Gather your steel and arm yourselves quickly this week as The GiN Lounge crew goes on a quest to explore the history of role-playing games and their sometimes rocky transformation to computers and consoles.

This week The GiN Lounge is all about the economy. Our financial reporter examines how we got into this sorry state, what parts of the game industry are actually thriving, and when we might see light at the end of the long, dark tunnel.

Does sex belong in video games? Titles like Mass Effect would seem to suggest it’s possible to do well, while others like The Witcher and Saints Row 2 take a different path. It’s all about sex this week in the lounge.

War games have been around as long as war itself, although only recently have realistic computer games been able to fully simulate the battlefield. But is it right for developers to turn war into entertainment?

The E3 Expo returns to L.A. this week in an attempt to regain some measure of its former glory. But is E3 even relevant anymore? We relive E3’s past splendor, and speculate on the show’s somewhat uncertain future.

Some people love them, others hate them. And many fear them. But they’re a staple of the industry, and are here to stay. The GiN Lounge crew noodle out what it means to be a perfect puzzle game this week. And you might be surprised.

A great story, sandbox modes, and free downloaded content. Yes! It’s all stuff gamers love. In part two of this two part episode, The GiN Lounge crew praise gameplay elements that rise above the pack.

Save crystals, boss battles, and lame DLC packs. Oh my! It’s all stuff gamers love to hate. In part one of this two part episode, The GiN Lounge crew hunt down gameplay elements that need to die.