VGGEN Staff
Founder: Jared Black
Bio: Jared has over eleven years experience in video games journalism, performing every function imaginable in the process including writing, coding, handling PR, and editing.
Favorite Games: Final Fantasy III (SNES), Ultima Online, The Elder Scrolls series
Favorite Genres: RPGs, MMO, Stealth Action, Squad-based FPS, Racing
Least Favorite Genre: Fighting
Current System of Choice: PS3
Xbox Live Gamertag: Tritoch
Microsoft Staff: David Pulgar
Bio: Convinced that video games were evil, David's parents refused to get an NES (when he was just a boy). His grandparents thought differently and bought him the system. Today, David's increasing devotion for games forces him to work 9 to 5 - barely earning enough money to support his habit. Please, think of David. Help support his growing addiction. Send him money.
Favorite Games: Final Fantasy VII, Advance Wars, Gears of War, Halo and Armored Core
Favorite Genres: FPS, RPGs, Strategy
Least Favorite Genres: Sports, MMO (You want me to pay how much every month?)
System of Choice: Xbox 360
Microsoft Staff: Eric Rehm
Bio: Eric has about a year of gaming journalism under his belt, and is currently a freshmen in college studying journalism (Columbia College Chicago baby!). When not playing games, writing, or watching anime, Eric seeks to avenge his fallen comrades at the hands of a sadistic pair of Pants. Remember, pants are evil.Favorite Games: Halo, Gears Of War, Crackdown, Final Fantasy 8, World Of Warcraft
Favorite Genres: MMO's, RPG's, FPS, Shooters, Action/Adventures, Fighters
Least Favorite Genre: Racing (Brakes are for sissys)
System of Choice:Xbox 360
Xbox Live Gamer Tag: H2o NiNja
Microsoft Staff: Siou Choy
Bio: Siou Choy has over five years experience in video games journalism as staff writer for VGF.com, having scrawled reviews, previews and special features covering every system from the days of PS1, DC and N64 forward. An avid fan of genre film and music that actually involves the playing of musical instruments (so let's pass on the hip-hop, please), her NYC upbringing skews her leanings towards punk, goth and 1970s culture.
Favorite Games: Resident Evil (GC), Baldur's Gate (XB) (it grows on ya!), Harvest Moon: Back to Nature (PS1)
Favorite Genres: Survival Horror, Action/Adventure, RPGs, Puzzle
Least Favorite Genres: Military, Strategy, Sports
System of Choice: Xbox
Microsoft/PC Staff: Nick Arvites
Bio: Nick has covered the Xbox since its launch in 2001 for an Internet video game web site and has closely followed the gaming industry since then. He is a life-long gamer, and has either owned or extensively played every system since the NES launch up until until the present day, including PC gaming. Outside of video games, Nick extensively follows sports--favorite being baseball--and politics as well as the general technology beat. Nick currently resides in New Orleans.
Favorite Current Games: Mario Galaxy, Call of Duty 4, Galactic Civilizations II, Team Fortress II
Favorite Genre: First-person shooters, action/adventure, RPGs, Sports games, Online mulitplayer enabled games, Strategy (both real-time and turn-based)
Least Favorite Genre: Party games
System of choice: Xbox 360, PC
Nintendo Staff: Andrew Joy
Bio: Even though it is by far his favorite series, you won't find The Legend of Zelda anywhere in Andrew's lists below, simply because he thinks it is in a class all its own - but what else would you expect from a Nintendo fanboy? And, owning almost every Nintendo system, from the NES to Wii (including the redesigns), Andrew certainly fits that bill. Of course, being an absolute "sandbox" nut, something you'll see echoed in his reviews time and time again, his love of Grand Theft Auto drove him to get an Xbox, PSP, Xbox 360 and PS3...hey, no one's perfect.
Favorite Game: Pokémon Gold/Silver/Crystal, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Favorite Genres: Sandbox and Action/Adventure
Least Favorite Genres: Sports
System of Choice: Wii
Nintendo Staff: Matt Flanagan
Bio: Matt has been a hardcore gamer for as long as he can remember, and is the biggest deadhead he knows. He's a Nintendo fan, but always does his best never to be a fanboy of anything (except in the case of the Ultima series, for that he gives "fanboy" a new meaning which is actually the same meaning as before but stronger.) He would gladly support Sega if they ever made another console.
Favorite Games: Any Ultima that isn't VIII and IX, Shenmue, Super Mario 64.
Favorite Genres: RPG, Action (especially old-school beat em ups), strategy.
Least Favorite Genres: MMORPGs (get boring and they're too expensive)
System of Choice: Nintendo DS
PC Staff: Stephanie Gillis
Bio: Stephanie has been gaming since she was able to walk, starting off with her first console, the Atari. She enjoys a wide variety of games, both online and off, on any gaming platform she can get her hands on. She's always been the 'token gamer girl' among her circle of friends and tends to end up being the go-to person when things get hectic which caused her to get dubbed, 'Machina'. Aside from writing for a magazine and VGGEN.com, she's also an avid Beta tester and you **can often find her pulling all-nighters to beat the latest new release.
Outside of gaming, she's the Vitamin Water junkie flipping through electronics magazines to check out the latest gadgets or spending time with loved ones.
Favorite Games: Final Fantasy 7, Counter-Strike, Guild Wars, World of Warcraft, Command & Conquer, BioShock, Rainbow Six: Vegas, and the Halo series.
Favorite Genres: MMO’s, RPG, Sports, FPS, RTS, Fighting
Least Favorite Genres: Puzzle, Simulation
System of Choice: Xbox 360 or PC
Sony Staff: Brandon Shook
Bio: Brandon has been around videogames as long as he can remember. He has been referred to as the “videogame guy” on many occasions and fells great satisfaction when he steers parents and friends away from buying crappy games for other people. Brandon spends most of his time day dreaming about superheroes and shinny objects.
Favorite Games: Kingdom Hearts (franchise), The Legend of Zelda (franchise), Phoenix Wright, Super Smash Bros Melee, and God of War
Favorite Genres: Fighting, Action/Adventure
Least Favorite Genre: Shooters, Sports
System of Choice: DS Lite
Sony Staff: Cameron Morris
Bio coming soon!
The following staff members are no longer with us, undoubtedly soaking on a sunlit beach far away enjoying the good life. We've enjoyed working with each and every one of them, and hope their servants treat them well. |
PC Staff Writer: Lexa MariellaLexa was only with us for a brief time, as she assisted Nick with his uber-popular Weekly World of Warcraft series. Aside from being the rare female gamer, Lexa managed to balance life and MMO addiction in a way that would make most gamers jealous. |
Sony Staff Writer: J. Micheal NealJohn was also a VGGEN original, and well-known for his long and in-depth reviews. He awarded our first-ever perfect 10 to Lumines, before falling off the face of the earth for some reason. |