Lamenting The Gamer's Quarter

Recently I’ve been lamenting the loss of the Gamer’s Quarter and their quarterly publication. Last spring they published their 8^th and final regular issue with the promise that they are not going away forever, just coming back less often. Unfortunately, I think it is the relationship equivalent to “It’s not you, it’s me.” The Gamer’s Quarter was a thoroughly enjoyable publication with essays dealing with games and the emotions, life, and memories that surround those games . The stories are not really reviews of games, but more of experiences of those games. I hope the writers have found continuing outlets for their work. If you haven’t read anything from there yet, look back at my post last February for my recommendations.

In order to get my creative writing fix, I’ve been reading Cerise and their September issue (along with their back issues are worth checking out. They are (as they say in their mission statement):

Cerise is a resource by and for women gamers. We are dedicated to increasing the voices of underrepresented identities in the game development industries and in gamer communities.

It’s a good read and an important alternative voice in a traditionally male dominated industry.

Jeremy Parish (of 1up.com) personal blog has expanded to include more community involvement. Users are submitting reviews and essays of older games. The essay/review of Final Fantasy Tactics Advance is a good example of how the “reviews” are more than traditional reviews.

For anyone still concerned that the generations growing up with video games have lost their written expression. Each of these three site provides examples that gamers are discussing, reflecting, and writing about their experiences on a regular basis.