Post a question for Nick Suttner (ex-1UP guy), to be answered on the CAGcast

[CheapyD]

He will be an upcoming CAGcast guest.

Questions can be about 1UP/UGO, game reviewing, game journalism, beard maintenance or anything!

[cfootball1]

After your release of 1Up. CAG Writer????

[Treehouse Gamer]

Does South Africa have a different grade scale than America (i.e. an A+ there is actually around a B here)?

[pelf21]

Just wanted to say that you were great on 1up Fm, and looking forward to more Rebel Fm shows in the future....

What games are you most looking forward to in 09?

[FloodsAreUponUS]

What is the craziest story you have heard about Shane Bettenhausen?

[neocisco]

How badly do most people want to slap Shane Bettenhausen?

[FriskyTanuki]

Now that you are unemployed in this harsh economic climate, does your opinion of the epic battle between bread and meat now include the price factor?

Did the decision to continue the backlog segment for Rebel FM hinge on not needing to buy new $60 games to keep it going?

Is it true that Ziff had secrity guards outside of the 1up offices as you guys were gathering your things and leaving? Was that just an awkward sight for the editors to see on their way out of the offices after losing your jobs?

On a scale from 1 to 10, with one being minor inconvenience and ten being that the world might as well have blown up, how has the start of 2009 been for you?

[TC]

How annoying was it dealing with Shane Bettenhausen and his Sony fixation?

[krazy14kraz]

I'm sort of new to writing and I've just started to write my own blog and write for ThatGamingSite.com. I really want to pursue a career in some form of writing or journalism. Do you have any tips for a young lad like me (I'm 16). By the way, I'm sorry about what happened to you, wish you the best of luck for your future endeavors.

[aihuman]

Does your beard have supernatural powers?

[Brak]

Why did you give both Turok and Mercenaries 2 favorable scores?

[Corvin]

Do you think the possibility of Disney buying EA is a good thing or a bad thing?

Personally I think it would be a positive if only to raise the chances of seeing Dr. Teeth & the Electric Mayhem in Rock Band. :)

[F8X]

Why would UGO buy 1up and then fire (arguably) its most popular division, media/podcasting?

[bjkrautk]

Given your love for all things Pixel Junk, have you sent a resume to Q-Games yet?

What stretched your game dollar further: CAG, or having access to the 1UP Library?

Are there any games that you feel you would have played differently if you were not reviewing it? (I'm thinking back to the Assassin's Creed / PA debate, if that helps remind you of any.)


Best of Luck, Nick (looking forward to tomorrow's Rebel FM already).

[kube00]

How did you break into the gaming industry? What got you started? Any tips for us up and coming wanna be video game journalists?

[Friend of Sonic]

What is your favorite color?

[usickenme]

How come the majority of game journalists look like homeless people and has that made the transition to unemployment easier?

[mykevermin]

There's little doubt that print media is facing extinction, and that's only going to increase competition for the few desirable paid positions as a member of the "gaming media." How do you plan on staying in an industry that's finding, and will continue to find, more and more people competing for fewer and fewer positions?

[eliter1]

There are a lot of people that want to become video game journalists nowadays. I am not one of those persons myself but do you think there is room for more? Look at all the "Big" companies out there. 1up/UGO, IGN, Gamespot, etc and then there are people that start their own site after leaving or getting fired like Giant Bomb and Player One Podcast and now you guys with Rebel FM and geekbox. Cheapy even said in one of his E3 podcasts that he didnt' feel obligated to cover E3 because there is an immense number of media already out there. Are we coming to a point where we have too many people that want to become video game journalists? Do you think that some of those people should think about a different career?
Best of luck in the future!!!

[MSUHitman]

If I never read the 1UP site or never listened/watched a 1UP podcast, tell me why I would like the stuff you've started with Rebel FM, etc.

[XTommyDonX]

Hey Nick,

Which do you think is going to be a more difficult task, keeping the former 1Up staff together to continue on with Rebel FM, or bringing your former listenership with you to the new podcast? It seems that many former 1Up Yours/1Up FM listeners are still unaware of what Rebel FM is because of the lack of 1Up's popularity and promotion. In addition, do the former members of 1Up still want to continue to be part of the gaming industry or are some thinking of moving on?

Good luck with the new show, the 1Up programs were some of my favorite podcasts.

