ST236

SPECIAL STACK

1 Playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare for the first time on an Activision press trip to Cairns in 2007. We knew then it was special and an ingenious pivot from the fatigued World War 2 theatre. 2 Watching the first gameplay of Assassin’s Creed at TGS 2007 and, with mouth agape, marvelling at the horse animations. 3 Scoring an interview with Shigeru Miyamoto. It doesn’t get any better. 4 Being astonished at the magnificent landscapes in Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim . “Why bother going on a scenic holiday when you’ve got this at your fingertips?” came one comment from the office. 5 Flying to Sydney and being one of the first gamers globally to get hands-on with GTA V . We could sense greatness but could never predict the juggernaut it would become. Our top 5 ‘wow’ moments of the last 20 years

GAMING

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Out of all the software categories at JB Hi-Fi, games have evolved the most in the last 20 years. And we’ve been there following it for most of that journey.

Three freelancers initially handled games. But, the increased popularity of video games at JB meant the seat needed filling full-time. Paul Jones joined as games editor in March 2007 to work on issue 31, just in time for the launch of the PlayStation 3.

Our first video game coverage would appear at the end of 2005, some 18 months after launch. However, it wasn’t until October 2006 that STACK would get its dedicated games section.

2008 saw STACK ’s first visit to E3. Back then, it was an industry only event without the masses of crowds. 11 consecutive E3s would follow, with innumerable big game announcements and an equal number of legendary nights out. R.I.P. E3.

In 2007, the video game industry was pumping out new titles at a breathtaking rate for the Wii, Xbox 360, NDS, PS2, and the newly arrived PS3. It wasn’t unusual for STACK to cover 12 brand-new releases a month. Sometimes more.

Our first games show coverage came at the Tokyo Games Show in September 2007.

Highlights included the first look at a new game called Assassin’s Creed , and bumping into Hideo Kojima at a hotel bar.

Console cycles

Games featured on the reverse cover for scores

Since STACK first opened its doors, three console generations have come and gone. Initially, it was the original Xbox and PlayStation 2, but as we ramped up our gaming presence, the Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, and PS3 were all fresh on the scene. Since then, we’ve had the Wii U, PS4, Xbox One, 3DS, PSP, and PS Vita, right through to the current generation of PS5, Xbox Series X and the Switch.

A few changes came to games at STACK in 2015. Former games editor Paul Jones stepped into the role of editor-in-chief, and veteran games writer Amy Flower took up the game's editor mantle.

We always love doing extra promotional activities with STACK . Over the years, we’ve

of issues, but heavyweight Grand Theft Auto V claimed the first games front cover – and the back – in a complete takeover in September 2013. Over the last 20 years, the games section in STACK has reported on the most significant developments that have happened in the industry. With a dedicated team still firmly in place, we look forward to covering what’s coming next.

included stickers and even a guitar pick for the release of The Last of Us Part II .

While those were incredible promotions, Bethesda and STACK pulled off a real “Hold my beer” moment with the release of Fallout 76 . Yep, issue 170 hit shelves in December 2018 with a special freebie. A 7” coloured vinyl single of Take Me Home (Country Roads) . This enterprising idea would go on to take out the 'Best Trade Marketing Execution' at the MCV Pacific Awards five months later.

Interviews We’ve interviewed hundreds of

Alex Garland Alex Hutchinson Cliff Bleszinski Hiroyuki Sakamoto Jason West Jeff Minter Ken Levine Mark Cerny Patrice Desilet Lee Mather Peter Molyneux Peter Moore Randy Pitchford Shigeru Miyamoto Takashi Iizuka Todd Howard Warren Spector developers over the years, but the ones we remember the fondest are below.

Randy Pitchford

Cliff Bleszinski

5

Shigeru Miyamoto