A Trip Down GR’s Memory Lane

QUICK! What’re all these thing have in common?

– Rage induced articles that release annually during a week of hate.

– Shark articles ,and a possible shark game of the year for a Spanish editor.

– A Horse columnist named B. Buttercup.

No, not that it all happened in my head (big possibility, however). The one thing they have in common is that they all originated from an amazing website, that will always have a place in my heart, GamesRadar (often known as GR). Quick history lesson before I cut to the chase of this article: once upon a magical time (2007), a magazine proclaiming itself to be PlayStation the Official Magazine was bought. I was flipping through pages of this typical “official” magazine, reading (and wincing at it like a fellow on twitter whose rather weird twitter name, HenereyG, was kind of amusing) previews and laughing at the review scores like any hormone fueled teenager.

But there it was.. a two page ad showing a LOLcat with a weird logo that just states (gr.) with lighting bolts surrounding it.

I immediately checked out the website. It appeared like any other gaming related website. Until one fateful night on November ’06 I noticed an article (a top 7 as GR faithfuls should know), again just like a hormone fueled teenager, titled Top 7 Girl on Girl Kisses. (http://www.gamesradar.com/the-top-7-girl-on-girl-kisses/) The content (AKA kisses) was pretty dull for a seemingly interesting topic. The writing and humor of this article was what grabbed me by surprise. I got immediately hooked by this strange website that promised me hot kisses but didn’t deliver.

IGN was (notice the past tense) my main source of news for me on the net, but that wasn’t what GR prided on. Their features were the main thing that distinguished them from the rest of the typical gaming websites. I will talk more about what I loved about it tomorrow (if you’re interested that is, and didn’t vomit from the disgusting pile of shit that is my writing yet) in The Top 5 (something): Things that I loved about GamesRadar article.

Fast forward five years later, after the wonderful features and reviews that I used to (here we go again with the past tense) trust GR solely on, and the amazing podcast TalkRadar, the site began to spiral down with Brett [Elston] leaving and ended with the “hiatus” of TalkRadar. With the cast either moved on to better things, like Tyler [Wilde] and Chris [Antista] leaving to PC Gamer (DIGITAL!) and Brett to Capcom, or laid off, Cheryl [del Rosario] and Carolyn and [Michael] Grimm and [Matt] Keast, the site lost its edge with the podcast being the last thing to hold onto (I didn’t really care for the forums much, it was sad though how it was just shut down for no reason). GamesRadar is not your lovable grandpa on his dying breaths waiting for someone to turn off his life support. It’s a rapid dog that used to be your best friend and part of your family for so long you just don’t want to put it out of its misery.

I still browse GR every once in a while, enjoying the UK part of the site and also the surprise guest articles (thanks Chris for the Colonial Marines video), and the old cast that is still there, Mikel [Reparez] and Henry [Gilbert]. No, I didn’t forget Charlie [Barratt] .. he left GR on Friday. If you’re a person who is confused of all the names and weird references, I urge you to check GamesRadar and browse the amazing articles that spanned five years and a half. Just don’t be as depressed as us old fans when you reach the end of the journey.