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[The_R3medy_]

Phew, made it to the end. I don't know how many threads I'll be able to read, but I made it through this one. Thanks to everyone who's taken the time to share your memories, from whichever era you started with the site, even if you stopped coming at some point or another.

I've always had a strong sense that God brought me to GT as there were so many varied parts of my past experience that made it a perfect fit when I came there at just the right time for a rare opening. Reading Shane's job description on craigslist was as if it was written directly for me.

In the eight and a half years that I've worked there, I've truly grown as a writer, producer, and eventually a manager. I started at GT from a background that was purely focused on Nintendo and bit by bit, I focused on pushing myself to be just as well versed with PlayStation, Xbox, and eventually PC gaming, and now I bounce between every platform just depending on what game I want to play. Somehow, I became known for my opinions on racing games, and for as long as I could find time, I put my strongest efforts into telling the stories of my favorite game soundtracks and getting composers on camera to tell their own. I still firmly believe that anyone would be hard-pressed to make better pieces on the music in the Mass Effect or BioShock series.

In the early days, Shane was the most influential in shaping my scripts, but as we grew and responsibilities shifted, I learned so much from Ryan, Justin, and Miguel. Even some of the younger writers on our editorial team like Patrick Morales and Michael Damiani were absolute legends, and we were backed up by the tireless work of Johnny Chang, Rich Brown, Megan Rugh, Matt Blair, Jamie Kohler, Kelly Campbell, Brad Winters, Bobby Burns, dang I could be listing people all night.

Safe to say, this team, these people from the last eight and half years, are family. We've been up through the night, sleeping in the office during E3 only to head back out on the show floor the next morning. We suffered together through brutal travel snafus. -- Ryan even bought us clothes once when our luggage got delayed. -- And we had some of the most amazing meals at Gamescom and TGS.

Every one of us was gutted when Shane announced his departure. Geoff stepped in briefly to set a new course while Ryan and Jeremy took the reins to lead the team on a day to day basis, lighting a fire under us to double down on great originals, birthing shows that have carried us to this day like The Final Bosman, GT Time, and Mandatory Update. As we began invading Brandon's VO booth, awkward first pushes like The Final Verdict began to prepare us to get comfortable being on-camera, but make no mistake, that foundation was laid with Shane when he started Invisible Walls and pushed us to write regular staff blogs.

Then came the purchase by Defy. Nothing left me in more shock than to learn that Ryan Stevens and Brad Winters, the men we relied on for direction, wouldn't be coming. Suddenly, Brandon had to take up his role as the founder of the site to lead the few of us selected to stay, and I found myself as the eldest member of the editorial team. Since Brandon had never really been a part of the review or preview process aside from reading scripts, I knew I had to take that weight off his back so he could focus on figuring out practically everything else.

The fact that we somehow reinvented ourselves among moving, changing our entire production pipeline, learning all new equipment and programs, and adapting to a new corporate culture is an absolute testimony to the strength of everyone who came with us. Don and Ian are editing monsters, churning out videos faster than should be possible, yet still they pushed to go beyond that and produce content of their own. Damiani, Elyse and Kyle are creative powerhouses and always kept us from accepting the status quo. Huber and Brad brought much needed enthusiasm to everything they did. Matt Blair worked tirelessly for years well into the middle of the night for far too long and has done so much that should be utterly inappropriate to ask of him. Ben Moore is one of the most fantastic and thoughtful writers imaginable and voracious in his breadth. And Brandon Jones is like a brother now, always leading us through the worst news with positivity and optimism. The dedication to daily programming, streaming, and the passion these guys had to make shows (even when I questioned their ability to fit it in) should not be taken lightly. It will be hard for any team to ever match them.

Right now I am on my honeymoon. I have no idea what's waiting for me when I get back. If the right offers come up, I could easily see myself writing or producing for another outlet, moving to a game studio, or moving outside of gaming altogether. But if someone has a realistic plan to keep this team together, I'd be a fool not to hear it out.

(sorry didn't intend to write a full history of my time at GT, it just came out)

Thanks for posting Blood. Hope you can enjoy your honeymoon that best anyone can in this scenario. I'll be supporting you and the rest of the GT staff no matter where you end up.

 

[Rikkun]

Great stuff by Blood. Let's keep waiting then, now I'm not as hopeless as I felt the first day.

 

[FaintColt388301]

Best of luck, Blood. Hope you have a great honeymoon.

I can't wait to see where you end up. I'm confident you'll be successful no matter where you go.

 

[LeonSPBR]

Phew, made it to the end. I don't know how many threads I'll be able to read, but I made it through this one. Thanks to everyone who's taken the time to share your memories, from whichever era you started with the site, even if you stopped coming at some point or another.

I've always had a strong sense that God brought me to GT as there were so many varied parts of my past experience that made it a perfect fit when I came there at just the right time for a rare opening. Reading Shane's job description on craigslist was as if it was written directly for me.

In the eight and a half years that I've worked there, I've truly grown as a writer, producer, and eventually a manager. I started at GT from a background that was purely focused on Nintendo and bit by bit, I focused on pushing myself to be just as well versed with PlayStation, Xbox, and eventually PC gaming, and now I bounce between every platform just depending on what game I want to play. Somehow, I became known for my opinions on racing games, and for as long as I could find time, I put my strongest efforts into telling the stories of my favorite game soundtracks and getting composers on camera to tell their own. I still firmly believe that anyone would be hard-pressed to make better pieces on the music in the Mass Effect or BioShock series.

In the early days, Shane was the most influential in shaping my scripts, but as we grew and responsibilities shifted, I learned so much from Ryan, Justin, and Miguel. Even some of the younger writers on our editorial team like Patrick Morales and Michael Damiani were absolute legends, and we were backed up by the tireless work of Johnny Chang, Rich Brown, Megan Rugh, Matt Blair, Jamie Kohler, Kelly Campbell, Brad Winters, Bobby Burns, dang I could be listing people all night.

Safe to say, this team, these people from the last eight and half years, are family. We've been up through the night, sleeping in the office during E3 only to head back out on the show floor the next morning. We suffered together through brutal travel snafus. -- Ryan even bought us clothes once when our luggage got delayed. -- And we had some of the most amazing meals at Gamescom and TGS.

Every one of us was gutted when Shane announced his departure. Geoff stepped in briefly to set a new course while Ryan and Jeremy took the reins to lead the team on a day to day basis, lighting a fire under us to double down on great originals, birthing shows that have carried us to this day like The Final Bosman, GT Time, and Mandatory Update. As we began invading Brandon's VO booth, awkward first pushes like The Final Verdict began to prepare us to get comfortable being on-camera, but make no mistake, that foundation was laid with Shane when he started Invisible Walls and pushed us to write regular staff blogs.

Then came the purchase by Defy. Nothing left me in more shock than to learn that Ryan Stevens and Brad Winters, the men we relied on for direction, wouldn't be coming. Suddenly, Brandon had to take up his role as the founder of the site to lead the few of us selected to stay, and I found myself as the eldest member of the editorial team. Since Brandon had never really been a part of the review or preview process aside from reading scripts, I knew I had to take that weight off his back so he could focus on figuring out practically everything else.

