Like The Music and Gaming Educational Symposium division of MAGfest, the MAGES blog is dedicated to an accessible, intellectually stimulating conversation about video games. The MAGES blog functions as a year-round extension of the MAGES panels, allowing for continued conversations on why we love the medium of video games, and what makes them so engaging, effective, and interesting to study. Our articles are structured to represent views from a range of perspectives, including: academia, established industry, indie developers, cultural commentators, and an engaged and in