Interactive fiction is a thriving genre, but its commercial heyday is long gone. Here's Leigh Alexander on how Kickstarter could usher in text adventures' long-overdue renaissance: "There's more than just nostalgia contributing to a potential revival for interactive stories. A broader gaming audience means appetites for game forms we might have once called "casual" in another time — and furthermore, the popularity of tablets and e-readers means there's a real appetite for game forms that take advantage of a culture now habituated to reading on luminous screens in ways prior generations were widely not. [Gamasutra]
Interactive fiction revival?
Study: games and video-watching correlate with kids getting smarter, social media a wash
On the impact of digital media on childhood intelligence, games and watching videos were consistent with cognitive benefits. Socializing digitally, however, had no consistent effect. Here we estimated the effect of each three types of screen time (Watching TV and online videos, Socializing via social media, text, and video chat, and Gaming) on intelligence after… READ THE REST
Cultivate a virtual underwater ecosystem in your orb.farm
Orb.farm is a pixel-art glass bowl you can fill with water, sand, stone, wood, plankton, fish and other things useful for the creation of underwater ecologies. [via Hacker News] This is a virtual ecosystem where different species of creature can live, grow and die as part of a self-contained food chain. A fun way to… READ THE REST
How they make the sounds for "Halo Infinite"
I'm a sucker for a good video about the art of foley, and this one features an adorable pug. Ever wonder how video games get their sound effects? We go behind the scenes of Halo, one of the world's most popular video games, to find out how the game builds everything from its weapon sound… READ THE REST
Get Microsoft Office Pro and 78 hours of training for an unbelievable price
We thank our sponsor for making this content possible; it is not written by the editorial staff nor does it necessarily reflect its views. Here's a catch-22: Most jobs and most schoolwork require you to use Microsoft Office programs in one way or another. Whether you need to type a document, create a PowerPoint presentation, or… READ THE REST
Make custom engravings for anything you own with 33% off this engraving pen
We thank our sponsor for making this content possible; it is not written by the editorial staff nor does it necessarily reflect its views. There's something extraordinary about personalized items. A monogram, a note, really anything personal, can give a ton of meaning to a seemingly mundane object. And one surefire way to make something unique… READ THE REST
This powerful electric toothbrush can last up to 28 days on one charge
We thank our sponsor for making this content possible; it is not written by the editorial staff nor does it necessarily reflect its views. Are you searching for a premium toothbrush? Then you might want to upgrade to an electric toothbrush. For one, they're a whole lot better at fighting nasty grime like food particles and… READ THE REST