The fact that we somehow reinvented ourselves among moving, changing our entire production pipeline, learning all new equipment and programs, and adapting to a new corporate culture is an absolute testimony to the strength of everyone who came with us. Don and Ian are editing monsters, churning out videos faster than should be possible, yet still they pushed to go beyond that and produce content of their own. Damiani, Elyse and Kyle are creative powerhouses and always kept us from accepting the status quo. Huber and Brad brought much needed enthusiasm to everything they did. Matt Blair worked tirelessly for years well into the middle of the night for far too long and has done so much that should be utterly inappropriate to ask of him. Ben Moore is one of the most fantastic and thoughtful writers imaginable and voracious in his breadth. And Brandon Jones is like a brother now, always leading us through the worst news with positivity and optimism. The dedication to daily programming, streaming, and the passion these guys had to make shows (even when I questioned their ability to fit it in) should not be taken lightly. It will be hard for any team to ever match them.

Right now I am on my honeymoon. I have no idea what's waiting for me when I get back. If the right offers come up, I could easily see myself writing or producing for another outlet, moving to a game studio, or moving outside of gaming altogether. But if someone has a realistic plan to keep this team together, I'd be a fool not to hear it out.

(sorry didn't intend to write a full history of my time at GT, it just came out)

I truly hope that you guys stay working together. I enjoye the content that you guys put out, and I hope that you stay together doing more.

 

[Nicko]

Phew, made it to the end. I don't know how many threads I'll be able to read, but I made it through this one. Thanks to everyone who's taken the time to share your memories, from whichever era you started with the site, even if you stopped coming at some point or another.

I've always had a strong sense that God brought me to GT as there were so many varied parts of my past experience that made it a perfect fit when I came there at just the right time for a rare opening. Reading Shane's job description on craigslist was as if it was written directly for me.

In the eight and a half years that I've worked there, I've truly grown as a writer, producer, and eventually a manager. I started at GT from a background that was purely focused on Nintendo and bit by bit, I focused on pushing myself to be just as well versed with PlayStation, Xbox, and eventually PC gaming, and now I bounce between every platform just depending on what game I want to play. Somehow, I became known for my opinions on racing games, and for as long as I could find time, I put my strongest efforts into telling the stories of my favorite game soundtracks and getting composers on camera to tell their own. I still firmly believe that anyone would be hard-pressed to make better pieces on the music in the Mass Effect or BioShock series.

In the early days, Shane was the most influential in shaping my scripts, but as we grew and responsibilities shifted, I learned so much from Ryan, Justin, and Miguel. Even some of the younger writers on our editorial team like Patrick Morales and Michael Damiani were absolute legends, and we were backed up by the tireless work of Johnny Chang, Rich Brown, Megan Rugh, Matt Blair, Jamie Kohler, Kelly Campbell, Brad Winters, Bobby Burns, dang I could be listing people all night.

Safe to say, this team, these people from the last eight and half years, are family. We've been up through the night, sleeping in the office during E3 only to head back out on the show floor the next morning. We suffered together through brutal travel snafus. -- Ryan even bought us clothes once when our luggage got delayed. -- And we had some of the most amazing meals at Gamescom and TGS.

Every one of us was gutted when Shane announced his departure. Geoff stepped in briefly to set a new course while Ryan and Jeremy took the reins to lead the team on a day to day basis, lighting a fire under us to double down on great originals, birthing shows that have carried us to this day like The Final Bosman, GT Time, and Mandatory Update. As we began invading Brandon's VO booth, awkward first pushes like The Final Verdict began to prepare us to get comfortable being on-camera, but make no mistake, that foundation was laid with Shane when he started Invisible Walls and pushed us to write regular staff blogs.

Then came the purchase by Defy. Nothing left me in more shock than to learn that Ryan Stevens and Brad Winters, the men we relied on for direction, wouldn't be coming. Suddenly, Brandon had to take up his role as the founder of the site to lead the few of us selected to stay, and I found myself as the eldest member of the editorial team. Since Brandon had never really been a part of the review or preview process aside from reading scripts, I knew I had to take that weight off his back so he could focus on figuring out practically everything else.

The fact that we somehow reinvented ourselves among moving, changing our entire production pipeline, learning all new equipment and programs, and adapting to a new corporate culture is an absolute testimony to the strength of everyone who came with us. Don and Ian are editing monsters, churning out videos faster than should be possible, yet still they pushed to go beyond that and produce content of their own. Damiani, Elyse and Kyle are creative powerhouses and always kept us from accepting the status quo. Huber and Brad brought much needed enthusiasm to everything they did. Matt Blair worked tirelessly for years well into the middle of the night for far too long and has done so much that should be utterly inappropriate to ask of him. Ben Moore is one of the most fantastic and thoughtful writers imaginable and voracious in his breadth. And Brandon Jones is like a brother now, always leading us through the worst news with positivity and optimism. The dedication to daily programming, streaming, and the passion these guys had to make shows (even when I questioned their ability to fit it in) should not be taken lightly. It will be hard for any team to ever match them.

Right now I am on my honeymoon. I have no idea what's waiting for me when I get back. If the right offers come up, I could easily see myself writing or producing for another outlet, moving to a game studio, or moving outside of gaming altogether. But if someone has a realistic plan to keep this team together, I'd be a fool not to hear it out.

(sorry didn't intend to write a full history of my time at GT, it just came out)

From the bottom of my heart, thanks again Blood and GT team for so many great memories. You all are truly talented and I pray that you guys will be able to stick together somehow.

Your positivity and fantastic talent really helped offset all of the negativity in the industry these days.

God bless and Godspeed brother

 

[The1Ski]

Thanks, Blood

 

[Vorpal]

Phew, made it to the end. I don't know how many threads I'll be able to read, but I made it through this one. Thanks to everyone who's taken the time to share your memories, from whichever era you started with the site, even if you stopped coming at some point or another.

Blood, you're awesome. That was a great post. Really wishing you guys the best and I can't wait to see how everyone bounces back. Enjoy the honeymoon!

 

[Mariolee]

Blood you're gonna make me cry man. I'll be praying for you and everyone's future endeavours man.

 

[Wafflecakes]

Ugh. Went back to save some of my favorite reviews and the links are already dead.



Zelda Twilight Princess Review

 

[Aroll]

I'm sure they thought about this already, but... Kinda Funny route? Sure they left IGN by pure choice, but you have enough well known personalities and probably support from say, Geoff Keighley, to probably pull off something similar.

 

[AjNimajwalHansel]

Thanks Blood! That was a wonderful read. Congratulations on being a newly-wed, was there myself not too long ago. Enjoy your honeymoon. We'll all be lining up to support all of you wherever you end up.

 

[Aroll]

Phew, made it to the end. I don't know how many threads I'll be able to read, but I made it through this one. Thanks to everyone who's taken the time to share your memories, from whichever era you started with the site, even if you stopped coming at some point or another.

I've always had a strong sense that God brought me to GT as there were so many varied parts of my past experience that made it a perfect fit when I came there at just the right time for a rare opening. Reading Shane's job description on craigslist was as if it was written directly for me.

In the eight and a half years that I've worked there, I've truly grown as a writer, producer, and eventually a manager. I started at GT from a background that was purely focused on Nintendo and bit by bit, I focused on pushing myself to be just as well versed with PlayStation, Xbox, and eventually PC gaming, and now I bounce between every platform just depending on what game I want to play. Somehow, I became known for my opinions on racing games, and for as long as I could find time, I put my strongest efforts into telling the stories of my favorite game soundtracks and getting composers on camera to tell their own. I still firmly believe that anyone would be hard-pressed to make better pieces on the music in the Mass Effect or BioShock series.

