Newsletter July Newsletter

[wewo]

My association with the EdgeGamers Newsletter began with its inception back in the fall of 2010 -- our first issue was in October. In February of 2011, Angriefen asked me to take over the management of the Newsletter and its team, just in time to publish our March 2011 newsletter (edition number 6). This is edition number 45. Forty-five issues of interviewing, writing, editing, and (I hope you will forgive me) creating graphics. Please note that I do not pretend it was art.

As Angriefen before me, it is time for me to move on, and pass my red pencil and visor to your next Managing Editor. Freshly promoted from his position as Chief Editor and my right hand, may I present you with your new Managing Editor, wewo.

As for me, I fear that my time with the Newsletter, as a copy editor for the Front Page News, and a lurker in the Media team has inspired the Community Managers to hand me the reins of a newly-formed entity...eGO Media. Media is responsible for the Newsletter, the Front Page News and all things Media-related. I hope you enjoy the results. The people who work on these teams do it as a labor of love for EdgeGamers. They receive precious little acknowledgement for their work, so I have a favor to ask; when you meet these fine people in-game, in the shout box, or in TeamSpeak, please show them some measure of appreciation. It will make their day and mine. Sometimes that's all it takes to get them to sign up for the next assignment.

Quaffer​

As the new Managing Editor of the Newsletter it is now my prerogative to point out that Quaffer left a person off the list of people to acknowledge. Of course, that person is himself, Quaffer. Please thank him for his years of dedicated and stellar service, as I simultaneously thank him for his support and his patience while I learned the ropes. It is a big pair of shoes I must fill, and I will do my best to maintain the quality that you have come come to expect from our team.

wewo​

[link="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=267181#post2622660"]

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[link="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=267181#post2622660"]Jay_Jay gets the versatile Insomnia Princess to sit still for an interview[/link]


[link="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=267181#post2622676"]

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[link="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=267181#post2622676"]Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday to us[/link]


[link="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=267181#post2622677"]

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[link="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=267181#post2622677"]EdgeGamers is not above the law[/link]


[link="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=267181#post2622684"]

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[link="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=267181#post2622684"]Summer events abound in the Battlefield Division[/link]


[link="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=267181#post2622689"]

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[link="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=267181#post2622689"]Realism Campaign 11, enough said[/link]


[link="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=267181#post2622690"]

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[link="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=267181#post2622690"]Forget the hats, TF2 is about the people[/link]


[link="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=267181#post2622692"]

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[link="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=267181#post2622692"]You must read about the world’s most famous assault rifle[/link]


This month each and every article was reviewed and edited by Blaze. He also delivers with another installment in the "Guns and Grenades" series. Please give him your thanks.

Thanks to Trippey, who worked his graphics magic.

The Newsletter Team is looking for editors and reporters. Because of the access to sensitive information, we do prefer those of eGO rank. If you are interested, and qualified, please send a pm to wewo.

 

[wewo]

by Jay_Jay

G’day, folks. This month I had the pleasure of interviewing one of EdgeGamers' newest Advisors (and colleague of mine in the Media Team). I am, of course, referring to Insomnia Princess. Her passion for TF2 and recruiting is second to none. Let’s find out more:

Q: Hey Insomnia. Thanks for participating.

A: It’s an honor

Q: So, Why TF2. What’s the appeal for you?

A: I have been playing TF2 for a very long time; since it launched, actually. After the game went free to play, the dynamic and the community changed and I took some time off. However, I came back because I like the game. TF2 for me, keeps me interested because it’s more than just point-and-shoot. I like the characters and the story and the unique personality of each class. The new weapons and items make it even more unique and remove the boredom that comes from playing the same shooter game over and over.

Q: Some would say you’ve been lurking in the shadows for a number of years. What were you up to before becoming an Advisor?

A: Very good question. I have been a member of the forums since 2008 but I have been an official member for a much shorter time. This is because I held a leadership position in another community. I have been friends with eGO members since 2008 and always had a positive impression of the community but I did not want to commit myself full time until I knew I was ready to give 100% to EdgeGamers.

