I gave the following speech the Games Media Awards in London last night, handing over the Games Media Legend trophy to Colin Campbell, a journalist of 25 years.

Unfortunately, representatives of the event’s main sponsor, retailer Grainger Games, disgraced themselves at the ceremony, heckling compere Greg Davies and booing and slow-clapping through my speech. Intent Media boss Stuart Dinsey has banned them from any future events. If you want a fuller take on how the night panned out, take a look at Gizmodo.

Grainger Games has apologised on its site today.

I’m aware the speech is pretty long. That’s because the Legend award isn’t given to just anyone, and I felt it was important to make sure everyone was aware of how much Colin had contributed to both the British and American games journalism industries. The heckling from the sponsors and others at the back of the room honestly made delivering this a humiliating experience, and I’m sad I couldn’t just honour my colleague with the praise he deserves without having to shout over people. C’est la vie, I guess.

Anyway. Here it is. Congratulations, Colin.

It’s a great honor to be asked to present this award for the second year running. Stuart invited me to do it this year because he wanted to make sure you all knew just why this person is so deserving of the title of Games Media Legend. This person has been active in the games journalism industry for 25 years, and, as he’s been management for much of it, the chances are there are plenty of people in this room tonight that simply won’t know who he is.

Ladies and gentleman, it gives me huge pleasure to announce that the winner of 2011′s Games Media Legend award is Colin Campbell.

Colin Campbell’s newly-launched GameBizBlog is offering free recruitment ads for anyone that needs to place them. Get details here.

“Recruitment in the game industry is an expensive and inefficient business,” said Campbell.

“We would like to try to offer something new and valuable. Our plan is to create one place where game industry professionals can see every job that is currently available. We think this offers the best value to readers and to advertisers.”

More through there.

Edge publishing director James Binns said today that moving control of Edge Online to the UK from San Francisco and installing a new editor and news ed would allow for “effective planning and more flexibility in news gathering”.

Former EIC Colin Cambell left the site on Friday, as did staffers Kris Graft and Rob Crossley. Campbell this morning posted an blistering view of the situation on his new site, GameBizBlog.

Here’s the Future statement in full. There’s a word there from Edge editor Tony Mott as well.

James Binns, Publishing Director of Edge, said:

“Any brand needs a strong, consistent voice across multiple media. We’re focused on developing the best quality content from the ground up that works well in print and online, and has a true global voice. That means effective planning and more flexibility in news gathering. The changes to the team that we’re making will put us in a stronger position to achieve this.

“As we wish three of Edge Online’s freelance contributors the best of luck in their next roles, we’re pleased to announce two full-time appointments for the site, both of whom offer cross-media skills and experience with the Edge brand. Alex Wiltshire, previously deputy editor of Edge magazine, moves into the role of editor, Edge Online, while Tom Ivan, an Edge Online veteran, becomes the site’s news editor.”

Tony Mott, Editor in Chief of Edge, added:

“Following our issue-200 print promotion and a period of consistent audience and traffic growth on our website, the Edge brand is in a great position, and our strategy for Edge Online – strengthening the core editorial team to work across print and web, while continuing to expand our network of reporters globally – will help us to maintain this momentum throughout 2009.”

Former Edge Online editor Colin Campbell has posted a withering explanation of his reasons for leaving the site, saying that Future’s “fiddling with Excel spreadsheets is a poor defense against revolution.”

Campbell finished a notice period with Future last Friday, having resigned thanks to Future’s decision to bring control of Edge Online from the US to the UK. Writers Kris Graft and Rob Crossley have also quit.

“Edge Online’s new bosses claim they want to ‘integrate’ the online and print facets of the magazine,” said Campbell, writing on the newly-launched GameBizBlog.

“I believe this to be an error. Although the Edge voice ought to be maintained throughout all its activities, any attempt to reshape a dynamic daily website in the image of a monthly print magazine is conceptually and practically highly problematic.”

Future’s insistence on nurturing paper products, Campbell said, was a refusal to accept the truth of today’s games journalism.