In the early days, Shane was the most influential in shaping my scripts, but as we grew and responsibilities shifted, I learned so much from Ryan, Justin, and Miguel. Even some of the younger writers on our editorial team like Patrick Morales and Michael Damiani were absolute legends, and we were backed up by the tireless work of Johnny Chang, Rich Brown, Megan Rugh, Matt Blair, Jamie Kohler, Kelly Campbell, Brad Winters, Bobby Burns, dang I could be listing people all night.

Safe to say, this team, these people from the last eight and half years, are family. We've been up through the night, sleeping in the office during E3 only to head back out on the show floor the next morning. We suffered together through brutal travel snafus. -- Ryan even bought us clothes once when our luggage got delayed. -- And we had some of the most amazing meals at Gamescom and TGS.

Every one of us was gutted when Shane announced his departure. Geoff stepped in briefly to set a new course while Ryan and Jeremy took the reins to lead the team on a day to day basis, lighting a fire under us to double down on great originals, birthing shows that have carried us to this day like The Final Bosman, GT Time, and Mandatory Update. As we began invading Brandon's VO booth, awkward first pushes like The Final Verdict began to prepare us to get comfortable being on-camera, but make no mistake, that foundation was laid with Shane when he started Invisible Walls and pushed us to write regular staff blogs.

Then came the purchase by Defy. Nothing left me in more shock than to learn that Ryan Stevens and Brad Winters, the men we relied on for direction, wouldn't be coming. Suddenly, Brandon had to take up his role as the founder of the site to lead the few of us selected to stay, and I found myself as the eldest member of the editorial team. Since Brandon had never really been a part of the review or preview process aside from reading scripts, I knew I had to take that weight off his back so he could focus on figuring out practically everything else.

The fact that we somehow reinvented ourselves among moving, changing our entire production pipeline, learning all new equipment and programs, and adapting to a new corporate culture is an absolute testimony to the strength of everyone who came with us. Don and Ian are editing monsters, churning out videos faster than should be possible, yet still they pushed to go beyond that and produce content of their own. Damiani, Elyse and Kyle are creative powerhouses and always kept us from accepting the status quo. Huber and Brad brought much needed enthusiasm to everything they did. Matt Blair worked tirelessly for years well into the middle of the night for far too long and has done so much that should be utterly inappropriate to ask of him. Ben Moore is one of the most fantastic and thoughtful writers imaginable and voracious in his breadth. And Brandon Jones is like a brother now, always leading us through the worst news with positivity and optimism. The dedication to daily programming, streaming, and the passion these guys had to make shows (even when I questioned their ability to fit it in) should not be taken lightly. It will be hard for any team to ever match them.

Right now I am on my honeymoon. I have no idea what's waiting for me when I get back. If the right offers come up, I could easily see myself writing or producing for another outlet, moving to a game studio, or moving outside of gaming altogether. But if someone has a realistic plan to keep this team together, I'd be a fool not to hear it out.

(sorry didn't intend to write a full history of my time at GT, it just came out)

Kinda Funny route. They broke off from IGN and did something crazy and it worked out. Not saying it WOULD work out - it's a risk, and you have more people to keep together than they do.

But I feel like if you build off the following GT has now as it closes and build of fthe following each of you have individually, you could successfully launch a fully joint venture that is entirely funded by the fans via one of the many methods (like Patreon) that exists. Heck, I'm willing to bet Greg Miller and the rest of the crew would even be willing to talk to you about how they did it to give you a leg up if you guys ask.

 

[taizuke]

Phew, made it to the end. I don't know how many threads I'll be able to read, but I made it through this one. Thanks to everyone who's taken the time to share your memories, from whichever era you started with the site, even if you stopped coming at some point or another.

I've always had a strong sense that God brought me to GT as there were so many varied parts of my past experience that made it a perfect fit when I came there at just the right time for a rare opening. Reading Shane's job description on craigslist was as if it was written directly for me.

In the eight and a half years that I've worked there, I've truly grown as a writer, producer, and eventually a manager. I started at GT from a background that was purely focused on Nintendo and bit by bit, I focused on pushing myself to be just as well versed with PlayStation, Xbox, and eventually PC gaming, and now I bounce between every platform just depending on what game I want to play. Somehow, I became known for my opinions on racing games, and for as long as I could find time, I put my strongest efforts into telling the stories of my favorite game soundtracks and getting composers on camera to tell their own. I still firmly believe that anyone would be hard-pressed to make better pieces on the music in the Mass Effect or BioShock series.

In the early days, Shane was the most influential in shaping my scripts, but as we grew and responsibilities shifted, I learned so much from Ryan, Justin, and Miguel. Even some of the younger writers on our editorial team like Patrick Morales and Michael Damiani were absolute legends, and we were backed up by the tireless work of Johnny Chang, Rich Brown, Megan Rugh, Matt Blair, Jamie Kohler, Kelly Campbell, Brad Winters, Bobby Burns, dang I could be listing people all night.

Safe to say, this team, these people from the last eight and half years, are family. We've been up through the night, sleeping in the office during E3 only to head back out on the show floor the next morning. We suffered together through brutal travel snafus. -- Ryan even bought us clothes once when our luggage got delayed. -- And we had some of the most amazing meals at Gamescom and TGS.

Every one of us was gutted when Shane announced his departure. Geoff stepped in briefly to set a new course while Ryan and Jeremy took the reins to lead the team on a day to day basis, lighting a fire under us to double down on great originals, birthing shows that have carried us to this day like The Final Bosman, GT Time, and Mandatory Update. As we began invading Brandon's VO booth, awkward first pushes like The Final Verdict began to prepare us to get comfortable being on-camera, but make no mistake, that foundation was laid with Shane when he started Invisible Walls and pushed us to write regular staff blogs.

Then came the purchase by Defy. Nothing left me in more shock than to learn that Ryan Stevens and Brad Winters, the men we relied on for direction, wouldn't be coming. Suddenly, Brandon had to take up his role as the founder of the site to lead the few of us selected to stay, and I found myself as the eldest member of the editorial team. Since Brandon had never really been a part of the review or preview process aside from reading scripts, I knew I had to take that weight off his back so he could focus on figuring out practically everything else.

The fact that we somehow reinvented ourselves among moving, changing our entire production pipeline, learning all new equipment and programs, and adapting to a new corporate culture is an absolute testimony to the strength of everyone who came with us. Don and Ian are editing monsters, churning out videos faster than should be possible, yet still they pushed to go beyond that and produce content of their own. Damiani, Elyse and Kyle are creative powerhouses and always kept us from accepting the status quo. Huber and Brad brought much needed enthusiasm to everything they did. Matt Blair worked tirelessly for years well into the middle of the night for far too long and has done so much that should be utterly inappropriate to ask of him. Ben Moore is one of the most fantastic and thoughtful writers imaginable and voracious in his breadth. And Brandon Jones is like a brother now, always leading us through the worst news with positivity and optimism. The dedication to daily programming, streaming, and the passion these guys had to make shows (even when I questioned their ability to fit it in) should not be taken lightly. It will be hard for any team to ever match them.