As for what I have been doing before becoming an Advisor, I write for the News Team and Newsletter Team. I am a podcast host and I helped with PSC and the PSC recruiting team before taking my position as Advisor. I play many different games that we host here and love meeting people from all the different divisions that make up EdgeGamers. During the day, you will probably find me tending to my Minecraft garden while I work.

Q: You’re the appointed Recruitment Advisor for TF2. What are you hoping to accomplish during your tenure?

A: One major goal I have is to teach our community to stop being afraid of recruiting or looking at it like a necessary evil - like taking out the trash. I also want to get rid of spammy recruiting tactics, like entering a server and asking anyone without clan tags if they want to join. I think we have achieved this latter part already.

Q: You seem quite confident and passionate about recruiting. Do you think you'll be able to not only help TF2 with this issue but the community as a whole?

I am very passionate about it. I love this community and I want to do anything I can to help it grow and to spread the good word to others. I do hope that I can help not just TF2 but also other divisions within eGO as a whole. I have had conversations with other recruiters in several different divisions of eGO. It has been my pleasure and honor to speak with these other leaders/recruiters, as I feel we can all learn from one another. This communication only serves to make EdgeGamers better as a whole, in my opinion.

Q: Since joining eGO in 2008, how has the TF2 Division developed itself?

A: Since I was not an official member back then, I have a unique view of things. I have seen the division grow and face all the bumps in the road head-on such as gameplay changes, leadership changes and many members who have come and gone. When a game is this old and free to play, there are always some unique challenges that you must face in keeping the community and the servers active. The TF2 Division has remained steadfast throughout all of this. There have been bumps in the road but we face those head-on and remain united, unlike many TF2 communities that have just died off over the years.

Q: Any advice for aspiring Members of your Division who want to do the help?

A: Absolutely! For one, I would say not to be shy about using the Dropbox or coming to leadership with your ideas for the Division. We want to hear what you have to say. Next, I would say be nice to the pubs when playing on our servers. They are just as important as our own members, in their way. The public community is very important to the life of our servers overall. Finally, I would say look for a way to contribute your skills to the division or the eGO community as a whole. Find what you’re passionate about and take action.

For some people, that might be volunteering for extra programs such as Event Coordination or being a Recruitment Host, or filling servers with the Fast Fill Task Force. For others, it might be contributing to News or Newsletter, or Media Teams. For another member, it might be creating signatures or art. If you want to do good, just look for ways to use your natural talents and abilities to contribute to eGO. There’s always something to be done and we really appreciate when our members step up and volunteer to do something, especially when they are passionate or expert at it. We want to see you shine!

Q: Thanks, Insomnia. It’s been a pleasure.

A: You’re welcome, and thank you.

That’s all for MTL this month, guys and gals. From your reporter in the virtual field, game on.

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[wewo]

by Insomnia Princess

Happy Birthday, EdgeGamers!

EdgeGamers turns eight years old on July 1. With this day of celebration, we also take the time to reminisce on where we have been and where we are today. What started out as a single Day of Defeat server has grown into a large community composed of six full-fledged divisions active in various games and a lively TeamSpeak3 server full of fun shenanigans. Let’s take a quick look at what eGO is all about.

From our History and Structure:

“This clan's foundation rests on honor, loyalty, and integrity. There is a heavy emphasis on maturity, fair play, helping others, and having a fun and competitive gaming experience that all can enjoy. Because of this, eGO has attracted the most dedicated members and experienced administrators in the gaming world. eGO has become a place where each admin can and does make a difference. No matter what real life brings, in the world of eGO, you are valued and counted on to help make things right.”

In honor of eGO’s birthday, I spoke with members new and old across several divisions and gathered their memories, thoughts, and praise. Let’s take a look at some of these reflections:

Jade is a relatively new member of our Minecraft Division, having joined in September 2013 on the recommendation of a friend, but that doesn’t stop her from jumping right into the fun.

