(Business 2.0) – A few years ago, while moderating a panel at E3, the annual video-and computer-games convention, I met a young reporter named Geoff Keighley. As I watched all the big shots in the industry vie for face time with him, it quickly became apparent that, despite his age--he was still in college at the time--this guy was the dean of the gaming press. In retrospect, I guess this wasn't too surprising, since he'd already had plenty of experience, having written about games professionally from the age of 12. The kid's smart. But somehow I persuaded him to put off going to law school this year, and instead cover the industry he knows so well as a contributing writer for Business 2.0.

There are still a few things in the entertainment world that are bigger than the video-and computer-game business. Movies, for instance. But not for long. As Electronic Arts gets set to unveil its long-awaited online version of The Sims, the best-selling PC game ever, we asked Keighley to get inside the company to find out where it's heading. The story he came back with, "Could This Be the Next Disney?" (page 110), is filled with must-read details about how CEO Larry Probst built a $2 billion company that's only getting started.

Success stories are especially hard to find these days. Too many once-trusted counselors--from auditors to stock analysts to CFOs--are in the doghouse (if not the big house). That's why we've devoted 12 feature pages of this issue to a cover story that asks a wide variety of truly knowledgeable experts for advice on thriving in today's business climate. We call it "How to Succeed in 2003," and you can read it starting on page 87. If you've ever wanted to find out directly from Michael Dell how his company manages to prosper even in this market, or wondered what Emeril Lagasse thinks you should cook when the boss comes over, you no longer have to ask. We just did.

To put the advice package together, we turned to an expert of our own: guest editor Rob Howe. He's been writing, reporting, and editing for decades at institutions like the Baltimore Sun, People, Time, and the Washington Post. Among many impressive credentials, Howe helped lead the team that put out People's award-winning special issue in the wake of 9/11--an 85-page magazine assembled from scratch in 22 hours. A true magazine guy, Howe had a handle on this story as soon as we described the concept. "We tried to identify issues that were relevant to corporations and entrepreneurs alike," he says. "The advice won't give people a specific blueprint, but it's relevant to this time, to the issues they face."

One issue many companies are facing is how to revive their flagging brands. The story of the unlikely marriage between Kmart, which is fighting its way out of bankruptcy, and Joe Boxer, which for years has been on the ropes, is a classic business study (see page 76). I met Joe Boxer's irrepressible founder, Nicholas Graham, at a Business 2.0 Live! event in Los Angeles this fall and knew that the story of his company's rise, fall, and rise again would make a compelling feature for the magazine.

Finally, remember that we don't just dish out advice--we take it too. If you have an opinion about the magazine, I'd love to hear it.

JOSH QUITTNER, EDITOR jquittner@business2.com