John Szczepaniak Legacy Author, Author at The Escapist

Reviews

Cheating the System

[Editor’s Note: The following article contains inside information about the practices of game reviewers among a cross-section of British print publications. The Escapist ...

By John Szczepaniak Legacy AuthorMarch 2, 2010

Science!!

Returning From Exile

Imagine discovering that a secret tribe of Neolithic cavemen used electricity long before it became a cornerstone of civilization. That’s what playing Exile ...

By John Szczepaniak Legacy AuthorFebruary 23, 2010

Editor's Choice

In Memoriam

Videogames are over 30 years old, which means everyone who was there in the early days is over 50 today. (Ralph Baer, inventor ...

By John Szczepaniak Legacy AuthorJanuary 19, 2010

Season's Gamings

Christmas in South Africa

Christmas for me will always mean temperatures of 32 degrees Celsius. That’s 90 degrees in Fahrenheit, and only in the shade. Being in ...

By John Szczepaniak Legacy AuthorDecember 8, 2009

Gamers without Borders

Two Worlds, One Game

When it comes to media making the transition from country to country, games are without peer. More are localized into English and marketed ...

By John Szczepaniak Legacy AuthorMarch 10, 2009

The Rest of the Story

Bankrupt British Freelancers

Being a fulltime freelance game writer – sorry, journalist – is like living a glamorous rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle. You get paid fabulous ...

By John Szczepaniak Legacy AuthorNovember 14, 2006

Sixteen Ton - Whaddya Get?

Who Really Makes Videogames?

For some time now, I’ve dwelled on who actually makes the games we play. Because, despite being a videogame journalist, I don’t always ...

By John Szczepaniak Legacy AuthorSeptember 5, 2006

The Little Guy

Doujin A Go Go, Baby!

Many turn to indie games for an alternative to what is found on the shelves of the average games store. If your commercial ...

By John Szczepaniak Legacy AuthorMay 9, 2006

Ludo, Ergo Sum

Abandoning the past?

Game design is a vast subject, especially when considering three decades’ worth of trends. Sadly, current trends are often far removed from what ...

By John Szczepaniak Legacy AuthorMarch 14, 2006

The Virtual Coffeeshop

Late 1980s and Beyond!

Some of the world’s commentators say videogames are either incapable of having meaning, or are only now reaching that stage. Lev Grossman said ...

By John Szczepaniak Legacy AuthorJanuary 24, 2006

Gaming Below the Radar

Obscurity Below the Radar

I want to tell you something about gaming below the radar. I want to speak about an entire subculture that is so awe-inspiring ...

By John Szczepaniak Legacy AuthorDecember 13, 2005

Otaku

Japan’s Mother

It’s ironic that one of Japan’s leading videogame genres, the RPG, is an American invention. Even more interesting is that one of the ...

By John Szczepaniak Legacy AuthorNovember 8, 2005