Jade says, “I have made so many new friends, both in my division and in the community. My funniest memory happened four months after joining, during my G admin training. We have a player who's MC skin is a Mudkip from Pokemon. I was practicing the kick command on him, so I thought it would be funny if I made my reason for kicking 'nobody likes mudkips.' Needless to say, I did get a few laughs from the server. Not even a month later I was promoted to O, which, I'm told was a big deal, so I guess I would call that my 'divisional brag.' eGO is like a second family to me, and I love all of my new-found friends and look forward to even more fun and memorable moments here!”

Icydud, also from Minecraft Division tells us, “I joined eGO after three months of being a pub. The main reason why I joined is because I love playing events on our Minecraft server. It was one of the funnest thing I've done in Minecraft. I showed up for almost every event and was event champion twice in a row, shortly after. The best achievement I've ever gotten in eGO was becoming an EC. It let me do what I like doing best, and be a part of an amazing team.”

RiKiJakir0 from Counter-Strike Division says, “What I love about the community is all of you guys. That is my number one best memory, of all my years, and to all of you who are reading this; you guys are all my number one favorites. This community is like a family to me.”

xXPrincessLunaXx from Planetside 2 has some thoughts about his time in eGO thus far. While he's only been a member for a few months, he has some great memories already, including this one:

“It would have to be about a week before I joined for Planetside 2. eGO was running their Saturday Ops, which that day happened to be Headhunter Ops. Since I was the Co-Leader of a friendly outfit, they invited me to come along with them on the Leadership/EC side of the team. I have never had so much fun in Planetside 2 (other than the launch date).”

How awesome is it when a member can say their favorite memory was before they even officially joined? These are the things that make eGO great.

Another name you've probably seen around is ExOH from Counter-Strike Division. He tells us about his favorite memories:

“One of my greatest memories in eGO is when I was promoted to EC. It meant I had responsibility, and I could provide the fun! I always enjoy learning something new. There is a great feeling of success when we hold events and everyone has fun. Mega and NM have been great since I joined the team, always helping out with anything, and always there to listen to suggestions and questions."

“Well, it truly has flown by... I feel like I have been in the community just as long as everyone else and that I’ve been welcomed with open arms. We aren’t just any community, we're like family we will always be here to support others and have fun.”

Like family...this is something that members say on a regular basis. We've seen one another through good times and bad, through births and, sadly, through deaths. We have laughed together and sometimes we've cried together. On this our 8th anniversary, we are celebrating so much more than just a video game community.

With that, we'll leave you with some words from our founder himself, Artimus:

"Eight years and still the number one gaming community in the world. Thanks to all leadership and our members for keeping eGO great!"

What are your favorite memories of eGO? Let us know in the replies!

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[wewo]

by SigmaTaurus

This month all the nations around the Blue Marble join together to celebrate the FIFA World Cup. What does this have to do with eGO? Nothing really, but I just couldn't stop myself from shouting here: GO MEXICO!!!!!!!!!!!

Now, I've known a lot of dudes who think that PSC is a division full of mysteries and enigmas. That is why this month we talked with the Leadership on several topics regarding what our friends at PSC do and why (other than being incredibly friendly and helping to show newcomers the ropes). This is what Leadership told us:

Question 1: Why do we have a 13+ years old rule?

Since eGO forums are hosted in the United States of America, eGO is bound by the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, a Federal Law which sets forth rules and guidelines for the younger audiences when they surf the amazing yet dangerous waters of Internetland. COPPA defines "Internet Service Operator" (ISO) as every person or entity that provides a service online. In this case, it is not the gaming servers, but the forum itself (as you can see, the forums are more important that one could imagine!), which subject EdgeGamers to the COPPA requirements.

