Kill Screen: Grown-Up Games Journalism at a Premium

Some would argue that Kill Screen magazine's price point per issue is just too much to bear. Even those that staunchly support decent game writing are taken aback by the $20 an issue price point that seems obscene in our current economy. But as Ben Kuchera (Ars Technica's Games Editor) points out in an article on the mag, Kill Screen is a great value because of the mature writing and custom artwork that creates what he calls a "sensual experience."

A sensual experience? What a strange turn of phrase to use in describing a magazine about games. A description of issue no. 1's contents gives you an idea of the kind of writing that Kill Screen represents; a story about game addiction, World of WarCraft and its effects on marriage; another about a Guitar Hero battle with an 8-year old that leads the writer to grow up a little; a tale about finding sweet refuge in the 12 year old virtual world of EverQuest; and an article on the Six Days in Fallujah controversy that examines why it is so hard to make a war game that is truly realistic. While these articles sound like the standard fare you might find in EGM or on your favorite website, each article is written with care and thoughtfulness, to paraphrase Kuchera.

I guess Kuchera's point is that Kill Screen is a gaming magazine for grown-ups and paying a heavy premium for such writing is worth it.

[full disclosure: I know some people that write for Kill Screen and EGM]

Source: Gus Mastrapa