Right now I’m enjoying reading more than opining, so rather than ‘weigh in,’ I’m going to share some links that I think make for essential reading in the ongoing dialogue on personal games, games as self-expression, and cultural participation.

There are a variety of different perspectives expressed here, and even those in agreement express nuances particular to their own experiences. There are also some related posts making the rounds that I haven’t gathered here — these are just the ones I’ve been reading myself lately. If you’re like me, you’re watching the conversation emerge and thinking about how you yourself feel.

Darius Kazemi’s “Fuck Videogames”
Ian Bogost’s “Doing Things Is Okay”
Liz Ryerson’s “an in-depth response to ['Fuck Videogames']”
Porpentine’s “7 Thoughts On Women In Games”
Raph Koster’s “On Personal Games”
Emily Short’s “A View from a Different Rock”

These conversations are currently much more interesting to me than, say, what console specs are going to get unveiled at E3 or whatever. My newest Edge column to come online asks the commercial next-gen to prove its relevance to mature, empathetic adults.

Also here’s a design analysis of Candy Box, because why not. And apropos of nothing, my newest Game of Thrones recap is also up.