Generally, the guidelines state that anybody under thirteen years of age must obtain the consent of his/her parent before applying to join the community (which as you know is possible only through the forums). Also, the parent must be fully aware of the contents of the site and must acknowledge its purpose and the information that will be disclosed and transmitted. This procedure applies to every website or Internet service that is directed to children, but more specifically toward websites and Internet services that collect personal information. Therefore, eGO will only allow members under 13 into the community if they obtain parental consent and otherwise comply with COPPA.

If you have children and you expect them to properly use the Internet like any other child from the age of five nowadays (geez, they grow more quickly every year!), check the link and give it a nice read. I’m sure you’ll find a lot of interesting information. Anything for their safety, right? The COPPA regulation is serious business, and failing to comply could result in serious penalties (including six and seven figure fines ), and we don’t want that for anybody.


Question 2: How many members apply daily? How do we prevent bad recruitment?

On average, eGO accepts three to six applications daily. That means we grow from 1,100 to 2,200 members per year. That, friends, is a lot of people gaming hardcore.

Now according to the Leadership, preventing bad people from joining eGO is as impossible as unnecessary. Impossible because no one could be sure of every applicant's complete history unless you've known him or her in real life. Also, it would be paranoid and negative for recruitment if we started to “investigate” people. We are a community that grows on video games, so we are open for everyone who wants to play video games with us. 'Nuff said. The bad seeds who make it into eGO are usually promptly weeded out by our Admins.

The important part of recruiting is always remembering the reason we gather here: to have some fun. The PSC works day and night to provide tools to improve gaming and social experiences for everyone; even though the PSC does not host a particular game themselves, they are everywhere (like my countrymen across the world, you find one in every corner).

And last but not least, the PSC just released something called “The NME Program” (I know, it sounds like “enemy” but it’s actually New Member Experience). While I won’t elaborate at this time, because I'm so mean, you can be sure that it will be amazing. If you have any questions and/or you want to be part of it, contact any Leadership member, particularly CCCPofAmerica, also known as "C3PO" for better reference.

Read ya’ later,
Sigma.

Managing Editor's note: The opinions stated regarding the World Cup are solely those of the Reporter, they do not reflect the opinions of EdgeGamers or the Newsletter Team.

[LINK="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=267181"]return to front page[/LINK]

 

[wewo]

by Insomnia Princess

Insomnia Princess here, with the help of DarkRaven, to bring you an update on current events in the Battlefield Division. Leadership wants to extend a huge thank you to all members who have been working hard to keep the servers filled, and of course to our admins who help day in and day out to keep the servers punk-free and hacker-free. If you haven’t heard yet, there are some fun things happening with the Division this summer.

First, Battlefield is currently holding its 2nd Annual Summer Bounty Event. The event runs through August 15th. Do you have a desire to put out a bounty on a fellow Battlefield Division member or leader? Now's your chance!

Players can put out a bounty such as killing a certain player, with a certain weapon, or in a certain way. There will also be new leadership bounties each week, and additional points will be awarded for special bounties or kills.

Players need to take a screenshot of the kill so they can be awarded points. The winners will be determined by the total points earned for the bounties they have claimed. There are some great prizes including the CORSAIR Vengeance Pro 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800), the Razer Battlefield 4 Razer BlackShark Over Ear Noise Isolating PC Gaming Headset, and BF4 Premium or a gift card of equal value.

Bounty points work as follows:

Standard Bounty claim - 10 points
Melee/Torch Bounty Claim - 15 points
Nemesis Bounty claim - 20 points
Special Bounty claim - 25 points
Leadership Bounty claim - 50 points

Leadership would like to remind you that we have a Battlefield 3 server running once more:

=(eGO)= 24/7 Metro

In addition, BF is also running three Battlefield 4 servers which are:

=(eGO)= 24/7 - Operation Locker
=(eGO)= 24/7 Siege Of Shangha
=(eGO)= Conquest - All Popular Maps

Check out our server list here.

You can find BF3 and BF4 servers under your BattleLog by putting =(eGO)= in the search filter. Additionally, we still have a Battlefield Bad Company 2 Heavy Metal Server and Conquest Rotation Server. EdgeGamers members who are not part of the Battlefield Division are invited to come over and play if you have any of these games. All are welcome to join the fun.

