OK, maybe not a full circle -- it's more of a weird trapezoidal thing. The short version: We're teaming up with the new EGM. The full press release is below.

The longer version:

Back in 1996, I joined EGM as an Associate Editor, working under Editor-in-Chief Ed Semrad and Editorial Director Joe Funk (who gave me my big break in the biz). Their boss? Publisher Steve Harris, the magazine's founder.

I rarely ever saw or talked to Harris, me being an underling with several layers between us and all. But I was familiar with him from my days as a reader, long before I knew that working at EGM was even a possibility for me. I always respected him ever since I read his now-ancient editorial about not giving a s*** (my words, not his) that Capcom pulled ads over low review scores for Super Street Fighter 2.

About a year after I started, Harris sold EGM to Ziff Davis. I stayed with the magazine and its new owners for several years before leaving to pursue a dotcom opportunity that didn't pan out. In 2001, I came back to the publication that launched my career, this time as Editor-in-Chief, then left again in 2008 to recharge -- it's been a dozen years at this point, after all.

Around then, Demian Linn and I started tossing around this new concept -- a way for guys who are in the industry (like us) to work with the passionate community who want to be a part of it...and a way to get fresh, original game writing out in front of more eyeballs.

That lead to the creation of Bitmob, a place where community members use their real names and can post stories that, if we approve, we'll treat as professionally produced content. We'll editorially vet them as if they were from our own staff, then publish them to the front page to sit alongside our own posts.

Meanwhile, Harris made some moves to buy back the brand that Ziff had trouble maintaining. Earlier this year, he announced the return of EGM.

Full circle.

Then he approached us about possibly working together on some content, and after a few secret meetings and emails, we signed a deal. So we're back with EGM...back with the guy who started it all, which we then took over, and left only to come back to. In a way.

Weird trapezoid.

Anyways, we're quite happy to be a part of EGM again. It's the magazine that really got most of us to where we are today.

And don't worry -- we're not putting Bitmob on the back burner. In fact, this deal will help us realize our exciting, longer term goals for the site and our community just a bit sooner. We're just getting started here with our baby -- we hope you'll enjoy what's coming in our future.

Former Editors of EGM and 1UP Return to the Magazine They Guided For Nearly a Decade

December 1, 2009 - Beverly Hills, CA - Dan "Shoe" Hsu and Demian Linn, gaming journalism veterans and founders of the popular gaming commentary website Bitmob.com, have announced that they will bring their editorial skills back to the pages of Electronic Gaming Monthly magazine.

"I am thrilled to see Dan and Demian on board the new EGM," said Steve Harris, Publisher of the new Electronic Gaming Monthly. "Both of these journalists have a keen understanding of the industry they report on, and that exceptional insight is something I know readers will value. Both did a fantastic job of retaining and building upon EGM's independent voice after I left the magazine, and Dan's role as editor in particular was instrumental in the publication's rise to its leading position in the industry."

Both will continue to operate their successful Bitmob.com website while overseeing the reporting and writing of news and other content for EGM's network of properties (including EGMNOW and EGM[i]: The Digital Magazine).

Dan Hsu has been covering the gaming industry for over 13 years, starting as Associate Editor of the original EGM, then moving on to Editor-in-Chief of Gamers.com, Editor-in-Chief of EGM, and Editorial Director of the 1UP Network before co-founding Bitmob.com.

Demian Linn's background as both a reviewer and reporter (in print and video) makes him ideally suited for the integrated platform of the new EGM and EGM[i]: The Digital Magazine. Linn also has 13 years experience in the industry, having written for The Official PlayStation Magazine, Xbox Nation, Detroit Free Press, Complex Magazine, Smart Business, and FHM. Most recently, he was the Reviews Editor at the original EGM and the Executive Producer of GameVideos.com and "The 1UP Show" and is now a co-founder at Bitmob.com.

"This is a great opportunity to be an important part of the evolution of Electronic Gaming Monthly," Hsu said. "Steve Harris launched EGM with a clear understanding that it would speak to readers in an uncompromising fashion. It is that philosophy that I embraced during my tenure as Editor-In-Chief and one that I will continue to employ going forward in this new position."

"The integration of publishing formats provides a great opportunity to speak to EGM's readers in new ways," explained Linn. "The ability to use technology to take readers deeper into the news and events that shape the gaming industry, using video, audio, and other digital extensions, is a key element that attracted Dan and I to the new EGM - along with a commitment to put the reader first and deliver the same type of insightful information people have come to expect from EGM for more than 20 years."

Both Hsu and Linn will oversee and contribute to EGM using a staff of industry veterans that includes Greg Ford, Aaron Thomas, Jason Wilson, Michael Donahoe, and Brett Bates - all members of the Bitmob.com team. "Dan and Demian have assembled a terrific staff comprised of some of the best names in gaming journalism," said Harris. "Their collective efforts for EGM will be complementary to Bitmob.com, which will continue as an important voice for the gaming community. We hope to build upon our relationship with Bitmob and bring even more synergies to our respective endeavors in the future."

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About Electronic Gaming Monthly magazine: Electronic Gaming Monthly (aka "EGM") was founded more than 20 years ago by Steve Harris and remains one of the most respected gaming brands of its kind.  EGM's cutting-edge editorial style and hard-hitting content have earned it a reputation for being a trusted and independent voice in the gaming community.  EGM Media Group acquired the rights to the publication from Ziff Davis Media and is currently planning to re-launch the magazine in print (Electronic Gaming Monthly), digitally (EGM[i]: The Digital Magazine), and online (EGMNOW.com).