The Video Game Library Newsletter - Vol. #012
❗ "WHAT WAS THAT NOISE?" - A History of Stealth Games with Kirk McKeand. Plus, tons of Final Fantasy and manga news, a look at Italian GameStudies, and reflecting on the GPUs of yesteryear.
Welcome back to The Video Game Library Newsletter!
First off, Happy Father’s Day to all you dads out there! We’re deep into June now, and while the sun might be calling us outdoors, this week’s avalanche of book announcements might have you running straight back to your bookshelf.
News & Highlights this week is loaded with fresh releases and localization news you won’t want to miss - especially if you’re a Final Fantasy fan or enjoy a good manga. Somebody at VIZ is getting a little crazy with the announcements button.
In Behind the Shelves, I share how a quick crowdsource call turned into one of the biggest weeks yet for cataloguing Collector’s Edition books (thanks entirely to this incredible community). So many amazing submissions came in that I had to carve out space to thank each and every one of you.
Recommended Read of the Week takes us down a nostalgic rabbit hole of GPU packaging with Overclocked: An Archive of Graphics Card Box Art. And From the Archives shines a light on Ludologica, a foundational Italian series that helped define the country’s academic game studies.
And to wrap things up, Community Interview features Kirk McKeand, who talks about his book The History of the Stealth Game, why we shouldn’t count out sneaky gameplay, and how writing about Metal Gear Solid changed his life.
Volume 12 is officially live - so let’s jump in!
📰 News & Highlights
Admittedly the week has been pretty busy for me with my day-job, so I was up (really) late last night making sure I had assembled ALL the latest releases and announcements for you. And I gotta say, I think we have a pretty solid lineup this week!
Let’s kick things off with a trio of announcements for Final Fantasy fans! First up, The Ultimate Final Fantasy XIV Online Cookbook - Vol. 2 has been revealed, and pre-orders are up for its scheduled October release! More culinary delights from Hydaelyn are just a few months away!
Then, we got some good news out west directly from Square Enix this week. They’ve announced that LOGOS: The World of FFXVI will get an English translation in March 2026.
And they didn’t stop there! Square Enix (I keep wanting to write Squaresoft…still) also announced that The Art of FFXVI: Echoes of the Rising Tide will also be getting the English localization treatment in May 2026. Some great news for Final Fantasy 16 fans!
Speaking of exciting English Translations, Udon Entertainment revealed that, this November, we’ll be seeing Kadokawa’s Elden Ring: Official Art Book Volume III hit shelves in all its 320 page glory.
From the folks over at Dark Horse Books, we got a welcomed announcement this week that pre-orders are live for The Art of The Outer Worlds 2. Still 6 months out, but really looking forward to adding this one to the collection!
Okay, now we gotta talk about VIZ Media. They got a little ridiculous this week with announcements - starting with Pokémon: Scarlet & Violet - Vol. 2 officially releasing this week. The 2nd English entry in a series of ongoing manga from Hidenori Kusaka and Satoshi Yamamoto.
Not only that, but they also shared a cover reveal for the Pokémon: Scarlet & Violet - Vol. 3 pre-orders which are live now! Expect this one to land on store shelves this October.
Disney Twisted-Wonderland - The Manga: Book of Savanaclaw Vol. 2 got an English cover reveal with the same October release date as Pokémon. These continue to lag behind the Japanese originals by about a year, but it’s great to see them all getting the localization treatment.
Also great to see, Assassin’s Creed: Forgotten Temple #1, originally published in French by Mana Books, is getting the English VIZ Media treatment. Expect to be able to get your hands on this one in November.
And finally, in Minecraft news, Minecraft: The Manga - Vol. 2 just released this week from VIZ Media. This is the first official manga of the game, from none other than Kazuyoshi Seto!
In terms of bundled swag, Mado Monogatari: Fia and the Wonderous Academy Official Artbook is now up for pre-order alongside the Limited Edition of the game. Don’t know ANYTHING about this game - but looks like it also comes with a collectible Curry Spoon…so…that’s cool.
Hopping across the pond, France’s Third Editions has released their latest entry in the ever-growing lineup: Sous les néons de Cyberpunk 2077 Décrypter Night City from Matthieu Boutillier. Really digging the cover of the First Print edition!
