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Author: Ben Sailer

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Countering COVID-19 Disinformation in Five Minutes or Less with Go Viral!

By Ben Sailer • January 8th, 2021

Separating fact from fiction on the Internet and in the media is more difficult than ever. In the middle of a global pandemic, the consequences are potentially lethal. Could a simple browser game be part of the solution?

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On Videogames, Accessibility and the Winter From Hell

By Ben Sailer • December 10th, 2020

Videogames are more accessible than ever thanks to increased digitization. Facing what will be the harshest winter in a generation, this is a godsend that is easy to miss, but should not be taken for granted.

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Colin Kaepernick, Madden NFL 21 and the Football Future That Wasn’t

By Ben Sailer • October 27th, 2020

After punting on social justice for years, Electronic Arts recently patched Colin Kaepernick back into Madden NFL 21. Don’t rush to pat them on the back.

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We Can’t Afford to Log Off

By Ben Sailer • October 1st, 2020

Twitter isn’t just a time-wasting hellsite. It’s also the world’s worst multi-user dungeon.

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Baseball is Dead, Long Live Blaseball

By Ben Sailer • September 3rd, 2020

The only thing weirder than the satirical baseball sim Blaseball is actual professional baseball.

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Open Worlds, Open Minds

By Ben Sailer • August 7th, 2020

While Ben used to hate open-world games, now that life under lockdown has made his surroundings feel more compact than ever though, the promise of exploring their vast landscapes has taken on a different appeal.

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Between Progress and Pragmatism in Democratic Socialism Simulator

By Ben Sailer • July 9th, 2020

This game offers an opportunity to explore the policy possibilities of a progressive presidency in America. But underneath its colorful cartoon aesthetic lies a surprising degree of subversive power.

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Redefining the Race

By Ben Sailer • June 9th, 2020

The future of virtual and real-world racing are becoming increasingly intertwined. Could the two someday become one and the same?

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Finding Meaning in Animal Crossing’s Weird-Ass World

By Ben Sailer • May 7th, 2020

Animal Crossing: New Horizons has dominated social media since its release. This explainer might help you understand the appeal, or it might not explain anything at all.

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On GameStop and Contempt for Nostalgia

By Ben Sailer • April 13th, 2020

Ben thinks way too hard about his strained relationship with a struggling videogame retailer and learns about Swiss mercenaries along the way.

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Could the Decline of Violent Football Videogames Have Predicted the Future of Player Safety?

By Ben Sailer • March 10th, 2020

Football videogames in the early to mid-1990s reveled in over-the-top physical violence. Could the disappearance of that tendency be connected to changing public perception around the safety of the sport?

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What I Think About When I Think About Grandia

By Ben Sailer • February 10th, 2020

What can we learn about social activism from an aging 32-bit-era role-playing game? According to one writer who probably needs to get more sleep, maybe more than one might think.

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There’s No Such Thing as a Neutral War Story

By Ben Sailer • January 14th, 2020

Like literally every other piece of media, videogames don’t exist in a vacuum.

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Exploring Social Impact Journalism With Headliner: Novinews

By Ben Sailer • December 5th, 2019

Headliner: Novinews asks players to consider the social impact of sound journalistic best practice by offering questions that lead to more questions.

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How I Learned to Stop Worrying (And Love Being Horrified)

By Ben Sailer • November 11th, 2019

Ben hasn’t felt frightened by a game since playing the original Resident Evil two decades ago. However, a brisk run through Outlast changed that, and in the process, helped him rekindle a long-lost love for being scared shitless.

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Backing a Fake Basketball Underdog

By Ben Sailer • October 13th, 2019

It cannot be overstated exactly how bad NBA 2K has beaten NBA Live over the past two decades.

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How an 8-Bit Football Franchise is Still Kicking

By Ben Sailer • August 30th, 2019

A local competition helps Ben rediscover his love for Tecmo Super Bowl.

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Abe’s Oddysee, Ahead of Its Time

By Ben Sailer • August 14th, 2019

The PlayStation classic Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee offers poignant commentary on how to handle catastrophic circumstances that feel bigger than yourself.

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When Amazon Gamifies Hell, Who’s Gaming Who?

By Ben Sailer • July 3rd, 2019

Videogames placed in Amazon warehouses are allegedly intended to boost employee morale. However, reality may be less altruistic than the company’s PR spin.

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Dogs of War

By Ben Sailer • June 5th, 2019

Sure video game dogs make for great meme material, but good boys have been serving since World War I.

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How About a Refund?

By Ben Sailer • May 14th, 2019

Google’s talked about how great Stadia is, but how will it win over the average (heavily skeptical) consumer?

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Ace Combat 7 Wants the Context of War Without its Baggage

By Ben Sailer • April 10th, 2019

Even in an arcade game like Ace Combat 7, borrowing from real-world war narratives makes the whole “escapism” thing…awkward.

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Tidying Up the Old Videogame Collection

By Ben Sailer • March 13th, 2019

Sometimes, stuff’s just gotta go. Even if you loved it.

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Musical Play Without the Peripherals

By Ben Sailer • February 11th, 2019

Resynth goes beyond teaching muscle memory and challenges players much in the same way writing music does.

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At Least Videogame Advertising Has Grown Up

By Ben Sailer • January 11th, 2019

The days of shit-talking the competition are gone. Now videogame companies demand our attention by . . . just making better products.

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DDR Movie Marks a Positive Step

By Ben Sailer • November 26th, 2018

Why make a movie about Dance Dance Revolution? Maybe a better question to ask is, “Why would they make a movie about any other game at all?”

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Rigged Games

By Ben Sailer • November 14th, 2018

If politicians treat electioneering like a tactical war game that was built to be hacked, Gerrymander lays their tactics bare with adorably dystopian puzzles.

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The Inseparable Politics of Homo Machina

By Ben Sailer • October 13th, 2018

Underneath this mobile game’s unassuming plot lies deep historical inspiration intricately connected to the social upheaval surrounding its source material.

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Whether its NFL or RPG, A Party Trumps Its Players

By Ben Sailer • August 30th, 2018

How communities and players lose sight of the people behind their beloved teams.

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Remembering Doom on SNES

By Ben Sailer • July 12th, 2018

Doom for the Super Nintendo was an incredible feat of technical trickery. It’s also my favorite game of all time that I never want to play again.

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