Dom Peppiatt is the new editor-in-chief of VG247

You know that Malcom Gladwell quote about needing to do something for 10,000 hours to become a master of it? Well, I’ve done over 1000 articles for VG247 – does that mean I get to be master of it now?

That’s an absurd number of articles. I’m probably going to write less now (I’ve heard Editor-in-Chiefs do nothing but sit in meetings talking about organic traffic and crying about Google’s latest core update). But spending my time in the trenches has taught me a lot about this website, its audience, and its team.

And it’s a good site. With a good ethos, and an even better work ethic. I’ve never worked with such an enthusiastic, lippy, hustling bunch. We’ve got the vigilant, thorough backbone, Steph, on the news. We’ve got the artisanal SEO wizardry of James and the sharp, adaptable eye of Kelsey on Guides. We’ve got Connor, with his boots on the ground and his nose in a story no-one else has even thought of yet. We’ve got Jim calling someone an oaxter and writing funnier jokes than anyone else I know could ever hope to write. We’ve got the seasoned, sardonic voice of Alex on… well, anything, really. And Tom’s probably playing Football Manager, somewhere.

One of my favourite pieces of writing I’ve done for this website was about Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy – about how Mary DeMarle, executive narrative director at Eidos Montreal, curated and encouraged her team with honesty, vulnerability and (most importantly) free beer. That vibe, that camaraderie… it was a fitting backdrop to a story about a ragtag bunch of miscreants quipping their way through space in the face of uncertainty and a world in flux around them.

That culture DeMarle helped embed at Eidos, that’s the sort of environment I want to continue cultivating at VG247: irreverent, breezy, knowing, plucky. Your mate down the pub that’s got all the goss on the latest games. That’s the direction I’ve been giving to freelancers when we’ve been working on pitches. I’ve been called a ‘labrador’ by my friends, and I’m pretty certain they mean it as a complement; big, goofy, earnest, enthusiastic energy. There’s a space for that in the industry.

With the excellent team here – and more fresh blood on the way – I believe VG247 can continue to offer something unique in an industry that deserves celebrating, and lionise the work of developers that commit their life to making games that should be fun, enjoyable, unforgettable. If you can't tell already, this is an inclusive site with inclusive values – equality and intersectionality are fundamental to who I am, and what this team strives for.

I want to nurture the talent we have here and amplify the talent of the industry around us. I want to offer an enthusiastic, charismatic kind of games coverage. I want labrador warmth with terrier tenacity.

Tom set us on a great path over the past few years, and I look forward to seeing what’s further on down that road in the years to come. Even if that means writing another 1000 articles, eventually.