Games did not arrive fully formed. These pieces take apart the history, the genres, the preservation problem and the business behind the medium — the parts that explain why games are the way they are.
Game History
- Port vs Emulation vs Remaster: What’s the Difference?
- How Did Indie Games Become a Serious Part of Gaming?
- What Were the Real Reasons the Dreamcast Failed?
- How Did the Save Game Evolve? A Short History
- Why Were Classic Games So Punishingly Difficult?
- How Did Online Multiplayer Become Normal?
- What the Shift From Cartridges to Discs Changed
- Why Did Games Move From 2D to 3D So Quickly?
- How Arcades Shaped the Games We Play Today
- Why Did the Video Game Crash of 1983 Happen?
Genres & Recommendations
- Why Do Some Strategy Games Take Hundreds of Hours to Learn?
- What Makes a Good Co-Op Game for Two People?
- How Did Battle Royale Games Take Over Gaming?
- What Is an Immersive Sim? A Genre Explained
- Why Do Rhythm Games Feel So Good to Play?
- What Makes a Horror Game Scary Beyond Jump Scares?
- CRPG vs Action RPG: What’s the Real Difference?
- Why Are Survival Games So Popular Right Now?
- What Makes a Good Video Game Tutorial Work?
- What Is a Metroidvania and Why Is It Called That?
- What Actually Defines a Roguelike? A Real Answer
All Genres & Recommendations articles →
Retro & Preservation
- Why Do Some Classic Games Never Get Re-Released?
- How to Take Care of Old Game Cartridges and Discs
- What Is a CRT Filter and Why Do Gamers Want One?
- Why Old Games Look Wrong on a Modern TV
- What Is Emulation and How Does It Actually Work?
- Why Is Preserving Old Video Games So Difficult?
- How to Spot a Fake or Counterfeit Retro Game Cartridge
All Retro & Preservation articles →
Industry & Culture
- Why Do So Many Games Launch With Bugs?
- What Does an Esports Career Actually Look Like?
- How Did Speedrunning Become a Community?
- Why Do Game Reviews Disagree With Each Other So Much?
- What Is a Live Service Game? A Clear Explanation
- How Do Free-to-Play Games Actually Make Money?
- What Is Crunch and Why Does It Keep Happening?
- Why Do Games Get Delayed? The Real Reasons Explained
- What Does a Video Game Producer Actually Do?
- Why Do Video Games Take So Long to Make?
- What Happens When a Game’s Servers Shut Down?
- Why Do So Many Long-Running Game Series Reboot?
All Industry & Culture articles →
Family & Younger Players
- What Are Good First Games for a Young Player?
- How to Talk to a Child About Online Multiplayer Safety
- What Parents Should Know About In-Game Purchases
- How to Tell If a Game Is Appropriate for a Younger Player
- What Can Parental Controls Actually Do on Each Console?
- How Much Screen Time Is Reasonable for Games?
- How Do Age Ratings on Video Games Actually Work?