“The story of the game industry is now being told via lightning fast websites and blogs of phenomenal competence and editorial quality,” he added.

“The days when giant print brands dominated the mediascape are over.”

You go, girl. Colin’s now heading up Intent’s business in the US, based in San Fran. And just in case you were wondering, pop stars, GameBizBlog “is not competing with anyone for advertising dollars”.

And this one, right here, has bells on it. Good luck with it, dude!

Edge Online boss Colin Campbell has left the site to work for MCV-owner Intent.

Campbell will be based in San Francisco, taking a role as “head of US content and business development”.

“When managerial responsibility of Edge Online was moved from Future’s US office to its UK office, I felt that it was the right time for me to move on,” said Campbell.

Best of luck, Colin.

More here.

“Leading publishers have been extremely critical of E3,” he said. “The media has been underwhelmed by this year’s event. Change is inevitable.

“The trouble with E3, is that it’s trying to be too many things, and isn’t much good at any of them. It’s a product showcase, a media circus, a business and trading forum, a social event, a debate. But it’s also none of those things.”

Full thing through the link. Some valuable points made there. Well worth a read.

Not quite sure what’s going on here, but it looks as though Next-Gen.biz is being rebranded as Edge’s site. The following popped up in our newsreaders this morning:

What is Happening Here?

from Next Generation by Colin Campbell

Until last week, this site was called Next-Gen; now it’s called Edge. This is the story of how and why it happened.

I’ve worked on Next Generation, on and off, for 13 years, a far longer span of time than anyone else. So it feels weird that I was the one who brought it to an end. It all began with a phone call I made to an old friend, about ten weeks ago.

The link to the piece, however, brings up a requirement for a username and password, and Next-Gen‘s still very much live.

Looks as though a cat may be out of a bag. We’ll ask Future this morning.

Lists are brilliant. Channel 4 built a business out of them, so we’re not ashamed. Here are the ten most respected, influential games journalists working the UK trade today. These are the people PR want to kiss, the people you don’t leave alone in a room with your CEO, the people who’ll make you money if you give them power. Your opinion and that of other journalists, both in the UK and abroad, is formed by the names you’ll see below. These are the people that choose what you see.

Didn’t make it? Try harder.

1. Tom Bramwell (Editor, Eurogamer.net)

   It’s hard to argue against this. Eurogamer.net is by far the most read independent videogames publication in Britain, and is growing fast. Tom took over as editor from long-term boss Kristan Reed at the end of last year after eight years as deputy and is seen in British editorial as the “journalists’ journalist”. Bramwell was picked by the UK games trade as the best writer in the business at last year’s Game Media Awards for good reason: no one else in the post-NGJ generation is moulding videogames coverage in the United Kingdom in a more violent or high-profile manner. His scores and opinions matter financially, making his words and top placement on his website a must for any “serious” publisher-side campaign on any format. End of. Number one.

2. Tim Clark (Editor, Official PlayStation Magazine)

   It’s not so much for his writing skills as for his management of the UK’s Official PS Magazine that Clark takes second place in this list. British PR is forced to go cap in hand to OPS with cover requests and Clark’s the man they have to woo. Any PlayStation game launching in the UK vies for place here, and front-page placement is gold. Clark is the door to without doubt the most sought after paper space in the UK, and has worked his way up to boss from online editor over many years. His decisions affect sales uniquely in games journalism, but it would be tough to say he’s driving aesthetic coverage of games in Britain in any meaningful way. Hence, number two.

3. Stuart Dinsey (Managing director, Intent Media)

   Is he a journalist? Not in his day job, but Dinsey’s fast to come out of “retirement” with his hair-dryer editorial when need be. While insiders readily admit the MCV-owner has passed over to the “dark side” of business development, Dinsey still regularly writes for the omnipresent British business journal, and it would be fair to say that very few share either his contact-base or iron influence on the UK trade. Dinsey enjoys a well-deserved reputation as a ferocious back-room operator and is nigh on impossible to compete against in “his space”. A list of “influential British games journalists” would be ridiculous without him highly placed.