Right now I am on my honeymoon. I have no idea what's waiting for me when I get back. If the right offers come up, I could easily see myself writing or producing for another outlet, moving to a game studio, or moving outside of gaming altogether. But if someone has a realistic plan to keep this team together, I'd be a fool not to hear it out.

(sorry didn't intend to write a full history of my time at GT, it just came out)

You guys are the best group of people covering the gaming industry. Period.

Thank you and everyone at GT for all the amazing memories you guys have given me. Wherever you guys go next i'll be there day 1 to support you.

Edwin from Puerto Rico.

 

[Conezays]

Phew, made it to the end. I don't know how many threads I'll be able to read, but I made it through this one. Thanks to everyone who's taken the time to share your memories, from whichever era you started with the site, even if you stopped coming at some point or another.

I've always had a strong sense that God brought me to GT as there were so many varied parts of my past experience that made it a perfect fit when I came there at just the right time for a rare opening. Reading Shane's job description on craigslist was as if it was written directly for me.

In the eight and a half years that I've worked there, I've truly grown as a writer, producer, and eventually a manager. I started at GT from a background that was purely focused on Nintendo and bit by bit, I focused on pushing myself to be just as well versed with PlayStation, Xbox, and eventually PC gaming, and now I bounce between every platform just depending on what game I want to play. Somehow, I became known for my opinions on racing games, and for as long as I could find time, I put my strongest efforts into telling the stories of my favorite game soundtracks and getting composers on camera to tell their own. I still firmly believe that anyone would be hard-pressed to make better pieces on the music in the Mass Effect or BioShock series.

In the early days, Shane was the most influential in shaping my scripts, but as we grew and responsibilities shifted, I learned so much from Ryan, Justin, and Miguel. Even some of the younger writers on our editorial team like Patrick Morales and Michael Damiani were absolute legends, and we were backed up by the tireless work of Johnny Chang, Rich Brown, Megan Rugh, Matt Blair, Jamie Kohler, Kelly Campbell, Brad Winters, Bobby Burns, dang I could be listing people all night.

Safe to say, this team, these people from the last eight and half years, are family. We've been up through the night, sleeping in the office during E3 only to head back out on the show floor the next morning. We suffered together through brutal travel snafus. -- Ryan even bought us clothes once when our luggage got delayed. -- And we had some of the most amazing meals at Gamescom and TGS.

Every one of us was gutted when Shane announced his departure. Geoff stepped in briefly to set a new course while Ryan and Jeremy took the reins to lead the team on a day to day basis, lighting a fire under us to double down on great originals, birthing shows that have carried us to this day like The Final Bosman, GT Time, and Mandatory Update. As we began invading Brandon's VO booth, awkward first pushes like The Final Verdict began to prepare us to get comfortable being on-camera, but make no mistake, that foundation was laid with Shane when he started Invisible Walls and pushed us to write regular staff blogs.

Then came the purchase by Defy. Nothing left me in more shock than to learn that Ryan Stevens and Brad Winters, the men we relied on for direction, wouldn't be coming. Suddenly, Brandon had to take up his role as the founder of the site to lead the few of us selected to stay, and I found myself as the eldest member of the editorial team. Since Brandon had never really been a part of the review or preview process aside from reading scripts, I knew I had to take that weight off his back so he could focus on figuring out practically everything else.

The fact that we somehow reinvented ourselves among moving, changing our entire production pipeline, learning all new equipment and programs, and adapting to a new corporate culture is an absolute testimony to the strength of everyone who came with us. Don and Ian are editing monsters, churning out videos faster than should be possible, yet still they pushed to go beyond that and produce content of their own. Damiani, Elyse and Kyle are creative powerhouses and always kept us from accepting the status quo. Huber and Brad brought much needed enthusiasm to everything they did. Matt Blair worked tirelessly for years well into the middle of the night for far too long and has done so much that should be utterly inappropriate to ask of him. Ben Moore is one of the most fantastic and thoughtful writers imaginable and voracious in his breadth. And Brandon Jones is like a brother now, always leading us through the worst news with positivity and optimism. The dedication to daily programming, streaming, and the passion these guys had to make shows (even when I questioned their ability to fit it in) should not be taken lightly. It will be hard for any team to ever match them.

Right now I am on my honeymoon. I have no idea what's waiting for me when I get back. If the right offers come up, I could easily see myself writing or producing for another outlet, moving to a game studio, or moving outside of gaming altogether. But if someone has a realistic plan to keep this team together, I'd be a fool not to hear it out.

(sorry didn't intend to write a full history of my time at GT, it just came out)

Thanks for the in-depth writeup. While I'd love to see you guys able to work together again, I understand if it's not feasible. Loved your work and the rest of the team at GT; wishing you all the best.

 

[antitrop]

Blood is GameTrailers

 

[crimilde]

Phew, made it to the end. I don't know how many threads I'll be able to read, but I made it through this one. Thanks to everyone who's taken the time to share your memories, from whichever era you started with the site, even if you stopped coming at some point or another.

I've always had a strong sense that God brought me to GT as there were so many varied parts of my past experience that made it a perfect fit when I came there at just the right time for a rare opening. Reading Shane's job description on craigslist was as if it was written directly for me.

In the eight and a half years that I've worked there, I've truly grown as a writer, producer, and eventually a manager. I started at GT from a background that was purely focused on Nintendo and bit by bit, I focused on pushing myself to be just as well versed with PlayStation, Xbox, and eventually PC gaming, and now I bounce between every platform just depending on what game I want to play. Somehow, I became known for my opinions on racing games, and for as long as I could find time, I put my strongest efforts into telling the stories of my favorite game soundtracks and getting composers on camera to tell their own. I still firmly believe that anyone would be hard-pressed to make better pieces on the music in the Mass Effect or BioShock series.

In the early days, Shane was the most influential in shaping my scripts, but as we grew and responsibilities shifted, I learned so much from Ryan, Justin, and Miguel. Even some of the younger writers on our editorial team like Patrick Morales and Michael Damiani were absolute legends, and we were backed up by the tireless work of Johnny Chang, Rich Brown, Megan Rugh, Matt Blair, Jamie Kohler, Kelly Campbell, Brad Winters, Bobby Burns, dang I could be listing people all night.

Safe to say, this team, these people from the last eight and half years, are family. We've been up through the night, sleeping in the office during E3 only to head back out on the show floor the next morning. We suffered together through brutal travel snafus. -- Ryan even bought us clothes once when our luggage got delayed. -- And we had some of the most amazing meals at Gamescom and TGS.

Every one of us was gutted when Shane announced his departure. Geoff stepped in briefly to set a new course while Ryan and Jeremy took the reins to lead the team on a day to day basis, lighting a fire under us to double down on great originals, birthing shows that have carried us to this day like The Final Bosman, GT Time, and Mandatory Update. As we began invading Brandon's VO booth, awkward first pushes like The Final Verdict began to prepare us to get comfortable being on-camera, but make no mistake, that foundation was laid with Shane when he started Invisible Walls and pushed us to write regular staff blogs.

Then came the purchase by Defy. Nothing left me in more shock than to learn that Ryan Stevens and Brad Winters, the men we relied on for direction, wouldn't be coming. Suddenly, Brandon had to take up his role as the founder of the site to lead the few of us selected to stay, and I found myself as the eldest member of the editorial team. Since Brandon had never really been a part of the review or preview process aside from reading scripts, I knew I had to take that weight off his back so he could focus on figuring out practically everything else.

