Editor's Note

Aka: Introductory Rambling

Happy equinox fellow Originals! Welcome to spring, complete with bees, pollen, allergies, heat, and Daylight Savings Time. (How is Daylight Savings Time still a thing? Seriously.) But spring isn't all that bad since it comes with brand new issue about games!

To the best of my knowledge, since humans began doing things, we've always entertained ourselves somehow. Which brings us to Issue 12: Game On! Gaming culture is all around us. We've decided to celebrate the close of three years at Origins with fun. From the origins of dice and chess, racing and geometry, to virtual reality, gaming has come a long way. Where did our favorite games come from and where are they heading? This is what we strive to question, answer, and explore.

You've made it this far in your literary quest for knowledge. Choose the journey you seek and discover the rich culture of the gaming community. (This page may be my "Introductory Rambling" side quest, but I promise the rest of the issue is much more entertaining.)

Games are intertwined with many aspects of our lives. In the past, they came with scientific bundles of knowledge; today, these materialize or beckon us into virtual worlds. Each can teach us a lesson: biology, collaboration, engineering, English, math, physics, psychology, technology, and more. What games do you play and what have they taught you? Share your stories on our social media pages or send a letter to the editor! Without an audience, it would be Game Over.

Melanie E Magdalena
Editor-in-Chief & Creative Director
[email protected]
Published: 21-March-2015

On The Cover

Back when I first pitched (read: begged) Melanie about a video game themed special issue, I knew I wanted to have an old school arcade cabinet as the cover. Arcades were such a big part of gaming culture in the late 80s and early 90s. Kids lining up, putting their quarters on the arcade cabinet to queue up for the next turn to play, the sounds, the music, the graphics. Nostalgia is good stuff and I tried to capture that. Also inside scoop: each little icon used in the cover represents one of the articles inside. We also incorporated the idea of Free Play with arcade machines and our philosophy of bringing Origins to people for free, keeping it open access and open source, and inviting everyone to come and play with us. - Ethan Kellogg