It’s time to fall in love again – with our Fall 2019 internship crew! You’ll be seeing these bylines a lot on the site over the coming months, so we want to introduce you to our new intern crew. They’ll be covering news, gamer culture, and more as they build up their portfolios. These young writers come from a variety of places across the country, but they all have one thing in common: video games. We’ll let them introduce themselves.
Alex Stadnik (@Studnik76) – I was in first grade when I first discovered the Game Boy Color. All the “cool” kids had one and I was so curious about what a Pikachu was or why a plumber would jump on turtles. I knew I needed one of my own but unfortunately, that was never going to happen in my house. I felt like Ralphie from A Christmas Story; always begging for the handheld but constantly being shut down with tales of how it would destroy my still-growing brain. The no’s kept coming but just when all hope was lost, my best friend’s mom swooped in and convinced my parents that playing Pokémon wouldn’t, in fact, transform me into a ne’er-do-well hellbent on never going outside. The day was won, the Game Boy was mine and my life-long passion for gaming had officially begun.
As my handhelds became consoles and my interest in games grew from a fun hobby to a full-blown passion, I discovered a local publication that happened to cover video games: Game Informer. The covers were always exciting, but what I loved most about the publication was that it was headquartered in Minneapolis, right in my backyard. It sounds cliché but seeing that a magazine from Minnesota could be a large player in a global market inspired me and confirmed that even I could be a part of an industry I loved so much. Without Game Informer, I wouldn’t be where I am today, so I’m beyond thrilled that I finally get to join the magazine that started it all for me.
As a gamer, I have tastes all over the board, but I have a special place in my heart for Super Mario World, Mass Effect 2, Halo 3, and BioShock. When I finally put the controller down and go outside, I love going to movies, exploring the Twin Cities amazing brewery and food scene, and hopeless cheering for the Timberwolves and Vikings as they rip my heart to shreds year after year.
Nick Straub (@Ncstraub) – Ever since I was a child, I’ve loved video games. I remember coming home from preschool, seeking out my bro, and sitting on his lap to play Dark Forces (yes, my first game was a shooter … I was corrupted at a young age). The faithful recreation of Star Wars – combined with the familial bonding – made a lasting impression. From then on, I could not get enough. I’d await the next Star Wars shooter or educational Putt-Putt game with masochistic excitement. When Mysteries of the Sith came out I forsook going to the bathroom (my poor bladder) to stand in the driveway until my brother returned from the mall. Once I saw the Rancor on the cover, I knew it was worth it.
Eventually, I found myself not just enjoying games but learning from them too. Games became a spiritual exercise. My first, and greatest love, was Shadow of the Colossus. The brutal tactics, sincere emotion, and wistful world captivated me: playing a video game became more than fun escapism. I found myself thinking about God, my relation to the world, and the consequences of my own actions. Is it worth destroying that which engenders awe to save someone I love? Such questions had never entered my mind before, or at least not in such a visceral way. This contemplation propelled me to explore and question – eventually leading me to a degree in philosophy.
Gaming changed my life and opened me up to the expansive world both around and inside me. I’m grateful for the opportunity to intern at Game Informer. As one of the first intuitions to recognize the need to write about games, it is a titan in gaming journalism. I look forward to beginning a career in the industry that has given me so much. Whether it be the sublime gameplay of Bayonetta or the humanity of Red Dead Redemption I am eager to write and discuss about the eclectic medium that has moved so many of us.
Please welcome these great dudes, so they know how you feel.