The fact that we somehow reinvented ourselves among moving, changing our entire production pipeline, learning all new equipment and programs, and adapting to a new corporate culture is an absolute testimony to the strength of everyone who came with us. Don and Ian are editing monsters, churning out videos faster than should be possible, yet still they pushed to go beyond that and produce content of their own. Damiani, Elyse and Kyle are creative powerhouses and always kept us from accepting the status quo. Huber and Brad brought much needed enthusiasm to everything they did. Matt Blair worked tirelessly for years well into the middle of the night for far too long and has done so much that should be utterly inappropriate to ask of him. Ben Moore is one of the most fantastic and thoughtful writers imaginable and voracious in his breadth. And Brandon Jones is like a brother now, always leading us through the worst news with positivity and optimism. The dedication to daily programming, streaming, and the passion these guys had to make shows (even when I questioned their ability to fit it in) should not be taken lightly. It will be hard for any team to ever match them.

Right now I am on my honeymoon. I have no idea what's waiting for me when I get back. If the right offers come up, I could easily see myself writing or producing for another outlet, moving to a game studio, or moving outside of gaming altogether. But if someone has a realistic plan to keep this team together, I'd be a fool not to hear it out.

(sorry didn't intend to write a full history of my time at GT, it just came out)

This is making me tear up again. Thanks, Blood, for taking the time to write this. You are all great people and I wish you all the best in your future endeavors. Hopefully a common endeavor, but we'll have to wait and see.

 

[Fahzgoolin]

Thanks for taking the time Bloodworth. So sorry this happened on your honeymoon. I will be praying for you and your wife as well as the rest of the crew. God gives and takes, but gives way more than we deserve.

Look forward to seeing you all again, Lord willing.

 

[KRaZyAmmo]

That was a beautiful writeup bloodworth. Your crew talent and personalities brought me to gt at the first place during high school. Whenever i was down i had invisible walls or gt time to cheer me up. You guys hold a special place in my heart. The coverage the crew did with enthusiasm was beautiful to see in this industry where everyone is cynical. I hope you guys will still be together in a group making great video content.

 

[Bittercup]

Thank you Bloodworth for taking the time and writing your great post. I hope you can enjoy your honeymoon and congratulations on your marriage

I still can't believe this is happening. How can Defy just shut them down like there's no value in the brand at all to continue in at least some way and then fire everyone immediately without any notice beforehand. This is so sad

I'm glad at least people are archiving and uploading lost videos. Thank you.

And especially thank you to all of the GT team! I watched you for years and wish you the best and hope I can see you again.


The avatar requests from last night. I hope I didn't miss any.

 

[Dmax3901]

Thanks Blood! Good luck with all your future endeavours.

 

[kennyamr]

Phew, made it to the end. I don't know how many threads I'll be able to read, but I made it through this one. Thanks to everyone who's taken the time to share your memories, from whichever era you started with the site, even if you stopped coming at some point or another.

I've always had a strong sense that God brought me to GT as there were so many varied parts of my past experience that made it a perfect fit when I came there at just the right time for a rare opening. Reading Shane's job description on craigslist was as if it was written directly for me.

In the eight and a half years that I've worked there, I've truly grown as a writer, producer, and eventually a manager. I started at GT from a background that was purely focused on Nintendo and bit by bit, I focused on pushing myself to be just as well versed with PlayStation, Xbox, and eventually PC gaming, and now I bounce between every platform just depending on what game I want to play. Somehow, I became known for my opinions on racing games, and for as long as I could find time, I put my strongest efforts into telling the stories of my favorite game soundtracks and getting composers on camera to tell their own. I still firmly believe that anyone would be hard-pressed to make better pieces on the music in the Mass Effect or BioShock series.

In the early days, Shane was the most influential in shaping my scripts, but as we grew and responsibilities shifted, I learned so much from Ryan, Justin, and Miguel. Even some of the younger writers on our editorial team like Patrick Morales and Michael Damiani were absolute legends, and we were backed up by the tireless work of Johnny Chang, Rich Brown, Megan Rugh, Matt Blair, Jamie Kohler, Kelly Campbell, Brad Winters, Bobby Burns, dang I could be listing people all night.

Safe to say, this team, these people from the last eight and half years, are family. We've been up through the night, sleeping in the office during E3 only to head back out on the show floor the next morning. We suffered together through brutal travel snafus. -- Ryan even bought us clothes once when our luggage got delayed. -- And we had some of the most amazing meals at Gamescom and TGS.

Every one of us was gutted when Shane announced his departure. Geoff stepped in briefly to set a new course while Ryan and Jeremy took the reins to lead the team on a day to day basis, lighting a fire under us to double down on great originals, birthing shows that have carried us to this day like The Final Bosman, GT Time, and Mandatory Update. As we began invading Brandon's VO booth, awkward first pushes like The Final Verdict began to prepare us to get comfortable being on-camera, but make no mistake, that foundation was laid with Shane when he started Invisible Walls and pushed us to write regular staff blogs.

Then came the purchase by Defy. Nothing left me in more shock than to learn that Ryan Stevens and Brad Winters, the men we relied on for direction, wouldn't be coming. Suddenly, Brandon had to take up his role as the founder of the site to lead the few of us selected to stay, and I found myself as the eldest member of the editorial team. Since Brandon had never really been a part of the review or preview process aside from reading scripts, I knew I had to take that weight off his back so he could focus on figuring out practically everything else.

The fact that we somehow reinvented ourselves among moving, changing our entire production pipeline, learning all new equipment and programs, and adapting to a new corporate culture is an absolute testimony to the strength of everyone who came with us. Don and Ian are editing monsters, churning out videos faster than should be possible, yet still they pushed to go beyond that and produce content of their own. Damiani, Elyse and Kyle are creative powerhouses and always kept us from accepting the status quo. Huber and Brad brought much needed enthusiasm to everything they did. Matt Blair worked tirelessly for years well into the middle of the night for far too long and has done so much that should be utterly inappropriate to ask of him. Ben Moore is one of the most fantastic and thoughtful writers imaginable and voracious in his breadth. And Brandon Jones is like a brother now, always leading us through the worst news with positivity and optimism. The dedication to daily programming, streaming, and the passion these guys had to make shows (even when I questioned their ability to fit it in) should not be taken lightly. It will be hard for any team to ever match them.

Right now I am on my honeymoon. I have no idea what's waiting for me when I get back. If the right offers come up, I could easily see myself writing or producing for another outlet, moving to a game studio, or moving outside of gaming altogether. But if someone has a realistic plan to keep this team together, I'd be a fool not to hear it out.

