John Keefer served as GameSpy.com’s managing editor while I worked there. He was an excellent boss that became an excellent friend. Last year, he had a major health scare, but has recovered nicely (except for the COVID-19 hiccup just before we streamed this chat). I haven’t spoken with John in a few years and it was fantastic catching up with him using the power of Grayskull the Internet.
Some of the things that John Keefer and I discussed in the video above include:
- His cancer scared in 2021
- His favorite aspects of working at GameSpy
- What it was like to manage an utter pain in the ass (me)
- That time a Microsoft CTO/CXO got really mad at me
- That time an Ubisoft vice president banned me from entering their U.S. office
- Ageism in games journalism
- Some of the game developers he was honored to have met and worked with
- Some of his favorite PR professionals to work with
I’m incredibly grateful for the time I spent working with John Keefer. As with most people in their 20s, I was ambitious, full of energy, and full of ideas. I was also lacking in patience, good sense, and wisdom. John was the perfect boss for me at the time. His guidance and patience were instrumental in helping me develop professionally and personally.
Like many people that have worked with Keefer over the years, I’m angry that a videogame outlet hasn’t hired him. He has decades of experience at various gaming publications, as well as newspapers. He would undoubtedly make any outlet he worked for better. He has so much to contribute, but isn’t getting the opportunities that someone in their 20s or 30s would. It pisses me off. Hopefully someone out there will give him a chance in the near future.
Oof. Let’s change the record to something positive! Please check out my chat with John, especially the part where I tried to pull a “Roy Firestone” to get him to cry online, but instead got emotional myself. Ha.