DED LED

DED LED is an independently organized collection of articles, essays, and reviews originally written between 2013 and 2016. Websites come and go, and great work dies with them. DED LED preserves a body of videogame writing created by a slate of 49 talented contributors, acting as a vertical slice of a critical scene over a 4-year period. Publishing DED LED gives this ephemeral moment a tangible footprint that can act as a historical resource as well as a celebration of the featured authors.

Contained within this volume you'll find a tremendous breadth of topics centered in and around the cultural sphere of videogames, including a deep dive into the world of competitive Pokémon, an investigation into the disturbing body politics of the Metal Gear Solid series, an analysis of Dark Souls' color theory, and so much more. Each piece was submitted by its original author for inclusion in this compilation, many choosing to write supplemental commentary to offer additional context.

Note that almost all the works in this compilation are modified in some way from their original versions (links to initial posts included with each piece). All work on DED LED was conducted on a volunteer basis, and we are not asking for or taking any money for this project, but encourage you to seek out DED LED contributors and support them. If you'd like to donate to an advocacy organization on DED LED's behalf, we humbly suggest Human Rights Watch.

For any questions about this compilation or requests for interviews, comments, or appearances, please email inquiries to dedledcomp@gmail.com.