Features

Joystick Fantasia: Inside the Spectacle of Video Games Live

For 15 years, Tommy Tallarico has offered gaming fans a new way to appreciate the music of the medium.
Blast from the Past: Behind the Rise of the Throwback Shooter

A wave of independent developers, not triple-A studios, have become the biggest driving force behind the rise of the throwback shooter.
For the ESA, the E3 Data Breach Came at the Worst Possible Time

Months on, the accidental doxxing of E3 media attendees has lingering repercussions.
Jedi: Fallen Order May Be the First Game to Nail Star Wars’ Creative Spirit

Young George Lucas would be proud.
VA-11 Hall-A, N1RV Ann-A, and the Struggle to Create in a Country on the Brink

For Sukeban Games, the crisis in Venezuela provided both unimaginable difficulty and inspiration.
For the Smash Bros. Community, a New Challenger Approaches: Economic Inequality

When money is tight, should tournaments prioritize bonuses for top players or a better experience for everyone else?
Games Don’t Cause Violence—But They Might Help Breed the Online Hate That Does

Internet toxicity doesn’t begin or end with gaming, but it’s foolish to ignore the connection.
“Pour Your Heart Into It”: How Indies Bring New Perspectives to Visual Novels

Visual novels have seen a meteoric rise in recent years thanks to the efforts of independent studios.
How Warsaw Captures the Brutality—and Complexity—of the Historical Uprising that Inspired It

A new tactics game draws from one of the bleakest chapters of World War II.
Playing the Odds: Inside the Budding World of Esports Betting

Can a deep knowledge of the game help you outsmart the house?
Playing Your Song: The Evolution of Dynamic Music in Games

For more than 25 years, developers and composers have been pushing tech forward to unify gameplay and soundtrack.
Toshihiro Kondo talks Nihon Falcom, Trails of Cold Steel III

We sit down with Nihon Falcom president Toshihiro Kondo to talk about the early days of the developer, Trails of Cold Steel III, and his days making Falcom fansites.