A Profound Waste of Time #2

Page 23 of the second issue of videogames mag A Profound Waste of Time is the perfect example of how a print publication can reflect its subject.

The magazine is a beautifully crafted and illustrated paeon to videogaming; it celebrates the creativity of the form and reassesses its subject in typical indie mag style—think culture rather than stats.

Page 23 sits within a long feature about Japanese game designer Keita Takahashi, and illustrates his game Noby Noby Boy. I’ve not got the time or space here to detail the game (though I recommend a quick Google as the narrative is extraordinary) but the illustrated page offers a calm respite from an otherwise pretty hectic magazine.

I’m talking about pace again, a vital part of any magazine and a common theme of these Page 23 posts, but there’s more here. A printed letter has been inserted between pages 22 and 23, an imagined facsimile of a note sent to players when the game reached its end in 2019.

The letter was written at the time of the game’s launch (2009) and comes from the characters in the game, who wonder about the game, its players, and the end. It was delivered to players as the terms of the game’s end were reached, a clever full stop to an ingenious game.

Adding the letter to the magazine is a brilliant touch, a printed easter egg that brings the game Noby Noby Boy to life.

The issue is full of this type of creativity, showing a real understanding of video games and how to make them engaging beyond the screen. It’s left me hankering after the family PS2 and my copy of Katamari…

Editor-in-chief and Creative director Caspian Whistler