Stay tuned if you signed up for the BF Hardline Beta as information on this should be released soon. Hopefully some of our members will be able to play in the beta together.

All servers have been doing great and staying filled with the help of Battlefield Leadership, members, and pubs. Keep up the great work everyone!

*Special thanks to DarkRaven for contributing to this article.

[LINK="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=267181"]return to front page[/LINK]

 

[wewo]

by Jay_Jay

eGO’s oldest division has been hard at work and is full of surprises. The highly successful Summer Bounty event is in full swing until September. Prizes include Steam games and Dedicated Supporter codes. The top bounty currently stands at $105,000 for the Domination of Rufio. As well as regular bounties, special ones are also on offer. 21 players have been added to this special list. Killing some of these hard to find players can earn you a staggering $300,000. For full details, visit the Summer Bounty post.

An unofficial contest underway for the DoD Division, is the Fantasy Football League. Not knowing much about American football myself, I can’t say much about it; however, knowing how intense and dedicated its fans are, I bet those involved in the FFL are in for a treat this year. As always, you can expect the old guard taking part. New faces are also showing support for the event this year so as to keep this =(eGO=) Skippy led tradition alive.

Now for the big news. It’s time to oil your rifle and dust off your uniform. DoD Division Leader Chuck Norris recently opened registration for the 11th Realism Campaign. The 10th Campaign saw two highly decorated units of World War II lock horns. The 3rd Infantry Division and 2nd SS Panzer Division showed no mercy on the battlefield. Now, things are really heating up. The elite are marching in through the gun smoke. To the beat of war drums, Dr.Compton leads the 36th Waffen SS Division onto the field, closely followed by Generals MatzWHAT and ST0RMY. On the opposing side, with banners flying high, anti sets the marching pace for the 75th Rangers Regiment. Generals fluxion and Superglue follow. As always, the campaign will see five battles take place. Starting July 12 and ending August 9, the 11th Realism Campaign will see the opposing armies fight over control of various countries across the European theatre, from the beaches of Normandy, to the mirages of Tunisia. Both teams will competitively fight for survival and honor. The declaration of war is signed. The time is nigh for the armies to recruit and formulate their plans for the upcoming campaign. Head to your local recruitment office and submit your details to enlist. Also, be sure to stay tuned to the latest campaign news and announcements.

From your war correspondent in the virtual field, game on.

[LINK="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=267181"]return to front page[/LINK]

 

[wewo]

by Insomnia Princess

Summer brought some changes to the Team Fortress 2 Division as well as more time for many members to get online and play. With finals over for the student members and a new update from Valve, the Division is seeing more action on the servers than in weeks past.

If you missed the Divisional Meeting held in June, here are the highlights:

• If you are interested in applying for an Admin Trainer position, contact Fullmetal
• MAUL notes are now being filled out properly; excellent job, everyone!
• If you are interested in applying for an Event Coordinator position, contact jhnsn or Sephiroth
• Look forward to future announcements about the summer league this year
• If you are interested in playing with the competitive team, request access to the competitive team forum - no prior experience required!
• If you are interested in applying for an Recruitment Host position, contact Insomnia Princess
• The RHs will be moving away from more traditional recruiting drives toward more practical events and shall also be hosting weekly contests
• The Summer of Sand begins!

June also marks a sad time for some members as we lost one of our servers due to inactivity. The difficult decision to close the Valve Maps server was a wake-up call that if we don’t keep our servers full, we are at risk of losing them.

After sending the server out with a farewell bang, TF2 members had some reflections on this and the potential risk to two other servers; Payload and Egypt:

=(eG)= benuc184 says, “Even though I made fun of VM, it was a great server and losing it was hard. If it had been filled more often, it might have taken Egypt's place as my home. Losing it was hard, but if Kazoo of all people was willing to let it go, so was I.”

