This post has not been edited by the GamesBeat staff. Opinions by GamesBeat community writers do not necessarily reflect those of the staff.
The Bitmob Featured Community Writer is a new series where we focus on you, the Bitmob community member. We'll dust off your old articles and give you your just reward: more eyeballs on your writing. We'll be featuring some of your favourites, some you may have overlooked, and maybe even you!
Our first featured writer is Patrick Bonk. He's been an active contributor since the site's first week and has been posting ever since. A loving husband and father, Patrick is based in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. If you've never been there, it's very hot in the summer, very cold in the winter, and very, very flat all year round. Sounds like North America's best excuse to stay inside and play video games. Over the past year, Patrick's consistent contributions shows us that this is indeed the case.
What really strikes me is Patrick's efforts to connect with the Bitmob community. Nearly all of his posts end with a "What do you think?" prompt. If you want to connect with Patrick, look for SUPERGHOST…well, just about anywhere, and you'll find him.
Let's take a look at some of his best articles.
Meet the Mob: Patrick Bonk — What better way to introduce the man than to let the man introduce himself? Patrick relates to us how he is a flat-out gamer (and you'll see below, he can back it up!)
Front-page posts
Sega Dreamcast: A Console of Firsts — Patrick kicked off last September's Dreamcast week with a look at how the console innovated many of the features we love in our current-gen systems. The Dreamcast may be gone, but it isn't forgotten.
Two Cents on Six Days in Fallujah — Now that we know that Six Days in Fallujah isn't cancelled, just in search of a publisher, does Patrick's article still hold up? Yes it does, as he argues why such a game would be more than a just another shooter.
From the Mobfeed
Halo Highlight Reel: Zombies and Reach, Oh My! — Patrick helps prep you for the Halo: Reach beta, while having some fun in Halo 3: ODST's multiplayer.
My Game Room Launch in Review — Patrick, an older gamer with a lifetime filled with bleeps and bloops, revisits his past with Microsoft's Game Room. Heck, he even managed to get past the launch issues! He offers up four games to get your arcade started.
Rolling Start: Nascar Knights and Blur Beta Impressions — Patrick and friends take emergent gameplay onto the track by having some NASCAR fun in Forza Motorsport 3. Some Blur beta impressions are included.
Massively Effective: Mass Effect 2 and the Cerberus Network — Taking a look at the Cerberus Network, Patrick argues that it's a win-win. Bioware gets rewarded for a great game and you get rewarded for buying a new copy of Mass Effect 2.
SG's Archives: How SUPERGHOST Helped Shape Gears of War Multiplayer — How do developers make great games? Patrick got some insight into the process, when he played a few online matches with Cliff Bleszinski of Epic Games some time before Gears of War launched. Where did he find him? In Halo 2, of course!
As you can see, Patrick is prolific! Keep an eye out for his posts, and don't forget to chime in on his thoughts. He's just as eager to hear yours as to share his.
Want to be a Featured Community Writer? The best way to get featured in this series is to register with Bitmob and start contributing! You'll have to use your real name and it wouldn't hurt to write a Meet the Mob post about yourself and tag it with "Meet the Mob". If you have a favorite Bitmob community writer and want to nominate them, send me an email at andrew.hiscock@bitmob.com.