(sorry didn't intend to write a full history of my time at GT, it just came out)

hey Blood, nice to see you here. I hope you enjoy the rest of your wonderful honeymoon.
I, myself, pay like $180+ every month for TV garbage that I don't even watch. I never subscribed to GT @ Twitch because I knew you didn't need to money in order to do all those fantastic shows and videos.
In case you guys decide to revive the soul of GT into a new thing, that would be a total different situation so I'd be glad to pay $25 or more per month on Patreon in order to support you guys.
Those shows, podcasts, and videos were my favorite in the industry so of course I'll be glad to pay any necessary money for the entertainment I will continue receiving.
I sincerely watch more of your shows than the TV channels at home. I think that says a lot.
So yea, I know it's not an easy path but at least you can give it a try for a few months.
I bet you guys have savings and a ton of industry contacts very valuable that many others don't, so with all of that, I believe you guys can actually do well enough by using a Patreon + a sponsorship/views business model.
So yea, just think about it, and get together to at least discuss the possibility, I am pretty sure that more than 1 person is interested in the idea so I hope you guys actually give it a try.
Most people will probably be able to afford a monthly $10 check for your shows but I think that this is actually more than enough to provide you all with enough resources to keep yourselves in business for a long time given that the average view count in Youtube only for GT Time was always between 20 and 30k per week.
I bet you will be able to get sponsorships + make a few deals here and there in order to increase revenue over time.
I know this is a very uncertain path to take but I think that you won't lose much if you try it for a few months... and who knows, maybe it will be a total success.
Base it on Youtube first and expand it from there.
Just give it a try, thousands of people have come out since the news broke in order to show support and to let you know that they are committed to donate money for the revival of GT. No one says that it will be easy, but it would be super amazing if this actually works.
I wish you the best of the best, Blood. Greetings to your wife and to the rest of the crew.
Have a good honeymoon and please, please, talk to the guys, to Jones, and consider it.
The best of the best for all of you.

 

[hlhbk]

I have been so busy downloading shit off the gametrailers youtube channel I forgot to ask can someone add GT to my avatar?

 

[ColonialRaptor]

This is crazy... surely the community supports this website enough that if they had have asked for some donations to keep them afloat the community would have pitched in right?

 

[SweetJohnnyCage]

This is crazy... surely the community supports this website enough that if they had have asked for some donations to keep them afloat the community would have pitched in right?

The probable answer is yes, but it wasn't up to GT.

 

[Mokubba]

I have been so busy downloading shit off the gametrailers youtube channel I forgot to ask can someone add GT to my avatar?

Likewise for me as well please.

 

[RichieRich]

Phew, made it to the end. I don't know how many threads I'll be able to read, but I made it through this one. Thanks to everyone who's taken the time to share your memories, from whichever era you started with the site, even if you stopped coming at some point or another.

I've always had a strong sense that God brought me to GT as there were so many varied parts of my past experience that made it a perfect fit when I came there at just the right time for a rare opening. Reading Shane's job description on craigslist was as if it was written directly for me.

In the eight and a half years that I've worked there, I've truly grown as a writer, producer, and eventually a manager. I started at GT from a background that was purely focused on Nintendo and bit by bit, I focused on pushing myself to be just as well versed with PlayStation, Xbox, and eventually PC gaming, and now I bounce between every platform just depending on what game I want to play. Somehow, I became known for my opinions on racing games, and for as long as I could find time, I put my strongest efforts into telling the stories of my favorite game soundtracks and getting composers on camera to tell their own. I still firmly believe that anyone would be hard-pressed to make better pieces on the music in the Mass Effect or BioShock series.

In the early days, Shane was the most influential in shaping my scripts, but as we grew and responsibilities shifted, I learned so much from Ryan, Justin, and Miguel. Even some of the younger writers on our editorial team like Patrick Morales and Michael Damiani were absolute legends, and we were backed up by the tireless work of Johnny Chang, Rich Brown, Megan Rugh, Matt Blair, Jamie Kohler, Kelly Campbell, Brad Winters, Bobby Burns, dang I could be listing people all night.

Safe to say, this team, these people from the last eight and half years, are family. We've been up through the night, sleeping in the office during E3 only to head back out on the show floor the next morning. We suffered together through brutal travel snafus. -- Ryan even bought us clothes once when our luggage got delayed. -- And we had some of the most amazing meals at Gamescom and TGS.

Every one of us was gutted when Shane announced his departure. Geoff stepped in briefly to set a new course while Ryan and Jeremy took the reins to lead the team on a day to day basis, lighting a fire under us to double down on great originals, birthing shows that have carried us to this day like The Final Bosman, GT Time, and Mandatory Update. As we began invading Brandon's VO booth, awkward first pushes like The Final Verdict began to prepare us to get comfortable being on-camera, but make no mistake, that foundation was laid with Shane when he started Invisible Walls and pushed us to write regular staff blogs.

Then came the purchase by Defy. Nothing left me in more shock than to learn that Ryan Stevens and Brad Winters, the men we relied on for direction, wouldn't be coming. Suddenly, Brandon had to take up his role as the founder of the site to lead the few of us selected to stay, and I found myself as the eldest member of the editorial team. Since Brandon had never really been a part of the review or preview process aside from reading scripts, I knew I had to take that weight off his back so he could focus on figuring out practically everything else.

The fact that we somehow reinvented ourselves among moving, changing our entire production pipeline, learning all new equipment and programs, and adapting to a new corporate culture is an absolute testimony to the strength of everyone who came with us. Don and Ian are editing monsters, churning out videos faster than should be possible, yet still they pushed to go beyond that and produce content of their own. Damiani, Elyse and Kyle are creative powerhouses and always kept us from accepting the status quo. Huber and Brad brought much needed enthusiasm to everything they did. Matt Blair worked tirelessly for years well into the middle of the night for far too long and has done so much that should be utterly inappropriate to ask of him. Ben Moore is one of the most fantastic and thoughtful writers imaginable and voracious in his breadth. And Brandon Jones is like a brother now, always leading us through the worst news with positivity and optimism. The dedication to daily programming, streaming, and the passion these guys had to make shows (even when I questioned their ability to fit it in) should not be taken lightly. It will be hard for any team to ever match them.

Right now I am on my honeymoon. I have no idea what's waiting for me when I get back. If the right offers come up, I could easily see myself writing or producing for another outlet, moving to a game studio, or moving outside of gaming altogether. But if someone has a realistic plan to keep this team together, I'd be a fool not to hear it out.

(sorry didn't intend to write a full history of my time at GT, it just came out)

If there is a chance to keep the team together, give me a call. It may not be the same as GT, but video game love and magic will be made!

 

[Minions]

If there is a chance to keep the team together, give me a call. It may not be the same as GT, but video game love and magic will be made!

Indeed, and I hope you guys never lose your quirkiness.

 

[Bittercup]

 

[BBboy20]

I have been so busy downloading shit off the gametrailers youtube channel I forgot to ask can someone add GT to my avatar?

 

[hlhbk]

Thanks!

 

[BBboy20]

Thanks!

If you want the extra flavor.

 

[Weapon of War]

Thanks for that insight into your time at GT, Blood. The amount of work the crew put in after the Defy acquisition is astounding.

 

[Foldedpencil]

Can someone GT my avatar as well?
Edit: Maybe I failed to upload my avatar in the first place...)

 

[El-Suave]

Thanks for your post Bloodworth and thanks for being active here on GAF, Youtube etc. replying and joining the conversation about your output. While I wish most of you were able to stay together and would support any effort some of the GT crew might start, I also hope some of you get offers from within the industry to move on to even better jobs. There have been so many faces from the games media that have left us to get opportunities at their favorite developers or publishers. I hope that something like that is in the cards for some of you as well. A world were Brandon is hired by Disney or Bloodworth ends up at CD Projekt is just as good as one where you get to keep doing what you're doing with support from your audience.