=(eGO)= Rdinator says, “I personally liked the server, but it didn't fly too well with the TF2 population. Honestly, I would have to say that it's a shame to see such a beloved server within the community go, but what has to be done, has to be done, if it's not getting enough people to sustain it properly. It could be either lack of interest to fill the server and keep it filled on our end, or simply the people who join it for the first time didn't like the concept much.”

As recently as March, Valve Maps was not doing poorly; however, it took a nosedive in the rankings and was very difficult to get and keep filled. Since it sat empty too often, it was sacrificed in order to focus efforts on the remaining servers.

Some members didn’t take the loss of the server as gracefully. =(eG)= Versed says, “So basically our leaders said they're going to take our toys away unless we play with them? Sounds messed up to me but I guess that's why I don't make the decisions.”

=(eGO)= Tokiw says, “ I gotta admit- it's a bit frustrating to see PL and VM go... I mean, I don't want to ONLY play Harvest, or Foundry. While they're fun maps, variety is good! I want to play on Special Delivery, or Process, or Standin. I want to play on Nucleus, or that other payload race map I can't quite remember the name of at the moment, and all the other CP, KOTH, PL, and CTF maps that aren't currently in the 24/7 lineup.”

Tokiw makes a good point as many other members expressed frustration at the possibility of not having a rotation server anymore. At the end of the day, the decision to cut a server is never an easy one. The best way to ensure your favorite server doesn’t get the boot is to play on it often and encourage all of your friends to do the same.

=(eGO)= Rdinator also had some wise words to say about this. “For the at risk servers, I would have to say we as a community need to find appealing ways to promote filling, and make sure the incoming players like and keep playing on the server. If any of the servers need to be changed into something else due to inactivity, we need to find ways to make the server beneficial to the needs of the community to make it successful.”

With Valve Maps laid to rest, the focus was shifted to Egypt and Payload. A community poll led to changes to the Payload rotation that will go into effect soon. Operation Save Egypt kicked off the Summer of Sand, which is proving to be a lot of fun for members and has already helped Egypt climb up the server rankings.

So there we have a summer update from the “Hat Division”. Get out there and have some fun!

[LINK="http://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=267181"]return to front page[/LINK]

 

[wewo]

by Blaze

A series on the history of weapons could not be complete without an article about the Автомат Калашникова. You've probably heard of this rifle and even seen it in video games, movies, or real-life. For those of you that don't speak Russian, allow me to introduce one of the most influential rifles in the world: the AK-47.

As Luck Would Have It

Mikhail Kalashnikov, the father of the AK-47, began designing weapons by chance -- he had been shot in the shoulder during the Battle of Bryansk and was no longer able to serve on the front lines. He and his team designed the rifle for a weapon design contest sponsored by the Soviet Union, though it was more like a second-chance contest for the automatic rifle design. The first run of this contest was won by Sudayev, but his rifle was too heavy for field use and once its weight was reduced, its reliability and accuracy suffered. Sudayev then became ill and died in 1946, halting development of his rifle. That fateful event prompted the GAU to start an entirely new design contest, which Kalashnikov won with his designs for the rifles he codenamed AK-1 and AK-2.

Kalashnikov's rifles were reliable and moved on to the second round in the contest, along with designs by two other weapons experts. At that point, one of his assistants suggested an overhaul of much of the AK-1, primarily to make it more reliable. Kalashnikov was hesitant to go back to the drawing board, especially since his existing rifle was already in the lead in the competition; eventually, he took his assistant's advice and reworked much of the AK-1. The new design proved itself simple and reliable under most conditions and was relatively easy to handle. Production of the first trial series started in early 1948, with official adoption by the Soviet Army of the "7.62 mm Kalashnikov assault rifle (AK)" the following year.

