[11/20/2005]   We interrupt our regularly scheduled updates to bring you a rather rare event. This week, Michael 'CactuarJoe' Beckett becomes the sixth Platinum reviewer! That's worthy of a pretty large round of applause, ne? Anyway, here's a speech from the man himself:

   While trying to come up with something wise and witty to say in this space, I took a trip into the Update Archives of PoV and found something I didn’t realize; I’ve been writing reviews for four years now. Four years. My first review was way the heck back in 2001, and it amazes me how such things have changed in what seems like a very small slice of time. In 2001 I was in high school, the GBA was still pretty much a new thing, and the Internet was a bizarre otherworld whose broad vistas at once terrified and excited. Now its 2005, I’m out of school and we’re starting in on a whole new generation of consoles and handhelds, but you know what? I’m still enjoying the living heck out of this, every bit as much as when I first started submitting reader reviews.

   I’ve met a lot of really incredible, smart, and frankly insane people in the three months I’ve been a staffer, and to be honest, I’m amazed at all of them. It really is surprising what a combination of dedication and good-natured maulings can accomplish. Before I get all gushy, I’ll close this out by saying thanks to everyone on both sides of RPGamer, the readers and the staffers. And to anyone out there thinking of sending a review in, by all means, do so!

   Until next week...