Hi everyone. This is Ryan – aka Games with Coffee and everyone’s favourite deputy editor and longtime contributor – here with an announcement that’s a bit overdue:

I am the new Owner, Operator, Editor in Chief and CVO (Chief Visionary Officer) of The Pixels. (And yes, I gave myself that last title. Please allow me to be a little indulgent.)

When Moses Norton, aka The Well Red Mage, made the announcement of him stepping down from The Pixels, I, like many of you, were saddened that it had to come to that point. Having contributed to the site for over nine years while working closely with the writers and other staff – both current and former – I couldn’t bear to see all of this go away. At least, not without giving this a shot myself.

To that point, I’ve been in direct contact with Red with the intent of taking over what he started. Today, like the Matrix of Leadership in Transformers lore, the torch for The Pixels has now been passed onto me. And upon it, I swear to uphold the standards and values that have defined this site for the past decade.

Critiquing video games is a tough thing to do, but it’s necessary. We give our voices to many games that aren’t able to speak for themselves, not like the big players or long-standing IPs. Yes, some games out there are less than stellar, but it’s important to explain why, in clear terms and in ways everyday people can understand.

What makes us stand out above all others is that we chase neither controversies nor scandal. Other folks can have them, as far as we’re concerned. Instead, we focus on the games themselves, analyze what makes them tick and deliver a review that is fair and balanced. More importantly though, (and I can’t stress this enough), we get to answer the question: “Is this game fun?” Because for all the shortcomings a game has from a technical standpoint, what will make it stand out is how much fun you’re having with it. After all, whether it’s a cinematic masterpiece or a simple platformer, fun is the key element that makes games, well, games. If you’re not having fun with it, then what’s the point of playing? In a world filled with algorithms leaning heavily towards negative content, playing games for fun is something that gets lost in the sea.

I’ll be honest, it’s a little bit scary to take on such a big role, but I’m glad to be doing it. I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t try to keep this going. At the same time, I have a vision for this place: to be a positive corner of the internet for gaming. Is it gonna be hard to do given all the negativity that exists right now? Yes, it will. But I think it’s worth it to try.

That being said, there will be some changes. While the philosophy behind our writing remains intact, our review structure will be more streamlined, more concise and more pointed. That’s not to say that our traditional long form critiques are disappearing, but they’ll be reserved for special cases; however, our review card system is here to stay. We’ve had fantastic feedback from both contributors and readers on their implementation, and they’re easy to share around, too!

We have a strong roster of writers, but we’re also looking to add more diverse viewpoints wherever and whenever we can. Interested parties will only need to apply with a pitch and some samples of their own writing for consideration.

To game devs, publishers and other members of gaming media who have supported us in the past, I have this to say: We’re back. While things look a little empty at the moment, we have plenty of old and new content just waiting to be published. Please, feel free to reach out to us if you have games that you want us to cover.

I’d like to take this last moment here to thank all of the staff for standing with me as I take on this monumental task. I’ve always lauded tons of praise to these incredible individuals, and I wouldn’t be here without them. I’d also like to thank Red for taking a chance on this caffeine addict to shepherd The Pixels towards new horizons. And last but not least, thank you to our dedicated readers who’ve stuck with us from the highs to the lows and everything in between. You are the reason why we do what we do and we value your feedback on how we’re doing; if you have some, please drop them here in the comments, or contact us directly. We’d love to hear from you.

I’ve always believed that words have the power to change things. To build bridges. And to help us understand the world around us. And I know that we all have the power to bring about positive change in the video game industry. I’m proud to don the mantle of leadership for The Pixels and I hope to earn the respect and confidence from all of you in seeing what the future will hold.

Yours in trust,

Ryan (Games with Coffee) – EIC, CVO