Posted Dec 27th 2011 5:00PM by Ludwig Kietzmann

I'm sure I'll be able to shake this optimism one day.

It's difficult to detach yourself from an enthusiastic outlook when you've spent six years of your life in a professional possibility that didn't exist two decades ago. It takes every modern circumstance gestating and growing in parallel just to get me here. The internet's eradication of geography, the viability of internet publications and the need for critical voices alongside a burgeoning games industry have provided the time and the place for this very post from a new editor-in-chief -- written by one eager South African who got hooked on a Mad Libs game on his hand-me-down IBM XT.

I'm sure all the writers at Joystiq (and those announcing their departure today) have similar stories, hinged on a sequence of events compressed together by passion, dedication and, if we're being honest, a tinge of obsession. The team will be different next year, but our editorial standards will remain and our goals will be augmented. And yes, we'll assertively kick ass. People listen once they realize I'm moving to America and increasing my proximity to their asses.

Joystiq's new core team is going forward with the majority of writers that have filled the front page for years. JC Fletcher brings his encyclopedic brain and wry wit to the Managing Editor position, where his unflinching work ethic will radiate raw guilt into everyone below. Richard Mitchell is aptly equipped to be Reviews Editor -- a role that requires an articulate, organized and thoughtful persona, and a keen understanding of our praise-to-stars conversion formula.

Getting the daily news and commentary in front of you is crucial to Joystiq, so Alexander Sliwinski is stepping up into a new position as News Editor. He'll use his exemplary reporting skills and instincts to keep you in the loop every day, alongside Senior Reporter Ben Gilbert, our feisty, hardworking New York newshound. And where would we be without Dave Hinkle, our Associate Editor and dependable anchor in San Francisco?

Those aren't all the positions we're busy creating or filling, but we've already got the biggest full-time staff in Joystiq history. In addition, you'll be reading a lot more from the industry's talented freelance writers, including our own editors Jordan Mallory and Jess Conditt. Congratulations on making it through the weekend-only wringer, guys!

So, how do you encapsulate the paradox of telling readers that things won't change, but everything will change and everything will be better? It's not done easily, and not succinctly. I believe it enough to get on a one-way flight to another continent, but you won't need to perform such a dramatic gesture. All you have to do is load up the site and see it embedded every day going forward. I hope that you'll continue reading Joystiq as an informative, amusing and engaging snapshot of each day in this tumultuous industry, and that you'll trust me when I say exciting things are on the way.

No, I'm not seriously still talking about myself. I mean like website things.

Note: In case you're wondering, the headline is a quote from one of my favorite films, "Top Secret!"

Tags: hello, joystiq, ludwig-kietzmann

| 1 | 2 | Most Recent | Next 50 Comments