Ten stories of the day, including the tale of a fake CliffyB; the best Star Wars games; the truth about memes and why we need a constitutional amendment to protect Killzone 2.

1) Exciting Ideas

Y'know those dreary, earnest editorials whining about gaming's lack of respect in the broader "culture"? Here's something fresh and definitely worth reading, from Magical Wasteland...

"Legitimacy, like respect or admiration, is a quality bestowed by others upon you, and something you’ll never truly achieve if you grovel after it like a dog. Clambering onto the treadmill of validation can easily lead you away from what really matters in your work."

2) How to Own Your Audience

This is Capcom's "Official Blog", a community page that delivers up contests, gossip, pics of dudes dressed up like MegaMan. I found it via Kotaku's story about some guys who were rendering Street Fighter characters in 3D. Capcom is doing something that doesn't cost a whole bunch of money, and drives consumers to its own brands where it can own the audience and reap the benefits of multi-dimensional conversations about its products. It's simple; it's anti-corporate (in that it's clearly not at the mercy of layers of approval) and it works. Bravo.

3) Ben Dutka Says He's Right and Anyone Who Disagrees Must Therefore Be Wrong

Ben Dutka at PSXExtreme refuses to link to Edge's review of Killzone 2, accusing it of dishonesty (apparently, the review is "desperate-for-attention, we're-going-to-prove-our-elite-status"). We're happy to link to his absurd riposte. His point seems to be that anyone who disagrees with his opinions must be an ego-maniac with some underhand agenda. Because why else would anyone see the world differently to you Ben?

4) The Tale of Fake CliffyB

A guy pretends to be someone famous (via Twitter) in an attempt to get laughs. In this case, it was a couple of guys pretending to be Cliff Blezsinski. It was genuinely funny. People liked it.  Even better, the guys at Epic got the joke. Most admirably, when the gag ran its course, they stopped. Do read this.

5) Endogenous

The word 'endogenous' (an outcome, coming from within) is useful to people talking about game design. Google the two together and you'll see what I mean. But now the word is on the loose. It's only a matter of time before it's in the marketing meeting room or, even worse, being uttered by my fucking advertising manager. I plan to hold a private contest at GDC. I will buy myself a pitcher of Long island Iced Tea every time I hear this word.

6) The Truth about Memes and Viruses

If you work in marketing or journalism, and this article somehow does not capture your attention and imagination, go find another career.

"Talking about memes and viral media places an emphasis on the replication of the original idea, which fails to consider the everyday reality of communication -- that ideas get transformed, repurposed, or distorted as they pass from hand to hand, a process which has been accelerated as we move into network culture. Arguably, those ideas which survive are those which can be most easily appropriated and reworked by a range of different communities. In focusing on the involuntary transmission of ideas by unaware consumers, these models allow advertisers and media producers to hold onto an inflated sense of their own power to shape the communication process, even as unruly behavior by consumers becomes a source of great anxiety within the media industry. A close look at particular examples of Internet "memes" or "viruses" highlight the ways they have mutated as they have traveled through an increasingly participatory culture"

7) Take a Date to a Videogame?

You've gone on a date to a movie, right? How about taking your date someplace where you can play a videogame together? Er...if you really need to know why this is a terrible idea, Wendy Despain has the answers.

8) Yuji Naka on Suicidal Rodents

Here is Sonic creator Yuji Naka talking to Develop about his innovative new title Let's Tap. Asked about some of his creative inspirations, he talked about Lemmings.

"It might just a personal thing, but having hundreds of different characters moving around, all doing different things, really fascinated me back then. I think Lemmings is a big reference point in terms of character development too – the way the Lemmings work is kind of based on the real animal, like the idea of the mass suicide – although that’s just a myth – but it defines the character."

9) The Nine Best Star Wars Games Ever

Worth a look if only to remind yourself that there really have been some very good Star Wars games.

10) Art and Code Symposium

Just a very quick boost for Art & Code at CMU in Pittsburgh in March. Pre-registration has opened.