In this week's issue, we take a small departure from our usual analysis of the world of videogames to share a few such stories with you. Within these tales, you'll eavesdrop on the thoughts of Tokyo train-riders, visit not one, but two virtual worlds, feel a faded rock star's pain, and stare down the Locust with Gears of War's Dom and Marcus.
We play them to relax. We play them to escape. We play them for fun. Many think of games as solitary experiences, and many are. But not all.
This week, our contributors look at the interaction between videogames and military operations as both consumers and commissioned officers. Is it still just a game when lives are on the line?
The Escapist has itself wandered off the beaten path of videogame journalism. Therefore, it only makes sense that we allow our contributors some chances to do the same. Wandering and exploring - it's an ethos that has served us well, and I hope you find that spirit continued in Issue 166.
Hold on to something, because I'm going to hit you with a revelation. Information so startling, so astounding, that you may want to stop reading if you suffer from any kind of heart condition. Are you ready? Are you sure? Ok, here goes:
Girls like videogames. They make them, they write about them, and above all, they play them.
With this issue of The Escapist, we are delving into one of the most influential countries in the world of gaming: Korea. We explore the basic infrastructure of the Korean world, we drop one of our own into a Korean MMOG to see what happens and we look at a big Korean games powerhouse all in the name of broadening the discussion and giving a new point of view.
Mario. Sonic. Samus Aran. Master Chief. The game industry is known for creating icons, not destroying them. There are plenty of examples of videogame franchises built from the ground up that have become television shows, movies, even novels. Maybe that's the problem.
The Escapist listened to me and in turn held me responsible - we engaged in a dialogue. I hope you, the community, continue to engage in this dialogue as you both listen and hold accountable the words and actions of me, The Escapist's new Acquisitions Editor.
This week, The Escapist celebrates these sweet potato moments in our beloved industry. We go looking off the beaten path, in the rough and out in left field for the people "Going It Alone." In this issue, we explore the wild and crazy world of the indie game developer.
Sex. Nookie. The Naked Mambo. Making the Beast With Two Backs. Go ahead, get all the blushing and giggling out of your system, because in this week's issue, we're going to be talking a lot about Doing the Nasty, Hiding the Sausage, and good old fashioned Humping.
While developers are busying trying to lay the next golden egg, we stand around tapping our feet impatiently for the real work to begin. We are the few, the proud. We are paid to play.
Occasionally, our contributors boldly flaunt the confines of the Calendar and tread their own path. For them, writing within a prescribed topic simply won't do; they have an idea, a vision that begs to be brought to the page, no matter how absurd or unorthodox it may seem to onlookers.
Three years of Escaping. Can you believe it? Happy birthday to us! And by us, I mean all of you, too. And today, as a birthday present to ourselves and you, Dear Readers, we're adding a comic, Stolen Pixels, to the mix. We hope you like it; we think you will.
I grew up worrying about grade point averages and interest rates on loans, about property values and cholesterol levels. I learned about car insurance and office politics, security deposits and tax deductions. I wanted to be Han Solo, but instead I became C3P0.
Our editorial calendar is the foundation upon which the whole of The Escapist is built. However, we have learned in our nearly three years of publishing The Escapist that sometimes it is best to have a little flexibility built into the mix.
