This is a blog about games. I started it to chronicle my own development endeavors, as well as to try and encourage others to make games that interest them, and celebrate the work of my peers. It then immediately started to go downhill, and at this point I make horrible internet videos that will ultimately shame me when I run for office. It’s part masturbatory catharsis, part masturbatory analysis of the state of game design from high upon my Ivory Tower. So… I guess it’s all masturbatory, then.
If my insane rantings or horribly disfigured, snaggle toothed visage have harmed your psyche to the point where you wish to ask me to stop, you can contact me at cdfrankl (a with a circle around it) gmail.com.
Random links:
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/campster
Blip: http://blip.tv/errant-signal
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/campster
I also occasional do podcasts and longform Let’s Plays with the crew over on Twenty Sided, so there’s that.
83 Comments
Jermaine J4RMZ Davis
January 15, 2012 at 8:39 PM
Hey man I have been plucking your videos from the you tubes and placing them into a mixtape which Chronicles my decent into madness without your permission, The guilt will probably begin eating at me soon I hear so I figured I would drop a line and say hi and that I like your work and in no way meant to cast it in a negative light on it and, uh I don’t know yeah i guess that is it.
Dylan Goldblatt
February 16, 2012 at 9:01 AM
When I watch your video essays, it is like I am having a conversation about gaming with one of my best friends. Please keep up the good work and provide readers like me with an option to subscribe/donate to you. By the way, are the author of “Less is more! Less interaction, more accessible”?
Johann F Weiss
February 19, 2012 at 10:43 PM
You analyse games the way art critics analyse classic movies and it’s awesome. It gives me hope that video games may become a real form of artistic expression. Kudos to you good sir, Kudos
Rat Bastard
February 24, 2012 at 7:17 AM
You should seriously consider doing a review of the Uncharted series or the Mass Effect series. I promise not to get too mad if you dislike them. Keep being awesome.
ertertwert
March 29, 2012 at 7:21 PM
Hey, just wanted to inform you that your videos are by far my favorite on youtube. Just got through watching a marathon of all of them. Very high quality and professional work, but most importantly, your views and ideas are clearly and intelligently presented. Keep up the great work.
YuriAndrogynopov
May 11, 2012 at 11:50 PM
Hey campster just want to let you know that your videos have helped me look at games in a way that flat out would never have occured to me before and i encourage you to keep up the great work :3
Aiat
May 17, 2012 at 9:38 AM
Hey!
I just saw your video about sonic and speed from a link in the description of WTF video on the new sonic by totalbiscuit and dude, you so rock!
I particularity loved your video about violence in games, nice to see a fresh look on such a tired subject. Keep up the good work.
Oleyo
May 30, 2012 at 6:26 PM
Been watching your videos since Shamus Young pointed me over here. I just wanted to say that I enjoy your work quite a bit. Even if I don’t always agree, I always find your material thought provoking.
BTW, I also think that you have been a great addition to the Spoiler Warning team. They really have a nice cross section of thoughtful/humorous people over there now.
So…keep it up!
Daniel Bloor
November 6, 2012 at 8:33 AM
Hi Chris,
I love your videos and I’ve always enjoyed looking at games in as much detail and analysis as possible, I’m really glad I found your work. I was wondering if you had any advice or techniques you use that help you with thinking about games to such depth, because I’ve started to write reviews for a site and when I watch your videos I realise there are things that I end up overlooking, even though I thought I tried my best.
For example, Do you have questions that you ask yourself everytime to help you notice more details? Diagrams/mind maps?
Thank you for any advice you could give and good luck in the future.
Eric Jensen (Yeti434)
November 18, 2012 at 11:45 PM
Hey Chris, really enjoy Errant Signal, and it was a pleasant surprise to see you join Spoiler Warning as well.
I wanted to get your opinion on a video game I really enjoy to play–The Legend of Zelda…..Majora’s Mask. I’m not sure if you ever played it, it was something of a cult game for the series. Anyways, did you think the game worked, failed, or something else? Anyways, I understand that I, a complete stranger on the internet, is asking a favor of someone (else) with a job, life, ect…so I respect your decision not to respond. Also, I’m not asking for some video or super long explanation of what you thought (although I will accept that! ha!), but just a fast email.
