GMA Legend Award goes to PC Zone - Pat's speech
Tonight during the Games Media Awards, VG247's Patrick Garratt stepped on stage to present the award for Games Media Legend - which he was the recipient of last year.
By now, all of you know the award didn't go to an individual, but the now defunct PC Zone magazine, which released its final issue last month.
The magazine was the first UK magazine dedicated exclusively to PC games, and was indeed legendary and more than deserving of this award. We salute you, PC Zone.
So, without further ado, hit below the break to read Pat's speech in full.
GMA legend speech
When I was given this award last year, I was stunned, as, I'm sure, most of you would have been. Only a complete t**t actually considers themselves to be a "legend," and being called so by your peers is genuinely very flattering. Despite the accolade, though, I don't consider myself to be a legend at all. Let's be honest; raising head and shoulders above the majority of this room isn't exactly f**king difficult, is it? The criteria by which I won the award appeared to be, "Nice lad. Knows where to put a comma. Bit of a c**t. Smoked crack on press trips." Legend. One in a million.
And if these were the criteria by which I won the Games Media Legend award last year, then this year's recipient is certainly well-deserving.
Since first appearing 17 years ago, this true games media great has contributed to the success and growth of the videogames industry with literally thousands of pages of editorial that could be described as unique, irreverent, funny and rude, but always honest.
Their frightening capacity to dent PR’s entertainment budgets is unsurpassed, and they’ve inspired devotion amongst readers and affection throughout the industry.
Sadly, though, this is a posthumous award and it marks the end of an era. This year’s Games Media Legend is not an individual; it’s a magazine, and that magazine is, obviously, PC Zone.
PC Zone has been a breeding ground to some of the industry’s best known writers over the years, many of whom have gone on to be Charlie Brooker. We asked Charlie to come along tonight and bless this award, but he couldn’t be arsed. He f**king hates you.
As well as Brooker, though, PC Zone’s editorial team has been home to Daniel Emery, now, unbelievably, employed as a top technology writer by the BBC; John Davison, who went on to be a senior VP at Ziff Davis; Chris Anderson; Dave ‘straight flush’ Woods; the quite literally legendary Steve Hill; "Big" Jamie Sefton; Paul Mallinson; Paul Presley; Nigel from IT; Jeremy Wells; the mighty Martin Korda; Ali Wood; Richie Shoemaker; Rhianna Pratchett; Ed Zitron; Will Porter; David Brown; Phil Wand; Steve Hogarty; and, of course, to the winner of two of tonight’s previous categories, the undeniably awesome Jon Blyth.
PC Zone is a Legend. It was billed as the first UK magazine dedicated exclusively to PC games, and evolved alongside a booming market. Did well for a bit, until people like me turned up. Sorry about that.
And so, as the internet finally prepares to flip open the trapdoor and snap the neck of videogames magazines forever, it is only right that PC Zone’s contribution, its writers and its place in history be marked by inviting Steve Hogarty, Jon Hicks, and anyone else here that has ever worked on PC Zone, up onstage to collect, on behalf of all staff, this year’s Games Media Legend award. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you PC Zone...
You can read over our liveblog of the event, as well as the rantings of 5-minute guest blogger Tom Bramwell here.