17 December 2007
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From the Editor…
Welcome to the New Statesman website. Whether you are a new reader or an existing one - online or via the magazine - I hope you'll enjoy the great writing, fresh ideas and provocative debate that make the New Statesman Britain's award-winning current affairs weekly
Cover story
Gordon’s gambles
From economic slowdown to official secrets, Gordon Brown faces a bumpy ride in 2008. Our political editor, Martin Bright, predicts the year ahead
Features
Christmas Puzzles
Some diversions for the holiday season with Katamino Quotes, Games politicians play, Crackers and more
2007 – a year of promises fulfilled
The major gaming stories of the year
Networking in virtual worlds
Computer games have been found - both anecdotally and academically - to promote sociability
Games and gamers in the media
Do all gamers play Grand Theft Auto? Are they all geeky and nerdy young men?
Live the world, don't tell the story
The games industry doesn't need to model itself on the film industry, argues Bill Thompson
Getting a return for your creativity
Gerri Peev interviews Margaret Hodge about tax breaks for gaming companies and being a good shot
Interview: Ed Balls
The education secretary is passionate about transforming schools and the lives of children in Britain and that, he insists, is what he's getting on with
The hard stuff
Darren Waters looks at the competition in the platform market
Resolving your oedipal conflicts?
What is going on in our subconscious when we play games and what makes us play over and over again?
Byron review - gathering evidence
Tanya Byron, leading the government's independent review on the potential risks to children from exposure to inappropriate material on the internet and in video games, outlines what she hopes the review will achieve
Making virtual consumers of us all
Our games are becoming polluted with advertising and the values inherent in them are preaching consumption
The ratings game
Games are rated in the same way as film and DVD releases, but confusion still reigns in consumers’ minds
2007 Awards and reviews
Awards ceremonies for video games are growing in size and status, reflecting the acceptance of video games in mainstream culture.
Cartoon: Gordon the grumpy engine
Huff, puff, huff, puff! With so many Troublesome Trucks, Gordon has had a hard time this year . . . Can he still win the race to the Yard?
Game Reviews
Verdicts on Bioshock, Wii Sports, Halo 3 and Vice City Stories
Unity Mitford and 'Hitler's baby'
As war broke out, Hitler admirer Unity Mitford made a botched suicide attempt and was invalided home. But how come she ended up in a maternity home?
Copts & Brothers
A surprising dialogue between the Muslim Brotherhood and Egypt's Coptic Christians suggests a new way of working with Islamist parties.
Happy Newton Day!
December 25th is a date to celebrate not because it is the disputed birthday of the "son of God" but because it is the actual birthday of one of the world's greatest men
Christmas quiz 2007
In 2007, who was an "exploding tomato", what did Congleton ban and to whom did Boris Johnson apologise? Too easy? OK. What's Gordon Brown thinking? No, don't answer that one. This is a festive quiz. Get stuck in! Who's the big know-it-all?
Essay
. . . and a prosperous New Year?
Is the accumulation of wealth for its own sake disgusting, as Keynes believed - or is it simply human nature to pursue not happiness, but luxury?
Regulars
Commons Confidential
10 things that won't happen in 2008
Maggie moves in with Gordon and Sarah, and Ming clips on his sock garters for one last hurrah. Unlikely, but then again . . .
Culture
Death becomes him
The letters of Ted Hughes led David Hare to reflect on the uneasy question: do you have to die to be understood?
Star gazing
Toby Litt has been obsessed with rock biopics since childhood, but only this year has his devotion to the genre been rewarded
Film
Curse of the multiplexes
Like this year, 2008 will bring great films - but you'll be lucky to see them
Television
The great defender
Russell T Davies, British TV's hottest property, talks of his horror over the industry's crisis of confidence
Theatre
Joy to the world
This is a great Christmas for family theatre - and not just for the children
Radio
The times they are a-changing . . . slowly
BBC Radio must be bolder in 2008 to keep up with a new competitor
Books
Short story: Jonah's Light Bulb
Jonah is still hungry after eating. He is always still hungry. But when his mother hands him two bananas he knows not to eat them now ... A short story by Tracy Chevalier
Short story: No Romance
A short story by Xiaolu Guo If I had been thinking straight, I would have realised Xiaolin wasn't for me. His sign was the rooster, and they say the monkey and the rooster don't mix
American dreamer
Richard Ford is the dazzling chronicler of the real America. He talks to Anthony Byrt about suburban beauty, literary "product" - and why the country is in danger
Without prejudice
Sophie Gee wonders what Jane Austen would make of our festive bestseller lists - Nigella, self-help and all
Notes from the underground
Madonna of the Toast and poems from Guantanamo
The way I see it: Raymond Briggs
Raymond Briggs’s classic children’s book “The Snowman” has been re-released on audio CD, narrated by James Nesbitt, to celebrate its 25th anniversary. www.thesnowman.co.uk
