ABOUT DESTRUCTOID

Destructoid is something special. Sure, it just a critical video game community, but it means so much more to so many gamers around the world. At the heart of it, Destructoid is a voice. Its also one very unlikely guy's lifelong dream come true.

History

It all started on March 16, 2006 when web designer Yanier Gonzalez launched the video game news service to qualify for blogging press credentials at the invitation-only E3 Expo. A life-long gamer, Yanier could not resist a venue that would debut brand new hardware from Nintendo and Sony. At first, the ruse seemed hopeless. He was living on the wrong coast with no contacts in the gaming industry. Nevertheless, the blog stuck out like a sore thumb from day one: His critical articles on key industry happenings began to circulate the social internet. It was like a miracle: Destructoid somehow had a sizable readership in less than a month which allowed him to attend the event.

When E3 came around, he showed up at the event in a robot helmet (pictured right) to promote the blog which upset more than one "journalist". The eccentric stunt created a divide: It was clear to some that the gaming industry and its press was taking itself way too seriously. Thus, Destructoid soon became a beacon for gamers everywhere that wanted a more casual and reliable guy-next-door style gaming news. A manifesto was written, community members assembled to become the first staff, and Destructoid reinvented itself as a multi-author publisher in 2007.

Destructoid Today

Known for its piercing views on the gaming industry and memorable robot mascot, the three-time Webby-honoree Destructoid (or Dtoid for short) is the pulse of the hardcore gamer. Its unique and often irreverent editorial voice remains true to our grassroots manifesto, and Niero continues to proudly bring the helmet to gaming events where it is now well received as a tried-and-true memorable “breakaway brand” in the gaming industry. Our legacy is empowering, and we continue to hold ourselves to the same ideals today -- With the help of hacker/friend Tom Lackner's Elephant software, Destructoid's software evolved to allow anyone to contribute and new features are constantly being introduced to compete with legacy (read: stuffy) gaming sites.

Dtoid's programming covers daily breaking news, gamer culture, music, reviews, and industry politics and our editors have often appeared as industry experts on MTV, G4, and SpikeTV. Destructoid’s iconic robot is also a licensed playable character in the best-selling Xbox Live Arcade game of 2008: Hudson Entertainment’s Bomberman Live (middle left), marking the first appearance of a gaming web log within a popular video game.

Destructoid has earned a rabid fan base for consistently championing the voice of the consumer and keeping it real despite our growth. It’s no wonder why the grassroots site has grown so fast and why many hardcore gamers call Destructoid home “SW33T” home. Today, we're proud to create writing jobs and offer high-profile publishing space for anyone around the world who shares a deep love for gaming and sharing that with other people -- journalism degree optional, but a good sense of humor is definitely required.

When the project reached over a million readers it became apparent that Destructoid had arrived. The manifesto was realized. We don't call it working, we don't call it journalism, and we don't call it blogging. We call it living the dream.

back to ModernMethod properties