Author: maggiecruzblog

[vimeo 235273377 w=640 h=360] Website About Me from Magnolia Cruz on Vimeo. Have you ever thought about why rupees fall out of bushes when you cut them in The Legend of Zelda series? Wonder what inspired millions of folks to walk for collectively thousands of miles to hunt for virtual creatures? If you find any of these topics as interesting as I do, you’ll probably enjoy the kind of writing I do here. My name is Magnolia (Maggie, for short); I’m a 22 year old New Media Journalism Master's student who aspires to blab about video games for a living. I’m still not exactly sure what avenue I specifically want to go down (though I do have a dream of working on the Communications team at Riot Games), but in the meantime, I’m going to be all about sharpening up my writing skills by yakking it up about games content associated with marginalized groups. I want to be able to bring people together: in regards to games, I want to help deliver the message that games and the companies that make them want to tell their fans and players. I also would love to sit down and examine different aspects of games under a microscope and get into some juicy analyses all about them. This also goes hand in hand with the topic of marginalized groups; everyone should feel like they are valid and are represented, and I want to equally celebrate good representation and analyze where we can improve on it in media. I first discovered my passion for writing/talking about video games after reading a book called The Legend of Zelda and Philosophy: I Link, Therefore I Am. It was my first exposure to video game analysis; going in depth about the design choice of characters, environments, missions, and so much more. It absolutely enraptured my young mind at the time, and quickly influenced me to want to look at video games in a completely different way. I also received inspiration from Riot Games, the company responsible for the widely successful game, League of Legends. The amount of meticulous detail that goes into each and every region and champion’s lore is mind boggling, and I would love the opportunity to sit down and further analyze some of them myself. Video games as a whole are incredible masterpieces in their own way; they provide storytelling and emotion that we are accustomed to seeing from films and television, only with the unique ability to interact with them ourselves. We feel like we are part of every single decision, every character death, and every victory and failure our characters experience because we were there controlling them through it all. I hope that through my writing, you too will be interested in looking at games and media deeper than simply face value; they truly are works of art, and deserve to be examined and studied as more than sources of fun and entertainment. I will be doing personal essays and pieces on how games have affected me, even saved me at time. I will also be doing analyses of different aspects of games/how they affect the world as a whole, as well as entertaining, engaging pieces on developments in the game industry. So take a seat, pack some snacks and strap in; we’re going on a crazy journey through the expansive, incredible world of gays and video games.

Nintendo pulls fan-made “Breath of the Wild” 2D adaptation

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A recently published 2D fan adaptation of Nintendo’s newest addition to The Legend of Zelda series was recently taken down because of a copyright claim made by Nintendo of America. The fan project, titled “Breath of the NES”, was a free game available to download on Windows PC. The creator, known online as Winterdrake, combined… Continue reading Nintendo pulls fan-made “Breath of the Wild” 2D adaptation

+5 Charisma Gained! How Online Games like League of Legends are Bringing People Together

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https://spark.adobe.com/video/8a3UzISveqNYB/embed For years, people of varying generations around the world have argued the benefits and harms that playing video games have on people, especially younger audiences. Coupled with the controversial topic of millenials’ dependency on technology, many people may wonder if video games do nothing more than keep gamers inside and create less social environments.… Continue reading +5 Charisma Gained! How Online Games like League of Legends are Bringing People Together

It’s Dangerous to Go Alone! The Power of Community (with Sabriel Mastin)

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Regardless of the content involved, communities exist within practically every aspect of humanity. From nationalities to hobbies to favorite foods, people in general find comfort and joy out of finding a group of other individuals with mutual interests. Thanks to social media and online communication, gaming communities have grown to being incredibly large and vast.… Continue reading It’s Dangerous to Go Alone! The Power of Community (with Sabriel Mastin)

Not All Heroes Wear Capes: Great Things Video Games Do for the World

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Video games accomplish a  lot more than kill time and make incredible amounts of money: they raise quite a lot of money for charities  around the world. From people  beating games as quickly as possible to raise money for cancer prevention to streaming gameplay online for 24 hour marathons  for sick children, there are  many… Continue reading Not All Heroes Wear Capes: Great Things Video Games Do for the World

Bomb’s Away! How Overwatch Made the Internet Explode Over Tracer’s Sexuality

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Overwatch’s quirky mascot Tracer, was shown getting a sweet smooch from her sweetie in the holiday themed comic released by Blizzard Entertainment in December. From diverse heroes and abilities to the high speed and intensity of the matches, it’s no wonder why Blizzard Entertainment’s Overwatch has earned such a tremendous following around the world. But… Continue reading Bomb’s Away! How Overwatch Made the Internet Explode Over Tracer’s Sexuality

Let’s Catch Em All: Why Pokemon Go Could Be One of the Best Things to Happen to Us (Right Now)

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Pokemon Go logo, Google   With the release of Pokemon Go, it suddenly feels like 1998 all over again. Everyone and their dog is suddenly talking about Pokemon: what they caught, what gym they took over, who they beat, what team they’re on, which team is best (hint: it’s Valor); to the point that now… Continue reading Let’s Catch Em All: Why Pokemon Go Could Be One of the Best Things to Happen to Us (Right Now)