The GameFan history thread

[Error]

Sounds like a Behind the Music intro...

[x2y]

Lol whos idea was it for the Dreamcst sucessor with eight controller ports for an April fools joke. I printed that page out and was showing people and pretty much everyone fell for it.

HAHA.

[kevincal]

Hey, how was Gamefan received in Japan? Was it widely distributed there? Also..I was always curious what the reason was for the jabs at EGM every now and then. Is there a story behind that? How about the FF8 review....was that some kind of publicity stunt? Oh, and maybe you guys could contact Dave about running PLAY's website, that thing hasn't been updated in months!!!! BTW, Gamefan one of the most intriguing and stimulating magazines I've had the pleasure to read in my life. Thanks.

[djpubba]

What was the deal with the Monitor guy (or whatever he was called)? Who came up with him, and why? Was he around since the beginning, and why was he dumped?

Monitaur was a character which Greg Off used to doodle before getting a job at DieHard GameClub. When GameFan was started and the subject of having a mascot came up, Greg suggested they use his character and they thought it was a great idea. Terry Wolfinger took over the drawing of the character from the first cover onward (there's a good story surrounding the first cover, I'll tell soon). I didn't realize they ever dumped him.

[shidoshi]

I don't think it was that he was dumped... for a while he just sort of disappeared, and then in the last year or so of GameFan, he was given more face time again. But, not to the point where he was on the cover of every issue, like he used to be. My guess is that his being on the cover with various video game characters was inspired by Famitsu and their fox mascot.

[Compass]

Few questions if any of you guys (Shidoshi, djpubba, kdeselms) can answer 'em:

What's Takuhi doing now? He was my favorite reviewer after Halvy and ECM. Although he did go a bit overboard on the first Suikoden.

Also Evil Lights. He just disappeared all the sudden. I remember a reader asking about him (prolly in the letters section) and the answer was onimous (like he did something terrible and would never be heard of again). But that's my memory which is hazy.

Was it a couple specific guys in charge of all the layouts or did the writers chip in too? I remember there was some really artistic, pleasing-to-the-eye stuff in Gamefan that's yet to be seen elsewhere (including PLAY). I think it was FFVII or VIII had a particularly gorgeous layout.

And I had no idea Eggo was a test lead at Activision. I worked there briefly this year and would've hunted his ass down. I remember there were a few issues where the staff was ribbing him about his "chronologically challenged" girlfriend. And then later about how he was breaking up a marriage. Sounds like a wildcat.

Oh yeah, and remember E. Storm's obsession with Hermie Hopperhead? I actually imported that game which I almost never do because of his constant praise. It was pretty fun but of course nowhere near the miracle he made it out to be. I was at Yuke's office once and the Hermie box was there on a display with all the other wrestling stuff. I don't like wrestling and told them I was a big fan of Hermie and they should do a sequel. Confusion and disapproval ensued. haha. They were mostly just surprised an American knew about Hermie. I wonder if they were aware how much Dave pimped him.

[Glass Joe]

Also..I was always curious what the reason was for the jabs at EGM every now and then. Is there a story behind that?

I've always been curious about that myself. I remember reading about the possiblilty of Sushi-X showing up in Gamefan. I believe it was around the same time Sushi started not being in the review crew so much but would still show up from time to time. There was definitely a reference in GF about him not being with EGM anymore and his soon to come appearance in GF.

I was a bigger fan of GF during Halverson's reign than I was during ECM's. It just didn't seem the same to me after DH was gone. It sounds to me like he was/could have been a nightmare to work for, but I always enjoyed the magazines he has put out.

[JMET]

I've always been curious about that myself. I remember reading about the possiblilty of Sushi-X showing up in Gamefan. I believe it was around the same time Sushi started not being in the review crew so much but would still show up from time to time. There was definitely a reference in GF about him not being with EGM anymore and his soon to come appearance in GF.

I was a bigger fan of GF during Halverson's reign than I was during ECM's. It just didn't seem the same to me after DH was gone. It sounds to me like he was/could have been a nightmare to work for, but I always enjoyed the magazines he has put out.

Could it be he surrounded himself with very talented people to make himself look better while his replacements came on during a time of cutting back and uncertainty?

[shidoshi]

Also Evil Lights. He just disappeared all the sudden. I remember a reader asking about him (prolly in the letters section) and the answer was onimous (like he did something terrible and would never be heard of again). But that's my memory which is hazy.

Dead, I believe. Can't remember if it was suicide or not.

Was it a couple specific guys in charge of all the layouts or did the writers chip in too? I remember there was some really artistic, pleasing-to-the-eye stuff in Gamefan that's yet to be seen elsewhere (including PLAY). I think it was FFVII or VIII had a particularly gorgeous layout.

There was a core group of people who did layouts, and then a few people who did their own. Nick, for example, pretty much always did his own. Same, I believe, for Casey. (Takuhi) When I went back to doing more game reviews, I did almost all my own layouts. (SamSho 4 was my first stab at doing a layout.) I also did all of the AnimeFan stuff as well when I was in charge of it.

I remember there were a few issues where the staff was ribbing him about his "chronologically challenged" girlfriend. And then later about how he was breaking up a marriage. Sounds like a wildcat.

I think Eggo's girlfriend was jailbait, or something to that effect.

What's Takuhi doing now? He was my favorite reviewer after Halvy and ECM. Although he did go a bit overboard on the first Suikoden.

I know for a while, he was working at Versus Books with Nick. The last listing for a book from him that I could find was 2003, though.

[Some Stupid Japanese Name]

Just read some of Kevins gamefan memories.
Whatever happened to Fernando Mosquera? I remember visiting Seganet everyday.
I also remember quite a few pissed off people when he folded into Gamer's Republic (Sites that were supported by his suddenly having no home or something.)
Jesus, this is stuff is great, but it makes me feels so damn old.