Article

Article

Touching From a Distance

We speak with researcher and assistant professor of bioengineering at Stanford University, Ingmar Riedel-Kruse, about making games with microscopic lifeforms.

Article

Mirror, Mirror

Despite all the improvements Kinect boasts technologically, Kinect Fun Labs stands as a painful reminder of what we lack socially. Richard Clark explains why Kinect Me and its other applications make him feel nothing but disconnected.

Article

A Collect Calling

What is the meaning of collecting strategy guides? What does the habit tell us about the games—and other things—we value? Emily Flynn-Jones describes the magic of collection.

Article

Pride and Its Dark Side

Negative emotions such as fear and disgust are familiar territory for games. But Simon Ferrari suggests that games can, and perhaps should, go further, using his paralyzing anxiety in the intergalactic strategy game Neptune’s Pride as one example.

Article

Moral Goods

Videogame design has plenty of Charles Dickenses—but where are all the Jonathan Swifts? Danielle Riendeau speaks with Alex Shwartz, one of the masterminds behind the satirical Smuggle Truck about lampooning American immigration laws—why it caused so much controversy, why so many games shy away from

Article

These Private Realms

Can the provocative underage anime girls of Dead or Alive: Dimensions make us desire something more dangerous? Jon Irwin takes a peek at the game’s polygonal nymphs, and wonders what banning a game for questionable content says about our own sexual insecurities.

Article

Scenes: The End of E3

On his last day at E3, Jon Irwin chooses Nintendo—above all else. The final installment of this four-part series.

Article

Call for Pitches: The Sounds Issue

Now taking pitches for Kill Screen #5: The Sounds Issue! Whether your expertise is game music, music games, musicians, sound design, FX, or voiceovers, we want to hear about it.

Article

Hoarding, Happiness, and Heartbreak

What happens when a videogame becomes a reflection of real life? Chris Offutt describes how his family grew up with World of Warcraft, and how he dealt with the loss of his hacked and banned account.

Article

Scenes: The Third Day of E3

On his third day at E3, Jon Irwin skips the pomp and circumstance of some of the bigger booths for a trip down memory lane.

Article

Scenes: The Second Day of E3

On his second day at the Electronic Entertainment Expo, Jon Irwin starts to lose his sense of reality. How very fitting…

Article

Profile: Greg Kasavin

GameSpot EIC-turned-EA LA producer Greg Kasavin has many stories to tell—and he wants to do it with videogames. We talk with the man of letters about his upcoming title Bastion, almost becoming an English professor, and what RPGs can teach us about life.