Meet the Team: Justin McElroy

In the world of professional game blogging, the people are represented by two separate, yet equally important groups: the bloggers who investigate the stories and readers who make silly comments. These are the first group's stories.

Name: Justin McElroy
Job Position: Blogger and host/producer of the Joystiq Podcast
Past Experience/Education: I've been writing about video games since I started reviewing them for The Herald-Dispatch when I was 12 years old. Besides Joystiq my work has appeared in Computer Games Magazine, The Escapist, Gamezebo, Gamers With Jobs: Press Pass and GameDaily.
Life outside of the 'Stiq: I also have a degree in theater that I occasionally utilize. And, as you can tell with a quick Google Image Search, I love exercising. But my favorite (usually) non-gaming activity is hanging out with my wife Sydnee.
Why I'm blogging: It's not very hard.
First game experience: My earliest gaming memory is playing H.E.R.O. on the Atari 2600 at my friend Eric Near's house.
Favorite games: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Seaman, Spider-Man 2, Quest for Glory series, BioShock, Phoenix Wright series, Fugitive Hunter, Portal.

More to come every Tuesday and Thursday.

Reader Comments (118)

Hi Justin!

Hi Justin.

-resumes drinking and playing MGO'beta & GTAIV respectively-

All I can think of when I see that picture is 'Love in my Tights Madrigal'.

YOU SUCK!!!

Imo, in this pic he looks like Benjamin Franklin crossed with Ludwig van Beethoven :P

Seriously it that him?

Wow I don't not what to say,he looks very dramatic..in a good way.

Justin if you are reading could you say "To be or not to be, that is the question" or just an Austin Powers quote in the next podcast?

I WANNA BE A BLOGGER, TOO!

CAPS LOCK IS CRUISE CONTROL FOR COOL

LOL

that should be on a shirt

"Meet the Team" Great idea guys, keep them coming.

PS: Justin having a degree in theatre makes COMPLETE sense

So you don't have any other real job? Can you actually live off blogging?

well, before there used to be Blogger profiles, the only one I remember that lives off blogging is Yoon

How do you guys get paid? A certain amount per article or a set monthly "salary"?

Just curious

I want to know that too.

And it's posible to win money if I start a blog?

Prob ad revenue more then anything

Page views I believe. I posted for Weblogs Inc's FanHouse for a while and it was a certain dollar amount per post, but I believe the rumor mill lately has been that they're getting paid based on page views. There's both good and bad in that idea... the best bloggers should get more money than others who simply post a lot; however, it also creates an incentive to post flame bait which attracts tons of hits and comments.

Fernando should be receiving a cut of the action, just for bringing in all the haters traffic! well done.

They get paid in flame wars.

Brian B: We do not pay based on page views. No traffic or ad-related incentives whatsoever.

I think Justins my fav writer on Joystiq. He's the funniest one for sure and without even reading who wrote a certain story I can pretty much tell its him.

"as you can tell with a quick Google Image Search, I love exercising."

Gold :D

I did a google image search and came up with pictures of Army Spc. Justin McElroy, am I missing something here?

I forgot to add that I LMAO at the "Law and Order" style format of the thread

Why thank you, I thought it would be fun :)

About that, why not explore the other side of that line? I'd love to see profiles of some of the most avid commentors around these parts

...These are their stories.

Fernando Rocker:
I LOVE NINTENDO!

Check back every Tuesday and Thursday for more commenter profiles!
(just kidding, Fernando :P)

Nice to see who the writers are but they will lose a bit of their mysticism.

Great idea, it's nice to be able to put a face to your work.

If only we could do the same for some of the people who comment on here......

@voodoo_craig: Hence my face being my avatar. People assume I am a man when I don't put my face there, as if "Saria" was a man's name. And, sadly, people STILL address me as a male even when my face IS my avatar, so what does that say about my dashing feminine looks?

@ Saria, that must be preferable to the alternative: "yu iz hot, wana cybr?"

On an unrelated note, I think your avatar and choice of name are both attractive ;)

I assume the background is the wilds of west virginia, with its most feral inhabitant (and Beethoven look-alike) JMcE

That outfit should've been red.

Just sayin'.

You are so funny! I look forward to hearing you on the Podcast all the time. Don't ever stop co-hosting - please. You're my favorite.
PS. You have an adorable laugh.

Quick! To Photoshop!

You mean, this isn't a photoshop?

It needs a bag of Pretzel Flips.

I agree with the typing Shaymin.

I don't mean to be rude, but are we really supposed to give a shit about this?

It's "get to know your blogger" month at Joystiq.

Not really.

Actually, Frank, It's "Blogger History Month".

Actually, you do sound rude.

Some of us enjoy these kind of things and do give a shit about the people we interact with around here.

If you didn't intend to be rude then it must be said that you chose some pretty poor words with which to submit your question.

This is actually a pretty cool idea. Of course, if you disagree then you can always skip over the post.

No one's forcing you to give a shit about it. Next time you see something like "Meet the Team: Justin McElroy", just move on if you're not interested. See how easy that can be?

Does seem a little filler-tastic. Kind of like those endless summary posts and the summary-of-other-blogs posts.

you can have my shit, if you dont want to give yours.

Somehow, I always knew that bloggers wore ridiculous but awesome costumes when they blogged.

http://photos-372.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v241/144/31/501500372/n501500372_823303_7363.jpg

http://photos-g.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sf2p/v241/144/31/501500372/n501500372_777726_6086.jpg

Enough said!

Nice to "meet" you, Justin!

I'm from Ashland myself and used to read those video game reviews in the Herald Dispatch when I was a bit younger. I was really wondering who you were after that GTA IV release story taking place down in Pullman Square.

Anyways, good luck and perhaps I'll run into you sometime back home.

Me too! and I drove a pickup, so brace yourself.

I love Ashland. I did a study "abroad" program near Ashland last semester. I'd love to go there again. Hanging out in Zoey's Ice Cream... oh man, memories.

Are you related to Meatloaf, the singer?

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Meet the Team: Justin McElroy

Reader Comments (118)

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