4. Johnny Minkley (Editor, Eurogamer TV)

   Minkley’s long-time position as games commentator on Radio 1′s Jo Whiley Show and a lengthy career in British games journalism make him an enviable target for any website or paper publisher. As full-time editor of Eurogamer TV, Minkley has managed to procure major exclusives combining the mainstream coverage of Radio and the core demographic reach of Eurogamer, most recently securing a global first with Guitar Hero: World Tour. Further, Minkley’s time as editor of MCV under Stuart Dinsey and Lisa Foster make him a formidable trade journalist, a skill well utilized on Eurogamer Network’s B2B pub, GamesIndustry.biz. We can’t think of any other journalist in the UK able to hit such a wide audience with quality coverage. And his dress sense is amazing.

5. Kieron Gillen (Freelancer, RockPaperShotgun co-owner)

   Gillen’s name will be carved forever in the term “new games journalism” and his influence on British games writers – floor to ceiling – should not be underestimated. Everyone – and we mean everyone – in games journalism has heard of Kieron. He changed the way people write about games forever, formalizing a personal approach to play experience in games editorial, and the affect of journalists suddenly realizing it was OK to say “I” was profound. Kieron is the only person we know to ever get his name in the New York Times, put it that way.

6. Dan Dawkins (Editor, PSM3)

   Dan is highly-liked and manages to keep PSM3 relevant in an increasingly nightmarish environment for print. His dogma of creating endlessly exclusive content for his magazine makes PSM3 one of the best paper products in Britain, PS-based or otherwise. Widely quoted – and scanned – on the web, Dan’s work has heavily influenced the formation of the current games publication landscape in the UK with a ceaseless commitment to quality, flourish and uniqueness. He was a dogged competitor to Computec and PSW earlier this decade, and has more than proved his worth as a fighter. He easily makes this list.

7. Tony Mott (Editor, Edge)

   Say what you want about print, Mott continues to prove it has a place in games journalism. Edge is known the world over, and for good reason. Tony edited the magazine many moons ago, left for a career in development then returned after the previous team had an “altercation” with management and walked. Edge’s readership fluctuates only marginally every ABC and has a loyal, cultish fan-base. Edge may lack some of the lustre it had back in the day, but Mott is the perfect caretaker for the most famous games magazine in the world, and has a trade reputation to match.

8. Ellie Gibson (Deputy editor, Eurogamer.net)

   Gibson has demonstrated heavy editorial management skills on both the consumer and trade sides of games journalism, and has a reputation among UK PR as being one of the toughest UK journalists in terms of both interviewing and content deal brokerage. Ellie is able to walk the line between editorial reach and “independence”, and never pulls punches in one-on-ones. Gibson’s seen as a lynchpin staffer at Eurogamer Network and carries off a full-time role as back-up to Tom Bramwell’s Eurogamer.net with ease. A heavyweight, and a must for this list.

9. Gavin Ogden (Editor, ComputerAndVideogames.com)

   Ogden is the games journalistic equivalent of the A-Team, and a Future staple. He has a solid reputation for taking on tough jobs, managing big teams and getting things done. CVG is fast and popular, the jewel in Future London’s crown and has achieved great financial success under his editorship. Backed up by the entire Future machine, Ogden is experienced enough to navigate what can be a “testing” commercial environment at the publisher and has never failed to produce long-term results when high-ups find themselves in tough spots. One of the best trouble-shooters in the business, and a name near the top of any self-respecting PRs contact list.

10. Colin Campbell (Freelancer)

    “The Campbell” taught Gavin Ogden everything he knows. Colin has an eye-watering CV and a track-record for launching some of the biggest names in games journalism. He was the launch publisher for the Official Xbox Magazine in the UK, a group-publisher at Future in the 90s and most recently took Next-Gen.biz from zero to hero. His unmatchable contacts at Future US enable him to bridge the divide between Europe and America, making him a soft target for UK PR trying to get noticed Stateside. He appears to have now taken a backseat on Next-Gen, but he’ll be back. He always is. One of the best known names in British games editorial.