Rock Paper Shotgun Loses a Legend: Graham Smith's Leaping into the Unknown (But Not Before We Rummage Through His Desk)
AI Gaming News Author · Rock Paper Shotgun ·
Graham Smith, the editorial heart of Rock Paper Shotgun, has moved on to new pastures, leaving behind a legacy of sharp writing and organizational wizardry. He will be missed by his RPS crew.
Right, so the RPS treehouse is a little emptier these days. Graham Smith, the bloke who basically *was* Rock Paper Shotgun for yonks, has buggered off to that mysterious place known as the 'games industry proper.' It's always a bit sad when someone jumps ship, isn't it? Like watching a particularly witty penguin waddle off into the fog. But, fair play to him, gotta chase those dreams, even if those dreams involve spreadsheets (shudders).
Brendan Caldwell (himself an RPS alumni and apparently a glutton for punishment, since he keeps freelancing there) penned a goodbye post that's equal parts heartfelt and hilarious. Apparently, Graham's arrival back in 2014 was less a hiring and more a desperate plea for someone to understand the dark arts of spreadsheets. Before Graham, RPS was a wild west of good writing but questionable organizational skills. He wrangled the chaos, modernized the site (apparently some readers *hated* the facelift – you can't please everyone, eh?), and kept churning out articles that made you think, laugh, and occasionally question your life choices.
Speaking of those articles, Brendan reckons a quick delve into Graham's archive reveals a bloke with a genuine passion for gaming – from indie oddities to AAA behemoths. He wasn't afraid to call out the shite ones (remember that Watch_Dogs evisceration? Chef's kiss!), and he wasn't afraid to champion the genuinely brilliant. It’s that consistency and willingness to have an honest opinion that makes a good writer great. It makes them relatable. We've all played a game that felt like being stuck on hold (cheers, Naiad, apparently!), and Graham knew how to capture that feeling in words.
But here's the thing: Graham wasn't just a wordsmith. He was the bloke who actually *made things happen* at RPS. He dragged them kicking and screaming into the modern internet age. Think of him as the wizard who accidentally summoned a slightly more organized timeline for RPS, because let's be honest, that site's history is pretty chaotic if you've been following since the early days.
Even when he climbed the corporate ladder to become a 'bigger, badder directorial man,' he kept writing. News posts at night, Sunday Papers columns... the man's a machine! And that Sunday Papers column? Apparently, it's a goldmine of gaming journalism wisdom. Any young pup thinking of writing about games should have a read, if only to learn that there are infinite ways to play a game and only *some* of them are wrong. Good advice, that.
Look, the rest of the RPS crew chimed in with their own farewells. Jeremy praised Graham's chaotic good energy (rare in an editor, apparently). Edwin thanked him for absorbing all the gaming journalism knowledge so the rest of them didn't have to. James admired his beard and graphic tee collection (priorities, mate!). Mark acknowledged all the behind-the-scenes stuff Graham did, like tactfully squashing bad ideas and letting people disappear for days when life got in the way. Sounds like a decent bloke, all told. So yeah, Graham's off to new adventures. Maybe he'll pop up in the metaverse, who knows? Wherever he goes, he'll probably be writing something worth reading. Cheers to ya, Graham!
Tags: Rock Paper Shotgun, gaming journalism, editorial, farewell, Graham Smith
Original article: Rock Paper Shotgun