Anyways, yeti434@gmail.com if you have the time and desire to reply.
Oh, and if you never played it, I sincerely recommend you do.
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May 15, 2013 at 9:34 PM
I do not leave a ton of comments, but i did a few searching
and wound up here About Errant Signal. And I actually do have 2 questions for you if you
tend not to mind. Could it be only me or does it look as if like some of
the responses look like left by brain dead individuals?
:-P And, if you are writing on other online sites, I would
like to keep up with anything new you have to post.
Could you list of every one of your communal pages like your linkedin profile, Facebook page or
twitter feed?
Christopher Franklin
May 15, 2013 at 10:00 PM
Hey! I went ahead and added my Twitter/Blip/YouTube links, as well as a quick mention of the goofing I do over at Twenty Sided. I have a Facebook page, but I didn’t post it because I rarely do anything – I haven’t even announced the Bioshock episode there yet.
kids
June 10, 2013 at 10:46 PM
There’s certainly a great deal to find out about this subject. I really like all of the points you’ve made.
Caspar
June 15, 2013 at 12:10 PM
Hey Chris,
I would love to hear your thoughts on canabalt. You have such a sharp view on game mechanics…
Caspar
Wes Hallam
July 2, 2013 at 4:42 AM
Hey Chris,
I’m starting some preliminary research for a dissertation come publication through my university in the UK. I would be delighted if you might be able to answer a few questions I have, given your expertise, on some of the ethics than run through modern games. Even some guidance as to literature would be helpful, as I am sure you have better knowledge of it than most academics.
Please email me if you are interested, of course full credit and referencing will be done, so I’m not stealing your work.
Many thanks,
Wes Hallam
Nicholas
July 30, 2013 at 10:04 PM
I blog quite often and I seriously thank you for your information.
This great article has truly peaked my interest.
I am going to book mark your site and keep checking for new details about once a week.
I opted in for your RSS feed too.
David
September 10, 2013 at 12:02 AM
I came to say I really appreciate your content and it has shaped my worldview on games. Your Bioshock infinite review helped convey what I was feeling to my friend when I couldn’t really explain it myself. I enjoy all the video’s you’ve put up on Blip and I just want to say again, I really appreciate what you do.
Worth Reading: 09/20/2013 «
September 20, 2013 at 4:51 PM
[…] Chris Franklin gives some really thoughtful consideration given to the term “ludonarrative dissonance.” […]
F.Z
October 15, 2013 at 3:13 PM
Hi,
I am currently going through your videos and I enjoy them immensely. Your endeavor in making games better than they presently are resonates with my own in lot of ways. Keep up the good work.
Also, might I respectfully suggest making a couple retro vids? I think it would be quite interesting to see what you have to say about some of the good ole classics :) Anyway, good luck.
Dorkhammer
October 16, 2013 at 12:23 AM
I really enjoy your look on video games an they give a fresh perspective. You really delve in into the subject matter and dissect it. There is one subject matter which you haven’t gone through but then again it isn’t concerted with one singular game but the game industry as a whole. Body Image, why do especially women have this wholly unrealistically image of themselves portrayed in video games and even men, can’t you have a great narrative experience with someone who looks “normal”. Do games really sell on how good the game protagonist looks or other characters?
Claire S.
November 4, 2013 at 1:32 PM
Hi,
I really enjoy your video on Little Inferno. I’m also analysing this game for my phd (I’m a phd student in game design). I would like to quote your work, but I didn’t find information about your work and your academic education.
Maybe you could send me an e-mail and we could talk about this information (again just to quote right your work and your video)?
Thanks a lot,
Arthur S.
November 10, 2013 at 8:34 PM
Hi Chris,
A friend of mine introduced me to your videos this year, and since then I’ve watched almost all of them (except the ones for games that I still have to play like Sleeping Dogs and Bioshock Infinite) and have been following your channel. I love your insight into game design concepts and your discussions of recurring topics of the medium. It’s something fresh to watch and an approach that is needed and easier to find in other arts like cinema and painting.
