Thu, Sep 30, 2010 | 15:44 BST
Kieron Gillen leaves games journalism
Rock Paper Shotgun writer Kieron Gillen has announced he’s left full-time games journalism after 15 years.
Gillen went freelance in 2003 after leaving PC Gamer, and has gone on to become an exclusive writer of comics at Marvel. He did, however, co-find RPS in 2007 along with Alec Meer, Jim Rossignol and John Walker.
RPS was his last full-time job as a journalist.
“These fifteen years have been a pleasure,” said Gillen in his departing post on RPS.
“This hasn’t been a sudden thing. With the contract signed [with Marvel] I felt it important to give my full, undivided and primary attention to the comic-writing.
“While I’m not on the regular staff I’ll remain a director of RPS, so be involved in shaping the site’s future. More importantly, I remain a gamer whose main response the medium is going on big rants. When I decide I want to write ten thousand words on an indie strategy game no-one else gives a toss about, there’s not a power in the world that can stop me.”
Good luck, chap. And happy birthday as well.
17 
Posted in: Hot, Journalism
Tags: Kieron Gillen, Rock Paper Shotgun
17 comments
#1
fear_itself
30/09/10, 3:50 pm
He’s too cool for school for now.
Seriously, good luck with the comics.
#2
Aimless
30/09/10, 3:59 pm
Not surprising given the success of the new Doctor Who.
#3
spiderLAW
30/09/10, 4:01 pm
Who?
Anyways….Best of Luck to the guy!
#4
Joe Anderson
30/09/10, 4:07 pm
Good Luck and Happy Birthday
#5
absolutezero
30/09/10, 4:15 pm
“Who?”
This is what its come to. The man that spearheaded the current trend of NSJ in games journalism has left.
Can’t say im all that sad to be honest. Have fun with comics and try and not drain all the joy and fun out of them by writing meta narrative exposes about why people like to look at pictures along with words or something equally stupid.
Also try and not explode with rage over female superheros wearing leotards.
#6
dirigiblebill
30/09/10, 4:22 pm
Good luck mate. You’re an inspiration.
#7
Debabrata Nath
30/09/10, 4:39 pm
Well played man…
You will be missed
#8
DSB
30/09/10, 4:55 pm
@5 Indeed. Big whoop.
John Walker aside, Rock, Paper, Shotgun is usually a good read if you can filter out the horrible attempts at cleverness and “profound” editorials.
I don’t see why “games journalism” (which has a real shortage of actual journalists) should ever be about the writers more than the story itself.
#9
Stardog
30/09/10, 5:03 pm
What the hell does NSJ stand for?
#10
LOLshock94
30/09/10, 5:08 pm
fuck u hope u die
#11
TerryWogan
30/09/10, 6:00 pm
Wahoo!
#12
absolutezero
30/09/10, 6:19 pm
NSJ = New School Journalism.
John and Jim are the reasons I read RPS, if they just somehow bought Tom Francis it would be the best games site in all the Universe.
#13
dirigiblebill
30/09/10, 6:29 pm
John Walker’s send-off is touching :p
http://botherer.org/2010/09/30/kierons-going-out-he-may-be-some-time/
#14
Old MacDonald
30/09/10, 7:12 pm
Rock Paper Shotgun is the best gaming site on the web, by a wide margin. It’ll be a bit less fun now, but on the other hand Quintin Smith (Gillen’s replacement) seems just as talented. Just check his Minecraft diary.
#15
deanimate
30/09/10, 8:29 pm
I love popping in on RPS to read some interesting word creations and hope it will only go from strength to double horse power strength. John Walker has to be my favourite because in all probability he is a cat with a magical tail.
Hopefully Kieron leaving as a full time member won’t ruin the site. Hopefully Walker will get a cat girlfriend. Hopefully….hopefully..
#16
Gheritt White
01/10/10, 12:09 am
Tip top bloke and deserving of every success – gaming’s loss is comics’ gain.
#17
ShiroGamer
01/10/10, 12:12 pm
oh, I will miss my sunday papers