Extra Credits
Encyclopedia
Extra Credits is an ongoing webseries presented by James Portnow, Daniel Floyd, and Allison Theus. The series of videos discuss issues pertinent to video games and game studies
, particularly: discussing issues concerning the development of videos games, addressing the legitimacy of video games as an art form, and creating intellectual discourse on important issues in the video game community. The show is currently published on PATV, a distribution channel hosted by the creators of Penny Arcade
.
. Floyd states that the style of his presentations was "loosely modeled after Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw's Zero Punctuation
reviews.". Soon thereafter, the series (untitled at the time) expanded to publication on Edge
, and James Portnow was brought in as a writer. One episode also features journalist Leigh Alexander from Gamasutra
in a discussion about video games and their female audience. In July, 2010, an announcement was made that the series would be a featured series for The Escapist
, where weekly episodes of the series began, as well as the introduction of their new full-time artist, Theus, and the new title, Extra Credits.
In May 2011, Extra Credits hosted the first annual Extra Credits Innovations Awards at Login 2011, which was meant to praise developers who were willing to take risks and push the boundaries of video games as a medium. Awards were intentionally nonstandard compared to other awards frequently awarded to other award series, focusing on ingenuity rather than success, including categories such as: Innovation in Game Design, Innovation in Narrative Delivery, Most Unbelievable Awesome Fun, Genre Buster Award, Positive Impact Innovator, LOGIN Special Award for Innovation in Multiplayer.
and Extra Credits. The dispute was over what the remains of a charity that was to pay for Extra Credits artist Allison Theus's surgery, and how it should be used. Portnow planned to create a game publishing label with the money, where the revenue would go directly into funding subsequent projects. The Escapist stated the money should have been used to create more episodes of Extra Credits for The Escapist and to compensate Themis Media for donation incentives, such as premium memberships and T-shirts. As a result, Extra Credits broke ties with The Escapist, and after a brief four-week stint posting directly to YouTube, the show has since aired on Penny Arcade.
, and address the topic of the week with "doodle
s" and random imagery from various sources on the internet, with a strong focus on visual pun
s and ironic counterpoint
. The tone of the videos are generally light-hearted and often humorous, but always didactic, intended to educate the audience and begin to foster dialogue on the presented subject. Generally, the show is presented from the perspective of a game designer rather than the average gamer.
While Extra Credits discusses new topics every week as they apply to games, there are some topics which are more frequently addressed than others, including: poor narrative
creation, level design
, gamification
, tangential learning, sexuality and gender discrimination both within games and in the gaming community, and diversity in games (including gender, sexuality, and racial diversity). The show is frequently critical of the triple-A video game industry. Extra Credits is also a big proponent of independent developers
, although it has frequently stated that they don't want to see only "art house" games either. "No one on this show wants every game to try to be gaming's Ulysses
or even gaming's Blood Meridian. But we really would like to see a few more Mass Effect
, Portals, Bioshock
s, even Call of Duty 4
's."
Game studies
Game studies or the new modern term "gaming theory" is the discipline of studying games, their design, players, and their role in society and culture more broadly...
, particularly: discussing issues concerning the development of videos games, addressing the legitimacy of video games as an art form, and creating intellectual discourse on important issues in the video game community. The show is currently published on PATV, a distribution channel hosted by the creators of Penny Arcade
Penny Arcade (webcomic)
Penny Arcade is a webcomic focused on video games and video game culture, written by Jerry Holkins and illustrated by Mike Krahulik. The comic debuted in 1998 on the website loonygames.com. Since then, Holkins and Krahulik have established their own site, which is typically updated with a new comic...
.
Beginnings
The series began in 2008 when Floyd created two video presentations for his art history and media theory classes at Savannah College of Art and DesignSavannah College of Art and Design
SCAD, the Savannah College of Art and Design, is a private, accredited and degree-granting university with locations in Savannah and Atlanta, Georgia, Hong Kong, and Lacoste, France.-History:...
. Floyd states that the style of his presentations was "loosely modeled after Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw's Zero Punctuation
Zero Punctuation
Zero Punctuation is an ongoing video game review series created by comedy writer and video game journalist Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw and published by the online magazine The Escapist.-Background:...
reviews.". Soon thereafter, the series (untitled at the time) expanded to publication on Edge
Edge (magazine)
Edge is a multi-format computer and video game magazine published by Future Publishing in the United Kingdom. It is known for its industry contacts, editorial stance, distinctive anonymous third-person writing style, yearly awards and longevity....
, and James Portnow was brought in as a writer. One episode also features journalist Leigh Alexander from Gamasutra
Gamasutra
Gamasutra is a website founded in 1997 for video game developers. It is owned and operated by UBM TechWeb , a division of United Business Media, and acts as the online sister publication to the print magazine Game Developer...
in a discussion about video games and their female audience. In July, 2010, an announcement was made that the series would be a featured series for The Escapist
The Escapist (magazine)
The Escapist is an online magazine covering video games, gamers, the gaming industry, and gaming culture. Published by the Themis Group, it was edited by Julianne Greer up to June 30, 2009, then by Russ Pitts through September 2011, and is currently edited by Steve Butts. The Escapist was first...
