cover story

The battles with Blizzard, the year of crunch, and the shower ideas behind one of gaming's most enduring pillars.

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.]

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.

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

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

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