Video Game Theory

Video Game Development

Critical Theory

• CTheory.com: Postmodernity on the theoretical edge from the Krokers of Concordia University in Montreal. Jargon abounds here. Juried articles and reviews here.
• Journal of Mundane Behavior: Everyday life theorized. Juried articles and reviews.
• K.I.S.S. of the Panopticon: "a quick, user-friendly, one-stop shopping guide to new media literacy, as well as cultural/critical theory and its relationship with communications and new media, including the Internet."
• Postmodern Culture: The premier location for serious critical theory on the Web.
• Substance.org: Web-based version of an established journal of criticism.
• Theory.org.uk: Very fun theory site (is this possible?) with trading cards.

HTML and Web Design Help

• Webmonkey: A beginners guide to handcoding HTML. Includes demonstrations and tutorials.
• Pageresource.com: tutorials on HTML, JavaScript, and other information for creating web pages.
• NCSA Beginners Guide to HTML: clear, useful, extensive tutorials on basic HTML.
• The Top 15 Mistakes of First Time Web Design: Learn what not to do.
• Web Pages That Suck: An encyclopedia of poorly designed sites. Learn good web page design techniques by looking at bad web page design.

Chat, MOO, MUD, etc.

Software

• Dreamweaver: This shareware version of Macromedia's excellent Web design product will expire in 30 days. Still, this is a very good way to test the product before purchasing. Instructions: be sure to select the "try" option on the downloads page. Otherwise you will be asked to provide a credit card number.
• Fireworks:Macromedia's image editing software. Like Dreamweaver, this program is only free for thirty days, after that, you have to pay for it.
• Netscape: A highly recommended Web browser. Netscape is the rival of Microsoft's Internet Explorer and offers different features that many users prefer over Microsoft's proprietary product. Note that Netscape's "Communicator" product includes an e-mail management program (Netscape Messenger) a web-based calendar program (Netscape Calendar), and a web design program (Netscape Composer). Communicator is a large file that may take hours to download.
• WinZip:This program allows you to "unzip" compressed files with a .zip extension. You can also compress files with this program, making them easier to store, save and send by e-mail.
• WS FTP LE: A reliable program for transferring files from your computer to a server and vice versa. This version is available free, but only for non-profit groups or educational purposes. Instructions: click on the link and fill in the form as required. Be sure to select WS_FTP LE as your desired application to download. You will need an unzip program to open this file (see winzip above).
• DarkBasic: game development software for beginners (with a passing knowledge of programming in BASIC).

Writing and Research Assistance

• Elements of Style: the 1918 writer's style guide by William Strunk - use with caution.
• Merriam Webster Online: online dictionary with a simple interface.
• MLA Style Guide: standard writing guide for essays and bibliographical format. Includes instructions for citing Web resources.
• University of Detroit Mercy Library: search the university's holdings and access other databases.
• Roget's Thesaurus: Roget's Thesaurus Search Form courtesy of the ARTFL Project at the University of Chicago.
• Voice of the Shuttle: extensive index of scholarly publications on the Web.

Webzines

• The Onion: "America's Finest News Source" spoofs the real news and casts a scathing glance at modern American life.
• Adbusters: An online version of the print mag, Adbusters fights to break the hold of corporate advertising on North American society.
• UDM Rewired: Produced by the students of ENL 305-Freelance Writing for Print & Web, this zine takes a look at all things digital on the campus of the University of Detroit Mercy.

Film and Video Links

• Internet Movie Database: A comprehensive collection of information on movies, actors, and directors.
• Film Quarterly: International in coverage and reputation, Film Quarterly offers lively and penetrating articles covering the entire field of film studies.
• Screen:Screen is a leading international journal of academic film and television studies.
• Senses of Cinema: An online film journal devoted to the serious and eclectic discussion of cinema.
• Jump Cut: Pioneers since 1974, analyzing media in relation to class, race, and gender.
• Bright Lights Film Journal: A popular-academic hybrid of movie analysis, history, and commentary, looking at classic and commercial, independent, exploitation, and international film from a wide range of vantage points from the aesthetic to the political.
• Framework: Is an international journal dedicated to plural approaches to film and media.

Want to submit a link for this page? Send e-mail to marcel@e-crit.com.