Anyway, I don’t know how you decide to choose the topics, but I’d love to hear your thoughts about why game designers should treat gamers with a respect for their intelligence, and why gamers should care about this, and also the typical prejudices toward so-called “techinically brilliant but boring” games and AAA “explosions and guns” approach. I see it as a similar discussion to how “cult” or “indie” movies present the viewer with different takes on cinema’s language (i.e.: how a story is presented, how colors are used, how editing can difer from the classical hollywood way of editing movies…), but can be tagged as “pretentious” and “boring” while blockbuster movies are usually associated with “dumb fun”, which can overlook a lot of the artistic value of the work. Why should we worry about being confronted with new ideas and being taken out of our comfort zone and also, why should we take our heads out of our asses sometimes and just enjoy a game that’s aiming for what they see as fun. Obviously discussing if this dichotomy exists at all would be another great topic to tackle.
Also, while watching your video on Bastion, I thought of how videogames can present us with beautiful, unforgettable moments that are built with the world’s design choices. Would that encounter with Zia, the singer, be as memorable if it didn’t fit so well with the games choices for a world “being built from pieces” (like the song, the whole fact that the levels constantly build the pieces where you step on, and so on)?
Again, looking at cinema’s main “artistic strength”, the image, we’re sometimes presented by a movie with a single image that we never forget (i.e.: Stanley Kubrick’s 2001 scene with the ancestors using the bones). I think Bastion does that by integrating that moment with the whole videogame’s language and main strength, interactivity. I’d love to see you do a video about it, if it interests you, obviously.
Overall, I’d like to thank you for putting time and effort into these videos, they’re great for inciting discussions and helping to challenge and improve our views on these things that we all love: the games.
Thanks a lot, and I look forward to more videos.
Old Sport
January 9, 2014 at 7:58 AM
I’d just like to say, your work is awesome; I’m learning a lot about games and the ideas behind them, and it’s all presented in a fun, engaging way. I’d very much like to see you review Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance; the game’s insane, completely over-the-top tone should make for a nice contrast with your usual, cerebral, analytic approach.
t
March 12, 2014 at 6:33 AM
t
Charles Phipps
March 19, 2014 at 11:03 PM
Hey, I love your videos man.
Could you do some on the inFamous series?
I’d love to hear your take on them.
Matt
April 4, 2014 at 3:47 AM
Hey Chris – I’ve come across your videos every now and then over the last couple of years, but I’ve only now started looking at your material in earnest. Fantastic stuff: smart, engaged, well presented.
I was wondering: you mentioned at the end of your GTA IV video that you might do something on women and transgender people at some point. Have you done so, have you dropped the topic, or is it still in the pipeline? Also, I’d love to hear your thoughts on GTA V and Red Dead Redemption; there are snippets in some of your videos, but I haven’t found anything dedicated to them.
Finally, have you done any writing on games in an academic context? If so, could you point me in the right direction?
Thanks a lot & looking forward to more of your videos and posts!
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April 27, 2014 at 10:53 AM
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to figure out if its a problem on my end or if it’s the blog.
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Jessica Mishler
June 2, 2014 at 7:49 AM
Although you didn’t end up doing a video on Burial at Sea episode 2, I was wondering if you agreed with this article from Stephanie Jennings. It talks about sexism and racism in Burial at Sea episode 2: http://ludogabble.wordpress.com/2014/04/03/what-happens-when-bioshock-infinite-responds-to-criticism-commentary-on-burial-at-sea-episode-2/
Ted
June 3, 2014 at 9:38 PM
Just wanted to say how much I appreciate your videos. Playing through games and comparing my analysis with others is what gives me a deeper level of enjoyment with this medium. :D
pixie
June 30, 2014 at 3:15 PM
I want to collaborate with you. I write things like your video essays, but they are just essays. You have fans, equipment, experience and are a man, all of which are assets in this community which I lack. If I send you essays, and you read, edit them/collaborate with me on the content of them, I could take some of the writing burden off of you shoulders. I don’t even really want credit, I just desperately want to be part of the discussion. I have two essays prepared and am working on a series on how to incorporate ethical decisions more smoothly into gameplay. As you are pretty much the inspiration for my desire to write, discuss and care about video games as an art, it would be an honor and a pleasure to work with you.
