I didn't know Ryan Davis personally, but I felt like I did. I got the pleasure to meet Ryan Davis a few different times on the show floor at PAX East and I also had the opportunity to see the Bombcast live. From my very limited experience with Ryan, he was a great guy who was very friendly and inviting to anyone that came up to talk to him. He seemed like a humble guy, and the game industry lost a truly unique dude last week.

I first heard of Ryan back during his Gamespot days as I was a big fan of On The Spot and the Hotspot when it featured him and guys like Jeff Gerstmann, Rich Gallup, and Brad Shoemaker. It was one of the first real shows on the internet that I actually took the time to watch just because those guys made games interesting to me. This was why ,after they had left Gamespot, I immediately jumped on the Giant Bomb bandwagon when it was announced.

Ryan was the best host for the Giant Bombcast, and a big part of the reason that I kept coming back to it. Whenever he wasn't on an episode it always felt like something was missing (even though I love all the other guys as well). That is what will make things the hardest, knowing that he won't be hosting any more Bombcasts. It's been my pleasure throughout the years to get to know Ryan through the Bombcast and videos. You start to know these guys, and the podcasts feel as if you're just sitting around having a conversation with your friends. I know that Ryan Davis had a love of life and would pretty much do anything for a laugh. I was there live when he did this:

That may have been one of the single best moments I have EVER witnessed in my life, and I was there when The Undertaker threw Mankind off the Hell in a Cell at King of the Ring '98! I also know that Ryan likes a good summer jam, old school rap, bourbon, incredibly bad alcoholic concoctions, and a lot more than I can even think of off the top of my head. This was like losing a friend, even if I'd never had the chance to get to know him personally. It just sucks, plain and simple.

At the end of the day, if I can be half as good as Ryan Davis then I know I am doing something right. I will wear my Lincoln Force shirt with pride, because that was a pretty bad ass idea.

Ryan was a unique guy, and everything he did was fun to listen to and watch. His expressions were great and he was just hilarious. Makes me want to have fun in whatever I do going forward.

My most heartfelt condolences to his family and friends.

I'll try to bring the mood up with this amazing piece of art: