"One of my jobs in life is to make this look a little cooler," Bleszinski says, while driving a red Ferrari and fielding questions about game design. As puts it, Bleszinski (often called CliffyB or Dude Huge for fun) has been pivotal in Epic's rise to the gaming top because he understands the "principles of fun."

In addition to offering a glimpse at modern game development, author Tom Bissell reveals parallels between Bleszinski's upbringing and the Gears story, the differences between retro games and new ones, how publishers use "secrets" to string along gamers, and humorously describes Bleszinski's appearance as that of a "boyish model or small-town weed dealer."

It would be a shame not to spend 15-20 minutes reading the article, and you don't have to be a Gears fan to enjoy it. launches for Xbox 360 on November 7.