What was your first job as a journalist?
EGM hired me to write about video games. Just before publication, they ceased publication on all features, so it was picked up elsewhere.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes but nothing beats a quality mechanical keyboard...
How is social media changing news?
Social media allows journalists to directly engage with news-makers asynchronously while also keeping the momentum going online.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Rory Gilmore was (and still is) a fictional inspiration to me and my work. She's determined, focused, and driven.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
You're able to clearly articulate and inform others on topics you've heavily researched. It's all about entertaining information transfer.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Just have fun with it. Share a few sentences about what you're looking for in an article and tell me what makes your pitch stand out!
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Google Docs for writing and collaborating on pieces. Spotify is always playing in the background too.
What's your favorite social network?
Reddit, but I try to steer clear of social media for productivity purposes. Twitter is a necessary evil...
Who do you wish followed you?
I wish Hideo Kojima followed me, but I doubt my MGS fan art would interest him. He's probably busy coming up with a sequel to Policenauts.
Why did you become a journalist?
I'd been a fan of journalists like Jason Schreier and Brian David Gilbert for years and was eventually allowed to pitch to some publications
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
No but I wish I had. All the cool kids were on the school paper...
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
My abandonware piece saw me interviewing game developers and games preservationists from across the globe.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Just keep writing. Write anything. Write books, write poetry, write songs, write articles. The more you write, the more confident you'll be.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Any time, any day! Online messaging is asynchronous, so it really doesn't matter what time or date I'm pitched.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
I was pitched a feature on retro games preservation that incorporated archiving, emulation, and legacy development. Cool stuff.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
I get pitches for reviews of people's indie game side projects before they've even reached alpha. Sorry! I only program at my day job!
What's your favorite drink?
A multigrain bubble tea from Soul Cup in Coquitlam, British Columbia. With pearls, of course.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
I'm a gigging and session drummer, I work a day job as a programmer, and I spend the rest of my time playing video games.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Polygon and Kotaku are two quality publications that deal in detailed opinion pieces and news.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
Gaming and games journalism used to carry a stigma but it's a whole new world now. Games journalism becoming more and more popular nowadays.