I have tried to message you on youtube and I understand that you probably get a lot of mail so I am trying to contact you here. If you are not interested, I would appreciate an email telling me. If I get no response, I assume you don’t know I’m trying to contact you. Thank you for your consideration and I look forward to sending you essays :D
Pixie
Iuliana
September 16, 2014 at 7:26 AM
Hi
I wanted to express my gratitude for the amazing work you do. I enjoy every single Errant Signal episode and unlike many shows dissecting games or game design, you never stray too far from the point you are making. Watching your videos is like being part of a good, intellectual discussion and I find this to be a rare phenomenon when it comes to videos about games.
You may not have millions of subscribers yet, but remember that it’s the quality, not the quantity that counts :)
So, THANK YOU, for this show and for your hard work, I really appreciate it!
http://godemiche.sx/
September 23, 2014 at 6:01 AM
Ѕujet très intéressant
Carson
October 1, 2014 at 10:12 PM
you are a huge inspiration for me, wanted to open with that, I’m currently pursuing a game design certificate and wanted to know if there are any regular shows or seminars you would recommend to help keep me ahead of the curve in my classes)
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Lucas
November 25, 2014 at 3:44 PM
hey man!
really dig the articulate and thought provoking video essays. They have inspired me to think in different ways about games I’ve had a very formed opinion on for many, many years and that is awesome. I stumbled into your stuff last month and I’ve watched all of them already. Keep em coming please, the stuff you do is much appreciated!
iamli3
November 30, 2014 at 12:27 AM
hmm no email , still no direct way to contact you , well hopefully you pay attention to these comments then and can get back to me sometime , i just thought of a game idea that i want to make but i don’t have any technical skills myself to actually make it , so im asking around to see if i can find other people/sources who would be interested in helping , and im sure you would be among the more capable of such people that i know of…..
Noah Stanley
February 23, 2015 at 11:15 AM
Hello, I stumbled upon your channel recently and its clear your knowledge and proffesional/academic approach to review has differenciated yourself from other critics. I was wondering If I could ask you just a few questions regarding your thoughts on the future of the medium. Specifically, will we reach the aspirations of past generations in the next 5 to 10 years? Or have we reached a stunted growth point? One response is fine. Have a nice day
Groxworld1
March 15, 2015 at 7:14 AM
I’m not sure if you’re just being sarcastic, but I really like your content (Mastrubatory or not). Thanks for inspiring this pre-pubescent shut in.
Dakota
September 2, 2015 at 9:49 AM
Any chance you could do Journey?
John W
November 11, 2015 at 10:36 AM
Just wanted to drop by and say that I find your content to be the most intelligent commentary on video games I have ever read. Whenever I finish a game I immediately come to your site to see what you have to say about it. I have consistently found that you are able to verbalize and elaborate on the feelings I have about games in a way that I ever could. Bioshock Infinite made me angry, but wasn’t sure why until I watched your video. You have a wonderful way of materializing the abstract way that we interpret and internalize videos. Thank you for sharing your gift with all of us.
John W
November 11, 2015 at 10:37 AM
Edit to ^^^ (interpret and internalize video games)*
Chelsie
November 20, 2015 at 12:20 AM
Hello,
My name is Chelsie and I’d love to discuss with you the possibility of buying some advertising space on errantsignal.com
.
If this is something you’re interested in, then please let me know so that we can arrange a deal that suits both of us.
Thanks for taking the time to reply.
Regards,
Chelsie
dom
December 29, 2015 at 8:08 PM
hey man, just wanted to say thanks for all the great content you’ve put out over the years. i’ve been watching errant signal on-and-off for a few years now and it’s still in a class of its own as a source of intelligent game criticism.
you shouldn’t be so self deprecating thouhg, i have a high pretensionometer and nothing you say comes off that way to me – seems like a lot of gamers want their hobby to be taken seriously, but aren’t willing to engage even in passing with ideas like race, gender, violence, meaning etc.
really hope you keep on doing what you’re doing and take full confidence in it, cause you’re a smart and insightful guy. best wishes from the uk
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January 19, 2016 at 12:29 PM
Bon, je n’ai point terminé de regarder mais je reviens dans la semaine
Dennis
February 4, 2016 at 12:24 PM
Humm êtes vous certain de ce quue vous écrivez ?
mamans
February 6, 2016 at 12:35 PM
Huum êtes vous sûr dde ce que vous dites ??