About Us

What is Diehard Gamefan?

We’re not the first publication to go by this name. The original Diehard GameFan was a print magazine that ran from 1992 to 2000. In Oct., 2007, we picked up the trademark and URL rights and decided to revive the name. The original publisher of the magazine form of Diehard Gamefan, Dave Halverson, has recently given us his blessing with the new venture, thus passing the torch to a new generation of gamers. I made him a promise that we’d keep to the high level of quality content that has come to be associated with the name, and that any of the original staffers are more than welcome to stop by and speak their mind.

The NEW Diehard Gamefan is both a homage and an entirely new direction all at once. Like the original, we seek to bring back true journalism to gaming, rather than fluff pieces catering to the lowest common denominator. We hope to revive credibility and integrity to gaming journalism, something that has become increasingly tarnished in recent years.

Unlike the original, we are a not-for-profit organization. We make no money off this site. Many of us are, or have been, professionals in the industry and Diehard Gamefan gives us an outlet to talk this industry as individuals rather than a piece of the corporate machine. We’re doing this simply to have fun and out of love for the industry.

In this spirit, we treat all gaming publishers and developers equally. Madden 2008 will be reviewed as fairly and honestly as Out of This World. We will also publicly list all publishers sending us review copies so that our readers can be aware of with whom we have a working relationship with, so as to prevent any inkling of bias or conjecture that a review was “purchased.” So if you see one of the publisher we list getting a consistent degree of high marks from a particular reviewer or reviewers, seriously – CALL US OUT ON IT. The only way you can trust us, or any gaming site is to interact with the writers until you know you can trust that they are writing for YOU, and not for the various companies out there.

Also unlike other reviews, we have eliminated a numerical score. We feel that due to the lack of actual journalism in the industry, too many readers, as well as publishers look at the number associated with the review rather than the content itself. This we feel does a disservice to everyone: the review writers, the developers, and most importantly the readers themselves as we are living in an age where games are being highly criticized in the review than given a 7 or 8 as the numerical score, misleading the reader entirely. By removing a numerical rating, this forces the audience to read the review in question, educating them on the game’s pros and cons and thus leading the reader to once again think for themselves. Also, by giving an in-depth multi page review that averages 5 pages in Microsoft Word (Arial, Font Size 10), the hard work of the developers is showcased in far more detail than can be found with reviews that are only a paragraph to a page long, which is sadly becoming the industry standard. (You will note that if you go deep into the archive, you’ll find older reviews with numerical scores. This is because we imported every writer’s old archive/porfolio so that you can see how all of us have grown as writers and a team).

With our comprehensive review scheme, groundbreaking and entertaining features, and a level of in depth journalism that has long been lost from the industry, we hope to provide all sides of the gaming industry with the level of respect it deserves.

At the end of the day though, we’re just a bunch of people who are passionate about games who are here to share their tastes and opinions with you. We’re not going to tell you what you SHOULD be playing. What we will tell you is what we just happen to be playing and how we feel about these games. You don’t have to agree. You don’t even have to like that particular writer’s turn of phrase. Hopefully there will be a writer or feature that intrigues you enough to keep coming back for more. We welcome feedback both positive and negative, because it is only through commentary directed to us that we can grow as both a site and as indivudal writers. Just make sure it’s constructive criticism rather than whiny fanboy bitch sessions. That helps no one and just makes the corresponder look immature.

Who We Have

Our staff has a diverse background in the gaming industry. Writers have come from such sites as 411mania, Not a True Ending, Inside Pulse, Gamespot, The Next Level, and more. Members of our staff have also worked with /for such publishers and developers as Nintendo, SNK, Konami, 2015, Pandemic Studios, and again more. As our staff has come from all sides of the gaming industry, it allows our team to provide readers with a cohesive look at the gaming industry from aspects most other publications are unable to provide.

Legacy

It would be wrong of me to not include a little bit about the original DHGF staff. Although the magazine is long since defunct, several staff members can still be found online or with print publications. Although none of the original staff is currently a part of this venture, they are more than welcome to join us at any time. We’ll be happy to host any of their writings and ramblings. Below is a list of the old DHGF that we have found still active with links to their current projects.

Dave Halverson
Dave Halverson is currently Editor-In-Chief of GameFan/MovieFan Magazine (No affiliation to us other than cordial relations). He was also the founder of the original Gamefan. Dave’s been actually very supportive of the new site, and he’s even offered to drop by from time to time. That was a really nice gesture and we here at Diehard Gamefan appreciate it.

Eric Mylonas
Also known as ECM, Eric was an editor and writer for the old DHGF, and currently works for Prima Games Publishing.

George Ngo
Also known as Eggo, George currently works for Activision.

Eric Patterson
Known best by his handle Shidoshi, Eric can still be found on multiple message boards and forums.

Tyrone Rodriguez
Tyrone is currently making a living as a freelancer in Orange Country, CA. If we can get a web link to him, we’ll add it!

Andrew Cockburn
Andrew lives in LA. That’s about all we know.

David White
David was the executive producer and creative director at the old DHGF and he currently works for a not-for-profit medical cannabis corporation as their Communications Director out in New Mexico.

If you know where any of the other old Gamefan staff currently hangs out or what they are up to, let us know and we’ll add a link under this section.

Comments

8 responses to “About Us”

  1. E. Sullivan Avatar

    Nick Des Barres (aka Nick Rox, one of my favourite GameFan editors) also works for Play magazine along with Dave Halverson.

  2. TheFreak Avatar
    TheFreak

    There is also a Tyrone Rodriguez working on the Cave Story Wii port as well as Night Game, though I’m unsure if he is the same guy.

  3. Jennifer Cockburn Avatar
    Jennifer Cockburn

    Andrew (my husband) is currently working for Sony.

  4. Joel Anderson Avatar
    Joel Anderson

    As a fan of the original magazine, I will spread word of your site to my favorite gaming messageboards. If Dave endorses it, that’s good enough for me.

  5. Mariangela Sanabria Avatar
    Mariangela Sanabria

    Eric Mylonas died yesterday, January 13th in his home in New England, He will be greatly missed.

    1. Jaeman Avatar
      Jaeman

      Was just googling Eric to see what he was up to and found this. Do you have any more information?

      1. Mariangela Sanabria Avatar
        Mariangela Sanabria

        Yes I have any and all information. I am sorry not to get back sooner. I personally invite you and all his fans to a Requiem Mass in his honor. https://www.facebook.com/events/438782763203701/ His obituary will run in this Sunday’s Nationwide edition of the New York Times. Please share the information and please attend if you can make the trip. I will be happy to speak with everyone. Eric was very private, but he was also very loyal. God bless all of you!

        1. el gato tuerto Avatar
          el gato tuerto

          RIP.

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