Author: Chris Scullion

Chris Scullion is a Scottish video games journalist who's been covering video games professionally for 16 years. For the first six years of his career he worked at the Official Nintendo Magazine in the UK, then became the Games Editor of CVG before its untimely end. After setting up his own site, Tired Old Hack, Chris then joined Video Games Chronicle (VGC) where he is currently Features Editor. He has a passion for retro games and cataloguing their history, hence his ongoing series of console encyclopedia books (search his name on Amazon).

Attract Mode – Welcome to Tired Old Hack!

Published on by Chris Scullion12 Comments

Last week I lost my dream job.

I’m still coming to terms with it, but the fact I was even allowed to do it for so long – nearly nine years – makes me so proud I genuinely have a little shiver of excitement every time I think back on it.

For those who don’t know me, I am – well, was – a video games journalist. Based in London but originally from Scotland, I’ve worked exclusively on Future Publishing publications my entire career. And now I’m not.

I started on 2 May, 2006, as the Staff Writer for Official Nintendo Magazine. I was then promoted to Games Editor in March 2009, before being asked to take control of the Nintendo Gamer website in April 2012.

Me, in happier times. That’s me on the right

Then, after Nintendo Gamer was closed down (not my fault, honest), I became Games Editor of CVG – something I was immensely proud to accept given that publication’s incredible heritage – in January 2013.

Sadly, as you may have heard on the social grapevine, CVG is closing down, and since Future couldn’t find another role for me I was given the big Game Over screen.

To continue that predictable metaphor though, I’m still clutching a handful of 10p coins (part of me still likes to pretend arcade games still cost 10p like they used to), and I want to continue.

I still want to write about games. It’s the only thing I know. While it will no longer be my 9 to 5 job, and this saddens me, I still hope to get some freelance work for other publications from time to time, so hopefully you’ll still be seeing my name dotted around various sites and magazines.

Even if I do get freelance work sorted, I still have so much I want to say about this incredible hobby. I’ve been playing games religiously ever since I was four years old (27 years ago) and I still adore them. Which is why I’ve started this blog. Continue reading “Attract Mode – Welcome to Tired Old Hack!” →