RPGamer

Infobox Website
name = RPGamer
favicon = RPGamer favicon.png


caption =
url = http://www.rpgamer.com/
commercial =
type = RPG news & information
registration = Optional
owner = Mikel Tidwell
author = Andrew Vestal (original)
launch date = April 1995 as the UnOfficial SquareSoft HomePage
1998-03-11 as RPGamer
current status =
revenue =

RPGamer is a media and news website dedicated to covering computer and video game RPGs. Its coverage includes North American game news, European game news, Asian game news, gaming industry news, game reviews, game previews, hands-on game impressions, gaming conventions, game merchandise, release dates, contests, and interviews. It provides reviews for role-playing games and maintains professional contacts with video game developers and producers. RPGamer has been quoted in various media and on game boxes. [ [http://home.comcast.net/~lusipurr/pictures/misc/shadowheartsbox.jpgShadow Hearts Box Cover] ]

RPGamer also has various columns dedicated to fan submitted content; these focus on game reviews, remixed music, editorials, fiction, desktop wallpapers, software skins, traditional and digital art, and a weekly Q&A column. Other methods of fan interaction that they support are a message forum, IRC chat, and weekly poll.

History

RPGamer was founded in April 1995 by Andrew Vestal as the "UnOfficial SquareSoft HomePage (UOSSHP)", a fan site devoted to the games of SquareSoft. In mid-1997 it changed its name to "Square.Net" and had the rare distinction of being hosted on SquareSoft's own webserver for several months. Then, in late-1997, Andrew Vestal closed the site due to two reasons. The main one was a large amount of spam, but also this unwanted attention lead SquareSoft USA's management on a path that found the site was on their servers without their knowledge. SquareSoft expressed their discontent with the situation by removing all the Square.Net files from their servers.

Vestal handed the content of the site to Mikel Tidwell and helped resurrect it on March 11, 1998 as RPGamer. The new site was founded to cover RPGs specifically and immediately expanded to cover companies other than SquareSoft.

taff

Current Staff [ [http://www.rpgamer.com/bios/bios.html RPGamer > Staff Bios] ] :
*Adriaan den Ouden - "omegabyte" - Point of View Curator
*Andrew Long - "Castomel" - Resource Manager
*Anna Marie Neufeld - "Paws" - Game Reviewer
*Chris Privitere - "sabin1001" - RPGCast Host
*Cole Jones - "Ilchymis" - Special Events
*Ed Walker - "Foxworth" - Webmaster
*Ethan Pipher - "Ethos" - Game Reviewer
*Jeffrey Cottrell - "Jeffrey" - Forum Administrator
*Jonathon Self - "Neist" - New Updates Editor
*Martin Drury - "keno" - Saving Throw Columnist
*Francis Gayon - "Fermat's Last Theorem" - Sound Test Curator
*Michael Baker - "GaijinMonogatari" - Japandemonium Columnist
*Michael Cunningham - "Macstorm" - Public Relations
*Mikel Tidwell - "Firemyst" - President
*Oliver Motok - "Metaridley" - Q&A Host
*Paul Koehler - "Amish" - Foreign Correspondent
*Glenn Wilson - "SeventhCircle" - Game Reviewer
*Sarah Williams - "sarahvait" - Editorialist
*Stew Shearer - "Stew" - Editorials Curator
*Shawn Bruckner - "o_O" - Content Manager
*Shawn Cooper - "Lusipurr" - Interaction Editor
*Maxime Viventi - "Unpetitmax" - Fan Art Curator

Trivia

*Another media and news site was founded using the remnants of Square.Net on 1998-11-22; the Gaming Intelligence Agency (GIA) was created and lead by Andrew Vestal until its closure on 2002-04-01. The staff of the GIA went on to found their own media and news site named GameForms.

*At least one representative from RPGamer has attended the E³ (Electronics Entertainment Expo) every year since 1998.

*On January 18, 2007, some trainee staff members wrote up an article announcing Shigeru Miyamoto's death from a falling turtle, and accidentally posted it. The article, written as a fake sample for the purpose of training staff, was not meant to be published and was soon removed and retracted. [ [http://www.rpgamer.com/news/Q1-2007/011907a.html RPGamer - News Bulletin - Retractions: Miyamoto Alive and Well, No Ogre Battle for 360 ] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.rpgamer.com RPGamer]