The August 2009 issue of GamesMaster magazine was its “Hands-on E3 Special” and I was those hands – quite literally, too, because loads of the “hands-on” boxes in this issue are written by me – even if I didn’t write the rest of the article.

So a slightly odd way of doing things, but if you’ve got this issue, I wrote the full previews for Milo and Kate, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, APB, Halo: ODST and Red Steel 2.

Meanwhile, I wrote just the hands-on boxes for Forza Motorsport 3, Blur, Split/Second, Gran Turismo PSP, Zelda: Spirit Tracks, Mini Ninjas, Army of Two: The 40th Day, Heavy Rain and Splinter Cell: Conviction.

It’s all tip-top content, though!

I’m sure you’re bored of me linking issues of Edge with the caveat that I think there’s some coverage of mine in the issue, but I’m not sure. Well, this issue – issue 203 – isn’t the issue that’s going to change that.

You see, I did a really great interview with Titmouse Games – the new game development arm of Titmouse Animation – and sent it into Edge and since then they haven’t got back to me about it. In fact, I realize I haven’t even invoiced them for it (something I’m trying to sort out.) However, Titmouse Games state on their site “Check out our interview in the July edition of EDGE magazine!” so I assume it got in. And hey, this one is the July issue, so I guess it’s this one!

Anyway, not to boast but the best thing at E3 was the party at Titmouse’s offices, because it was catered by Kogi BBQ. If you are ever in LA you have to hunt down one of their Korean taco trucks. it’s worth the effort.

Previously I’ve mentioned trying to get my hands on a particular copy of Edge just to see my article in it, only to realize that the article has actually been put up on Edge Online too. This is the case with my Region Specific article on Prince Edward Island. I spent ages looking for Edge 201 (the issue in which it appears) only to realize you can read it here:

http://edgepei.futurenet.com/

In a lovely e-zine format that is just like reading a magazine, but on your computer using a mouse and keyboard rather than, uh, on paper using your fingers. But you still use your eyes and brain to read in either case, so it’s fine.

Anyway, I know exactly what people think of these Region Specific articles, and that’s that they’re rubbish filler that no-one reads. That is, of course, wrong. At least when I write them. Mine are captivating and educational! Where else are you going to learn about a Nintendo DS game about puffins within the context of Canadian content, eh?

A lovely big picture of one of the completely rubbish new characters they added to Street Fighter IV for no particular reason on the cover of this issue of Game Reactor, which mostly serves to remind me I haven’t played it enough recently and also to be annoyed that they didn’t put any of the brilliantly designed characters from Street Fighter III in IV (like Dudley, who I might have complained about missing before.)

This article has nothing to do with Street Fighter IV though – it’s actually some coverage of the indie games that had warmed my heart across the cold winter – specifically Super Hypercube and the all conquering Spelunky.

PDF link

I keep forgetting that I write this column. Unfortunate, really, considering it’s such a lovely magazine (in terms of design; being in Danish I still can’t read a jot of it.)

I should really have remembered writing this one, at the very least to let Jim Munroe and Jim McGinley know that I got some coverage of the Artsy Game Incubator/TOJam Artcade some coverage in Denmark. And probably to let Benjamin Rivers know there’s a whacking great picture of him in the article.

Oh well. I guess I can let them know now!

PDF Link

I had an absolutely great Develop this year – ignoring getting the worst chips ever in the chip shop next door to the Hilton Brighton Metropole. As well as my coverage for Gamasutra I moderated a session in the first day’s “Evolve” track, After the iPhone Honeymoon:Where Next for Apple’s Mobile? (which went rather well, thanks to speakers such as ngmoco‘s Alan Yu and Tag Games‘ Paul Farley), performed a “Best Worst Game” live on One Life Left, and got stuck in during the Develop Den Opinion Jam arguing against arbitrary moral choices in video games. I only lost out to Ernest Adams, who argued for better writers (which no one could disagree with, surely?)

Develop 2009: David Perry: ‘Gaming Should Be More Convenient’
Develop 2009: Team17’s Brown Talks Challenges Of Self-Publishing Online
Develop 2009: Thatgamecompany’s Chen On How Emotion Can Evolve Games
Develop 2009: Realtime Worlds’ Jones On Players As Content
Develop 2009: SCEE’s Hirani Reveals PS Eye Facial Recognition, Motion Controller Details
Develop 2009: LittleBigPlanet’s Cohesive Chaos

As usual my coverage of my Edge, er, coverage here is uploaded months late because I almost never manage to get my hands on the issues I’m in here in Canada. So although I mentioned my Gamasutra coverage of the Montreal International Game Summit months promptly (here) this has been languishing, waiting for me to see an issue of it before I mention it.

Well, I still haven’t seen an issue but I’ve waited long enough, I think. I wrote up a nice summary of the Montreal International Game Summit in Edge 197′s news section! It’s a good piece, actually, reminds me how great I thought Jon Blow’s closing keynote (recounted here) was.

In this article I talk about Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning.

At the time, I was playing it a lot. I’ll admit that for some reason my addiction waned, and I know why – it’s because I’m a completionist. Any time I came up against a public quest (which rely on grouping with nearby players to complete) I’d want to do it (because they were normally great fun.) Of course, if there was no one about, I’d have to wait until some other players were (or else get into the un-fun situation of repeatedly failing it.)

As a result, with both of my characters – a Chosen and a Witch Hunter – I found myself at public quests absolutely no one was ever around for. So I just stopped playing. Next time I have some free time (rare as it is) I’ll go back to it, though – they’ve made a lot of changes since. Guess I’m just kind of worried about getting addicted to it again.

PDF Link

This article – my first back on the job -was titled, quite simply, “Leipzig sucks”. It’s a very self indulgent article – after all, it’s almost entirely me complaining about how complicated it is to get to Leipzig, and then complaining about Leipzig (the town, which I notably call “little more than a train station between real places.”)

In fact, I don’t even mention the event until the very last paragraph, where the most interesting thing I can note is that there was an FM Towns Marty on site which was running a copy of Raiden.

There was a Vectrex too, I remember. That was quite fun too.

PDF link

This article amuses me! I try list all the postives I can think about Sony’s record with the PS3 – remember this was in November 2007 – and, roughly, can come up with one – their commitment to excellent independent games like Everyday Shooter on the PSN.

Well, in February 2009 I’m really not sure I can come with any more, and the negatives I go on to list – removing backwards compatibility, introducing a Dualshock 3, and so on – still sting.

Despite all that, I should really get myself a PS3 considering this month they’re releasing Flower and Noby Noby Boy, but the price still puts me off. If only Sony would finally be kind enough to give me one (hint.)

PDF link