Ryan Davis was perhaps one of the greatest games journalists ever in the short history of that profession. Up until his sad passing on the 3rd of July at 34, he was one of the lead minds behind Giant Bomb, one of the most different yet most informative websites on the internet about video games. It was a website that pushed out new and funny content daily and helped to revolutionise coverage of events like E3 with their live podcasts that brought together a true meeting of minds with all sorts of games industry people chatting about everything they could think of. Giant Bomb also led the way with their live shows inviting us to sit down and watch them play their way through some of the newest games once or twice a week. We laughed alongside them at terrible games or terrible play. Although each and every staffer played their part, Ryan was the forefront, the MC of MCs who helped to direct and push on the rest of the staff to make the best video content you can find on the web.

I first encountered Ryan back in the days of Gamespot. Even before his appearances on the Hot Spot podcast where he truly shined, he was a truly talented writer that made even some of the worst games still interesting to read about. He was someone who I looked up to as a style I wanted to be like and although his skills didn’t quite rub off on me, Ryan made games writing interesting and exciting. Alongside his partner in crime Jeff Gerstmann he made all of the various projects he did within Gamespot, from the podcast and On The Spot to some of the unusual stuff like Time Trotters, superb. When Jeff was sadly let go due to a variety of reasons, I was saddened. But seeing a group of people including Ryan leave alongside him to various other things raised my heart a little bit. Then seeing Jeff and Ryan go off to make Arrow Pointing Down (now a host for some of his many in jokes formed over the course of the many podcasts) raised my heart even more.

But in 2008 (as I started Sixth Form), they made Giant Bomb alongside some of the other standout people from Gamespot like Brad Shoemaker and Vinny Caravella as well as other great guys like Patrick Klepek, Dave Snider and . Giant Bomb became a rock in the middle of the hard times of Sixth Form. Many a revision session echoed to the sound of their voices every week talking about games and other things (primarily other things) and their video content was second to none. Quick looks became my window into gaming at a time I was having to curb my own to get on with the work.

Giant Bomb is one of the few sites I pay money for each year and this is only because of the talent of everyone involved. And although i have never met any of them face to face, the thousands of hours of video and audio helped to make me feel like I know them even a tiny bit. So hearing one of them die at such a young age and at such a tragic time (only a week after his wedding) feels like a bit of my soul has been torn out. I know if this is how I feel, as someone who only barely knew Ryan, his friends and family must be even more torn up. My thoughts are with them.

I didn’t say much in the car on the way home from work. I just sat and thought back on all the good times we, the gaming community and the world, have had with Ryan over the years. I’m going to miss him on the podcasts, on the live shows even just on twitter or live streaming his journeys into work like he used to do. I hope we can celebrate his life and remember all the things he has given us over the years.

Going to miss you Ryan.