Tarak Chami, who’s been championing Kojima books for years, has just announced the latest book “Hideo Kojima : L’héritage de l’Homo Ludens” - an unofficial biography that will be authored in partnership with French publisher Pix’n Love.
Continuing further East, Japan saw a few fun releases this week. First off, Monster Hunter: Monster 4-Koma Show (モンスターハンター モンスター４コマShow), a 4-panel manga highlighting some fan favorite strips from the Monster Hunter series.
Yet ANOTHER Atelier announcement graces the newsletter. As of this week, pre-orders are now up for Atelier Yumia: Alchemist of Memories & The Envisioned Land Official Visual Collection. Quite the “curvy” cover.
The Kirby novels have been going for years now, and every few months, a new one emerges. There’s over 30 in the set now, and this week, we saw the release of the Kirby of the Stars: Meta Knight and the Monster of the Magic Stone [星のカービィ メタナイトと魔石の怪物 (角川つばさ文庫)]. And there’s more being released later this year!
And finally, for those who’ve been following the amazing Media Pal collection of encyclopedias, the Encyclopedia of Extreme Fighting Games - Vol. 3 (1993-1995) [甦る 極限の格闘ゲーム大全 Vol.2] was just released this week. That wraps up this long-awaited trilogy!
Did I miss something cool? Want to see this laid out differently?
Drop it in the comments or swing by our Discord to share it with the community.
Let’s keep this celebration of game-inspired books going strong!
📚 Behind the Shelves
Every week, I take you behind the scenes of The Video Game Library. From surprising discoveries to cataloging challenges, there’s always something new as we dig deeper into this ever-expanding archive of game-related literature.
It’s no secret that I’ve been struggling to get meaningful help from most big publishers on details about the bundled books released alongside their “Collector’s Editions”. And I get it. Often times these books are produced by 3rd parties, and just lumped in with all the other merch to sell what really matters - the game.
So this week, I took to Bluesky to help crowdsource some of this info. I put out a call, and you guys answered - BIG TIME! Most of my free time this week was spent scrambling to keep up with all the amazing “Collector’s Edition” books rolling in.
At the risk of crowding the Newsletter, it wouldn’t feel right not to share credit where due. So I’d like to spend a bit of time thanking the following:
CJ Heckfire: I thought I’d been doing a good job staying on top of all the Grasshopper Manufacture books, but CJ shared some details on The Art of Killer Is Dead which made for such a great addition to the site! Appreciate it, CJ!
Freezer: From comics to art books to magazines, her contributions this week were some of my favourites. Toki and Monster Rancher and Little Town Hero were all franchise-firsts for the site, and it was great to add a bit more Sonic love to the mix. THANK YOU, Freezer, for all your help!
FulminisIctus: Metal Gear Solid and God of War (two of my favourite franchises) got some love this week from across the pond. Really appreciate these contributions, Tim!
into this wild abyss—: Some more amazing contributions this week came in the form of Persona 4, Castlevania and 13 Sentinels. Was SO helpful to get all the details on these - so thank you :)
Josh: Josh, of Still Loading Podcast fame, was EASILY the MVP this week. I lost count of all the incredible art books that were posted - and in fact - I’m still working through them. Can’t tell you how much I appreciate the support, Josh!!
Leon Barillaro: Leon shared the Legacy of Archanea - a Fire Emblem book that I would have EASILY overlooked if they hadn’t shared it. Thank you, Leon!
Max (VGCartography): He was kind enough to help me catalog two books he worked on - Tomba! and Tomb Raider. You’re awesome, Max!
mommert: She was an absolute rockstar this week, with a barrage of fun and unique art books. From Oxenfree to Life is Strange to AI: The Somnium Files - THANK YOU, mommert, for all your help in helping this project grow!
Personable | Markus: Admittedly haven’t got to all the submissions yet, but I saw a HUGE wave come through on Saturday morning with some fun new entries to tackle. An advanced “thank you”, Markus!
pixeldth: I’ve spent a lot of time cataloguing the Soulsborne books over the years, so it always suprises me when I see one that I’ve missed. HUGE thank you, pixeldth, for shining some light on this Prepare To Die edition Art Book.
