Nintendo World Report starts off 2009 with a change at its highest level. http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=17552 The only constant in this world is change. There is no better example of this in action than the video game industry, and the fortunes of Nintendo in particular. During the GameCube years many were questioning Nintendo’s relevance in a market that was being increasingly dominated by Sony and upstart Microsoft; fast-forward to 2009, and the company is exceeding heights previously seen only during the heady days of the original NES. The fact that the entire landscape of the industry can change in only a few short years is what makes it so much fun to cover, discuss, and dissect.
Change is a constant theme in the world of video game media, as well. Companies are bought and sold, websites come and go, and readerships evolve and migrate. Nintendo World Report is no more immune to the winds of change than any other video game website, and with this in mind I’d like to announce to our readers some recent changes behind the scenes.
Effective today, I will be succeeding Steven Rodriguez as Director of Nintendo World Report. Steven has done a great job since replacing Jonathan Metts in November 2006, and we’ll miss having him as our fearless leader. Thankfully he will remain on our roster as a Staff Writer, reviewing games and providing some import coverage, but now he’ll actually have some time to devote to his real life (I’m not sure if I should thank him or not). Take it easy Windy, you’ve earned it.
As for myself, I’m incredibly humbled to become the fourth Director of this great website. We’re approaching our 10-year anniversary in March, an amazing feat that speaks to the dedication and perseverance of staff members past and present. Much like the company we’ve followed so closely, we’ve had our ups and downs but have managed to stick it out for the long haul. Ten years ago, back when I was collecting release dates for The 64 Source (anybody remember that website?), I never would have imagined that one day I would be tasked with directing one of the pre-eminent enthusiast gaming sites on the web. But here I am, and I’m absolutely thrilled.
For our readers, I can assure you that we will keep bringing you the timely Nintendo news coverage and quality game reviews that we’ve always been known for. With new management comes new ideas, of course, and trust me when I tell you that the staff and I are already batting around new initiatives that will make the site better than ever. For starters, we’ve made a slight tweak to our forums. We’ve created an NWR Interactive forum area that’s dedicated to our Talkback threads, Staff Blogs, and Radio Free Nintendo and Trivia podcast discussions, making them easier to find and our forums better-organized as a result. NWR is only as good as our community, and we plan to push community interaction and involvement as much as possible going forward.
In short, good times are ahead. You, our valued readers, aren’t just coming along for the journey; ultimately, you’re steering the ship. Let us know what you want to see, what we’re doing wrong, and what we’re doing right. And most of all, keep playing your Wiis and DSes and enjoying all of the quality gaming that Nintendo systems have to offer. We’ll see you out there!