New Video! Can A Game Capture A City? (Patreon exclusive!)

Hey everyone,

Just letting you know that the new Patreon-exclusive video is now available! This is one I posted the audio for a few days ago, and here's the promised video component.

I've been on a total Michael Mann kick lately, which got me thinking about the concept of the city, specifically in reference to Mann's consistent depiction of the existential disarray and unease found within his frequent backdrop—Los Angeles, and a depiction that, as explored in the piece, I find myself oddly relating to.

With reference to Heat and Collateral, and in games GTAV and Hitman, I discuss how a city is more than just a landmass, a collection of landmarks, and question whether it's possible for games, with all their mechanical incentives to conquer and attain, to truly capture the soul (or lack therein) of a city setting.

Thank you very much for your patience in me getting this to you all—needed a day or two to recuperate after working on the MGS piece for so long (that'll hopefully be going public tomorrow as well!). I truly appreciate it.

As I said before, this is one I enjoyed putting together a whole lot. I really love getting to write about slightly leftfield topics like this and relating it back to video games, and after the colossal MGS video, a short-but-sweet piece like this was something I really needed. Felt like it came together pretty naturally. I sincerely hope you get a kick out of it as well.

Keeping this Patreon exclusive for now—may end up putting it on the main channel at some point if I can figure out a good way to package it. For now though, it's all yours!

Thank you so much as well for your continued support—I wouldn't be able to do this kind of thing without it. You're all the best.

More stuff very soon!

Hamish

Writing on Games