Advantages Over Other Rifles

The AK-47's biggest benefits over other rifles are its relatively compact size, its straight-forward design, and its ease to mass-produce. Cheap to manufacture and easy to maintain, its ruggedness and reliability are the stuff of legends. Due to its ease of manufacture and use and its being relatively inexpensive, many countries and gunsmiths have copied or adapted the AK-47's design for their own weapons, including the Albanian ASH-82, the Chinese Type 56, and the South African R4 assault rifle. In fact, more AK-type rifles have been produced to date than all other assault rifles combined!

Cultural Impact

It's easy to find out what an AK-47 (or its variants) look like. Most movies and video games that involve war or the military that have been produced in the last fifteen years feature an AK-47 at some point. From Jackie Chan in "Operation Condor" to Nicolas Cage in "Lord of War", from Max Payne 2 to Call of Duty 4, the AK-47 is a staple of warfare -- both real and simulated.

Those aren't the only places where you can find the AK-47 represented. The AK-47 is part of the flag of Mozambique, the coat of arms of East Timor, and also the flag of Hezbollah. It is sometimes mentioned in Mexican narcocorridos (drug ballads). With all its history and advantages over other rifles, it's not difficult to understand why it became a cultural icon.

In Memoriam

Mikhail Kalashnikov passed away on December 23, 2013, at the age of 94. He received numerous awards and decorations for his service, including Hero of the Russian Federation, the Order of St. Andrew, and the Order of Lenin. He is no longer with us, but given his inventions and their impact on the entire world, he will likely never be forgotten. The next time you pick up an AK-47 from a fallen soldier or score that round-winning kill with one, remember that Mikhail and his design team made it all possible.

Special thanks to Wikipedia for source material for this article. You can read Wikipedia's entry on the AK-47 here and Mikhail Kalashnikov here.

Managing Editor's note: This article is part of a series entitled "Guns and Grenades." Each article will feature a different weapon and will be published periodically. Keep reading the EdgeGamers Newsletter for more entries in this series.

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[EternalGriever]

...
Jade is a relatively new member of our Minecraft Division, having joined in September 2013 on the recommendation of a friend, but that doesn?t stop her from jumping right into the fun.

Jade says, ?I have made so many new friends, both in my division and in the community. My funniest memory happened four months after joining, during my G admin training. We have a player who's MC skin is a Mudkip from Pokemon. I was practicing the kick command on him, so I thought it would be funny if I made my reason for kicking 'nobody likes mudkips.' Needless to say, I did get a few laughs from the server. Not even a month later I was promoted to O, which, I'm told was a big deal, so I guess I would call that my 'divisional brag.' eGO is like a second family to me, and I love all of my new-found friends and look forward to even more fun and memorable moments here!?

...

Golden memories

 

[Insomnia Princess]

Golden memories

There were so many great stories! I hated how much I had to cut to make it work but I encourage everyone to share their memories in the comments. It was so much fun talking to many of our members about their time in eGO.

 

[Maserati]

I'll have to play some operation metro soon. Sadly my laptop doesn't like the origin games too much atm.

...and to the vm people... be on the look out for special event soon.

 

[SigmaMX]

This month all the nations around the Blue Marble join together to celebrate the FIFA World Cup. What does this have to do with eGO? Nothing really, but I just couldn't stop myself from shouting here: GO MEXICO!!!!!!!!!!!

Update:

Mexico lost to Netherlands last sunday.

*CRIES TO DEATH*

 

[wewo]

USA was eliminated by Belgium yesterday, in overtime;(

 

[Artimus]

I LOVE our Newsletter! Great read.

 

[erickablyat]

Great read. Would say my favorite memory was just any day I spent on the CS:S de_highschool server, even from my old pre-eGO days as "The Angel of Death", and especially one day when I and a good amount of admins had started changing our names to pop culture references and ended up focusing more on making each-other laugh than actually play the game. I may have joined in January of this year, but the 2 years I've put into eGO overall have been the greatest experiences of my gaming career.

 

[wewo]

I LOVE our Newsletter! Great read.

w00t! we got an exclamation point from Artimus The Newsletter Team thanks you for the compliment.

 

[Gremlin]

Very cool newsletter great job everyone ; )