📑 New publication! 📑

I was asked to write a 'viewpoint' article in a special issue on 'Ludomythologies'. I happily obliged with just a few thousand words on how we should think of myths less like stories and more like models, and how that makes them remarkably similar to games.

I thought we were past pretending that articles just popped into existence out of nowhere, written by no one. That reads far more "oddly" to me.

Thank you and congratulations to the editors and other authors. I think it's a fantastic volume that brings the study of games and monstrosity forward.

Crucially, as much as I love the game, its samurai critique is only skin-deep. The code of honour is only challenged insofar as it is unstrategic for fighting the Mongols, not in any deeper, societal way as their beloved Kurosawa actually did do.

The Mongols as monstrous paves the way for a depiction of the Japanese as 'pure' and favoured by nature in contrast, fitting neatly into the kind of image of itself that Japan wants to project (depsite the fact that @suckerpunchprod.bsky.social is American).

...and as being indexed in the gameworld by smoke, corpses and pollution, in contrast to the Japanese aspects of the island being found by following the wind, birds, foxes, and other lovely things.

...as 'babbling' in Mongolian and using the Japanese language in a strategic and neferious way...

Our chapter looks at how the Mongols in Ghost of Tsushima, although human and never claimed to be anything but, are portrayed as monstrous. How we use 'monstrofication' to make our enemies seem less-than-human.

The Mongols are shown as 'impure' and against nature...

This has been in the works for a while, and I'm really happy to see the whole book this is a part of finally out.

Monstrosity in Games and Play, edited by @sarahstang.bsky.social, @merilainen.bsky.social, @jjol33n.bsky.social
and Lobna Hassan

www.aup.nl/en/book/9789...

Another new publication?! That's right, they're coming thick and fast now. This time, co-authored with @jjol33n.bsky.social.

"Honor Died on the Beach": Constructing Japaneseness Through Monstrosity in Ghost of Tsushima

🔓https://domford.net/publication/ford-blom-honor-2025/ford-blom-honor-2025.pdf

The way they have integrated Copilot into Word makes me profoundly sad

👀👀👀

From swimming in the Mediterranean in 20+ degrees to being pummeled by rain at 10 degrees, welcome back to Germany had a fantastic time in Malta visiting the Institute of Digital games, thanks @danielvella.bsky.social, @gualeni.bsky.social, and all other friends old and new!

My week's research stay in Malta begins!

Later today at CEEGS 2023 I'll be talking about city-builders! 500+ hours in Cities: Skylines wasn't for nothing.

Go on then, let's give this a go. Here's mine right now.