about a video or two a month for a while now. His Spec Ops: The Line, "Embracing Limitations", and "Language of Video Games" videos are all great as are many of his other offerings.
3: HyperBitHero - HyperBitHero has been making videos for years now. His most commonly recurring series are "Devious Intent", where he examines a villain, and "Your Next Favorite", where he discusses what he thinks is an underappreciated gem. He has a few very interesting "Lost in Concept" videos that study how certain games dramatically changed from production to finished product. And his video on "The Evolution of Uncharted's Convoy Chase" is neat.
4: Matthewmatosis - Matthewmatosis specializes in somewhat lengthy and in-depth video reviews of past and some more recent games. His critiques are generally on point, and he's covered games like Ico, Metal Gear Solid, BioShock Infinite, The Last of Us, Downwell, and the Souls games.
5: noclip - noclip is Danny O'Dwyer's newish channel that makes awesome, in-depth and well-produced game documentaries. So far they've come out with documentaries for Rocket League, the new Doom, and, most recently, a series on modern games which "rediscover the mystery" of games of yore in eras before the internet.
6: Orrin Luc - I think Orrin Luc is one of the most criminally underviewed game criticism video makers out there. Only one of his videos has reached 2,500 views, but all of them are incredibly thoughtful and fascinating little looks at specific elements of games like Shadow of the Colossus, Uncharted 4, P.T., Inside, and Conker's Bad Fur Day.
7: SoberDwarf - SoberDwarf first caught my attention with his "Design by Subtraction" video on Shadow of the Colossus, but when I went to his library, his "Design Documentary" on Bushido Blade ensured I'd make my way through the rest of his videos, too. SoberDwarf specializes in these "Design Documentary" videos and most of them are quite nice. You'll come for the detailed design analysis and production histories and stay for the charming, affable, and quirky host.
8: SolePorpoise - This channel features an excellent series studying games and their place as an artform within the humanities called "Oh the Humanities." His The Last of Us, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, and Games as Art videos are fantastic (as are some of his videos on films like Ex Machina and Interstellar.)
9: Cane and Rinse - This is a now four or five year old British podcast that aims to get some distance from games and have thought-provoking roundtable discussions and debates about their merits and cultural impacts. They're nearly on episode 260 and can provide hours and hours of great talk about a huge variety of games. Whether you listen to random episodes as you have time or just go through all of the ones featuring games you've personally experienced, you'll have tons of content to enjoy as you learn much and occasionally even begin arguing with the hosts.
Ok, there's plenty more I could list, but that's enough for now!
NipplesAndToes23
Member
You got any brothas?
Mostly just writers, critics, academics:
Zolani Stewart / fengxii
Evan Narcisse
Austin Walker
André Brock
Justin Clark
Sidney Fussell
Shawn Alexander Allen
The SpawnOnMe guys that I linked.
Shareef Jackson who I also linked in the OP
Brooklyn Skill Tree
A lot of these can also hook you up to other cool and insightful people & communities that I'm not familiar with. Allen is also here on GAF as Heart of Black if you want to PM him (assuming it's okay that I mention him).
He doesn't update often, and his gaming content is getting drawned out by other videos, but Satchbag's Goods is pretty great at its best - found him through his video on Sonic being mentioned in an article, and the rest of his videos have been pretty worthwhile following that.
I'm not sure if Chrontendo really counts but he provides extremely well-researched, historical coverage on classic video games. Kinda like Kim Justice but with a less of a UK focus and more of a Japan/US focus.
hey_monkey
Banned
TreaAndrea will be on the NYMG podcast next month, too!
I'm bumping this in light of case #1315178 of bigoted gaming personality. People on Twitter are mentioning a lot of inclusive and critical streamers and 'content creators' so perhaps this thread can serve another reminder to seek more empathetic and more interesting people.
Amazing episode by the way
Amazing episode by the way