![]() ![]() Jeff started working in video game journalism in the early 90s, doing freelance work as well as working for a print magazine for under a year. Jeff also did a few odd jobs before going to GameSpot, which included working as the guy who transported the film to movie theaters, and working at a movie theater. He has been on the outskirts of the game industry since he was 17. In 1996 Jeff got his start at GameSpot as an intern. Jeff's first credited review at GameSpot was for Tempest X3 for the Playstation. During his eleven years at GameSpot, Jeff worked with many people who have gone on to work for high-profile developers including Joe Fielder ( Irrational Games), Erik Wolpaw ( Valve), Amer Ajami ( EA LA), Bob Colayco ( Blizzard), Carrie Gouskos ( EA Mythic), Greg Kasavin ( Supergiant Games), Rich Gallup ( Summer Camp Studios), and former Screened editors Matt Rorie and Alex Navarro. When user-generated video content was introduced to GameSpot, Jeff created a semi-weekly video podcast titled "Points Report," wherein he would give an update on his Xbox 360 Gamerscore and talk about the games he had been playing, and whatever else was on his mind. The Points Report was eventually discontinued when Jeff lost his self-admittedly obsessive interest in increasing his Gamerscore. Jeff was eventually appointed editorial director and was in charge of scheduling reviews. On November 28, 2007, Jeff was let go from GameSpot. This was a result of the inexperienced management team at Gamespot feeling nervous about losing ad money thanks to Jeff's low review score and harsh criticism for the third-person shooter Kane & Lynch: Dead Men, which featured quite prominently on GameSpot's advertising at the time. ![]() Jeff says he had to go through several "intense meetings" and was "threatened" before finally being fired not long after the review was posted. His departure came as a shock to most people, even within the offices of GameSpot. GameSpot's message boards and blogs were soon aflame with angry questions and comments from both users and staff because of CNET and GameSpot's poor handling of the situation. Following Jeff's termination, several other members of the staff quit in protest, including Ryan Davis, Brad Shoemaker, Alex Navarro, Vinny Caravella, Jason Ocampo, and longtime freelancer Frank Provo. In February of 2008, Jeff and Ryan started recording a podcast called Arrow Pointing Down, named after Ryan's personal blog, where they discussed video games, beverages, and other news. In March, Jeff and Ryan announced that they were founding a new gaming site called Giant Bomb, which they immediately launched in the form of a blog where they posted gaming news and game reviews. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |