Regular readers of TheSixthAxis will be used to occasionally seeing these kind of posts by now. For those of you who are more recent converts to the wonders of TSA, we like to keep everyone informed of what’s going on behind the scenes. We’ve had some changes to staff, some issues with features and we’re looking to the future in a couple of other areas.
Firstly, and most importantly, the personnel changes. Lee Cash (Kovacs) has departed the site and the entire field of games journalism. He’s not leaving the industry though, he’s got a job in the industry where we’re sure he’ll put his considerable talents to excellent use. He has also assured us that he’ll still be dropping in on the comments section as regularly as he can. I’m sure you’ll all join us in wishing him all the best with his new job.
That left a considerable gap to be filled at the head of our news team. Thankfully, we have Dan Lee, formerly the Assistant News Editor, ready to step into the breach. Dan is a dynamo and has such a fantastic attitude to the industry and to the job that we’re lucky to have him on board. We’re positive that he’ll do a wonderful job.
Aside from that, we have a few more casual contributors you may have seen around. Jen Allen is a freelancer with considerable abilities and achievements already in her career. I had admired her work for sometime before finally managing to get her to submit some reviews to us and I’m very pleased to have her associated in some small way with the site.
Likewise, Lee Bradley has been attending the odd preview event on our behalf and submitting excellent quality copy that we’re sure you have enjoyed and will hopefully continue to enjoy for the foreseeable future.
Our Community Team has changed shape slightly with Colin leaving to concentrate on family and his hectic start at university. We wish him well and have assured him that there will always be a warm welcome at TheSixthAxis should he ever want to make a return to action.
After a period of evaluation, it was decided that the Community Team was in need of some more clearly defined leadership. With that in mind, we have asked Adam (AG2297) to become our new Community Manager, working with Stefan (teflon) as our Assistant Community Manager. Both have answered the call and are already working hard in conjunction with the rest of the Community Team to intensify and further coordinate community events.
Following a series of popular guest submissions, Toby (Dexter17) has made the transition from community team member to regular contributor and will be providing his usual thoughtful articles roughly once a week. This left something of a gap on the Community Team and Adam and Stefan recently set about finding the best candidate to fill that space. James (JamboGT) was finally approached to add his influence to the team and has graciously accepted.
There will also be one or two new members of writing staff added over the coming weeks, when we’ve finalised the details. So, when you start to see the new names popping up on stories feel free to offer them a warm welcome and we’ll make introductions around that time.
Now, to the bad news. Some of the community features we have been working on are proving difficult to implement. It’s taking us longer than expected to get everything running smoothly so at this point we thought it wise to advise you that we will probably roll features out gradually as we did with the pinned posts feature and test it for a period of time before admitting that it’s a fully featured part of the site.
I can assure you that amongst those plans are the introduction of some way to filter comments so that you can turn off the visibility of comments from people you don’t want to listen to. We hope that this will dissuade the arguments that we’ve seen breaking out a little more over the past few weeks as tensions are high and we’ve had something of an influx of new members who aren’t used to the way TheSixthAxis community behaves.
Finally, I’d like to make special thanks to one community member who has always gone above and beyond in an effort to contribute in an engaging, interesting and entertaining manner. Bunimomike agreed to act as a forum moderator for us a while ago and since then has gone on to provide advice and guidance to the Community Team, graphical assistance for competitions and he’s even stood in on the podcasts while Lewis is unable to attend. He isn’t formerly a staff member but I think his contribution to the site is worth making a special note of.
I often receive emails from members with suggestions for how we could improve on things and what features might be welcomed. I read them all and, though it’s often impossible to reply fully, every suggestion I receive is given careful consideration and often tested and eventually implemented into the site.
As ever, we continue to make every effort to provide our valuable readers with regular gaming news updates and multiple original, interesting opinion articles and we appreciate the loyalty and support you offer us every day.
Oh, and while you’re here: It also looks like TSA might have some sort of presence at E3 this year. Beat that, Kevin Butler.
BIGAL-1992
A shame lee’s gone, but hopefully he’ll get along inhis new job. Keep up the work TSA.
YOURMUMANDME
Hello, new people !…kind of new.
I’ve promoted myself to asst. deputy newsreader, I’ve even made a macaroni badge….so there !
Well done to Lee as well, I bet you’ve landed an awesome job, all the best. : )
Foxhound_Solid
Thanks for the heads up. Sad to hear about the members of staff reading as they worj so hard, it shows in pieces I have read [Kovacs].
I wish them all well and best of luck to the newbies filling the shoes.
TSA is and will continue to go from strength to strength.
Best Gaming Site on the Net. Period.
Enjoy your weekend y’all,
Your friendly neighbourhood Foxhound_Solid :-)
Foxhound_Solid
*leaving as they work [Damn XP]
Origami Killer
nice :) keep up the good work TSA, good luck Kovacs/Lee ;) and to JamboGT in the community team ;) god bless you TSA
Kovacs
Wow. I’m sincerely humbled and touched by such kind words. Thank you one and all. It was somewhat surreal talking about TSA during the interview process for my new job. Weird yet really heartening to hear that the studio I’m joining was just as impressed that I’ve written for TSA as some of the other gaming sites I’ve contributed to over the years.
Leaving TSA and games writing in general is easily the one negative aspect of moving into games development. I’ll miss trying to make you guys smile with the odd witticism, or coming up with some whimsical word-weaving in a quite often vain attempt to infuse some creativity in what can sometimes be a repetitive field. I made some mistakes along the way – we all do – but, as a whole, and over the 1,000+ articles I wrote for TSA, I think I did okay.
I’ll be around, albeit perhaps with a blue banner and unable to actually comment on anything. Regardless, be assured that I’ll still read TSA. It’s still my primary source of gaming news.
Kovacs is not dead. I just answered a different Call …
;)
Skyfire
so your going to work on the next “call” of duty :P couldnt resist, sorry to hear your leavign as you have contributed much to this site over the few years i have been here and good luck in hte furture,Congrats to all the new promoted memebrs as well
a inferior race
Good luck Kovacs.
Gadbury
Wow, that’s a lot of articles – a great contribution! Thanks. Also, good luck with the games dev job. Who are you working for and what’s your role?
Colinbarr66
Thanks Peter, wish I never had to leave but life sucks sometimes.
Also uni gets easier as the years go on, right?
Gadbury
Erm, didn’t get easier for me but I’m sure you’ll be fine =]
Kovacs
Got easier for me. Seriously considered dropping out of my computer science degree in first year. Went on to complete it in four years never having to repeat an exam.
I know it sounds crazy but do some work on a consistent basis (i.e. avoid cramming) and it gets easier. Promise.
=)
gazzagb
Sad to hear Lee’s leaving but hopefully he’ll stick around, and reading tweets of his bus adventures will never get old! Good luck with your new job & congrats to the new members of staff!
tonycawley
Good article, congrats to the newbies, good luck to the leavers and let’s all hope this site continues to progress the way it is doing. Great site, there’s not a day goes by without me logging on. Here’s hoping all the new features integrate well and allow the site to continue developing
theberzerka
I would leave my own comment but this one sums it up perfectly for me. Good luck to the,leavers and cheers tony for saving me writing on my phone ;)
blackredyellow
The thought behind this article is one of many reasons I love TSA. Really good to know how the site is doing, and the changes in the team. Kovacs will be missed by all it seems, good luck to you mate. Good luck at uni too, Colin.
I’ve thought in the past that you guys would do really well if you had some sort of monthly/quarterly magazine, and I still do. But the way in which readers can connect with the TSA team via the web has such value, so please keep putting in the fantastic effort you all are to make this the No. 1 place for gaming news, and opinion!
Roynaldo
Id like to congratulate AG and Teffers firstly for being fantastic backstage with all our community stuff well deserved promotions for them.
Kovacs will be sorely missed, a true wordsworth. Actually hoping hes just made a mistake and will come back soon.
Finally Colin. Hope he can find the time in the future to make his way back to us.
Good luck all departures and well done to all newcomers and promotions. :)
cam the man
Couldn’t have put it any better.
Crazy_Del
*cries*
Damn I’m peeling onions, just so you know….. cries
Will be sadly missed =(
Great articles they were.
Good luck!