It's not unusual for companies in large industries to have competing corporate cultures that isolate themselves from each other. But one organization aims to break down those barriers for Vancouver's game development community. Murray Chu looks at the Artery and how it's helping local artists and designers stay connected.
Few game developers boast a resume like Don Mattrick's: Co-founder of one of the first game studios in Canada, President of Electronic Arts and Senior Vice President of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices division. But on a more local level, Mattrick may have singlehandedly turned Vancouver into one of the foremost game development hubs in the world.
Canada is home to nearly 250 game studios, employing upwards of 15,000 people. But some in the industry feel their country doesn't get the credit it deserves from the gaming media. Nicole Tanner speaks with a few developers about the past, present and future of the Canadian games industry.
Canada's videogame industry is the third largest in the world, trailing only behind those of the U.S. and Japan. Yet the friendly, soft-spoken nation is under increasing pressure from its southern neighbor to conform to stricter standards of piracy prevention. Andy Chalk examines whether the U.S.'s heated rhetoric is enough to melt through the hardy igloo of Canadian resistance to copyright reform.
The Escapist staff vents about their most frustrating gaming moments.
Sometimes, the only thing better than a flawless victory is an agonizing defeat. Lee Petrie examines the allure of the Last Stand in both videogames and the culture at large.
Plenty of developers talk about promoting more visceral reactions in their audience, but they probably didn't have headaches and nausea in mind. Nova Barlow explains the plight of gamers who suffer from Virtual Simulator Sickness.
How long do you have to play a game until you feel like you've sufficiently mastered it? If your answer can be measured in hours or days, chances are you're not a speedrunner. Danielle Riendeau investigates the obsessive world of competitive speedrunning.
Ever feel like game designers might be coddling players a little too much? Then you probably haven't played a game by Mark Essen, aka "messhof." John Adkins speaks with the indie designer about his punishing, occasionally nauseating but always interesting game design philosophies.
Free play - the act of playing without any structure or organization - is an important part of every child's development. But what if you want to introduce your child to gaming? Filamena Young thinks up a different kind of ruleset to nurture both her daughter's creativity and her interest in roleplaying.
In the days of Steam, Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network, it's easy to lose sight of what multiplayer used to be: you and a few of your buddies laughing and trading insults from across the room. Sam Machkovech catalogs the rise and fall of local multiplayer gaming.
Maintaining a happy marriage requires plenty of time, energy and emotional dexterity. But Lara Crigger has found that a shared love of videogames doesn't hurt, either.
There might not be much overlap between amateur mycologists (mushroom hunters) and gamers, but that didn't stop Bethesda from lavishing detail on Oblivion's fungi. Zach Miller goes on a virtual foray through the forests of Tamriel and compares it to the real deal.
The Thief series is well known for its convincing and immersive gaming world. To achieve this feat the developers hinged the series on a religious conflict that plays no small part in driving players forward in the game. One thing's for sure, religious fanatics have never been more interesting.
Christian missionaries famously spread the word of God as new frontiers and people were discovered. Little has changed since then, even though the frontiers are now virtual and the people are now players in these new worlds.
