Christina González




Here you'll find a selection of my work, both recent and a little older.  This page last updated 7/19/2014.

The Escapist:
Gaming Ability - A look at ways gaming can be inclusive toward those with disabilities. This was inspired by my mother.
Gangbangers, Victims, and Whores - Latinas in Videogames: The title is harsh because the depictions are. I remember once wanting to read about the portrayal of Latina characters in video games. I searched only to find no one had written that article yet. This is my take.

RTSGuru.com and MMORPG.com:

It's Time To Get Realistic About Kickstarter - A certain Kickstarter fatigue has set in, especially when it seems the majority of new game announcements are accompanied by begging for cash. Examining the reality (using strategy games, but this can work for multiple genres) and what needs to be done.
SimCity: Were We Deliberately Misled? - After a simple hack was shown to enable SimCity's offline play, and with no word for days from EA and Maxis, pondering if we were misled by the developers about the game's requirements and purpose.
Is the Single Player Campaign Still Relevant?  Examining whether or not the single player campaign in RTS and strategy games is still relevant to players in light of a decision by EA to remove -- then restore --the campaign in the next Command & Conquer title.
Will Honor Change the LoL Community? - Reflecting upon the system of positive reinforcement for League of Legends a day after its announcement, and gauging the potential impact on the community.
League of Legends - Putting Honor to the Test - A followup to my earlier piece, this time serving as a capsule review of Honor after it had been implemented.
Why RTS Gamers Should Check Out Guild Wars 2 - Noting the strong influence of RTS mechanics on one of the standout features of MMORPG Guild Wars 2 upon its release.

The Social Hub - A regular column examining communities and related concerns and issues in MMORPGs and online games in general.
Guild Wars 2 - Crafting Preview - Previewing the crafting system in the Guild Wars 2 beta.
Attack of the Eight-Legged Cliché! - Enough with the giant spiders already, developers! A lightly humorous piece from an arachnophobic gamer.
Regular news updates from 2011-2013 here at RTSGuru.com

Other:

A review of Grab 'Em Snacks Plantain Chips, plus some history on plantains.
Sid Meier's Civilization V: Gods & Kings review on Yahoo.
Reflecting in a Chinese Scholar's Garden in Staten Island, NY
Being Captivated by the Lamentation of Swans in Brooklyn, NY  - Another brief travel piece from Open Spaces. Originally a contest entry that became a finalist and was officially published by the editors.