Prinny: The ever-supportive Prinny came through yet again this week, sharing an Odin Sphere book that I somehow overlooked. Appreciate you as always, Prinny!
Ryn: Big thanks to Ryn for being among the first to respond to the call for help. And what better contribution than a gorgeous leather-bound lorebook for The Elder Scrolls!? Thanks for this one, Ryn!
shadowcat129: Although I had already catalogued The Art of No Man’s Sky, her photos helped uncover some additional details that helped round out the record. Couple that with being the VERY FIRST one to respond to the ask - and I think a very warm THANK YOU is in order for you, Shadowcat :)
Shutan: From over in Europe, Shutan helped spotlight 2 artbooks that I’d missed along the way - Dragon’s Crown and Yakuza 6. Really appreciate the help (and the multiple photos for context), Shutan!
Tim Ekkebus: Whose entries I’m still working through. This guy has an impressive collection, and has graciously helped shed some details on many books I had no idea existed. Your help has been SO valuable, Tim - thank you!
Top Spot: Long-time VGL supporter Top came through with 2 great additions - The Art of Prototype and a Prince of Persia Graphic Novel primer that I had never seen before. Appreciate you as always, Top!
Vicktaru: His guidance (and thorough colophon photos) on a bunch of StarCraft pack-ins was so exciting to see pop up in my feed soon after the request went out. Thanks for all your help, Vick!
Videopolis: Racing game literature is something I haven’t given nearly enough love in my cataloguing chronicles, so I was super happy when Videopolis shared details on the Forza Motorsport 4 Art Book. Super appreciate the help, Videopolis!
Yorkshiremao: The PC version of Jade Empire received a special edition with an Art Book. This is one I would have NEVER found without the help of YOU. Thanks for pitching in!
Zerrin Xendrake: Hitman is a series that I’ve only had limited exposure to. I know I’m still missing a few entries, but that journey is a little closer to complete today thanks to his Art of Hitman Absolution submission. THANK YOU for this one, Zerrin!
In addition to all the Collector’s Edition adds, I also spent some time earlier this week exploring several series of 4-Koma manga from across the decades. These are 4-panel comics, often from various contributors, that are still super popular in Japan today (in fact a Monster Hunter one just released this week). Here’s just a few that were added:
Also, though I don’t mention it much, 12 years ago I helped start an online gaming community called The Cartridge Club. Each month, a new game is selected, the community plays it, and we record a podcast at the end of the month. We haven’t missed a month in 12 years - and this June is Diddy Kong Racing. So naturally, I dove into that rabbit hole, and catalogued everything I could find.
Finally, from the world of Pokémon, volunteer Genviève went wild this week with the Let’s Find series - cataloguing the entire run. Had no idea there were this many!
This, as usual, is only a small sample of what we catalogued this week, so take a peek at the site to see everything! And while you’re at it, drop your thoughts in the comments below. Your feedback helps shape how we deliver these looks behind the curtain.
💡 Recommended Read of the Week
Overclocked: An Archive of Graphics Card Box Art
Mike McCabe, Sam Bailey
Overclocked: An Archive of Graphics Card Box Art doesn’t pretend to be more than it is. And that’s exactly why it works. Published (and graciously donated) by L.O.C.K. Books, this 200+ page visual archive is an unapologetically straightforward celebration of GPU packaging design. There’s no forward, no commentary, no chronological order. It’s just page after page of box art - from flashy explosions and snarling dragons to CG cyborgs and busty babes.
While this approach may sound chaotic, the randomness is half the charm. I had a blast flipping through the pages, jumping from a familiar Voodoo3 to a forgotten ATI Rage. One night, I took to Bluesky to ask folks about their earliest graphics cards, just to see if I could find them in the book. More often than not, they were there in some form. And if they weren’t, over 50 full-page print ads near the back of the book often covered the bases. Those pages add a welcome flair of text, tapping even deeper into the golden age of DIY rigs and “blistering frame rates.”
You’re not going to walk away from Overclocked with deep insight or behind-the-scenes anecdotes. But that’s not the point. This is a scrapbook for the soul. If you’ve ever installed a Graphics Card with trembling hands, wondering if you’d finally be able to run Half-Life 2 on high, this book was made for you.