, where weekly episodes of the series began, as well as the introduction of their new full-time artist, Theus, and the new title, Extra Credits.
In May 2011, Extra Credits hosted the first annual Extra Credits Innovations Awards at Login 2011, which was meant to praise developers who were willing to take risks and push the boundaries of video games as a medium. Awards were intentionally nonstandard compared to other awards frequently awarded to other award series, focusing on ingenuity rather than success, including categories such as: Innovation in Game Design, Innovation in Narrative Delivery, Most Unbelievable Awesome Fun, Genre Buster Award, Positive Impact Innovator, LOGIN Special Award for Innovation in Multiplayer.
Dispute with The Escapist
Around the end of July 2011, there was a dispute between The EscapistThe Escapist (magazine)
The Escapist is an online magazine covering video games, gamers, the gaming industry, and gaming culture. Published by the Themis Group, it was edited by Julianne Greer up to June 30, 2009, then by Russ Pitts through September 2011, and is currently edited by Steve Butts. The Escapist was first...
and Extra Credits. The dispute was over what the remains of a charity that was to pay for Extra Credits artist Allison Theus's surgery, and how it should be used. Portnow planned to create a game publishing label with the money, where the revenue would go directly into funding subsequent projects. The Escapist stated the money should have been used to create more episodes of Extra Credits for The Escapist and to compensate Themis Media for donation incentives, such as premium memberships and T-shirts. As a result, Extra Credits broke ties with The Escapist, and after a brief four-week stint posting directly to YouTube, the show has since aired on Penny Arcade.
Format
Extra Credits is written by Portnow, narrated by Floyd, and the art is primarily made by Theus. Videos are presented in the style of a lecture hallLecture hall
A lecture hall is a large room used for instruction, typically at a college or university. Unlike a traditional classroom with a capacity from one to four dozen, the capacity of lecture halls is typically measured in the hundreds...
, and address the topic of the week with "doodle
Doodle
A doodle is an unfocused drawing made while a person's attention is otherwise occupied. Doodles are simple drawings that can have concrete representational meaning or may just be abstract shapes....
s" and random imagery from various sources on the internet, with a strong focus on visual pun
Visual pun
A visual pun is a pun involving an image or images .Visual puns in which the image is at odds with the inscription are common in Dutch gable stones as well as in cartoons such as Lost Consonants or The Far Side...
s and ironic counterpoint
Irony
Irony is a rhetorical device, literary technique, or situation in which there is a sharp incongruity or discordance that goes beyond the simple and evident intention of words or actions...
. The tone of the videos are generally light-hearted and often humorous, but always didactic, intended to educate the audience and begin to foster dialogue on the presented subject. Generally, the show is presented from the perspective of a game designer rather than the average gamer.
While Extra Credits discusses new topics every week as they apply to games, there are some topics which are more frequently addressed than others, including: poor narrative
Narrative
A narrative is a constructive format that describes a sequence of non-fictional or fictional events. The word derives from the Latin verb narrare, "to recount", and is related to the adjective gnarus, "knowing" or "skilled"...
creation, level design
Level design
Level design, environment design or game mapping is a discipline of game development involving creation of video game levels—locales, stages, or missions. This is commonly done using level editor, a game development software designed for building levels; however some games feature built-in...
, gamification
Gamification
Gamification is the use of game design techniques and mechanics to solve problems and engage audiences. Typically gamification applies to non-game applications and processes , in order to encourage people to adopt them...
, tangential learning, sexuality and gender discrimination both within games and in the gaming community, and diversity in games (including gender, sexuality, and racial diversity). The show is frequently critical of the triple-A video game industry. Extra Credits is also a big proponent of independent developers
Independent video game development
Independent video game development is the process of creating video games without the financial support of a video game publisher. While large firms can create independent games, they are usually designed by an individual or a small team of as many as ten people, depending on the complexity of the...
, although it has frequently stated that they don't want to see only "art house" games either. "No one on this show wants every game to try to be gaming's Ulysses
Odysseus
Odysseus or Ulysses was a legendary Greek king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer's epic poem the Odyssey. Odysseus also plays a key role in Homer's Iliad and other works in the Epic Cycle....
or even gaming's Blood Meridian. But we really would like to see a few more Mass Effect
Mass Effect
Mass Effect is an action role-playing game developed by BioWare for the Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows by Demiurge Studios. The Xbox 360 version was released worldwide in November 2007 published by Microsoft Game Studios...
, Portals, Bioshock
Bioshock
BioShock is a first-person shooter video game developed by 2K Boston and designed by Ken Levine. It was released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 on August 21, 2007 in North America, and three days later in Europe and Australia. It became available on Steam on August 21, 2007...
s, even Call of Duty 4
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is a 2007 first-person shooter video game, developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii. A handheld game was made for the Nintendo DS. The game was released in North America, Australia, and...
's."
Season 0
Season 0 consists of episodes Floyd uploaded to YouTube, which were released sporadically, before moving over to The Escapist, and are currently only available on YouTube on Floyd's personal account.| Total | # | Title | Air date |
|---|