The Art of Gaming

[Tami]

The Art of Gaming, is an online magazine series that pays tribute to the art and/or gameplay from the games of the past and present. No we're not just talking about which game has the best graphics or the best framerate - we're talking beauty here. From amazing backgrounds to character design, we're going to look at the games that either took your breath away or contained great gameplay beyond measure. Each issue will feature a particular game or brand and features illustrations and art from other gamers like you.

GameSide Network (http://www.gameside.org), a company that has a network of websites that focus on Gaming and Technology, launches the third issue of the free online magazine, The Art of Gaming (http://www.theartofgaming.com), which focuses on the art of gaming and graphics and also features artwork from the gaming community.

The debut issue of The Art of Gaming, which launched in June 2006, has amassed over 4,000 downloads to date. The third issue features Mario, a significant icon in the world of gaming. In a tribute to Mario, The Art of Gaming provides reviews, and a look at the gameplay and graphics that enriched Mario’s most popular games.

"Mario is so important in terms of our gaming culture and has made an impact on the gaming industry like no other" says GameSide Network's CEO, Lachelle Thomas. "The staff really enjoyed working on this issue, as they were able to call on their fun memories of playing Mario games and apply them to the articles."

The Art of Gaming #3 also features an interview with independent development house, Muskedunder Interactive (http://www.muskedunder-i.com) on the creation of their 2D side-scroller, Ninja Loves Pirate. Readers will be able to get a behind-the-scenes view of what it takes to create a video game.

Also featured is a contest for gamers to design the ultimate Xbox 360 Faceplate and win a GameFace 360 (http://www.nyko.com), 1600 Xbox Live Points, and more!
The Art of Gaming has also teamed up with Joystick Junkies (http://www.joystickjunkies.com), a fashion label with clothing made for gamers, to offer readers an exclusive 10% off of Joystick Junkies apparel.

In order to add more content such as news, the GameSide Network has decided to switch to a bi-monthly schedule, beginning with the upcoming fourth issue. This will also allow contributors more time to submit their artwork, comments, or guest articles. The fourth issue will release in October, and will feature the infamous Street Fighter series.

The Art of Gaming magazine is available for download at: [url=\"http://www.theartofgaming.com\"]http://www.theartofgaming.com[/url]

Magazine Features include:
- Every issue is free
- Each issue contains a "Featured Game" in which its gameplay, graphics, and more are
profiled
- Contributions from the gaming community: comments, artwork, articles
- Prizes for the best "Letter of the Month"
- Interviews with members in the gaming industry
- Retro reviews, our favorite games of the past are profiled
- Art tutorials, learn how to make graphics like the pros
- Exclusive discount at Joystick Junkies
- Contests and giveaways
- The Art of Gaming comes in PDF format for ease of reading and
printing
- Releases bi-monthly