You can find details about Overclocked here
💾 From the Archives
Each week, I’ll dive deep into the shelves of The Video Game Library to spotlight a hidden gem or forgotten series — with the hope of surprising you with something new, unexpected, or long overlooked. This week, I wanted to share…
…a groundbreaking series that helped fuel “Game Studies” in Italy.
In the early 2000s, while video game culture in Italy was booming, critical discourse around it was far from mainstream. The launch of Ludologica - a pioneering book series published by Milan-based academic press, Edizioni Unicopli - aimed to change that. Created by scholar Matteo Bittanti and film critic Gianni Canova in 2003, the series set out to treat the games and its industry with the same academic rigor and cultural respect as film or literature. It became Italy’s first serious foray into game studies, long before “game studies” was a term most Italian universities even recognized.
What made Ludologica stand out wasn’t just its subject matter, but its approach. Each volume served as either a deep dive into a single game or a themed anthology tackling bigger topics like indie development, gender representation, or urban gamification. Monographs dissected titles like Metal Gear Solid, The Sims, and Final Fantasy; or industry icons like David Cage, Shigeru Miyamoto, and SUDA51. There was a volume on Eroticism in games. One on the art of Machinima. Across its 28 entries, it curated a robust collection of cultural, aesthetical, and philosophical explorations.
The book covers were visually striking too, each featuring custom artwork by Mauro Ceolin. (Just look at the cover grid above and tell me you wouldn’t want to read those!) Designed for scholars, students, and thoughtful players, Ludologica balanced academic insight with accessible language. Even while inviting critics, academics and experts as contributors, it always invited readers to think critically about the games they loved without gatekeeping the conversations.
Though never mainstream enough to warrant broader localization, Ludologica has undoubtedly helped establish video games as a legitimate field of study in Italy, inspired other publishers to follow suit, and continues to influence how games are discussed in classrooms and conferences today. Even after its original run ended in 2016, its spirit lives on through new editorial teams, spin-off series, and the enduring presence of the Ludologica blog. For Italian game scholars and curious fans alike, it remains a defining part of the country’s videogame literature landscape, a series that dared to ask not just how we play, but why it matters.
You can browse through all 28 books in the series, right here!
✨ Community Interview
Kirk McKeand is a seasoned games journalist, award-winning writer, and stealth game superfan whose career has spanned everything from running websites to interviewing some of the industry’s most influential creators. With The History of the Stealth Game, he blends behind-the-scenes insight and player passion into a deep dive on one of gaming’s most thoughtful and underappreciated genres.
If you’ve ever hidden in a cardboard box, this book - and interview - is for you.
Enjoy!
To start us off, who is Kirk McKeand? For those unfamiliar with your work, can you share a bit about your background in games journalism and what led you to writing The History of the Stealth Game?
I’m a working class kid from Lincoln, UK, who finished school at 16 with my highest grade in English (a C). Where I grew up, being a writer just didn’t seem like a realistic goal, but I used to read books and gaming magazines all the time. I worked in about ten different industries before I joined Twitter and realised people were building new careers on there. I always wanted to try writing about games, so I started pitching around and a couple of years later I won a Games Media Award. That’s when I knew I wanted to do this full-time. Since then, I’ve had staff jobs and run websites. I’ve always been fascinated by stealth games since the first Metal Gear Solid. I remember reading about how enemies would throw grenades into air ducts if they knew you were in there or follow your footprints in the snow and I thought it was the coolest thing.
You mention your passion for writing. Was it challenging to shift from writing features and reviews to crafting a long-form, interview-driven book?
It was a huge challenge because of the sheer volume of interviews I did. Dozens of hours of recordings to pick through and try to structure into something logical. It was like pulling teeth, to be honest.
Some of those interviews included key figures like Harvey Smith, Terri Brosius, and Julian Gerighty. What was your process for selecting developers and projects to spotlight?
I identified the series’ I thought were most influential and tried to build a map in my head for where each stealth mechanic or innovation came from and worked from there. It worked out for some, but I couldn’t get Kojima for MGS or Clint Hocking for Splinter Cell, so I tried to find other interesting stories I could tell around those games.
