And now for something completely different...ARMCHAIR ARCADE MARK THREE. It's all here--fantastic gaming devices! Perspective! MUDs! Homebrew! This issue was a long time in coming, but it's packed full of goodies and laced with intelligence. I hope you will enjoy my contribution--THE VIDEOGAME IN THE AGE OF MECHANICAL REPRODUCTION--which is sure to thrill seeking knowledge of how intellectual property laws have frozen videogame innovation. I've also written a piece that explains how one goes about writing about videogames...WHY WRITE FOR ARMCHAIR ARCADE? Heehee..

Discworld MUD: Slinging Dirt with David Bennett
by Buck Feris

Many of our readers may be unfamiliar with MUDs, or multi-user dungeon games. These games introduce players into a shared gaming environment fraught with perils from popular fantasy or science fiction literature. Bennet's Discworld MUD is based on Terry Pratchett's humerous fantasy novels. Read all about the modern MUDDING scene in this candid interview.

Keeping Things in Perspective: First Person Shooters Vs. Platform Games
by David Torre

Most modern games offer players a "first person" perspective that supposedly immerses them more deeply into gaming environments that their older 2-D counterparts. In this article, David questions this assumption and demonstrates how, in many cases, 2-D perspective offers players better control over their avatars.

Atari 2600 Expanded Homebrew Review: Thrust+ Platinum Edition
by Bill Loguidice

Bill takes a look at the latest version of the popular Atari 2600 homebrew title, Thrust+ Platinum Edition. Is it worthy to stand alongside the best commercial releases of the past? Read-on to find out...

The Videogame in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction
by Matt Barton

As multinational corporations move further to enforce their law-given monopolies over their "intellectual property," videogame players and makers are sure to suffer. This article, intentionally polemical, explores the issue of intellectual property in the context of videogame history, revealing how innovation is stifled when intellectual property law becomes too severe.

Good Deal Games - An Interview with Michael Thomasson
by Bill Loguidice

In this interview-based piece, Bill gives us the latest news from Michael Thomasson and Good Deal Games, which among many other things publishes new games for classic and orphaned systems.

The Power Glove Lives!
by Brian Bagnall

Remember the Power Glove for the NES? Brian gives us a brief tour through the history of glove controllers and virtual reality and introduces the P5 controller.

Songbird Productions - An Interview with Carl Forhan
by Bill Loguidice

In this interview-based piece, Bill gets the scoop from Carl Forhan of Songbird Productions on what it means to be a modern day Atari Lynx and Atari Jaguar developer and publisher.

Why Write for Armchair Arcade?
by Matt Barton

In this editorial, Matt describes some possible categories for videogame criticism and offers advice for aspiring writers, scholars, and critics who are eager to write about videogames.