 

[Justinh]

snip

Thank you so much for sharing. I love all the guys at Gametrailers now, but you and Mr. Jones were the people I was always most excited to hear from on GT Time.
A post by you on the GT forums is what actually got me really invested into Gametrailers, and that post was basically "No Invisible Walls this week," something about Fallout 3 footage which made me go "What's Invisible Walls?"
edit: No, wait it was that a Fallout 3 preview was taken down for a reason that would be explained on Invisible Walls. Geez, my brain had to do overtime for that one.

I pray things work out for you and your peers GT family.

I almost feel like an asshole for saying this, but I hope that you can enjoy your honeymoon.

edit: yep, that did it. I kept trying to fool myself I was in denial and I won't even really be affected by all this until later on, but it begins!!

 

[Engell]

Right now I am on my honeymoon. I have no idea what's waiting for me when I get back. If the right offers come up, I could easily see myself writing or producing for another outlet, moving to a game studio, or moving outside of gaming altogether. But if someone has a realistic plan to keep this team together, I'd be a fool not to hear it out.

(sorry didn't intend to write a full history of my time at GT, it just came out)

As a person who followed the site for so many years I just love to hear stories from GT, especially from you.. I'm sure this will open new opportunities for all of you and probably even for the better, even if that is hard to imagine right now. Ofc i hope you guys can stick together, because what a team, my favorite show in the end was gt-time, my weekly fix(gonna miss those bets you always won).
I even told my wife the news that gametrailers was closed, because i knew it would have an emotional effect on me, even if that is bit silly for a "grown" man.
Now try to focus on, and enjoy your honeymoon if that is possible at all.
I hope I will get to hear more of your great insight into the gaming world in the future!

 

[Premium Quality]

Thank you Blood for everything you've done at GT. Enjoy your honeymoon. <3

I also would like a GT stamp on my avatar. Thnx.

 

[laserlaser]

Thanks for posting Bloodworth. I dont have twitter so I hope you and the GT gang brought so much joy to my life. Work fuckin weighs down on my soul but yall help brighten it up. I cant stand videogame personalities and most game sites. GT was the exception. Yall kept it real, being yourself and the passion shows. Best of luck and congrats on your new chapter!

 

[Matush]

Just now I'm starting to realize, how much I'm gonna miss GT. No Heuber hype yesterday, no Final Bosman or GT Live today, no GT Time tomorrow... Fuck

Also thank you Blood for everything and for taking time from your honeymoon to write something up.

 

[Aspiring]

Phew, made it to the end. I don't know how many threads I'll be able to read, but I made it through this one. Thanks to everyone who's taken the time to share your memories, from whichever era you started with the site, even if you stopped coming at some point or another.

I've always had a strong sense that God brought me to GT as there were so many varied parts of my past experience that made it a perfect fit when I came there at just the right time for a rare opening. Reading Shane's job description on craigslist was as if it was written directly for me.

In the eight and a half years that I've worked there, I've truly grown as a writer, producer, and eventually a manager. I started at GT from a background that was purely focused on Nintendo and bit by bit, I focused on pushing myself to be just as well versed with PlayStation, Xbox, and eventually PC gaming, and now I bounce between every platform just depending on what game I want to play. Somehow, I became known for my opinions on racing games, and for as long as I could find time, I put my strongest efforts into telling the stories of my favorite game soundtracks and getting composers on camera to tell their own. I still firmly believe that anyone would be hard-pressed to make better pieces on the music in the Mass Effect or BioShock series.

In the early days, Shane was the most influential in shaping my scripts, but as we grew and responsibilities shifted, I learned so much from Ryan, Justin, and Miguel. Even some of the younger writers on our editorial team like Patrick Morales and Michael Damiani were absolute legends, and we were backed up by the tireless work of Johnny Chang, Rich Brown, Megan Rugh, Matt Blair, Jamie Kohler, Kelly Campbell, Brad Winters, Bobby Burns, dang I could be listing people all night.

Safe to say, this team, these people from the last eight and half years, are family. We've been up through the night, sleeping in the office during E3 only to head back out on the show floor the next morning. We suffered together through brutal travel snafus. -- Ryan even bought us clothes once when our luggage got delayed. -- And we had some of the most amazing meals at Gamescom and TGS.

Every one of us was gutted when Shane announced his departure. Geoff stepped in briefly to set a new course while Ryan and Jeremy took the reins to lead the team on a day to day basis, lighting a fire under us to double down on great originals, birthing shows that have carried us to this day like The Final Bosman, GT Time, and Mandatory Update. As we began invading Brandon's VO booth, awkward first pushes like The Final Verdict began to prepare us to get comfortable being on-camera, but make no mistake, that foundation was laid with Shane when he started Invisible Walls and pushed us to write regular staff blogs.

Then came the purchase by Defy. Nothing left me in more shock than to learn that Ryan Stevens and Brad Winters, the men we relied on for direction, wouldn't be coming. Suddenly, Brandon had to take up his role as the founder of the site to lead the few of us selected to stay, and I found myself as the eldest member of the editorial team. Since Brandon had never really been a part of the review or preview process aside from reading scripts, I knew I had to take that weight off his back so he could focus on figuring out practically everything else.

The fact that we somehow reinvented ourselves among moving, changing our entire production pipeline, learning all new equipment and programs, and adapting to a new corporate culture is an absolute testimony to the strength of everyone who came with us. Don and Ian are editing monsters, churning out videos faster than should be possible, yet still they pushed to go beyond that and produce content of their own. Damiani, Elyse and Kyle are creative powerhouses and always kept us from accepting the status quo. Huber and Brad brought much needed enthusiasm to everything they did. Matt Blair worked tirelessly for years well into the middle of the night for far too long and has done so much that should be utterly inappropriate to ask of him. Ben Moore is one of the most fantastic and thoughtful writers imaginable and voracious in his breadth. And Brandon Jones is like a brother now, always leading us through the worst news with positivity and optimism. The dedication to daily programming, streaming, and the passion these guys had to make shows (even when I questioned their ability to fit it in) should not be taken lightly. It will be hard for any team to ever match them.

Right now I am on my honeymoon. I have no idea what's waiting for me when I get back. If the right offers come up, I could easily see myself writing or producing for another outlet, moving to a game studio, or moving outside of gaming altogether. But if someone has a realistic plan to keep this team together, I'd be a fool not to hear it out.

(sorry didn't intend to write a full history of my time at GT, it just came out)

I just want you to know how much you have been in my life. The whole gametrailers crew. Everyday i watch your videos when i am home alone and the wife and kids are out to school and work as i work night shift. I truly feel like i have lost a friend and have a hole inside. Please i would love you guys to try a patreon and keep together. I would be willingly to back however much is needed.

And you blood just know that your reviews and analysis was always spot on and i looked up to whatever you said.

Anyway enjoy what should be one of the happiest times of your life and hopefullu it all works out for you in the end!

 

[Stilton Disco]

Phew, made it to the end. I don't know how many threads I'll be able to read, but I made it through this one. Thanks to everyone who's taken the time to share your memories, from whichever era you started with the site, even if you stopped coming at some point or another.

I've always had a strong sense that God brought me to GT as there were so many varied parts of my past experience that made it a perfect fit when I came there at just the right time for a rare opening. Reading Shane's job description on craigslist was as if it was written directly for me.

