GMA Hall of Fame: Rupert Loman

As we head towards this year’s Games Media Awards on Thursday October 18th, we look back at previous winners to find out what winning meant to them, what advice they’d give to rookie games journalist, the best press trips they’ve attended and more.

This week, we speak to Rupert Loman, MD of Eurogamer, which once again picked up the award for Best Games Website in 2011…

How did it feel to win a Games Media Award last year?

The whole team was really pleased to win the Best Games Website Award last year. We strive to continually improve what we’re doing, so to get an independent award that recognises the effort that’s gone in to the website over the past year is really great.

What do the GMAs mean to the games press community?

It’s nice for everything to stop for an evening to give everyone achance to recognise and congratulate the great work that is beingproduced day in day out. There’s some incredible talent in the gamesmedia but it often gets lost amidst all the noise.

Other than winning a GMA, what has been your biggest achievement to date?

To have created our business from nothing, without any investment, that now competes against some huge established media businesses whilst remaining independent is probably our biggest achievement.

Which of your competitors do you admire, and why?

I admire anyone who is working in games media because it is theirpassion, especially the start-up sites who are doing it for the love ofgames rather than the money.

Who’s your favourite non-games writer?

Probably Armando Iannucci!

What’s the best press trip you’ve been on?

It wasn’t a press trip but the Gizmondo launch party will live long inthe memory. We got sent four tickets, but because it was on a Saturdaynight no-one in the office wanted to go. So I took three of my friends(who were at university in London at the time) on the hopeful promise ofa free bar. So it took everyone by surprise when Sting, Jamiroquai andBusta Rhymes featured in a star-studded gig, and we were handed bottles of vodka by the bar staff because they’d run out of glasses. I had to explain that this wasn’t how we rolled every weekend.

What advice would you give to someone hoping to work in the gamesmedia space?

Make as many contacts as you can, go to as many events as possible, talk to everyone.

If you weren’t working in games media, what would you be doing?

I have no idea! So it’s lucky I am…

Who would be your Games Media Award Legend?

Greg Ingham

The Games Media Awards will this year take place on Thursday October 18th and return to the super chic Vinopolis, Bankside.

Russell Kane, winner of the Edinburgh Comedy Awards, will be the host for the evening.

You can follow the gma twitter feed at @GamesMediaAward.