You dug into everything from Metal Gear Solid’s LEGO-based level design to Pac-Man’s stealth roots. What’s one surprising detail or story that even caught you off guard during your research?
I think what surprised me the most was how IO Interactive was born. A money guy from TV and movies saw his first game engine and thought he saw a glimpse of the future, so he teamed up with some underground punks and they made Hitman. That’s just cool.
Do you feel your career as a games journalist helped shape your perspective as an author of games history?
My professional background helped because I’d already made connections with a lot of the developers I interviewed for the book. I consider Harvey Smith a friend. These are connections I’ve made through a shared passion.
You describe your book as one that isn’t just for stealth fans. What do you think fans of game development in general can learn from the evolution of stealth mechanics?
I hoped to recontextualise how people see stealth as a mechanic. As I say in the book, it doesn’t always mean insta-fail as soon as you’re spotted. Battle royale games are huge and players who are successful in those are generally good at ambushing other players, which is stealth gameplay. I feel like we haven’t fully explored it as a mechanic, whereas shooters have kind of hit their limit on what’s possible or innovative.
So let’s dive a bit deeper into that. From Thief to Dishonored, and Deus Ex to Hitman, these games often push players to engage thoughtfully. What do stealth games uniquely offer that other genres don’t?
I think the main thing is they just engage the brain in a different way. They encourage a bit of patience and planning, but the best ones also allow for experimentation, whether it’s the gadgets in Metal Gear Solid or the abilities in Dishonored. Stealth games rarely give you one correct solution, and there are often solutions developers didn’t even intend — player expression in its purest form.
There’s an undercurrent in your book about risk-taking. Designers wrestling with vision versus commercial pressures. What did you learn about the tension between innovation and mainstream appeal?
That most publishers are risk averse, despite so much evidence to suggest they shouldn’t be. Look at all the big surprise hits we’ve got the past few years: Balatro, Among Us, Helldivers 2, Vampire Survivors. The thing they all have in common is they’re nothing like anything else, or they weren’t at release. Players want new experiences, and there are still plenty of those left in the stealth space. I’ve always wanted to play and black and white moody noire, where you play a PI from first-person, running across rooftops and taking incriminating photos.
While there’s still lots of room for new experiences, the stealth genre has waxed and waned in popularity. Based on your research and interviews, where do you think it’s headed next?
Unfortunately, I think pure stealth games are pretty much gone from the triple-A space unless Hideo Kojima proves something with Physint. I wouldn’t bet against him. In the meantime, I think we’ll see a lot of great indie stealth games, and we’ll see huge successes from games like Arc Raiders, an extraction shooter like Hunt: Showdown, which is secretly a stealth game if you want to keep your loot.
Looking back, is there a stealth game you wish you had more time to cover in the book? Or maybe a developer you really wanted to talk to but couldn’t reach?
I’d have loved to talk to Kojima but I just couldn’t get past his PR. Would have been fascinating to talk about the genre as a whole with one of the people who created it.
Finally, where can readers pick up the book, and how can they follow your work - whether it’s future books, journalism, or other projects you’re excited about?
My book is available in all book stores, including Amazon and Waterstones. Please make sure to leave a review so the algorithm doesn’t turn my book into an actual stealth book. You can find me on most social media platforms under MckKirk, and I’ll be launching a Patreon soon with Cissy Jones, Roger Clark, and Mike Drucker for a podcast that’s basically X Factor for voice actors, called The Callback.
Thanks for your time, Kirk!
🙏 And THANK YOU for Reading
That’s a wrap for this week’s deep dive into all things video game literature. I hope you discovered something new, surprising, or just plain fun.
As always, your feedback helps shape this project - so don’t be shy! Drop a comment below, join the conversation on Discord, or just reply to this newsletter and share your thoughts.
And if you’re enjoying these weekly roundups, please consider supporting The Video Game Library with a paid subscription or forwarding this to a fellow fan. Every little bit helps us keep preserving and celebrating these incredible works - and the passionate people behind them.
Until next week — happy reading,
Dean (Founder, The Video Game Library)