cover story archive

The Story of Playism, Part 1: The Slow Rise of Indies in Japan

COVER STORY: Playism's rise reflects a changing tide in Japan.

10/15/2016 5

The Hype Dissected: What VR Really Means For Gaming

COVER STORY: What drives the hype behind VR? We talked to people at every level of the industry to find out.

10/13/2016 15

True Tales from Localization Hell

COVER STORY: Three veterans of video game translation recount their most harrowing projects.

08/02/2016 29

The Final Fantasist: A Conversation With Yoshitaka Amano

COVER STORY: The artist who has given life to so many Final Fantasy games speaks about his inspirations, the difference between fine and commercial art, and his current projects.

05/10/2016 60

"I Consider Myself Crucial to the Success of that Company": Jack McCauley Recalls the Early Days of Oculus and Looks to the Future

COVER STORY: One of VR's pioneers talks about the early days of Oculus, the platform's prospects for the future, and what he's doing to make VR better.

04/12/2016 2

My Most Compelling VR Experiences So Far

COVER STORY: These VR experiences have (almost) made Kat a believer.

04/12/2016 4

Day of the Tentacle Composer Peter McConnell on Communicating Cartooniness

COVER STORY: One of DoTT's trio of musicians talks about the challenges of selling its zany atmosphere with some relatively primitive tools.

03/07/2016 24

Behind the Art of Day of the Tentacle

COVER STORY: LucasArts alumni Peter Chan and Larry Ahern chat about the challenges of making a "cartoon adventure" under the constraints of early '90s technology.

03/07/2016 22

The Race to Become the Next Big eSport

COVER STORY: From Halo to Rocket League, seemingly every developer wants their game to be a big-time eSport, and the stakes are even higher than you realize.

02/13/2016 11

Which Game Will be the Next Great eSport? Assessing the Contenders

COVER STORY: From Call of Duty to Smite, Kat takes stock of the games vying to become the next great eSport.

02/13/2016 7

Manami Matsumae, the Maestro of Mega Man

COVER STORY: We wrap up our Brave Wave profile with this conversation with one of the label's biggest draws: Mega Man and Shovel Knight composer Manami Matsumae.

01/20/2016 19

Keiji Yamagishi on His Past and Future in Game Music

COVER STORY: The artist behind Ninja Gaiden's NES soundtrack opens up about returning to composing, and his future plans.

01/19/2016 6

Game Music's New Canon: The How and Why of Brave Wave

COVER STORY: A small, fan-driven music label is bringing newfound respect to game music by offering veteran composers a safe haven for the classic tunes they love making.

01/19/2016 36

The State of Early Access: What it Means for Gaming, and How to do it Right

From the success stories to the fiascos, we go in-depth on one of gaming's most controversial business models.

12/29/2015 7

NES Creator Masayuki Uemura on the Birth of Nintendo's First Console

The man who designed Nintendo's revolutionary console recounts the system's birth and the challenges of building an international business.

12/29/2015 22

Keys to the Kingdom: The Rise of the Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

Why an old technology is getting a new lease on life.

12/28/2015 14

Slasher Spotlight: A Horror Genre Tries To Make Its Mark on Games

Mike takes a look at the slasher genre and a few of the titles in a growing wave of upcoming horror games. [Warning: Blood and stuff.]

12/25/2015 7

In Their Own Words: An Oral History of Diablo II With David Brevik, Max Schaefer, and Erich Schaefer

Fifteen years after its original release, the creators of Diablo II recount the battles with Blizzard, the year of crunch, and the shower ideas that became some of roleplaying's most enduring pillars.

12/24/2015 84

Companions Through Life and Death: The Story of Inti Creates and Mega Man

The Mega Man franchise may be on ice these days, but long-time developer Inti Creates has a deep and abiding love for the series that continues to live on — even if the character himself doesn't.

12/24/2015 15

Inside Musterbrand: How One Company Crafts High-End Clothing for Gamers

The past, present, and future of one company's attempts to carve a niche by making stylish premium clothing based on video games.

12/08/2015 2

Cover Story: 30 Years of NES, 30 Interesting NES Facts

Big historic developer interviews a little tl;dr for your caffeine-addled mind? Try these 30 easy, bite-sized tidbits about the NES instead.

10/26/2015 10

Player's Choice: How to Play Classic Games in the Modern Era

Keeping up with the classics is no longer as simple as plug-and-play. Here's your guide to recreating the highest-quality retro game experience with current equipment.

07/20/2015 21

Making the Connection: A Guide to Essential Gaming Cables and Tech

It's not enough to simply own classic consoles and a huge library — you need to know how to get them hooked up as well.

07/20/2015 13

Welcome to the Jam: The Making of Super Street Harassment RPG

Critic becomes creator as USgamer's Bob Mackey puts his skills to the test throughout a grueling, game-making weekend.

06/02/2015 26

Killed at the Conference Table: Gaming's Balancing Act Between Art & Product

Games live in that hazy area between works of art and products to be sold. What happens to creativity in that gray area?

11/27/2014 8

Nintendo's Quest for Inclusivity

Nintendo's Animal Crossing team speaks about the drive for diversity in its games — even if the company falls short of its goals from time to time.

08/01/2014 35