It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye…

Thank you for participating in this Aperture Science computer-aided enrichment activity. Goodbye.

One of the things I love about ZTGD is how, no matter how many gaming websites there are out there, this one never stops coming back to the most important thing: the games. Sure, we talk about the state of the industry, journalistic ethics and other stuff, but that is all second to loading up a new title and losing ourselves in the mayhem.

My road to ZTGD was a circuitous one. I first met Drew (FrustratedFury) on a “Game Club” podcast we used to record with mutual friends. This friend-of-a-friend quickly became one of my own closest and most trusted. He, in turn, introduced me to Ken (ZTGD), who was kind enough to respond to the odd tweet I sent his way. From there, it was as simple as answering Ken’s half-rhetorical tweet for assistance with proofreading and editing. It was an easy thing for me to do while I was still working a full-time job as a fundraiser (hint: this is more fun).

In the ensuing year, I’ve had the opportunity to join the N4G Radio crew, review amazing games (and, yeah, some not so amazing ones), cover unbelievably cool events and meet so many of our amazing readers and listeners via the power of the Internet. If you haven’t figured it out yet, this is one of those heartfelt goodbye posts that have become standard in our industry- and the hardest thing I’ve ever had to write. You see, this site hasn’t just been a vocation for me. It’s been an avocation. Every morning I wake up, see what’s coming up on the site, talk via Twitter and email with my compatriots (nay, my friends) and wait for the flood of news to wash over me.

Starting in the next couple of days, I will leave the familiarity of this daily routine behind and begin transitioning into a new role as Managing Editor of RipTen. This is an amazing, challenging and scary time for me. The trepidation and uncertainty are only mitigated by the amazing support that my friends here at ZTGD have shown me. Ken has been a mentor to me, showing me the ins and outs of the gaming industry and helping me to be a better writer and member of the community. These are things that I will take with me regardless of what path my career takes.

One of the highlights of my year with ZTGD was working closely with John (JohnDubya) during E3. Both of us pulled ridiculous hours (OK, him WAY more than I), Skyping during the press conferences and hijacking Ken’s Twitter account to talk about how awesome Deadmund’s Quest looked (good job, Jeremy). I’m pretty sure Ken hasn’t forgiven me for that. It was exactly what I love about the industry: friends, games and being silly, with a healthy dose of news you could use.

It is hard to picture my days without that kind of banter back and forth, so I’m not going to let that escape. I will still be on Twitter (same name, @mmmfutter). I’ll still be talking about videogames. I will still expect a hard time from Ken, Drew and John.

I owe so much to Ken, Drew, John, Justin, Ryan (Wombat) and Jason (Gambus Kahn). These are kindnesses I can never repay, and I will never stop trying to. I also owe so much to every reader who ever commented or tweeted about something I wrote, offered words of advice or constructive criticism, or told me I was insane for finding fault with LIMBO.

I have one favor to ask of you all. Please, keep me honest. Challenge my opinions. Let me know if you think I’ve gone wrong. Through this, I will continue to grow as a writer and critic.

Thank you all, so much. I’ll try to do ya proud.