In the eight and a half years that I've worked there, I've truly grown as a writer, producer, and eventually a manager. I started at GT from a background that was purely focused on Nintendo and bit by bit, I focused on pushing myself to be just as well versed with PlayStation, Xbox, and eventually PC gaming, and now I bounce between every platform just depending on what game I want to play. Somehow, I became known for my opinions on racing games, and for as long as I could find time, I put my strongest efforts into telling the stories of my favorite game soundtracks and getting composers on camera to tell their own. I still firmly believe that anyone would be hard-pressed to make better pieces on the music in the Mass Effect or BioShock series.

In the early days, Shane was the most influential in shaping my scripts, but as we grew and responsibilities shifted, I learned so much from Ryan, Justin, and Miguel. Even some of the younger writers on our editorial team like Patrick Morales and Michael Damiani were absolute legends, and we were backed up by the tireless work of Johnny Chang, Rich Brown, Megan Rugh, Matt Blair, Jamie Kohler, Kelly Campbell, Brad Winters, Bobby Burns, dang I could be listing people all night.

Safe to say, this team, these people from the last eight and half years, are family. We've been up through the night, sleeping in the office during E3 only to head back out on the show floor the next morning. We suffered together through brutal travel snafus. -- Ryan even bought us clothes once when our luggage got delayed. -- And we had some of the most amazing meals at Gamescom and TGS.

Every one of us was gutted when Shane announced his departure. Geoff stepped in briefly to set a new course while Ryan and Jeremy took the reins to lead the team on a day to day basis, lighting a fire under us to double down on great originals, birthing shows that have carried us to this day like The Final Bosman, GT Time, and Mandatory Update. As we began invading Brandon's VO booth, awkward first pushes like The Final Verdict began to prepare us to get comfortable being on-camera, but make no mistake, that foundation was laid with Shane when he started Invisible Walls and pushed us to write regular staff blogs.

Then came the purchase by Defy. Nothing left me in more shock than to learn that Ryan Stevens and Brad Winters, the men we relied on for direction, wouldn't be coming. Suddenly, Brandon had to take up his role as the founder of the site to lead the few of us selected to stay, and I found myself as the eldest member of the editorial team. Since Brandon had never really been a part of the review or preview process aside from reading scripts, I knew I had to take that weight off his back so he could focus on figuring out practically everything else.

The fact that we somehow reinvented ourselves among moving, changing our entire production pipeline, learning all new equipment and programs, and adapting to a new corporate culture is an absolute testimony to the strength of everyone who came with us. Don and Ian are editing monsters, churning out videos faster than should be possible, yet still they pushed to go beyond that and produce content of their own. Damiani, Elyse and Kyle are creative powerhouses and always kept us from accepting the status quo. Huber and Brad brought much needed enthusiasm to everything they did. Matt Blair worked tirelessly for years well into the middle of the night for far too long and has done so much that should be utterly inappropriate to ask of him. Ben Moore is one of the most fantastic and thoughtful writers imaginable and voracious in his breadth. And Brandon Jones is like a brother now, always leading us through the worst news with positivity and optimism. The dedication to daily programming, streaming, and the passion these guys had to make shows (even when I questioned their ability to fit it in) should not be taken lightly. It will be hard for any team to ever match them.

Right now I am on my honeymoon. I have no idea what's waiting for me when I get back. If the right offers come up, I could easily see myself writing or producing for another outlet, moving to a game studio, or moving outside of gaming altogether. But if someone has a realistic plan to keep this team together, I'd be a fool not to hear it out.

(sorry didn't intend to write a full history of my time at GT, it just came out)

Thanks for posting this blood, and thanks to you and the whole GT team for all the years of entertainment and insight you've all brought me, I really hope you all land on your feet and can hopefully end up doing something together again, even if it's not right away. Good luck, you utter legend!

Aldo, could I possibly get a GT symbol on my avatar too please?

 

[somecrazymember]

Enjoy your honeymoon Bloodworth.

 

[Insertia]

Well, with the advent of Oculus Rift, it may be difficult for Gametrailers to continue their coverage with the advent of realite virtual.

 

[Rephil]

thank you so much for your words and for taking the time blood! i'm following you guys since the very beginning and i will support you wherever you go! GT forever! many greets & hugs from switzerland

 

[Zalman]

Thanks for everything, Blood. One of the things that made GT great was the chemistry between you all. It was such a great team. GT Time really solidified that for me, as well as seeing everyone betting and having fun for The Final Bets. Your personalities are what made the site for me. I hope you find a way to do something together again, although I can see why that would be insanely difficult. No matter what you end up doing, I hope we hear more from you. For now, enjoy your honeymoon.

 

[hlhbk]

Ok, 29 hours, and 840 videos later and the following stuff is archived off the main youtube channel/main site:

Also there we a couple of Huber's hype and Bosman's stuff that wouldn't download.

At this point I am pretty much out of space, so I am done in my archiving in mass. If someone can tell me how to download items off the main site I may download a few things but for now I am done.

I am exhausted. Good night.

 

[dickroach]

Bosman on the twitch chat:
"I truly appreciate the backup efforts, because it looks like gametrailers.com is going to redirect to something else entirely in the future"

 

[Rephil]

Ok, 29 hours, and 840 videos later and the following stuff is archived off the main youtube channel/main site:



Also there we a couple of Huber's hype and Bosman's stuff that wouldn't download.

At this point I am pretty much out of space, so I am done in my archiving in mass. If someone can tell me how to download items off the main site I may download a few things but for now I am done.

I am exhausted. Good night.

thank you for doing this!! and good night!!

 

[BBboy20]

Thanks to everyone who's taken the time to share your memories, from whichever era you started with the site, even if you stopped coming at some point or another.

Yeah, I think I started watching GT around the start of the 7th generation of gaming and you guys were my first exposure to high-definition videos. Unfortunately, besides your previews, reviews, and event coverages, I never really checked out much of the original programming and with that lack of interest, I eventually drifted away from the site when YouTube became HD capable and I started getting really into gaming news sites and their comment sections.

Beyond Patch-Attack, watching extra stuff from you guys and gals has been a bit of blur for me until the Xbox fiasco of 2013 where I did briefly payed much attention to GT though it was more grasping on to anyone on the web who was as fearful and angry as I was on what Microsoft was trying to do. And then The Final Bosman came around and eventually that was all I payed attention to. That was basically the case for the next year and a half until E3 2015 when I found out Bosman was part of that live coverage and then...well, you probably can figure the rest.

Maybe I should feel regret in being selective to my appeals towards GT through out the past decade but ever since that June, I've became "loyal to the end", believing that you and the crew are the best thing that is happening to gaming at this very second; kings and (queens) that will be remembered in time. I suppose some had great suspicions that you were all on borrowed time, that basically this site was going out with as much glory as it could muster but I suppose there is no better way, Not with bang...but with a "YO!". I feel honored to bare witness and be entertained by what you and the rest have accomplished in these last 8 months and where ever you all go in the world wide web, I will be your audience.

Spoiler

Valkria Chronicle's theme is all I can listen to when reading your post and typing this.

EDIT: Looking at earlier episodes of Bosman, I actually did watch it around the beginning of 2013 or before and I was suppose to say "OY!".

 

[Rabid Dwarf 76]

Could some kind soul add GT to my avatar?