The latest EGM magazine features one final cover story by outgoing editor Dan Hsu, but boy does he go out with style. The main act is a rather detailed preview of Gears of War 2 with quite a bit of new details about the game. You will now be able to take pictures during the game and upload them to a website for sharing and voting.

Also noticed during their playtime was an Epic dev "watching a video," which is perhaps a hint at saved films. Other hinted features include 4-player co-op and AI bots for multiplayer. Our friends at X3F have some more details, including new weapons and what to do if you find yourself knocked down or stumble upon a downed enemy. The latest EGM, with GoW2 on the cover, should be on newsstands already.

[Update: 2:20PM: Shoe has posted a blog about the move, noting that his departure is "my own decision; I'm not being forced out or laid off or anything like that." Hsu writes that he plans to take "some much-needed time off" before considering future career moves.]

[Update 2:17PM: Ziff Davis Vice President for Editorial Simon Cox has written a blog post on the departure, noting that the move will be effective Friday, April 25.]

Ziff Davis announced today that Dan "Shoe" Hsu, former editor-in-chief of Electronic Gaming Monthly, will be leaving Ziff Davis "to pursue personal interests." Site Director Sam Kennedy will be taking over Hsu's current role as Editorial Director of 1UP Networks.

The abrupt departure, which comes after an 11-year career with the video game news publisher, follows a Tuesday announcement that Ziff Davis Games For Windows magazine would be going to an online-only format effective immediately. It's not immediately known what Hsu plans to do next. Kennedy will also maintain his current role as editor-in-chief of the online gaming news portal.

Hsu started working for Ziff Davis in April 1996. He briefly wrote for start-up Gamers.com from April 2000 - 2001 before returning to Ziff Davis and becoming editor-in-chief of Electronic Gaming Monthly. Hsu was promoted to editorial director last year, when former Editorial Director John Davison left Ziff Davis to start parents gaming guide What They Play.

Earlier this week we saw an editorial from Electronic Gaming Monthly Editor-in-chief Dan "Shoe" Hsu calling out Sony's sport division, the Mortal Kombat team and Ubisoft for purportedly blackballing the magazine. GameDaily's Media Coverage feature, written by Joystiq's Kyle Orland, talks with Hsu about the editorial to extract more insight into his decision to publish the editorial.

Hsu clarifies that these incidents are not common, despite the perception one might get from all the media around it. In talking about Ubisoft specifically, Hsu points out two previews for Assassin's Creed, which discussed worrisome design flaws. He also notes that Capcom had at one point in the magazine's history pulled support and have since become a prominent advertiser again.

Our favorite line comes at the end of the piece. Said Hsu, "I'd drag EGM down with me or quit before we compromise our integrity." You hear that, EGM writers who value paychecks over integrity? Get out while you still can!

UPDATE: The full text of the editorial is now available on Hsu's blog.

In his latest editorial, Electronic Gaming Monthly Editor-in-chief Dan "Shoe" Hsu publicly calls out three companies that are allegedly refusing to work with the magazine due to negative reviews of their games. According to Hsu, the members of Midway's Mortal Kombat team, Sony's sports division and Ubisoft as a whole are refusing to give EGM access to early preview or review builds of their games (in the case of Ubisoft, Hsu specifically says "it seems our coverage of Assassin's Creed was the last straw").

As a result, Hsu says EGM readers will get "little, late, or no coverage" of these companies' games. "We won't treat these products or companies any differently, and we'll just cover them to the best of our own abilities, with or without their support," Hsu writes. "Because, after all, we're writing for you, the reader -- not them."

These types of allegations aren't anything new around the game industry water cooler, and stories of publisher reprisals in the form of pulled advertising or blackballed journalists occasionally bubble up in the game press. But editors are usually reluctant to publicly name names in these situations, for fear of pissing off publishers further. Are we seeing the beginning of a new age in game journalism, where journalists aren't afraid of standing up to publishers that try to push them around?

We'll be following up with Hsu and the companies involved and let you know what we hear.