@Chickan_117 said:

Got myself a new artist at C117 Games named Jon Snow of all things... well... Jonathan Snow but even still it's a cool name. We just have to all hold back the temptation to tell him he knows nothing and I'll have to consider workplace shenanigans if I ever hire a redhead... anyway...

for those who played Nick's Quest you may remember King Nick was based on Nickosaurus-Rex from here. All the dialogue resulted from back and forth chats between us on messenger etc. In HIVE: Not by Design he's been busted back to Duke for sending you on a stupid quest in the first game and for other reasons of general stupidity and perversion. Here's a screengrab of when you first meet him. He's hiding in a bush looking thru the bathroom window of a vacant house (see? Perverted AND stupid).

Anyway what do you think? Like him? The background isn't finalised yet obviously and the style will match that vid I posted earlier. But I couldn't help sharing this pic as I think Jon captured the essence of Nick perfectly!

He makes me think of He-Man for some reason. Must be the hair.

@mystic_knight Thank you for your support. I think it is perhaps for the best if I take it from here.

I feel in light of recent events, and apparently, a demand for me to make my presence more known here, that a lengthy post communicating a few things is needed.

RE: Serial_Killa

The posting of pornographic material is, always has and always will be, an auto-bannable offence. GameSpot is not for porn. Ban-dodging is also an offence which warrants an auto-ban. If there are any confusions, you can refer to our community Code of Conduct and by extension, our our Terms of Use.

An email was sent to all AU mods regarding his ban.

RE: Regional Boards

I figured that it was pointless for me to continue posting the same answer, but if you want me to regularly affirm that regional boards are still on the plan I can do so. So, regional boards are still in phase 2 plans. "Regional Boards have been cut from plans" = FALSE. I absolutely will not confirm something which is not true. I will continue to post this regularly to remind you all it is still in the plans.

For those who have been waiting patiently, thank you for understanding that for the GameSpot forums to exist, the front page needs to as well.

RE: My absence on the board

I am type who prefers to hand-craft individual posts which have a point. For example, I wouldn't have contributed much to the previous discussion about cars. I drive a VW Golf. I love my car. Ends. I am a lurker. I know some of our AU regulars are too. I'll pitch in when necessary but I prefer not to kick up a fuss in the forums and the community seemed happy enough left to its own devices without my interference. Apparently, that has led to beliefs that I am avoiding the forums. I wish to put that rumour to rest.

Don't forget you can tag me with the @Zorine tag if you wish for me to look at something urgently, or PM me. I am notified by all PM's immediately via email. I do not mind.

tl;dr - There is no conspiracy. Every action I take is for a reason. A lot goes on behind the scenes to make this site work. I don't make an effort to "block out the truth".

A huge thank you to all the supporters, and I hope to catch you all around.

Huge Skyrim fan. Got the collector's edition with still-unopened Elder Scrolls themed notebook.

Ranged archer complimented with fire magic. Imperial female. Custom armor (Triss Merigold's armour from The Witcher 2).

I am never going to give up on the community, and neither should you.

You are all welcome to contact me at anytime with your concerns. Harsh comments included. You all know how to reach me.

@Serial_Killa:

Edit: Post got lost, re-posting.

I'm not going to confirm something which is untrue. "We're never getting AU boards again" = False. I'm not going to lie to the community.

You sound very angry. It's nice to know we have fans who are so passionate about GameSpot!

I don't go around sticky'ing whatever thread I feel like even though I could, because I am considerate of spaces occupied by others. Even on the internet.

RE: Our podcast

We went on indefinite hiatus post-TGS but were flooded by emails and messages and fans asking us to return, so we did. I know, I was as surprised as you are.

I accept your apology and understand how you feel. Here, have a puppy. I like dogs.

We don't "avoid this place like the plague". I don't know if you're aware, but we're currently hiring for a new editor at GameSpot AU which means an already busy team are trying to cover editor's responsibilities between the three of us.

I would come clean if that were the case, but the truth is that the AU board is still on the cards. I've said it before and I will continue to say it until that changes - even if my own community does not believe me, despite my best efforts to stand up for them.

RE: Stickying the thread.

I'll chat to the team and see if an exception can be made for our situation.

I'll let you all know if there are any updates. At the moment, the priority is on fixing the front-end stuff on the site.

Likewise. Hope you had a good night, was great catching up with ya!

@Chamboosy - Aww no! Why are his eyes so red?