1.0The Escapisthttps://www.escapistmagazine.comLauren Admire Legacy Authorhttps://www.escapistmagazine.com/author/laurenadmire/rich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="2HwDPKSFZ3"><a href="https://www.escapistmagazine.com/your-gun-is-flaccid/">Your Gun is Flaccid</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://www.escapistmagazine.com/your-gun-is-flaccid/embed/#?secret=2HwDPKSFZ3" width="600" height="338" title="“Your Gun is Flaccid” — The Escapist" data-secret="2HwDPKSFZ3" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script type="text/javascript"> /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(c,d){"use strict";var e=!1,o=!1;if(d.querySelector)if(c.addEventListener)e=!0;if(c.wp=c.wp||{},c.wp.receiveEmbedMessage);else if(c.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if(!t);else if(!(t.secret||t.message||t.value));else if(/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret));else{for(var r,s,a,i=d.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),n=d.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=new RegExp("^https?:$","i"),l=0;l<n.length;l++)n[l].style.display="none";for(l=0;l<i.length;l++)if(r=i[l],e.source!==r.contentWindow);else{if(r.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message){if(1e3<(s=parseInt(t.value,10)))s=1e3;else if(~~s<200)s=200;r.height=s}if("link"===t.message)if(s=d.createElement("a"),a=d.createElement("a"),s.href=r.getAttribute("src"),a.href=t.value,!o.test(a.protocol));else if(a.host===s.host)if(d.activeElement===r)c.top.location.href=t.value}}},e)c.addEventListener("message",c.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),d.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",t,!1),c.addEventListener("load",t,!1);function t(){if(o);else{o=!0;for(var e,t,r,s=-1!==navigator.appVersion.indexOf("MSIE 10"),a=!!navigator.userAgent.match(/Trident.*rv:11\./),i=d.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),n=0;n<i.length;n++){if(!(r=(t=i[n]).getAttribute("data-secret")))r=Math.random().toString(36).substr(2,10),t.src+="#?secret="+r,t.setAttribute("data-secret",r);if(s||a)(e=t.cloneNode(!0)).removeAttribute("security"),t.parentNode.replaceChild(e,t);t.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:r},"*")}}}}(window,document); </script> The gun is a powerful instrument: with one pull of the trigger, it can end a life, push one onto the path of revenge, or wreak justice. But in videogames, the gun is inert, flaccid; nothing more than a few pretty pixels painted together to create another object within the environment. In Issue 171 of The Escapist, the iconography and symbolism of the gun is examined. In movies, they are often the focal point of a shot, emphasized by the camera angles and lighting. However, in a videogame, they’re rarely more than a tool to kill enemy NPCs: For many, […]http://cdn.themis-media.com/media/global/images/galleries/display/56/56823.jpg