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Sam Machkovech’s writing/editing experience

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May 3, 2009

Click through for a full list of writing and editing credits. _ Ars Technica – Video games, software, gadgets, geek culture, arts The New York Times – Video games, geek culture Game Developer – Video games, history of technology The Stranger – Video/board games, pop music, films, Seattle arts/city Digital…

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Front Page, Games

NYT: My profile of Tetris creator Alexey Pajitnov

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November 17, 2024

No intro needed here. I’m honored to have been given a chance to speak to Mr. Pajitnov about a life lived in the shadow of massive Tetris blocks. After the Triumph of Tetris, an Unsolved Puzzle (nytimes.com) Listing image courtesy of Clara Vannucci for The New York Times

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Front Page, Games

Animal Well post-mortem: Four paths to success in a crowded entertainment genre

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November 17, 2024

The below November 2024 article chronicles the creation of video game smash hit Animal Well, and it speaks to a zillion-dollar question in modern entertainment: how the heck does a small company eke out mindshare in 2024? This team’s answers include: 1) Let technology set the tone. Build custom tools,…

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Front Page, Games

NYT: How a video game bridges a modern gap between children and storybooks

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September 18, 2024

Thanks to renowned children’s book author Sophie Blackall, and video game co-directors James Turner and Jonathan Biddle, for chatting with me at The New York Times. What happens when a video game leaps into and out of a children’s book—morphing from hand-drawn whimsy to the scary childhood experience of entering…

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Front Page, Games

Borderlands series explainer: Why the games are better than the 2024 film

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August 9, 2024

My latest explainer for the New York Times breaks down the Borderlands video game series for the non-gaming set, in light of the, er, not-so-great 2024 film adaptation. ‘Mad Max’ Energy and Wacky Weapons: A Guide to Borderlands (nytimes.com)

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Front Page, Games

NYT: My Fallout explainer for non-gamers

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April 16, 2024

If you’ve only heard about the Fallout franchise because of the 2024 TV series on Amazon Video, my first-ever articles for the New York Times can help you connect the dots on how the series came to be on PCs and gaming consoles–and what to know about the games before…

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Front Page, Games

Interview with Jeff Minter: Origins from the “8-bit Big Bang”

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March 15, 2024

I’m incredibly proud that I got to chat with longtime game maker Jeff Minter at length for a career-retrospective article. Lots about his personal and professional lives here, I suggest you dive right in: How the iconic Jeff Minter stays inspired after 43 llama-filled years of game development (GameDeveloper.com)

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interview, jeff minter, llamasoft
Front Page, Games

Exclusive: Balatro interview with its anonymous creator

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February 28, 2024

I imagine the game maker who goes by the alias LocalThunk will grant more interviews in the near future, but in the meantime, I am grateful that they made the time to chat with me about one of the most sneakily addictive video games I’ve played in years. The only…

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Front Page, Games

Game review: Thirsty Suitors

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November 7, 2023

I break down why this video game ranks as one of the best of 2023, and how it benefits from a cast of characters who all share South Asian roots while living in a very modern, American place. This game is a very cool example of how interactive storytelling can…

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Tabletop gaming history as a book review

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October 20, 2023

Longtime geek-culture journalist and critic Stu Horvath put together a pretty incredible book this year, so I summarized its quirkier findings as a primer about the history of “tabletop,” pen-and-paper role-playing games. The below is less of a book review, and more of a sampling of the nerdy depths the…

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Front Page, Games

Interview: Analogue’s first N64-styled device

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October 17, 2023

I’ve covered the retro gaming company Analogue many times in my career, and my latest piece explores its mostly recently revealed product, the Analogue 3D. Thanks to CEO Christopher Taber for speaking frankly to me about what the company is producing, especially while its details are so mum at the…

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