[Marconi88]

Nick,

Now that you have been let go by 1up (sorry to hear that) have you taken anytime to consider making a career change? I understand you love games and want to write about game, the industry and culture but is there any chance of you doing something else? If so what would that be?

[sj41]

How come the majority of game journalists look like homeless people and has that made the transition to unemployment easier?:rofl:

Are you interested in getting some other guys together and starting your own website, like Giant Bomb?

[peteyrose]

Is it true that Ziff had secrity guards outside of the 1up offices as you guys were gathering your things and leaving?

That was confirmed to be true by a 1up guy on this week's Player One Podcast episode.

Question for Nick:
Your former 1upShow buddies at Talkingorange have been very transparent about how much money has been donated and what they're going to use it on. Why is Rebel FM refusing to disclose how much money they received, and don't you think that's a slap to the face for us who have donated?

[DesertEagleXIX]

- How have your PR contacts responded?

- Over the past few years, we've seen movie criticism fall by the wayside; moving from Pauline Kael to Roger Ebert, now to Ben Lyons. Do you expect a similar slide in the quality of game journalism?

- Have you ever second-guessed a review score?

[Smallville123]

Whats the next step for you man?

[Trakan]

Why did you tell me to buy Undertow? I got that game for free and I feel ripped off.

[CaseyRyback]

Why does everyone call you Dick Buttner?

[MusicNoteLess]

Why did you take me off your XBL friend's list? What did I ever do to you? :(

[Arikado]

Why did you take me off your Xbox Live friends list? And why did you try to cover it up by saying I changed my tag?

[gunm]

Did you or anyone on staff have any forewarning/foreshadowing of this taking place beyond the general public knowledge that Ziff Davis was having financial difficulties?

Is it "sabbatical" time for you as far as the game industry goes? I can't imagine there being any job fairs, let alone positions open for laid off game journalists, print or Internet in this terrible economy.

If you did need to find a job outside of the game industry, where would you see yourself, and where do you think you'll be one year from now?

[Ugamer_X]

Why are you passed out in Casey's signature?

Also, why did you take me off of your friends list? Taking some tips from Shrike?

[Sgt.Seedy]

Do you read comics? If so, what do you read? Also, Marvel vs DC?

[Chase]

If you could enlighten us fans who wonder, will Shane join Che Chou, Luke Smith, and Jeff Green as someone who transitioned from games journalism to the games industry? If you cannot answer that question, then, is working directly in the games industry the big goal for all games journalists? Is that your goal?

Thanks, and good luck.

[bsesb2003]

Why did EGM basically disintegrate in terms of size over the years? Issues from years ago were much larger and had much more content. I understand that you hadn't been there from those days, but people working there had no at least recognize that the magazine shrunk considerably the past few years -- but why?

[Chase]

I assume EGM shrinking was due to cost, bseb2003. Every letter, and page, matters in the cost of printed media.

[TC]

How come the majority of game journalists look like homeless people and has that made the transition to unemployment easier?

:applause: Now that is a classic CAG question right there! I love it. Good thing Nick seems like he has a good sense of humor.

[Treehouse Gamer]

I assume EGM shrinking was due to cost, bseb2003. Every letter, and page, matters in the cost of printed media.

Theoretically, that would be countered with a proportionate number of ad space.

Also, the shift from gaming news/previews/reviews to feature articles due to the popularity of this whole internet thing. Why spend more money printing out previews for dozens of games when the circ pales in comparison to the hits that a website gets? As more feature articles are published, the man hours (or "manwidth") becomes limited.

So instead of 400 page tomes filled with tons of preview blurbs and reviews, we get 130 page magazines filled with awesome editorial content.

[Chase]

Theoretically, that would be countered with a proportionate number of ad space.

Also, the shift from gaming news/previews/reviews to feature articles due to the popularity of this whole internet thing. Why spend more money printing out previews for dozens of games when the circ pales in comparison to the hits that a website gets? As more feature articles are published, the man hours (or "manwidth") becomes limited.

So instead of 400 page tomes filled with tons of preview blurbs and reviews, we get 130 page magazines filled with awesome editorial content.


True, true. Note, though, that recent years EGMs have been filled with ads. If ads aren't helping, then something has to go, and that would explain the loss of content.

In any event, I blame the Internet. :-(

Ah yes, Nick, have you ever dressed up as Jesus for Halloween? If so, how many followers did you gather? ;)