Essay

J. Nicholas Geist takes apart and rebuilds the mechanics of Fumito Ueda’s minimal classic Ico into words.

Nintendo’s new gaming console, the Wii U, has already been dismissed by gaming experts and fans. Is their skepticism warranted, or are they missing the forest for the trees of Hyrule? Jon Irwin thinks the latter.

Since its release in March, Mass Effect 3 has come under fire for everything from its ending to the inclusion of a gay male Commander Shepard. But what really made the game’s fans and critics so upset? In honor of Pride Day, we examine the series’ finale and the complicated sexuality of its protagon

Videogames are rarely above an inside joke. But can cheeky self-reference become a wolf in sheep’s clothing? Lana Polansky on why good satire is hard to find, except when the game stars Charles Barkley.

The University of Manchester has had amputees healing their pain by controlling avatars with Microsoft’s Kinect motion interface. Michael Thomsen argues this has implications for the creative potential of videogames, which might one day privilege physical pain over competitive challenge.