Worth Reading: How Two Brothers, One In Prison, Use Games To Connect

This week’s edition of Worth Reading, a collection of the best writing from the past week, goes behind-the-scenes with the mysteries of Bloodborne and the connections we share with family.

Hey, You Should Read These

• Bloodborne creator Hidetaka Miyazaki: ‘I didn’t have a dream. I wasn’t ambitious by Simon Parkin

So many people are familiar with the Souls games, but few know much about its creative force, Hidetaka Miyazaki. Heck, even I don’t know all that much, since Miyazaki doesn’t put himself in front of the press that often. But Simon Parkin helps pull away the layers behind one of gaming’s most interesting franchises right now (since Bloodborne is, more or less, another Souls game), and we discover all sorts of fascinating pieces of information. For example, we now know why the storytelling in Miyazaki’s games feel scattered, incomplete, and filled with holes:

“When Hidetaka Miyazaki was a child, he was a keen reader, though not a talented one. Often he’d reach passages of text he couldn’t understand, and so would allow his imagination to fill in the blanks, using the accompanying illustrations. In this way, he felt he was co-writing the fiction alongside its original author. The thrill of this process never left him — and it is very much there in his arcane and fascinating video games, the latest of which, Bloodborne, has just been released to wild acclaim.”

• Prison Pen Pals: Talking About Video Games With My Incarcerated Brother by Ray Porreca

We all have fuzzy, nostalgic memories about the games we used to play as kids. I remember how the only game my dad would play with us was Tecmo Bowl, or how my mum would drain our Game Boy batteries, thanks to endless rounds of Tetris. Ray Porreca has been using his memories to connect with his brother, who’s going to be in prison for some time to come.

“Happy belated birthday,” I wrote. He had turned 23 a few days earlier. “I’m sure it was a terrible birthday for you, but I didn’t forget. I bet prison cake sucks.”

After writing those first sentences, the words came naturally. I knew that my letters to him might give him some solace. There would be time for conversation about his incarceration, but not now. He had all the time in the world, after all.

“Do you remember that game we used to take turns playing on dad’s computer? Endless Online?”

If You Click It, It Will Play

Oh, And This Other Stuff

• Aevee Bee praised the way Bloodborne rewards players for being careful observers.
• Soha Kareem looked at what various GDC talks about online communities can teach us.
• James Batchelor spoke with Human Head about life after the cancellation of Prey 2.
• Laura Kate spoiled the second episode of Life Is Strange to explain how it impacted her.
• Jonathan Gabriel reflected on talking about video games to his kid’s PTA meeting.
• Christian Dolan explained how games are helping him cope with an incurable illness.
• Chris Kohler wondered how it’s even possible to review games in the modern patching age.
• Ryan Smith caught up with the creators of Mortal Kombat, as their next game approaches.
• Carolyn Petit articulated many of the reasons I was frustrated with Axiom Verge.
• Laura Hudson described the emotional arc of understanding and playing Bloodborne.